Pet Peeve

[rdr0912]

Ok, so I been cycling for about a year and a half or so and something I noticed from the begining and it is just kept getting to me more and more. Why does it seem that everything related to cycling need to be about names and brands and how much you pay for things?
Everything from jerseys to shorts, bike brands, components...everything. I have found plenty of things from Performance bike and Nashbar that work fine for me. Whenever I talk to people about things that I buy, they kind of give a look like I'm not good enough ride because I don't go all out and get everything Campy or buy $200 bibs/shorts.
I seem to do just fine without $100 shorts and $75 jerseys (granted I don't race or anything).
Oh well. I didn't mean to offend anyone by this, it has just been bugging me and I needed to get it off my chest. Since I just moved here, I don't know that many people in the area that ride and are into cycling that much.

Comments/thoughts/concerns?????

 

[alienator]

Ok, so I been cycling for about a year and a half or so and something I noticed from the begining and it is just kept getting to me more and more. Why does it seem that everything related to cycling need to be about names and brands and how much you pay for things?
Everything from jerseys to shorts, bike brands, components...everything. I have found plenty of things from Performance bike and Nashbar that work fine for me. Whenever I talk to people about things that I buy, they kind of give a look like I'm not good enough ride because I don't go all out and get everything Campy or buy $200 bibs/shorts.
I seem to do just fine without $100 shorts and $75 jerseys (granted I don't race or anything).
Oh well. I didn't mean to offend anyone by this, it has just been bugging me and I needed to get it off my chest. Since I just moved here, I don't know that many people in the area that ride and are into cycling that much.

Comments/thoughts/concerns?????

I think you ought to be less sensitive about things. Cycling isn't about names, brands, or whatever. You're making a huge generalization that fails.

 

[rdr0912]

That is exactly my thoughts! I do not care about names or anything....if it works use it is my state of mind. What makes some of these products so expensive anyway? I mean come on--over $200 for a pair of Bib shorts?!

 

[alienator]

That is exactly my thoughts! I do not care about names or anything....if it works use it is my state of mind. What makes some of these products so expensive anyway? I mean come on--over $200 for a pair of Bib shorts?!

Maybe those bibs work better for some people. I've tried all kinds of shorts then bibs, and I've found what works best for me, in terms of comfort and durability, are Assos bibs...the $200+ bibs that you are railing a bit about.

So what?

I guess everyone should wear $25 shorts and ride $200 bicycles then, eh?

Have at it. As for me, my comfort over the course of 4 or 6 hours on the bike is well worth the extra expense, thank you.

 

[OoAmericanGirl]

Well, somone once said that "cycling is the new golf". I don't buy many name brand things unless they're a)honestly worth it or b) on sale. I buy jerseys if I like the way they look or if they're on sale and I do, god forbid, wear jerseys from events I've participated in!! I understand how you feel, I get treated poorly at times by some people who think they're elite; however, that's not somthing that is only related to cycling.

 

[bigpedaler]

hel-LO, wake UP! look around you -- where are you? America, land of nothing's free, home of the brave new world of celebrity endorsements. how long has it been since you've seen anyone hawk no-name jeans or shoes? if someone famous has their name on a product, some stupid schmuck needs to own it in order to feel like a full-grown adult.

alienator, i'm glad you found something that works for you, and if you're OK with putting $200 over your a$$, hey -- it's your money. go for it. i personally get along just fine w/ $20-30 shorts.

i spent $1800 on my last bike because i need to get a frame that fits, and i had my own ideas about what parts i was going to run -- name brands be damned. i bought performance, not a name, and if a name comes with it, there's always gonna be somebody who thinks i should have bought something else. well, when they pay for what i ride, they can tell me what i need to run.

