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Because people were told so in an ad.
Anon missed the biggest sin of all:
Monetizable, but only at two or three orders of magnitude less than automobiles.
TL;DR: “He’s cheating because he’s not spending as much as I am.”
They’re cheaper in every conceivable way than cars, and that’s why the worst people out there hate them. Once you see the systems in place to equate personal validity and social values with what wealth may be extracted, it’s impossible to look back. Bikes are effectively a form of protest by way of scaling back one’s economic interaction, because of this.
yeah, but once you hang out with other bike people they will just you on the cost of your bike and your ‘gear’ instead of the cost of your car.
and if your bike is fancier than theirs, you’re a rich douche, and if your bike is less money than theirs, you’re a poor piece of shit. and if your bike is just like theirs, you are a practical and sensible person just like them.
I have never seen people do this. All I’ve ever seen is that those who spend extravagantly on bikes and gear do so because they are literally professional athletes. For everyone else, the closest to what you’re talking about is just basic advise to spend only a little bit more on an entry-level bike because the so-called “department store” bikes tend to be notorious for being cheaply made and poorly assembled, requiring repairs in a very short amount of time. But even those bikes are perfectly fine if you’re okay with having to spend additional money in the near future to replace problematic components, and either hire someone to fix it or learn how to do your own repairs.
wow cool. i was on a bike ride last night with 5 middle ages dudes who are average chubby bozos and they all had 10-20K bikes, and kept asking me if I was ‘doing ok’ because my bike is only worth 1K. because how could anyone possible ride a bike that isn’t uci level?
i have met way more people with very expensive pro level stuff than I do people without, but I live in a very rich city where people buy Rivians R1s and never drive them as a leftist eco crunchy flex. maybe you live in a poor place, where I live folks are buying 10K bikes every other year because they don’t want to be caught on an ‘old bike’ w/o all the latest and greatest upgrades and my bikes are ‘retro’ because they are more than 5 years old and people are ‘concerned’ for me because they are so old and I must be financially struggling.
Sounds like you’ve encountered MAMILs in the wild.
Middle Aged Men In Lycra.
I like to point out that a 10k bike is really just a cheaper mid-life crisis than a sports car, tends to shut down the conversation one way or another pretty quick.
No. These are folks who have been riding since they were teenagers and got 10K bikes back then too and their first car was a Lexus, etc.
They are just rich people. Lots and lots of people, are rich. Mid-life crisis for these folks is buying a house in Hawaii for 5 million.
Wealth doesn’t necessarily exclude them from being MAMILs, but from what you’ve described, it seems there are plenty of other reasons to ride solo.
Yeah that probably does explain it, I don’t hang out with rich assholes. People like that may as well be living on another planet as far as I’m concerned.
It’s almost like gentrification makes everything more insufferable for everyone.
you have that backwards. I am the asshole in that situation because I’m not as rich as them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZK8Z8hulFg
it’s the same for any interest
Mostly true but I find the price is pretty high nowadays.
You don’t need a carbon road bike to cycle to the supermarket, you’re not racing in the tour de france.
Yeah well even basic bitch bikes go from 300-1000 euros. Even second hand is 175 cheapest. And then you have a shitty one.
What the hell? That’s crazy. My current bike was 20€, needed a bit of fixing. Bought it when my 30€ one was stolen. Both have served fine for my 2km daily commute, and occasional ~10km trip to the city centre.
Could probably buy a stolen one for that money yeah, or someone that really needs to get rid of their bike to make space. But at an actual refurbished second hand bike goes for those prices after a quick google search.
You can absolutely find 2nd hand bikes for less 175. One search of marktplaats for an omafiets and there are plenty for less than 90 euros. Sure it’ll be a real nugget but with 30 euros of parts, youtube and some elbow grease it will last for years. They probably even will without fixing it up first
Almost as if cost of living has increased, but wages have not…
Yeah that’s my point. We don’t exactly live in a “oh it’s stolen, oh well” time.
Paint it with extra rust and stick some exposed wires on it for +15 to theft resistance.
but wages have not…
This makes me appreciate the UK minimum wage rising faster than inflation over the past several years.
A weeks work at minimum wage will get you a pretty decent bike. Not a carbon race bike, but a good bike for general riding.
