Bikes are like sports cars. You can get a Corvette for 65k, or a Ferrari for hundreds of thousands or a car like my Mazda 3 for about 25k. You pay 90 percent of the money for the last ten percent of performance, just like bicycles.
I personally think there is a TON more grey area for bikes. If you get Shimano Deore or SRAM X5, there is seriously minimal, it not, unnoticeable difference in shifting aside from some seriously minimal weight savings on the overall bike. What really matters is the suspension on the bike. That is where the feel can be noticed the most. Going from RockShox all springs to a FOX Float is noticeable and will cost you because a bike that features such a fork is never going to be a good value. They jack up the bike with the other components to match it. Me, I'm perfectly satisfied with my Deore Giant Talon 2, but I definitely want to upgrade the low grade fork. Still will end up costing me less than $1,000 in the end and I'm an expert rider. I don't need some high end carbon frame with ridiculous shocks and shifters to make me feel like a man.
@@ia5662 That's just your opinion which you are absolutely entitled to. If I had the money I would go coil springs any day but expect to pay up to (and more than) 3-5K for the best coil springs these days. The price is so stupid but that's the reality...
I went through this process a year ago, I bought a hard tail in feb 2016 for about 700 dollars, perfectly good bike, then I started watching this channel. by May I had demoed several full Suspention bikes, and ordered a Carbon Full suspension and selling the hard tail. I have never regretted it. I have put 400+ miles to date on the bike and love it. My justification for dropping 4K on a bike is this: for me, I have never been in to daily exercise, I have spent more than that on Gym memberships that I never used. I play ice hockey but that is not enough. Mountain biking is the first sport that I really like doing on a regular basis. last year I rode almost 700 miles, not much for some but for me it was a big accomplishment. This year I plan to ride 1000. cable TV is cancelled because I dont have time to watch TV, too busy riding my bike. I even repaired my 17 year old mountain bike that sat for...17 years, and I use it when I am down in florida. in short I am fully obsessed, and this channel is partially to blame. ;-)
I want to add that since I have started mountain bikeing, my Ice Hockey stamina has improved and as of now, April 2017, this was the first winter I did not get sick with the flu or having a cough in the last 20 years. That alone is worth the investment. not to mention all the fun I am having.
That is so awesome, and spending $4k on a bike that is getting you out there exercising and improving your health is probably saving you far more than $4k in medical expenses over time! Keep it up!
Screw all the haters man :D I just invested into a Scott Spark 930 for the exact same reason as you. I hate running, absolutely hate it. But getting out in nature and become fit and improve my overall stamina while looking at a beautiful scenery makes the day for me. Earlier on my life was significantly different, spending loads of money on nights out. Then I got a gf, got bored of my activities on the weekends involving a lot of booze etc, and actually always wanted to take mtb a bit more serious. But it was hard for me to go out on the weekends since alcohol always played a part. Nowadays I can't be bothered to drink, I honestly just find it boring. Now mtb is what I turn to when I got some sparetime and want to get out. It's loads better than so much other shit one can do and you make many friends who think alike on it too :) Had to throw in my 2 cents. Good luck on the trails bro :)
It never had any suspension. I used it mostly for trail riding. Yes, usually a more expensive bike will be better. However, 20 years ago we didn't have all these fancy gizmos and suspension. And we still had fun on our bikes.
I could buy 8 $500 bikes for the price of one $4000 bike. So even if i had to buy it twice i would still be ahead financially. Buying used makes more sense to me these days.
Carl W That's pretty much what his video explains. I have a newer mountain bike that cost retail 1200 bucks 4 year's and a 25 year old mountain bike that cost me 550 bucks. They both trail fine and ride on the street just fine. The newer more expensive stuff is for people that will spend the extra cash and they are doing some extreme stuff or trail riding 3 or 4 times a week. A 500-1000 bike is a solid bike. It's just not competition grade or has the durability some of the more extreme users need.(the guys jumping over stumps,rocks, over cliffs etc. ) The sport of mountain biking has changed and the bikes with it.