 

[alienator]

hel-LO, wake UP! look around you -- where are you? America, land of nothing's free, home of the brave new world of celebrity endorsements. how long has it been since you've seen anyone hawk no-name jeans or shoes? if someone famous has their name on a product, some stupid schmuck needs to own it in order to feel like a full-grown adult.

alienator, i'm glad you found something that works for you, and if you're OK with putting $200 over your a$$, hey -- it's your money. go for it. i personally get along just fine w/ $20-30 shorts.

i spent $1800 on my last bike because i need to get a frame that fits, and i had my own ideas about what parts i was going to run -- name brands be damned. i bought performance, not a name, and if a name comes with it, there's always gonna be somebody who thinks i should have bought something else. well, when they pay for what i ride, they can tell me what i need to run.

Well, I guess that's one way to look at it. See there are idiots who think they should only by expensive endorsed stuff; there are idiots who think that people only buy expensive, endorsed stuff; there are the idiots who refuse to buy anything endorsed; and then there are regular people who buy what works for them

$200 to cover my ass? Damn straight. My comfort is worth it to me, and having gone through all kinds of brands, I think I'm qualified to say what is most comfortable to me. I wish I was qualified enough to sit in a corner all holier than thou and judge what everyone else buys by the cost, endorsements, or lack of cost associated with that purchase. See, that kinda judgement takes real skills....or complete ignorance. I think most people can figure out which one applies.

See, one of the big things that keeps humans from evolving at a better clip are the masses of people that can't wrap their peabrains around the idea that people can't be divided up into just two or three categories.

 

[bigpedaler]

$200 to cover my ass? Damn straight. My comfort is worth it to me, and having gone through all kinds of brands, I think I'm qualified to say what is most comfortable to me. I wish I was qualified enough to sit in a corner all holier than thou and judge what everyone else buys by the cost, endorsements, or lack of cost associated with that purchase. See, that kinda judgement takes real skills....or complete ignorance. I think most people can figure out which one applies.

HEY -- I WAS AGREEING WITH YOU, YOU FESTERING HEMORRHOID!!! YOU'RE BETTER QUALIFIED THAN ANYBODY ELSE TO CHOOSE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!! SAME THING GOES FOR ME!! SO GET THE CHIP OFF YOUR GODDAM SHOULDER BEFORE I DIG UP ROBERT CONRAD AND HAVE HIM KNOCK IT OFF!!!

JEEZ -- SOME PEOPLE....

 

[rdr0912]

I know that there are those people that need to buy name brand products to comfort whatever other shortcomings they may have. I know that there are people that do not have the money to shell out $200 to "cover their ass" (first and foremost--me....). I know that there are people that refuse to pay the ungodly prices for some of the products around in cycling. I would say I am somewhere between the later two. Since I do not have the money to buy the assos products or any of the higher end products, I must make do with what I can get. So far, I have not had one problem with the jerseys and shorts I have bought from Performance and Nashbar. I must admit that I have not bought any bibs yet so I cannot speak on them. What is the point of them over shorts...why do people like them over shorts?
If I had the money, I would buy what is comfortable, no doubt. However, I make it a point to not buy clothes that brandishthe product name. In fact, if something has the name or symbol all over the shirt or whatever, I will usually not buy it.

 

[alienator]

HEY -- I WAS AGREEING WITH YOU, YOU FESTERING HEMORRHOID!!! YOU'RE BETTER QUALIFIED THAN ANYBODY ELSE TO CHOOSE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!! SAME THING GOES FOR ME!! SO GET THE CHIP OFF YOUR GODDAM SHOULDER BEFORE I DIG UP ROBERT CONRAD AND HAVE HIM KNOCK IT OFF!!!

JEEZ -- SOME PEOPLE....

Relax, cupcake. I was extending the line of thought.

Christ.

 

[alienator]

I know that there are those people that need to buy name brand products to comfort whatever other shortcomings they may have. I know that there are people that do not have the money to shell out $200 to "cover their ass" (first and foremost--me....). I know that there are people that refuse to pay the ungodly prices for some of the products around in cycling. I would say I am somewhere between the later two. Since I do not have the money to buy the assos products or any of the higher end products, I must make do with what I can get. So far, I have not had one problem with the jerseys and shorts I have bought from Performance and Nashbar. I must admit that I have not bought any bibs yet so I cannot speak on them. What is the point of them over shorts...why do people like them over shorts?
If I had the money, I would buy what is comfortable, no doubt. However, I make it a point to not buy clothes that brandishthe product name. In fact, if something has the name or symbol all over the shirt or whatever, I will usually not buy it.

