49
votes
I purchased a "new" bike from my local bike shop that is five years old--should they have disclosed this?
If it's actually used, as in previously owned with real mileage, they should have disclosed that. If it's in new condition, or new condition with some amount of the discount being for shop wear or due ...
- 85.1k
45
votes
How much cheaper is cycling than driving?
I commute by bike around 8,000-10,000 km per year and based on my book keeping it is at about 1/5th (or less) the cost of running a car. After accounting for paying for the bike (i.e., devaluation) ...
- 30.6k
16
votes
Why are bicycles so expensive?
As stated in the comments, your main sport is a strength sport, so I assume you are looking for a bicycle to commute or to do some light aerobics on.
It's not clear which store you shopped in. There ...
- 31.5k
15
votes
Why are bicycles so expensive?
Some example from Austria and Germany for new bikes:
~300€ will get you a cheap city/trekking bicycle with the cheapest components and 3x7speed gears. Often not assembled properly, low quality and ...
- 27.4k
15
votes
Accepted
Which part(s) has the greatest slope of price per pound(kg)?
The full answer is long and complicated but the short answer is almost surely 1) the proper air pressure at zero cost (meaning, zero slope in terms of price/kg); followed by 2) latex tubes (at a ...
- 14.1k
12
votes
I purchased a "new" bike from my local bike shop that is five years old--should they have disclosed this?
I'm trying to put myself into your shoes if this were to happen to me with the LBS that I frequent. I own two bikes, which almost sounds like the start of an inverse Twelve Step Program--one that ...
- 971
12
votes
Why are bicycles so expensive?
TL;DNR - Bikes are so expensive because people are prepared to pay that much.
Pricing of the product is a balance of the cost to supply and value add to the customer. In the perfect capitalist's world,...
- 50.5k
11
votes
Am I freeloading at my LBS?
Spending $30 / month at your LBS seems perfectly reasonable. Your LBS is grateful you buy from them instead of from Amazon.
If you sometimes go to your bike store just to talk, that probably OK, as ...
- 75.7k
11
votes
Why are bicycles so expensive?
To use car sales analogy. If you go to a Ferrari or Lamborghini dealership, all you'll see are cars for $1 million or more. If you go to a used car dealership, you'll find quite different cars for $...
- 14.3k
10
votes
How much cheaper is cycling than driving?
The answer is "it varies wildly". By the far largest cost is the initial price of the bike, which in itself has a huge range and is multiplied by how often you replace the bike. The second largest ...
- 22k
9
votes
Which part(s) has the greatest slope of price per pound(kg)?
Do also consider durability - it is a common misconception that more expensive things last longer, and while that may be true comparing mid-range to cheap stuff, the top-end parts tend to have a ...
- 124k
8
votes
Accepted
Am I freeloading at my LBS?
1) "am I freeloading, or am I a (financially) valued customer?"
Depends. Most bike shops I've been to are happy with giving some of advice -- helping the person find the right part and them do it ...
- 46.2k
7
votes
How much cheaper is cycling than driving?
I dont know if there is any pre-existing data but here is mine.
biking:
bike: ~$750 (based on what i paid for my Trek 1.1)
assuming you pop one tube every 700miles and your daily commute is ~10miles ...
- 115
7
votes
What is a good bike-to-lock ratio in price?
Totally depends on the person and how much you're willing to lose. One of the main things you want to do is lock properly -- an expensive lock used poorly isn't very good. And you usually just have to ...
- 46.2k
6
votes
How much does the price of a new bicycle drop a year after buying it?
I would use bicycle blue book as a way to figure out the change in value of the bike. They have a system to estimate the resale value of used bikes. Your bikes condition at the end of the year will ...
- 61
5
votes
How much cheaper is cycling than driving?
Based on some digging around in academic archives, there has been no systematic study like you are suggesting. That said, bicycling is several orders of magnitude cheaper than driving a vehicle on a ...
- 467
5
votes
How much does the price of a new bicycle drop a year after buying it?
This is sooooooooooo wide open. You lose like 1/3 rolling it out the door.
Condition matters more than years. If it 10 years old with some out of date components that matters. But 3 versus 5 does ...
- 15.7k
5
votes
Am I freeloading at my LBS?
It may be helpful to know that according to the NBDA*, most bike shops actually lose money on bike sales. The average profit margin is -3%. Where the profit margin on parts and accessories is +7.5%....
- 51
4
votes
I purchased a "new" bike from my local bike shop that is five years old--should they have disclosed this?
The thing that would give me pause about this would be if there were a generational shift in technology during the intervening years, and it might be harder to get replacement parts (like the ...
- 30k
4
votes
What is cheaper, to walk or to cycle?
Cycling is cheaper than walking.
I asked a few people what they think is cheaper, walking or cycling, and everyone answered that walking is cheaper. It seems logical, because to walk, all you need is ...
- 283
4
votes
What is a good bike-to-lock ratio in price?
piggybacking on Criggie's comment...
What is a good ratio, in prices, between your bike and your lock so that it would be reasonable?
Well, sometimes the level of bicycle theft is rather ...
- 5,710
4
votes
Which part(s) has the greatest slope of price per pound(kg)?
I think there is no easy answer. Which part you should upgrade first very much depends on what’s currently on the bike. But keep in mind, if there was an easy and cheap option the bike manufacturer ...
- 27.4k
3
votes
Accepted
Can and should I sell a bike without wheels?
What kind of discount should I be offering to compensate for the lack of wheels? If I still had the wheels, I'd be expecting to get £250 to £300, judging by completed eBay listings.
It depends on how ...
- 46.2k
3
votes
How much cheaper is cycling than driving?
To offer a counterpoint in the form of a small motorbike
Even though it's not what's asked for, it's relevant to the discussion. Here are the figures for my Honda CBF 125. In £/km rather than $/km, ...
- 171
3
votes
How much cheaper is cycling than driving?
I own several bikes, different prices for buying them and they have a different resale value, also compared to buying price.
Most expensive, delta trike, about €1000, expected resale value about €200.
...
- 3,991
3
votes
What BMX frame did I find?
HH does imply "haro" as a brand. A photo might help confirm that.
The serial number is useless for identification, unless you know the brand, AND that brand kept records, AND they've been ...
- 124k
3
votes
Has pandemic caused shortage of bikes?
You are correct. A couple of things have happened with the pandemic. The supply chain, from manufacturing though logistics to the retail have been disrupted.
The big disruption is logistics, ...
- 50.5k
2
votes
How much cheaper is cycling than driving?
I have lost track of actual numbers, but in my experience bicycle was several times cheaper than car. However, bicycle was still much more expensive than public transportation for me. This was due ...
- 2,233
2
votes
How much cheaper is cycling than driving?
Just to give an example from the silly end of the spectrum, my tandem recumbent trike cost over $10,000 to build and another $2000 to transport to the beginning and end of the main ride I did, which ...
- 23.5k
2
votes
How much should I spend on my helmet?
MIPS may possibly make a sense, so money and choice permitting you could choose the helmet with MIPS. Some do not believe, ok. I personally also have the one with lights because I commute in the night....
- 7,739
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible