I work in a bike shop now for my sins...
I have had this job for two months and I am doing ok. However most of the bikes I sell are shite for under £100.

I spent more than that on the front wheel of my mountain bike and just under that on the front wheel of my road bike. I am not tight, I may be daft, but I like my sport.

Since working in the bike shop I have had only two issues with customers being a tight twat. Sadly it was the same person...

When they bought the bike, they demanded that I provide them with my staff discount. Why should they demand this of me? They have the same medical condition as me and thus "we are sisters"... My staff discount is 15% and to be honest fifteen percent of fuck all is still fuck all. The bike they were buying was as cheap as chips and already heavily discounted.

I warned them, if you buy a bike this cheap, it will be problematic... But what do I know, I am only the fucking idiot who has to build them on a daily basis.

First harpy (brought along to offer technical advice, despite being a cretin) demanded to speak to my boss because I would not offer my staff discount (and commit an act of fraud). So my boss wanders over and states exactly the same. Harpy one stalks out of the shop cursing me under her breath. Harpy two decides that yes a "mountain bike" retailing for under £100 is a bargain and buys said bike. Then declares that the box may not fit into her expensive sports car...

I was then accused of trying to kill them. I achieved this by selling them the bike, unbuilt in its box, which they wanted to build them selves believing it would cost less and they can do a better job than a pro bike mechanic. Bikes are built by us free of charge to the best standard that cheap shit can reach... Said bike was then wheeled out for the first time and had a puncture... So they phoned me up and screamed abuse down the phone so rudely that my Boss has told me that if they phone again I am to put the phone down on them.

What did they want? A free inner tube because new bikes should not get a puncture...

Why do I bother...

Folks, do you really think that if bikes that cost less than £100 were actually any good, I would have spent £2000 on mine?
( Rev. Jayneflakes Buy my book, I need the cash for drugs and hookers, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:05, 29 replies)

Mine was £15 from a car boot sale
but then I'm tight.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:13, closed)

mine was £50
and the lock i got was £30.

someone nicked the lock.
( I have run out of coke is a little sweaty, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:15, closed)

£2000
*mind boggles*

I hope it's gold-plated...
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:17, closed)

2 Grand!?
Does it have missle launchers?
(GONEism, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:26, closed)

good idea!
*Invents Vigorously*
( uberdeity Wondered why Owen Lars knew of the term "hell" on, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:30, closed)

My neighbour
spent more on one of his push-bikes (of which he has several) than I spent on both my motorcycle and car combined.

But it is an absolute beast. Lightweight frame, carbon fiber everything, drilled wavy brake discs, slick tyres... even the brake pads are about £50 each.
(Half of Stephen Fry's right buttock pissed on your dog on, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:28, closed)

Im interested.
What has a £2k bike got that a £100 bike doesnt?

P.S. Do you sell fold up bikes? I need one badly!
(Miggyman, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:33, closed)

A £100 bike
Will be made of low grade steel or aluminium and will be weaker and heavier than a more expensive bike. It'll have no damping in the suspension - imagine riding a pogo stick. It won't have hydraulic brakes, nor will it have been thoroughly tested and meet various international standards.

Believe me, there's a gulf of difference between a £100 bike and even a £400 bike.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:42, closed)

Yep
My Specialized Enduro cost me £1700 back in 2004. It's made of aircraft grade aluminium, has four pot disc brakes and air suspension.

Since purchase, it's had a new fork (£500 - air sprung, adjustable for travel, rebound and compression settings), new wheels (lightweight and strong - £300), the rear shock custom tuned (£130) not to mention the cost of replacement cranks, handlebars, stem, seatpost, saddle etc. All in it's probably cost me circa £3k.


(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:35, closed)

nice helmet
..

..

well someone had to say it, might as well be me
(Halfy By light alone, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:42, closed)

Three Grand!!
And it's broken look.

That bit of the frame that goes from the saddle to the rear wheel is missing!

You'd have thought for three-large, you'd have got a complete frame, not a broken one with what looks like a spring connecting it to the front!

Tell ya, kids today....
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:55, closed)

So you've replaced practically everything on it
and it's still the same bike?

Like 'my grandfather's axe'?

Lovely helmet.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:59, closed)

"Trigger's Broom"
The only original component is the frame itself. Everything else has been upgraded.

The question most people ask is "Why?"