2 things you neglected to mention about carbon, besides it's cost, stiffness, and weight: 1) It has garbage impact resistance, and is incredibly fragile compared to Steel, Al, or Ti. As a cyclist who also kayaks, I've seen more than a few bikes and boats destroyed by sudden impact, e.g. in a crash, by accident, or careless handling. 2) When carbon fiber fails, it fails catastrophically, and often without warning. Granted, carbon fiber bikes frames usually can be professionally repaired, but things like rims and components aren't, for a variety of reasons.
Check out the testing on santacruz carbon frames vs aluminum frames. Their Carbon is actually stronger then their al. It is true that aluminum will dent and bend instead of snapping, which is both good and bad. Good because you won't have to replace it, but bad because you will go on riding a damaged bike. I am also a kayaker, as well, and I believe that plastic is preferable there because of rock impacts.
Not true. Carbon fiber in the tests was stronger in the directions which it was designed for. There it can be much stronger than aluminum. However impacts in non-intentional directions can easily damage the frame. I've seen a carbon MTB leaning against a wall and falling over, onto a rock. Result: broken seatstay. Frame was a total. Repair was more costly than the time value of the frame.
@@GavynPendleton you mean the testing done by Santa Cruz convincing us to buy CF frames? You cannot quote infomercials as data. Those tests are rigged for directional stresses. There are no rock impacts in mountain biking? Do you even ride brah?
@@truantray Yea I ride a Carbon Santa Cruz Nomad, and I'm currently studying mechanical engineering with a minor in materials. I certainly don't think carbon is by any means necessary for bikes, Aluminum, cromoly, and ti frames are totally fine, however I find carbon bad rap a lot of the time. Not all Carbon Fibers are created equal, and even if its the same material small design flaws can cause major issues, however, if a company does it right it will work well. Plus lifetime warranty's are pretty sick.
To me, the most expensive bikes are those rarely used, sitting in garage and rusting away. The least expensive bikes are the ones you get to ride them as often as possible and you enjoy riding them, no matter what the price tags are. Love your videos. Cheers from Thailand.
I'm a highest cat elite roadie and my last bike was a ~10k road bike (specialized tarmac s works). My current bike (even though I make more money than ever) is 18oo euro bike with a very good carbon frame, entry level groupset and wheels (105 and mavic ksyrium elite)(canyon ultimate). Only things I've swapped to high end components are saddlepost, saddle and handlebar+tape(the last two ones more because that's what I'm used to). These two bikes are functionally IDENTICAL. The 10k one isn't even a slightly bit better. Sure it's about 1kg lighter, maybe stiffer in lab tests(not even sure it really is, though) and probably faster due to aero wheels, but it doesn't ride better, it just doesn't. Takeaway point: don't be as stupid as I was in the past. I'm not saying you should buy a shit bike, but a very good bike! Just don't get ripped off. After saving several thousand bucks take your family or friends on a several week (bike) vacation, maybe even multiple times. Thank me later.
100%. My last buy was Roubaix with Tiagra. Would i like to have D2 on it? LOL year but i am in my 40 and ride for fun not for time or score. I don't care if my gears shifts 0.1 sec faster but i care about 6-8k price difference on same bike. Same with mountain bikes. Good quality aluminum bike with deore set is more then enough for any casual rider.
Yep your 100% right👍 My last DH bike was amazing but it cost me just over £7500.. but was busy "KIDS" didn't ride it for a year and sold it, now I have a litle more time in my hands... I just spent £2000 on a new DH bike and it's also amazing. .And it got me thinking, was my old bike worth over £5000 more than this New one??? NO!!!!!!!!!
Its hard to get the same feeling on a mountainbike for less than $2500 because of the suspensions: crappy suspensions make for very unconfortable riding in technical terrain.
Still watching this in 2021! I've ridden bikes all my life but rarely for recreational purposes but did go for an entry level gravel bike when Covid hit in 2020. So after a year, you start to wonder why some things on your entry level bike start to break and you start gaining info on upgrades and the role each part of a bike plays. I've been following you for a year now and this is one of your best video's, Clint. Thanks for sharing the knowledge in a way that every beginning bike enthusiast can understand and get to work on. I bet you could teach me calculus. Keep it up!
I think that a "high end" bike is absolutely worth it. It's no different than a mechanic shelling out extra money for a nicer/high quality tool. Sure the cheap one will do the same job, but the nicer and probably more expensive tool will save them in the long run.
