Bicycling

[Dworkk]

Originally Posted by Neph

While I like the mountain bike aspects of the Kaitai I posted above (disc brakes, front suspension, and the tires), I can't really get over the straight handlebar. When I use stationary gym bikes, I like how I can put my hands in different positions to help shift fatigue around, and I always get annoyed on my mountain bike that I can't put my hands in different places. So I'll probably look more closely at the road bikes next time I go.

Also, I meant $690 for buying it online. A little bit of a difference there...

My wife had the same problem with her flat bar bike so I put on a set of bar ends and wrapped them with handlebar tape to give them some padding
Nashbar - Welcome!

[Picasso]

Originally Posted by Sharmai

Mind boogle. An xbox is more advanced and costs less. What is it about bikes that makes them cost so much? It's a couple of gears, a frame, and two tires. Oh and a chain. Is the bike manufacturing process really that expensive? Or did bike R&D cost like 1 billion dollars?

Jesus hope I can find something used somehow.

Raw metal is expensive
Bikes typically come in 5+ sizes
critical welds are involved
precise components.

God damn dude why did you just compare a bicycle to an xbox?

[Dumar]

Originally Posted by Sharmai

An xbox that works is more advanced and costs less.

fixed.

[Sharmai]

Originally Posted by Picasso

God damn dude why did you just compare a bicycle to an xbox?

No it's not that. It's that bikes were invented some time around 1885 and in more then a century the basic concept of 2 wheels a chain, a frame and some gears has somehow skyrockted in cost.

I get it bikes are expensive but somewhere out there bicycle makers are laughing all the way to the bank over the (guess) 1000% mark up.

[Dworkk]

Originally Posted by Sharmai

No it's not that. It's that bikes were invented some time around 1885 and in more then a century the basic concept of 2 wheels a chain, a frame and some gears has somehow skyrockted in cost.

I get it bikes are expensive but somewhere out there bicycle makers are laughing all the way to the bank over the (guess) 1000% mark up.

and Xbox is $5 worth of plastic and maybe $10 worth of copper wire and sells for $250. To take your example one step farther, look at how long cars have been around. You could get a model-T in the 1920s for $300 look at what cars cost now and the basic concept hasn't changed since then.

[Sharmai]

So the expense cost of the bike is primarily from the metal? Or the research? The xbox has and its components over time have significantly more in billions of dollars of research. Those circuits didn't come cheap. The metal frame? 6-7 tubes precisely wielded for which machines were invented decades ago that could do this cheaply, precisely, and in mass.


Edit: why am I arguing.. I don't think I could be convinced the prices of these bikes is justified. I think I just have to accept that this is what the market pays and so this is how it is...

Now to find the underground bicycle black market..

[Dumar]

Originally Posted by Dworkk

and Xbox is $5 worth of plastic and maybe $10 worth of copper wire and sells for $250.

k i'll give you the mats to build me an xbox for 15? thx.

ps, fine.. i'll give you 2 extra for your labor. =P

[Dworkk]

Originally Posted by Dumar

k i'll give you the mats to build me an xbox for 15? thx.

ps, fine.. i'll give you 2 extra for your labor. =P

only if you build me a bike for the same price moron

[Candiarie]

Originally Posted by Northerner

I agreed with the rest but think you are crazy here. I used to do a lot of distance work and honestly, are you doing those centuries without cleats? The difference in efficient power transfer is night and day really and I'd say it is the most important upgrade. You can kludge it with the old-school toe clips that just go over shoes but it just isn't the same.

Whatever works for ya though and it probably doesn't matter. I don't see any decent road or hybrid bikes selling without a clipless system of some sort.

Haha I pretty much just never wanted to spend the money on the pedals and shoes. Even when I borrowed friends bikes I'd usually just switch out the pedals. Those toe clips are a bitch though to line up every time you have to put your foot back in. I've never done a century with them so I have no idea what the difference would be like. I don't do any group rides that aren't over really shitty terrain, but I imagine if I did our usual bike club rides my cliplessness would be questioned.

[aychamo_aycono]

Originally Posted by Sharmai

So the expense cost of the bike is primarily from the metal? Or the research? The xbox has and its components over time have significantly more in billions of dollars of research. Those circuits didn't come cheap. The metal frame? 6-7 tubes precisely wielded for which machines were invented decades ago that could do this cheaply, precisely, and in mass.


Edit: why am I arguing.. I don't think I could be convinced the prices of these bikes is justified. I think I just have to accept that this is what the market pays and so this is how it is...

Now to find the underground bicycle black market..

Bikes have a lot of expense in them. The carbon fiber frames, all of the components (derailleur, brakes, sprockets, etc.) You have to manufacture the thing, etc. Plus companies have to make this thing called a profit so that they can pay the employees, pay their electricity bills, etc. I hate you people who think a company should sell shit for it's cost. hello? Why don't you just go cheat on your bicycle too. It's so appropriate I'm writing this to you while I'm taking a shit and about to wipe my ass.

[Tuco]

Originally Posted by Dworkk

only if you build me a bike for the same price moron

I'd honestly be interested to see why bicycles cost that much to build. I know that titanium is hard to work with, but it isn't that expensive. I don't know a thing about carbon fiber though.

Someone needs to find one of those kid show episodes where puppets go into a German bike factory.

[Candiarie]

The only places I've really learned about the bicycle construction process are the 25Seven blog (by one of the Seven cycles guys)

And when I was researching for my home tap system some Cannondale guy wrote about making his out of carbon fiber. For real though if there is a kid show that walks through all of it, it would be interesting

[Neph]

HowStuffWorks Videos "Assembly Line: Cannondale Bicycles"

~7 minute video on how Cannondale Bikes are made - good watch. Didn't really know how all of the stuff is made, but it's a lot like watching a dull episode of Orange County Choppers (if they used assembly lines).

edit: So I went test riding today. Tried a Defy 3 and a Defy 1 for comparison. $750 and $1300 respectively. There's a definite quality difference in the more expensive model (quieter/easier shifting, better brakes), but I can't really justify spending an extra $550 for slight quality improvements. The less-expensive one felt really solid and was almost as fast, it's just not as quiet/smooth on shifts.

[Fammaden]

Originally Posted by Tuco

I'd honestly be interested to see why bicycles cost that much to build. I know that titanium is hard to work with, but it isn't that expensive. I don't know a thing about carbon fiber though.

Someone needs to find one of those kid show episodes where puppets go into a German bike factory.

Tuco can rock you a sweet bike frame out of his garage forge on the serious cheap!

[aychamo_aycono]

Originally Posted by Neph

HowStuffWorks Videos "Assembly Line: Cannondale Bicycles"

~7 minute video on how Cannondale Bikes are made - good watch. Didn't really know how all of the stuff is made, but it's a lot like watching a dull episode of Orange County Choppers (if they used assembly lines).

edit: So I went test riding today. Tried a Defy 3 and a Defy 1 for comparison. $750 and $1300 respectively. There's a definite quality difference in the more expensive model (quieter/easier shifting, better brakes), but I can't really justify spending an extra $550 for slight quality improvements. The less-expensive one felt really solid and was almost as fast, it's just not as quiet/smooth on shifts.

I don't know much about bicycles. But, I think the most important thing is to get a bike with a carbon fiber frame. Get a good frame, and later on you can upgrade all the components, wheels, etc to the top end shit. I spent $1200 on mine, it was the previous years model like $1800 bike or whatever. I have good components but not top of the line or whatever. When I ride, I'm usually in the same gear for sometimes up to 6-7 mile stretches without seeing a stop-sign, etc, so the quality of my gear shifts really doesn't matter. I don't race.