The answer is that I've ridden it in the Peak District, the Scottish Highlands, several dedicated mountain bike trails in Wales and I intend on having a crack at this before I'm forty.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 30 Oct 2008, 13:03, closed)

jealous
some people just don't understand.
(phe, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 15:03, closed)

im sorry me too
i dont even have a PC or tv at home but i do have a kona stinky that i brought for £1500 in a sale then added its value over again in components. the way i see it if im coming of a 10ft drop and my bars break, id like to know it happerned because im talentless not a cheapskate
(jordanchaos isn’t just any PeaRoast, this is a M&S PeaRoast, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 15:14, closed)

When you want to refer to yourself
and use I, you need to hold down the shift key to make it a capital letter.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Thu 30 Oct 2008, 16:01, closed)

I bought a really cheap bike (60 quid?)
The brakes fell out. The seat hurt. The gears fell out of adjustment (erm, whatever it's called, the level for 1,2,3,4,5 corresponded to 1, 2-and-a-bit, 3-and-a-half, 4-ish and chain-falls-off) and some how part of it funsed to a bit of a socket set.

So I bought a fairly cheap bike (80?). It works.

Remember, always get the 3rd cheapest thing from Argos
(teebie jeebie, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 12:39, closed)

If someone wants to spend £3000 on a bike and there's no children going hungy.
Then bloody leave them alone to get on with it.



From memory your not single are you?

You should be. : )
( girlinthehole, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 13:03, closed)

I was a confirmed bachelor when I bought it
I certainly don't intend on buying another!

My bike is good, but it's not chickenlady good ;-)
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 30 Oct 2008, 13:05, closed)

Mine
Cost me £350 this summer and I got a puncture within 1/2 mile of riding it home! Didn't complain, just bought new inner tubes and repair kit. Then the next week I bought a power kite, broke my collar bone and haven't been able to ride since July :( Summers gone now so have a great bike gathering dust in my garage :(
(Something funny, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 13:10, closed)

I read on here once, but can't remember who said it
Strong
Light
Cheap

Pick two.
(Wallilay has been bored of this shit since, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 14:05, closed)

that applies
to almost everything. Or variations. I think software is:

Fast
Reliable
Cheap
( I have run out of coke is a little sweaty, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 14:14, closed)

With slutty women it's
Fast, reliable, cheap [Y/N]
(teebie jeebie, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 15:30, closed)

For set building
Fast,
Cheap,
Looks.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Thu 30 Oct 2008, 16:03, closed)

for women its:
Beautiful
Available
Sane
(nonstopdancer, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 17:16, closed)

My mountain bike cost me £60 2 years ago...
....and it still works perfectly!
I've used it at least 4 times now.
Oh.
( DUMBLONDE is a rubber lover girl, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 16:54, closed)

So how much does a bike have to cost...
...before it's any good? OK, so you chose to spend £2000 - does that mean that £1800 bikes are rubbish?

Presumably there is a dividing line somewhere, and it's no more obvious that someone who puts it just below £100 is any more tightfisted than someone who puts it just below £2000 is gullible.
(ubergeekian, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 17:13, closed)

Cost
£350 and upwards gets you a good bike with V-brakes and an entry level suspension fork.

£450 will get you the above with a reasonable fork or disc brakes

£500 will get a reasonable fork and disc brakes

£1000 will buy the above but with rear suspension.

£1500 will buy better suspension and a lighter overall bike.

Beyond £600 for a hardtail (ie no rear suspension) and £1500 for a full suss, the law of diminishing returns comes into effect - incremental price hikes yield a smaller improvement.

*edit* It depends also on the bike's intended purpose. Components designed to take a beating and reduce weight for competitive advantge cost more. All well and good if you hurl yourself off things a lot, but not worthwhile if you like a slow trundle through the local woods.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 30 Oct 2008, 17:24, closed)

That's a pretty good guide
I'd echo that after spending 400 quid on a mountain bike. I thought that was expensive until I started looking into it..

For that I got half decent disk brakes and forks (some people think the forks are a bit weak. I don't do huge jumps on mine, just offroading). However the derailleurs (things that shift up and down gears) were frankly shit, and packed in after dropping the bike a few times.

Add on 25 quid for the Deore derailleur upgrade, another 45 quid for half decent night time lights (ones to see with) and it all adds up. From scratch, I reckon you'll be looking at 600 quid for a new bike and all the gear (helmet, lights - both to see with, and to be seen by, saddle bag, new inner tube, pump, water bottle, trip computer, repair kit, fluourescent strip/jacket, lock, degreaser and lubricant).

Of course some road bikes are a bit cheaper than mountain bikes (need to withstand less abuse). It's possible to save a packet with the bike to work scheme too.

Then you need a road bike, because mountain bikes are comparatively heavy and slow. After that, you look at a second hand cheap bike 'so you can ride it to the shops and not care if it's nicked', followed by a spare bike in case your main bike fails just before an important event..
(EssY, Thu 30 Oct 2008, 18:21, closed)