My 8 year old daughter got her first (big girl) bike last Christmas. I bought a new 29er hardtail from my LBS for 500 bucks to go ride with her. It is all I could afford and I am learning and upgrading as we go. I am having the most fun I have had in a long time. Love riding and ya can't beat that daddy daughter time. I say as long as your having fun who cares what ya paid 500 or 5,000. Oh and Clint thanks, your instructional vids have taught me tons on maintaining my own bike.
One thing i have noticed is that many companies charge for the name. For example. My girlfriend has a CUBE hardtail that costs 659$. I have ridden it, and it performs super well. On the other hand, because i don't own a lot of money, and i was supper exited to get into MNT Biking, i bought a hardtail, from this firm VIPER (i think its French), that costed me around 370$. For some reason the only difference is the front suspension fork. I do not say that my bike suspension is bad, it is very good actually it performs well, it absorbs well to. All the other things are basically the same. We have the same shimano shiffters, wheels and other stuff. The material is also the same. I have ridden my bike for some time on the trail and it seems to be more than good. But maybe the name has a little bit to add to the value. Just like Apple does. The phone to be real with all its parts costs round 400$, they sell it for 600$ just because of the name. But that is just my opinion. BTW, yes i am planing to upgrade my fork in close future and I do not say that expensive bikes are bad. Sure if you can afford it, than it will last u long and it will perform at its best, but all i want to say is that if you don't have the money, you can do some research and get a bike round 370 - 500 $ that will perform more than fine on the trails. :D Keep riding :3
cerebellum you clearly have more exp then me as i am new to this sport. Yes the bikes are diffrent, but my point is that you can have fun on a bike for 400$.. i ride my bike for 1 and a half month and i love it. yes i upgraded the grips and i orderd RockShox XC 32 AL. Im planing on upgrading it with hydroulic disks, but for now the bike performs as the same as the cube, for real. Ive ridden them both as i take my girlfriends bike for rides. yes there is clearly some difference but not that big. anyway, i am open to suggestions as i am willing to.learn new stuff for MTBing. Keep paddling ^_^
cerebellum tottally agreed. as soon as i get home ill try to tell u the specs on my bike as i would like your opinon on my bike , having in mind that the bike.is 400$. Y(＾_＾)Y
People are giving this dude shit for no reason. I have a MTB worth over $7,000. Its what I am into and I love it. I would rather spend my money there then on stupid shit I will never use like $500 watch or designer clothing. The more money you spend on a bike the better it will be.
I started with a cheap, heavy $400 bike. After a year of riding it, I knew what I wanted. For off-road, I now have a titanium frame 29er with hydraulic disc brakes and xtr drivetrain, middle of the line-up WTB rims (tubeless tires), and middle of the line-up Rockshox front fork. It's a hard tail because I knew I would never get into anything to crazy. Yet, if you had told me I was gong to spend $3500 on a bike when I first started I would have said you were crazy. But, not only do I have this MTB, I spent another $2000 on a titanium frame road bike with mechanical discs and Ultegra 6800 drive train. It's what I like, and I certainly get more enjoyment and a healthier life out of this than fancy clothes, fancy food, or a fancy car. The difference between these bikes and $400 to $800 are what keep me riding day after day. They make riding fun.
Thanks. I went with titanium because I wanted a frame that would last; that way as components wear out, I can upgrade (or not) to what I want without worrying about the frame. I've read that carbon fiber is just as reliable as titanium, but in my heart, I just can't believe that. My heart trumps my mind in this case.
Wayfaring Stranger Are you talking to me? I'm not going to list the exact components. I was trying to give a quick thumbnail sketch. No, it isn't a $7000 bike but it also isn't a $700 bike. I got a good frame that should last me a lifetime with a top end drivetrain. Everything else is fine for the moderate trail riding that I do.
Visited their HQ in Koblenz on saturday, staff was very nice, got to ride a Spectral ofc my size. I had never ridden a bike this good before ever. Their bikes are so well made and I think that their prices are completely okay as you get good quality and SIX years of warranty. This led to me buying a Spectral 6.0 EX which I'm very happy to ride in a few days.
I just turned 60 last Oct and have been riding and tinkering with bikes all my life, I just got into mountain biking. I look to your info for the knowledge that you share and I make informed decision. Living on Oahu I have limited resources So your channel is a God send. Plus I am originally from Cocoa Beach Florida and I get the good old boy southern draw!