I think we have different definitions of shitty bike. I could go to Kmart and buy a $120 AUD (€73) brand new bike. It has 2 wheels, pedals, a handlebar. Sometimes they have bells. You can even make it go forwards if you try hard enough.
If I go to Gumtree (our classifieds app), there’s literally free bikes or ones for* as low as $20:
Mountain Bike. In working condition, has back brakes and rides straight. The gear shifter doesn’t work, but just leave it the desired gear.
If I go to an actual “bike shop”, their cheapest bike is $400 AUD (€243), which is close to your listing.
Yeah well I live in the Netherlands
Man, no wonder they’re expensive, Dutch bicycles are world famous for quality commuting. I really wanted one and tried to buy one q few years ago but got scammed haha.
I bought my last two bikes for $20 and $50 at the goodwill respectively
My bike doesn’t go 90mph and have room for 3 others with their bags.
Bike in the city, for communting limited distances (under 1 hour i’d say), and when you obviously dont have to carry someone else (who could take the bike himself anyways).
Outside the city or for longer distances there are this long cars that go straight more than 90 mph and have room for a bit more than 4 or 5 people.
I can appreciate a point-to-point intercity solution with cars can be very convenient. My friends with kids swear by their cars for schlepping kids and their shit around and I must concede even in a country where the trains criss-cross the country and busses, trams, metros cover the rest, it can be a pain in the ass to deal with turnstiles, transfers, and crowds with kids while on a schedule. But their intracity trips are all bike or public transit.
I would love it if we had commuter trains in rural areas of the US again.
Each one can have their bike, with bags on bag holders. If you are going for a long distance trip, you can take a train and get your bikes onboard. What’s the big deal ?
If you are going for a long distance trip, you can take a train and get your bikes onboard
No. You must ride! Ironman triathlon is a valid method of commuting to work.
4 bikes can fit 4 people and their bags though
I know I know. We’re all going to pack up and ride 400 miles 🙄
Fucking nerds and their need to acktchually on forums.
Don’t know if you’ve heard of the concept, but it is possible to own both a car and several bikes and use the one most suited for the task. I know it can be a daunting challenge for people like you to conceptualize a reality that isn’t based on binary extremes, but stay with me: you take your bicycle for short trips and commutes within the city, but use a car for occasional 400-mile trips. You can even take your bicycle with you in the car if you want to be really woke.
Mind-blowing, am I right? Apologies if this revelation has caused your worldview to collapse.
Is that posted above? I was responding to the image you moron. And then you invent a fucking back story about me.
I bike 100+ miles a week at 250w. I don’t need the explanation. The image creator does. And apparently you need a lesson about staying on topic.
Get fucked.
I think this is what he was getting at though. Bikes would not be best suited for his hypothetical here.
How often do you drive 400 miles? I live on the prairies and do it maybe once month. You know what I do? Rent. It’s cheaper than owning a large vehicle for occasional trips. I have a smaller daily driver but don’t take it on long trips or into the mountains.
I’m towing 8k behind me on many trips. Good luck consistently renting a truck with a towing package on specific weekends guy. Y’all are angry little jackasses cause I pointed out why people look at statements like this funny.
Then you are an exceptional use case. I know others e.g. my BiL has two trucks, one for work and one for toy hauling. But his wife drives a sedan because it’s good on gas. My neighbor doesn’t need a lifted F250 to drive to the office. But he does it and those are the people we roll our eyes at.
Damn dude, all your trips are 400 miles? I feel bad for you
I drive to my auto races. Some are far. I am living my childhood dreams and driving slow cars fast as shit. There is zero reason to have any sympathy. I love every moment.
Propaganda.
Yes
someone compared efficiency and long distance trains are more efficient, but that’s it.
Further proof that trains are the ultimate form of transportation. But we all knew this. Choo choo!
Bring back trains so we can have real suburbs, where you can live in a small town and be a 30 to 45 minute train ride from a city center.
Bike and train could mean never having to deal with owning a car ever again.
Have you seen Montreal and their REM?! An autonomous train every 15 minutes?!?! Sign me up!!!
Cars can easily long distances in a short period of timeinn most weather conditions comfortably, allowing the freedom of movement even if it isn’t done daily. It is a symbol of long distance freedom on weekends and holidays, not daily commuting.