Bibs stay in place better, and people tend to think they're more comfortable.

 

[Scarantino]

Often times, the more expensive products are a bit better...

You honestly can't think that a $900 ebay triathlon bike is going to match up to a BMC Time Machine... or that a $500 ebay carbon frame is going to be in the same league as a Colnago Extreme Power or a Specialized Tarmac SL.

I wear a pair of $50 bibs on shorter rides, but on 6-8 hour rides, you better beleive that I'm wearing a pair of $150 bibs.

 

[rdr0912]

I wish that I had the time to do a 6-8 hour ride (and the money to get a set of nice bibs just to see this difference). SO far I have had no problems with $50 performance shorts up to about 3 hours

 

[Scarantino]

I wish that I had the time to do a 6-8 hour ride (and the money to get a set of nice bibs just to see this difference). SO far I have had no problems with $50 performance shorts up to about 3 hours

Finding time for rides like that is such a pain in the ass. Honestly, ride what works for you, and ride what you like. As you progress and ride more, you'll find what you like, what you hate, and what you simply outgrow.

One of my pet peeves is how expensive bike stuff is, in general. I'll spend good money for good stuff, but it's blatantly overpriced. Tooling, materials and labor can never justify a $1,400 pair of brakes or a $2,500 aero bar... it just doesn't add up. I priced out a bike, for the fun of it, and came close to $35,000...


....no thanks, I'll take a new Ducati 1098.

 

[alienator]

Finding time for rides like that is such a pain in the ass. Honestly, ride what works for you, and ride what you like. As you progress and ride more, you'll find what you like, what you hate, and what you simply outgrow.

One of my pet peeves is how expensive bike stuff is, in general. I'll spend good money for good stuff, but it's blatantly overpriced. Tooling, materials and labor can never justify a $1,400 pair of brakes or a $2,500 aero bar... it just doesn't add up. I priced out a bike, for the fun of it, and came close to $35,000...

Simple economics explains why things are allegedly "blatantly overpriced." The nice thing is that you don't have to buy something if it's "blatantly overpriced," so really, there's no reason to whine about it.

FWIW, you probably know very little about what a given company's costs are in their "$1400" brakes or "$2500" aero bars. You're just making an assumption with zero facts in evidence. Nice.

 

[rdr0912]

I priced out a bike, for the fun of it, and came close to $35,000...
....no thanks, I'll take a new Ducati 1098.

Heck yes! Kind of like the new scott enthusiest line of bikes. They are crazy expensive in my book. I'm sure they are top quality and all that, but come on, is it all really necissary?

 

[WKB]

Often times, the more expensive products are a bit better...

You honestly can't think that a $900 ebay triathlon bike is going to match up to a BMC Time Machine... or that a $500 ebay carbon frame is going to be in the same league as a Colnago Extreme Power or a Specialized Tarmac SL.

I wear a pair of $50 bibs on shorter rides, but on 6-8 hour rides, you better beleive that I'm wearing a pair of $150 bibs.

As someone who recently purchased a $970 triathlon bike on ebay, I have a defined opinion here. ... No. I don't expect it to match up to a BMC Time Machine, or any other full carbon or titanium frames. But then again, I only race twice a year, so it doesn't make a lot of sense to me to pay much more than that. My machine works for me and I'm pretty happy with it.

As an aside, I also agree with the original post, as well as with the writer who said that cycling is like golf. You can probably buy the same set of clubs that Tiger Woods uses, but purchasing them won't make you a better golfer. You're better off practicing more with a set of cheaper clubs. While I do admire the engineering of bicycles as well as the (lack of) weight and aerodynamics of high end cycling equipment, I don't cycle often or long enough to really need one. I'm quite happy with lower end components on my bikes. Meanwhile, my current bicycle shorts are wearing thin and I'll probably go to Nashbar first to look at another pair.