What I do is troll ebay for months in the winter. I got a 2005 Specialized enduro expert with fox talas fork for $768 shipped. It was in almost new condition. Brand new it retailed for $3500. But wait, I can't be seen on it because it has unfashionable 26 inch wheels. LOL. Ha ha ha.
Actually bought 2011 dt swiss rim 40 us dollars.. last month has serial no. Even has the manufacturing date. Bought it feb 2020.. so i guess the rim had been sitting in a storage room for 9 yrs
its about the diminishing returns of bike materials after a certain cost. its actually not worth it to buy a bike over 1000$, you're paying for a brand far more than improvement in quality.
ooDirtyMickoo Are u serious? A $1000??? Dude I don't think you actually ride a mtb from this century.. you can't get a bike for $1000 even on Kijiji or pinkbike if it's a real mtb.. Fuck, u can't even get one at sportcheck for that that's worth taking on an actual Mountain.. A decent fork costs near a grand.. A wheelset with tires that is decent is near a $1000..shimano slx brake set is $400 plus.. A dropper post is over $300...where are these diminishing returns u speak of?? Maybe at the 6k mark u are hitting the diminishing returns
/watch?v=aR2oLA9mSXw all the proof you need that under 1000 can handle just about anything. you can also find excellent used bikes for that price. carbon bikes only win in races by a matter of 2 seconds compared to aluminum bikes and thats on smooth roads, going downhill, a slight addition of weight is beneficial for gaining speed. the costs outweigh the benefits of a over 1000 expensive bike. ESPECIALLY, if its just your hobby.
ooDirtyMickoo haha dude proof of handling and the application I actually need what I need are in different universes k! See I'm the type that puts bike's over my vehicles k! I commute 40k round trip daily to work and then hit mtb seriously on the weekends as well as after work on certain days.. On top of that all my vacations are based around mtb trips k!.. You see I NEED Rockshox pike 140mm on my ride k... I need Sram Eagle 1x12 drivetrain to sustain the amount of Canadian Rockies climbing that I engage in k... I need 9.8falline dropper post at 175mm drop for my 6'3 lanky ass k... I NEED 35mm wide nox carbons Rollin on Maxxis dhf casings laced to Chris King evo pro 4 hubs to give me the engagement I NEED K! I NEED Shimano xt trail brakes to give me the modulation coupled with Supreme stopping power and quietness on the trail k!... I need Race face Next sl carbon cranks to give me the stiffness combined with gram cutting weight on my low center of gravity at the bb k.. Last but not least.. I NEED that Yeti sb5.5c carbon frame to give me the switch infinity type pedal efficiency that any true mtber requires for must have long days on the trail k! You see, It's not about what gets u by.. Its about what your priorities are in life when it comes to the seriousness of a Hobbie and having amongst the best available equipment at hand to help one achieve their goals, and to enjoy the feeling of being on a top notch steed as u embark on many trail adventures/travels..
I think you nailed it at the end comparing the road bikes beyond $2000. similar in MTB world though bar might be a bit higher. the people who will get the most out of a $6500 XC MTB vs a $2000 one are those who race and need to shave off time. the average rider is not going to get any more out of the expensive bike and are wasting money. better off spending the money on a gym pass or MTB skill lessons. Shave 50 lbs off your gut vs few pounds off your bike.
When dealing with such a small amount of $2000 for road bikes, its very easy to bust past that amount when dealing in carbon fiber. Wheelsets alone can hit that $2000 mark.. I'd say a more realistic number is $4000 when it gets hard to tell what you're paying for other than grams.
It's more about the athlete then the bike. One of the best bike messengers in NYC rides 85+ hours a week, six days a week, at 65+ miles a day 6 days a week, 48 weeks a year with a cheep heavy high tensile steel beat up single speed bike with a torn up saddle and a missing back brake. He is a high caliber athlete with drive. When a couple seconds matter like during a race then the bike helps just a little. For 99.999% of people that cycle it doesn't.