These are great points and suddenly I feel like the all weather point is showing a nonexistant / totally under served market.
A quick google search shows even quadricycles tend to be un covered. Man, this feels like a real business opportunity.
Ofc, cause #Murica, I’ll bet I’m the one in a million people who’d want a covered bicycle / quadicycle (vs trying to get a golf cart) for local mobility.
Probably because the cover is extra weight and cumbersome rigging for all of the time you don’t need it. Rain gear works well enough in a pinch.
Yeah, I’m sure for my interests, I could strap a lock box to the bike with all weather gear (so that I don’t have to think about bringing it with me all the time).
Still, a neat idea. I’d love the vibes of being a biking Fred Flintstone.
Do they not have coats where you live?
Yeah, but I grew up in a part of the world too hot year round to wear them, so as an adult, most jackets are just really uncomfortable for me. Doubly so for water proof materials that don’t breathe.
The material doesn’t need to breathe. Use a poncho type of thing instead.
I bike everyday to work and back. Ponchos suuuuuck to ride in. Theyre constantly getting into your chain or wheel. It’s hard to do a shoulder check because you’ll get poncho in the eyes. And the wind getting in will make it come off your arms and head. Plus they’re uncomfortable with helmets and biking gloves.
Personally, I just use a rain jacket plus accept the fact that I’ll get wet sometimes. I already carry a towel in my rear rack for sweat so it’s not that big a deal as long as I get to my destination.
Mine hasn’t caused any issues. It has velcro straps that clip it to my legs and it’s designed for cycling. I do think I probably could have got the larger size though.
Not sure, bit more airflow around my arms and upper chest could be nice.
I prefer to call it “freedom”. Nowadays your vehicle spies on you and you’re tracked everywhere you go and anaylized.
Not mine, lol, the benefits of driving an 18-year-old car I guess.
Bikes have that “start riding wherever, feel the wind in your air, hop off wherever and lock wherever” freedom.
goes as far and as fast as you can
And cars go much further and faster than I can
With the big trade-off that it eats up space and money when it’s not a weekend or a holiday … I sometimes think it’d be nice to own a car to go out on the weekends, but then I remember that I’d have to pay insurance and taxes independent on how much I use it (which would amout to “any other weekend”, maybe), and couldn’t use my garage as a workshop anymore because it’d be occupied by a car. Plus, short-term rentals and car sharing are a thing … so, yeah … in the end it always feels more like a liability than “freedom”
Distance. Carrying capacity Speed
If only we had good bicycle infrastructure everywhere 😔
Because cars make a shit load of money for the
economythe rich people.the only bikes that make any money to sell are the ones that are for rich people.
the profit on a $500 bike is like 200 bucks, the profit on a $15,000 bike, is like $10,000
I bet it’s closer to like 13k profit, depends on how you do the math on the supply chain
Yeah but how many more people are buying the £500 bikes?
Going by the stock of bikes in Halfords, almost no one is buying the 15k bikes. Very few bikes are not a 3 figure price tag.
not as many as you’d think. it also depends on the demographics of your city. in my city people buy 10K bikes like they are $100 bikes, because they have the money.
True, I could see it being a thing in parts of London
Cycle2work scheme has, I think, massively inflated the prices. Not in a way where same shit costs more, but truly cheap bikes are just not really a thing anymore.
Idk I typically buy mine from anarchist bike co-ops and they’re pretty cheap
truly cheap bikes were never a thing, unless you are talking wal-mart bikes. and those aren’t really bikes, they are disposable toys.
Decathlon is offering real cheap contenders :D Their line of city bikes is SUPER affordable and already comes with every needed accessories
Hills. If you live near hills bikes don’t work too well at least not as transportation, they work more as exercise equipment then.
I’ve actually got an electric bike and it does solve the hills problem but then it has the it weighs as much as a baby elephant problem. So it’s still a pain if you have to lug it on and off the train.
You are seriously underestimating baby elephants :D
I use a bike to commute 6.5 km to work and it’s not just a good time. I do have a dedicated bike/pedestrian paved path (with few pedestrians, just a lot of other bikes) which is nice.
But in rain it sucks. And in winter it sucks even harder with the cold, and snow and ice. I have studded tires but that adds to the suck as they make you slower. I always have to shower when I get to work. I deliver and pick up in kindergarten, and there is no place to lock the kid trailer, so it adds an extra km to pick up and dump of the trailer at home.