I have also experienced the snooty attitude described in earlier posts. A few months ago, I was chatting with a teenager about bicycles and components. When I defended my purchases of a lower end touring bike with Tiagra components, this kid turns his nose up at me in obvious disapproval. The conversation ended there.

OK. I've rambled long enough for now. Best to all. WKB

 

[Scarantino]

Simple economics explains why things are allegedly "blatantly overpriced." The nice thing is that you don't have to buy something if it's "blatantly overpriced," so really, there's no reason to whine about it.

FWIW, you probably know very little about what a given company's costs are in their "$1400" brakes or "$2500" aero bars. You're just making an assumption with zero facts in evidence. Nice.

Oh, well, master, would you PLEASE enlighten me on these simple economics?

I ride a very nice (and expensive) LOOK, so I never said I had a problem paying good money for a good bike. I'm also not "whining." You're just making an assumption with zero facts or evidence. Nice.

So, please, since you're so well versed, please enlighten me:

http://www.trisports.com/ova9jeae.html Here are those "$2,500" aero bars.

http://fairwheelbikes.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=6 And the "$1,400" brakes.

... just in case you thought I was pulling numbers out of my ass.

We live in a free consumer based market, the companies have every right to charge whatever they want for their product. More power to them. It doesn't change my opinion that bicycle parts and frames are overpriced (at least in relation to other products outside of cycling that require MORE R&D, labor, tooling, testing, etc.) Everyone I know in the industry will openly admit that (again, only their opinion), I don't see why you're so defensive over my post?

 

[Scarantino]

As someone who recently purchased a $970 triathlon bike on ebay, I have a defined opinion here. ... No. I don't expect it to match up to a BMC Time Machine, or any other full carbon or titanium frames. But then again, I only race twice a year, so it doesn't make a lot of sense to me to pay much more than that. My machine works for me and I'm pretty happy with it.

As an aside, I also agree with the original post, as well as with the writer who said that cycling is like golf. You can probably buy the same set of clubs that Tiger Woods uses, but purchasing them won't make you a better golfer. You're better off practicing more with a set of cheaper clubs. While I do admire the engineering of bicycles as well as the (lack of) weight and aerodynamics of high end cycling equipment, I don't cycle often or long enough to really need one. I'm quite happy with lower end components on my bikes. Meanwhile, my current bicycle shorts are wearing thin and I'll probably go to Nashbar first to look at another pair.

I have also experienced the snooty attitude described in earlier posts. A few months ago, I was chatting with a teenager about bicycles and components. When I defended my purchases of a lower end touring bike with Tiagra components, this kid turns his nose up at me in obvious disapproval. The conversation ended there.

OK. I've rambled long enough for now. Best to all. WKB

I don't care what other people ride, and I'm far from any sort of elitist.

The only point I was making is that there are going to be obvious differences in the bikes within different price brackets. Funny thing is, 90% of the people that buy the upper end bikes really aren't going to benefit from all the expensive stuff they buy. Until you get into the upper echelon of elite cyclists, it still comes down to one thing: the rider, not the bike.

 

[alienator]

Oh, well, master, would you PLEASE enlighten me on these simple economics?

I ride a very nice (and expensive) LOOK, so I never said I had a problem paying good money for a good bike. I'm also not "whining." You're just making an assumption with zero facts or evidence. Nice.

Golly, you've got an expensive bike. You must be special.

So, please, since you're so well versed, please enlighten me:

http://www.trisports.com/ova9jeae.html Here are those "$2,500" aero bars.

http://fairwheelbikes.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=6 And the "$1,400" brakes.

... just in case you thought I was pulling numbers out of my ass.

Never said you pulled numbers out of your ass. It's your ideas that popped out of your ass.

We live in a free consumer based market, the companies have every right to charge whatever they want for their product. More power to them. It doesn't change my opinion that bicycle parts and frames are overpriced (at least in relation to other products outside of cycling that require MORE R&D, labor, tooling, testing, etc.) Everyone I know in the industry will openly admit that (again, only their opinion), I don't see why you're so defensive over my post?

Oh, please, wise one: tell us exactly how you compared cycling products to non-cycling products. And please, tell us how that makes any economic sense, princess.