"NYC messengers ride cheap beaten bikes" Nope, it is a 'always works' bike. Just like here in the Netherlands, everyone rides a bike with the priority that it 1: needs to work, 2: zero maintainence, 3: comfy. crap that needs to be cleaned after every rainy day else it rusts or wears to much get thrown out. crap that breaks when the bike gets blown over by wind gets thrown out... and so on. And don't forget one hour in the shop for repairs the wages for the repair man almost can pay for a new bike.
as somebody who has biked quite a bit both in NYC and in Amsterdam, i'm finding this conversation pretty funny. It's two totally different worlds... you're both right. pretty much the only thing they have in common is they're both bicycles in name.
I am not saying you need to spend 2k on a bike to go ride a trail and have fun, but there is a HUGE difference between a 500$ Trek and a cheap Walmart mongoose. Can't just say all bikes are the same, they're not.
I love this video!!! For the majority of riders I feel like you don't need more then a $3k bike. You will have just as much fun on a 3k bike as a 10k bike. Only time you will notice a difference is if you are racing the clock!
Alex Chamberlin I went from a 2900$ bike to a 5300$ carbon bike this year. I am not a racer but I do like to go fast and get rowdy. I can notice the difference for sure. It is like driving a honda civic vs a bmw m5. sure the Honda will get you from a to b but the bmw will get you there too but be more fun.
Travis G I have heard really good things about the 5010. it is hard to say if things are a "good deal' but I hear they are allot of fun and typically have a pretty good build kit. I would go for it.
Warren Van Niekerk if you have been riding a low end hard tail for a year than I would say you are more than ready for an upgrade. Once you get past the basics your old bike will hold you back. Getting into a nicer FS bike will let your skills progress allot further. Plus that seems like a pretty good price.
Alex Chamberlin exactly. i prefer aluminum for a daily driver like my GT hardtail and with a full suspension bike i prefer the specialized enduro comp aluminum. i can build it as a 1x or a 2x and it has extreme versatility. i like function so this bike is the epitome of all mountain style bikes,
Great video Clint! Don't let the haters get to you! The true fans understand your examples and will listen to your advice. Keep it up as always. Your content and the way you explain bikes is superb! Thank you!
I thought $500 on a mountain bike was insane a few years ago. I've been through several bikes in the last couple years, with each one progressively more expensive than the last. My most recent bike, a yeti SB6c, was far from cheap. Since going through the progression, I know where every penny I spent went on this new bike, and it is worth every cent.
Thanks for doing this. Although I already purchased my mtn bike, I have a greater appreciation for where my money went. I bought a high end bike that was last year's inventory so I got it for a good price. I wanted good shifting components because I had bikes in the past that were poor shifting under power. I hate when a hill forces me out of the saddle. I can remember frothing at the mouth and having to get off because the bike wouldn't shift or the chain fell off. A bike is, for me, a toy. I'm glad I spent a little more. The bike is comfortable, fun and confidence inspiring. Gerry in Calgary.
Dmitri Nesteruk a really profitable company nets 10% profit. You are exactly right about the $600 to $2000 ratio. But, after you pay utility bills, labor, shipping, building rent, and marketing, the selling company pockets $200. Gross sales is not net profit.
That is absolutely untrue. I sincerely hope no one takes your piece of consumer advice to heart. The reason why these manufactures have frames that cost so much is becuase they're using high quality materials, advanced manufacturing processes that take longer time, and spend lots of time and money in R&D to ensure that they are producing the best product they can.
2018 Rockhopper-paid $350, sold $550. 2018 Giant Contend-paid$200, sold $450. 2018 Surly Pugsley-paid $450, sold $850. 2019 Trek Stache, paid $800 sold $1300. And now a 2018 Giant Trance 2, paid $1700, worth more than $2k. Bought an rode all of these bikes within the last year. Enjoyed each and every one of them. Some were nicer than others but at the end of the day they were all fun and I enjoyed them. I'll probably settle on the Giant Trance for a long term trail bike but nothing beats a "cheap" or good deal for me to ride then sell for a profit. It all depends what you want in your price point or transactions. Love the videos, convinced me on the Trance 2!
I Fully agree that used is almost always the best way to go if you know about bikes. If you are new to biking then you can be scammed with faulty parts that work temporarily or frame that has hidden issues. This pretty much goes for buying ANY thing !