I still use a manual as it gives me some excercise, but an electric bike would solve many of the issues.
And I save money on parking and toll. And bc of traffic I use about the same time.
Nothings perfect
But in rain it sucks. And in winter it sucks even harder with the cold, and snow and ice. I have studded tires but that adds to the suck as they make you slower. I always have to shower when I get to work. I deliver and pick up in kindergarten, and there is no place to lock the kid trailer, so it adds an extra km to pick up and dump of the trailer at home.
Where I live the parents all have those e-bike SUV things that have faring and rain covers. They are about the size of a large motorcycle and probably weigh 100lbs. Urban arrow is the brand and they are about 10,000. Price of a used car.
I used to live in a town in the US where I could bike across a college campus to get to work. That was heaven.
If I were younger, I could almost make this work. There would still be a couple of times a year when I’d need a vehicle. As it is, I can’t ride a bicycle for more than about 30 minutes, and I expect in the next ten years that will dwindle to zero.
I live in a city where this a lot of bike commuting.
All the same shitty stuff that you deal with while driving, you now deal with while riding your bike. People going way too slow, people riding up your ass, people going way too fast, people who speed up when you pass them, folks that violate every law/signal/sign and don’t give a fuck. idiots blasting shitty music, idiots with sound isolating headphones, idiots who come straight at you head on going the wrong way in the bike lane, etc, etc.
So I basically stopped riding my bike to work. I don’t want to deal with bike traffic, bike aggression, and bike accidents.
It was awesome when nobody else did it, but now you have to wait for specially little bike traffic lights, and there are like 30 people in front of you, who are either slow as shit, or blazing around on e-bikes, and it’s generally just a total shitshow. The ‘freedom’ of cycling isn’t really free when you are forced to deal with all the same stupid bullshit you would in a car. On top of the hostility you get from drivers, pedestrians, and other cyclists. there is also a ton of richdouchebag mom/dad’s on giant e-cargo bikes riding around like they would in their giant BMW SUVs, and acting like entitled selfish pricks and flipping out at you for ‘endangering’ their children if you get to close or something. It sucks.
I take the subway now because at least on the subway people leave me the fuck alone and play weird passive aggressive racing games with me and aren’t trying to head-on collision me everyday.
I cycle to work and have none of these problems because the bike route is pretty wide. Old railway converted into a bus route, no cars allowed but bikes can use it. The bus is every 15 mins so at most I have 1 bus overtake me along it.
It’s dead straight and nothing crosses it all the way along. It’s great. Overtaking is easy because there is loads of space.
Old railway converted into a bus route, no cars allowed but bikes can use it.
This can’t be anywhere in the US, can it?
It is not
That’s nice. We don’t have that here. We are in the street with peds and cars and buses and when they add ‘bike specificic’ stuff it get worse and worse. now you have interesections with three sets of signals, bike, walk, and car, and it’s a clusterfuck as they are all on different timings.
Yikes, I never knew any of these problems existed. I live in the opposite kind of area. Hardly any bikers and I wish it was more bike focused.
Other than dealing with weather I still think I’d rather commute by bike because it has a lot of positives. The ebike thing though is a bit crazy, I feel like those should be more considered like mopeds or motorcycles and not use bike lanes. They can be quite dangerous.
yeah well it’s been very successful in expanding bike commuting, but success just brings more problems.
like i don’t commute by car because it was slow and miserable. how they have made commuting by bike slow and miserable because they added so much bullshit too it and too many people do it now. e-bikes also really messed stuff up because you have people going 20-30mph whereas before bikes they were going like 10-15mph, and the former is way more dangerous. i fucking hate ebike riders.
but hey at least the subway got upgraded so it’s now faster than taking a bike.
My least favorite part about riding on bike trails is le peloton – the mass of riders all gabbing with each other and not paying the slightest bit of attention to what’s right in front of them and crowding up to take over the entire lane. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been literally run off the trail by this shit.
I used to bike to work in Louisiana. No bike lanes anywhere but my route was relatively free of car traffic. The problem was the unchained dogs that would come after me from time to time.
I’ve been to Copenhagen and experienced a bike traffic jam. I’m against making bikes popular and creating in-city bike lanes in my city since then.