4 years old. The problem like the guy in this video is when you buy a Frame BRAND NEW 2018 for 10,000 dollars that same frame in 1 year is worth about 1500 used TOP end. Bike MSRP and real value are two separate things. Carbon Frames are the worst mistake you can make that and Carbon handlebars, everything else goes at it. If this guy paid 1500 for carbon wheels he's a bigger idiot than I thought.
This is very useful information Clint. I just bought carbon cc Santa Cruz Hightower with 29" wheels and Travel 140mm. You are correct besides carbon frame, the rim and crank should be carbon also so you will get a maximum speed. It is going to be my next goal to upgrade the Hightower. Cheers.
Just like cars, cameras, computer parts... On the lower end of the budget scale, you make a LOT more compromises for every dollars saved on purchases In the middle there is the "Sweet spot" that is different for every body depending on their needs On the high end, every dollars gives you a little less at every steps up the range since its smaller market and high production and development costs Knowing where is that sweet spot is a long process and an unfortunately costly one
Good advice, clearly spoken and easy to understand. I especially appreciate the way you break it down so anyone can understand what you're talking about. Most guys, you go in the shop, and they talk way over your head like you're supposed to know as much as they do. But I would buy a bike from you and feel like I got great advice and guidance. *subscribed
@@josehernanguerrerohernande5023 fair enough not my money, still seems kinda silly... " My bike is 5% lighter than yours. And it only cost me 2 grand more than your pleb bike. You jealous?" Lol I'm sorry xD
As a non weight weenie I went the aluminum route. Canfield Yelli Screamy hardtail. Race Face Atlas bars and stem. XT 785 crank so I have ring options. Easton Arc aluminum rims seems to be very solid for me. What I really put my money into was the Rockshox Pike. Quite happy with this burly hardtail build. Dropper is next.
Are expensive bikes worth it, is an individual answer, and that is based on what you value. Value is going to depend on how much money you have to spend, and what brings you happiness. When I started riding my first serious bike at 15 was $1000. That was like a million dollars to me. It probably gave me more value and happiness than any bike I ever owned. Now as an adult who rides a lot, I have multiple bikes, and all of them have value, even the expensive ones. So in short, are expensive bikes worth it? It's an individual answer. Also, for us married guys- The answer depends on what your wife thinks. :) Luckily, my wife rides as well.
Hey Clint. You might remember me as one of the older CX guys. I've experienced the great ride qualities of carbon composite frames. They make a noticeable difference on road bikes where frame compliance is a large proportion of total bike compliance. On Mountain bikes, I can't help thinking it's less a factor. On a modern cross country bike with 100mm of suspension compliance and, say, 40mm of compliance from low pressure tires I doubt if I'm benefitting from frame compliance in the single digits. Of course composite is lightest, but not by much. I just have a certain budget security feeling when that stray rock hits my alloy frame that the likely result is a ding, not a crack that ha the potential to get bigger every stress. One more reason to look at alloy is that the budget savings can be large enough to take a week off work and train harder. 'cause riders, not bikes win riders. I've just re-read and this is coming off a little bit ranty and complainty and I don't really mean to be that. Your videos are very accessible and I've personally benefitted from the one about servicing Stan's hubs and freehubs. Thanks
+Steve Noble great to hear from you Steve! You are right, carbon frames make more of a difference on road and Cross Bikes. One of the biggest advantages for full suspension Mountain bikes is weight savings, and it's not huge.
Clint Gibbs but carbon DOES give you one thing that aluminum can’t, longer fatigue life. Someone riding an alloy bike very hard will fatigue an alloy frame to the pint of being unsafe relatively quickly. Sure you see a lot of EWS riders on alloy frames, but it is because they are less stiff, and some riders prefer that. What doesn’t get mentioned, is that those riders can get a new frame whenever they need it. Not so much for the average joe rider.
Long story short: You're a pro rider? get an expensive bike. You're an amateur and use the bike just for fun ocasionally? Buy something in between expensive and economic. You bike to work? Buy something easy to do maintenance on, easy to clean, cheap to repair (cheap but strong bike).
Its gets to a point with bikes and than it becomes ridiculous. Clearly people who spend crazy money on bikes believe the better the bike the better the performance which is totally wrong. I have been in bike races and seen riders being beaten on the finish line by other riders riding really cheap bikes. Anymore than 1500 to 2000 dollars maximum is enough. Unless it's yr career and you are making hugh money from sponsorship deals etc. Not some nut job who is obsessed with his bike and just riding it up and down to the store. Give me a break.
You are right... But there are some people out there who just want a really nice bike. Like how most exotic car owners will never race their cars.. I myself am on UA-cam looking for a very nice midgrade mountain bike for recreational purposes with my kids. Don't get me wrong, I use to race amateur mountain bikes in my 20s, and I never bought new or expensive
Texarmageddon I ride a Stevens Aspin. They are build in Hamburg Germany. Best bike I could find for the money and 5 year warranty on the frame. I also liked the almost straight top bar and racing geometry. The race bikes that Trek, Special ized, Cannondale etc are building are disgusting. Those ugly looking frames with those sloping top bars. Jesus people look so damn stupid riding them. Let alone trying to race on that shit
Geraldine Geraldine very true I would only spend 1000-2000 on a bike this dude is probably scared to crash it bc it’s a 6,000 dollar bike not to hate tho
Agree with you Clint, there's a big difference on performance. Just recently upgraded my bike to Ripley LS and loved it more than previous ASR. Thanks for the video.
Bikes are expensive because people are buying them. In my opinion there is no point spending $4000/5000 on a bike for the average cyclist, racer or not. I've got a aluminum road bike and this bike is not the reason I don't win races. I don't race MTB anymore.
Love that innner tube wrap on your chain stay, great bike hack to protect your bike without spending tons on specialty protectors. PS thanks for the much needed info
Hi Clint, what is your daily job?Because you have great presentation skill and you are really friendly and cool guy. Thx for your videos. I like your "non profi" point of view. Very usefull for amateur riders. Keep uploading..all the best from me, Stan,Czech Republic
Mr.Clint Gibbs could be a teacher without a problem. Your narrative skill is profound. Videos are great as well as your knowledge of bicycles, absolutely stunning. Thank you for your videos and your time.
one of your best Vids.. I'm 54 and just dropped 3k on a carbon MTB.. is it the smartest thing to do with 3k , who knows..but it makes me happy..and my wife was ok with it :)
I just don't think the carbon bikes are worth it unless you're racing. I ride an aluminum frame Giant Trance and I seriously doubt my times would be much, if at all different if I were on the Trance Advance carbon.
There's very much a clear improvment at price points but also a noticable amount of diminishing returns. Going from a £500-£1,000 to a £1,500-£2,000 bike is like night and day but price points over £2,000 offer less noticable improvements, especially if you lack the experiance to make the most of the top shelf componants. The avarage cyclist, even the avarage MTB rider will never get the most out of a £5,000 Devinci or Santa Cruz. The most important componant is the rider.
Flex LCS Expensive is still expensive even if you have the money. For example- Say Bill Gates wanted to buy a 100 million dollar yacht, that's very expensive, but just because he has the money to buy it doesn't nigate the fact it is expensive.
tell bill gates to buy a 10.000 dollar bike and if he likes to ride a bike he would buy it. my bike is around 400 dollars and im too lazy to make the math to find out how many can be bought of my bike with that money.
blueknight You are wrong. The idea of what is expensive or not is subjective. That's why you have people that pay 6000 usd for a bottle of wine or pay 1B for a yacht.
Expensive is not subjective. Expensive is expensive whether you have the money or not. You can either afford it or not and your willingness to spend the money. Once again just because a person has 40 billion in the bank and can buy anything they want, doesn't mean they won't think something is expensive.
In road bikes the point of diminishing returns comes much sooner than most cyclists realize. If you get dropped on a $700 bike chances are you would also get dropped on a $3,000 bike. Assuming the bike fits, shifts, and stops well enough it is much more the engine than the bike. Tiagra and 105 parts turn, shift and stop better than any parts available 30 years ago so even the cheap stuff is great. Mountain bikes are a little different; expensive forks are a lot lighter and ride better than cheap ones.
I can say from my experiance because I depend on a bicycle sometimes for transportation, I remember buying a $150 bicycle from Wal-Mart and within about 4 to 5 months, the bearings were falling apart in the wheels and crank and the shifters were dificult to shift, this was a GMC Denali bicycle. Then in 2013, I bought a $900 Felt nine-sixty mountain bike and even after close to five years, the bearings are still secure and intact and still rides comfortable and I even use it for pulling a trailer.
Mountain bikes are WAY overpriced. I came from a world of dirt bikes and ATV's. When I moved over to mountain bikes and found many of them priced similarly to dirt bikes and ATV's, I had to laugh. Motorized sports equipment is way more complex and have many more parts than any mountain bike. Therefore, they should cost much much more. This is a good example of a product being priced the way it is because people are willing to pay it. Many people who ride these high-end bikes are people with lots of money they don't know what to do with. Even the expensive bikes get a lot of parts from overseas where everything is cheap. I doubt that a good quality mountain bike costs more than a few hundred dollars to make and they shouldn't cost the consumer more than $1000.
GrnXnham You couldn't be more Wrong in your assertions! I work for the Fire Dept.. I do Not have lots of money! What I do have his the realization of what my priorities are.. Bikes being at near the top! Therefore I drive a cheaper vehicle.... I don't have motorcycles, boats, atv or holiday trailers.. My hobbies are all based on using your body... Priorities man!
Overall correct but the important thing to consider is where are you with respect to the sport and what do you expect to get out of the bike. Just for beginner and exercise? You still want something safe and fun and reliable. Expect $500 to $1000 include a helmet a bag and bottle and a car rack. Fitness fanatic or beginner racer you have to move up a notch or two to &2000 to $4000. Full race? The sky is the limit, but you already knew that if you are in this category. Be honest with yourself and the sales person, at a good store they will be honest with you. Especially beginners would do well to go to a REAL bicycle dealer. You want the thing properly fitted and adjusted with a good person to help you with questions. I worked in a shop for over 20 years. There is a whole lot of hype and posing and you want to ignore most of that. And have fun.
Jakob W carbon fiber is stronger than anything for example a 4 pound carbon frame is going to be stronger than a 4 pound steel frame and also carbon fiber can be repaired more easily than steel or aluminum and is also safer
I race xcm on a fully rigid hardtail and encourage others with low budget to try it. Is just a matter of putting wider tires and a slightly low air pressure. My rig is a Specialized Crave 29 , with Chisel carbón fork, carbon bars and seatpost from Easton, full 2x10 XT& XT brakes and Stan's ZTR and Fizik saddle and 2.3 Michelín tires. Very affordable yet race ready
Towerz YT $65,000 would be almost as much as my Jag, I don't thing there is a bike out their costing that much... actually fuck it, their probably is rich fuck out there with a Diamond Engraved Norco.
Great video Clint. I have a Turner Flux 3.0, the aluminum version. Turner has a program that if you send back your old Turner frame they give you $600 credit towards the new frame. Thanks to that deal I was able to get my 3.0 Flux frame for $1600. I am running alloy rims as well but eventually I will move to a carbon frame. You do a great job of explaining the benefits of carbon, thanks. As far as justifying the cost of an expensive mountain bike, my bike total cost is around $4500, it is a hobby I have had for many years and love and will continue to love. So I feel it is worth the investment.
This is a good way to get an expensive bike for a lower price. The price of last year's models go down and some sites will have clearance sales like 40% or even 50% off. The only drawback is that the size and /or color may not be available.
koukimonzta i don't see the justification for those prices. That's just insanities unless your in competition. It's more about "look what I have" than it is a need. I bought my first mountain bike last year a Kona Lanai for $250 in great shape. So it dropped 50% or more in two years. So yeah I'll buy used any day.
For $250 you could of went to Walmart and got a brand NEW bike. Anyways, there's people who will spend $6k on a bike and there's people who won't. If you don't wanna pay $6K for a bike, then don't, no one is saying you should and there are options for less than half that price. For those who would, It's not a bad decision and it's not a waste of money. But keep in mind, between a used $250 bike and a $6K enduro bike, you get what you pay for.
P Monk let me just add that between 250 and 6k you also have 500 dollar bikes lol. And simply walking into a bike shop doesn't entail spending thousands. In fact, our bread and butter bikes at the shop are 500 dollar entry level city bikes that smart people get when they've had enough of replacing Walmart bikes once a season. In addition to a great bike, customers get a decent warranty (not 30 or 10 days as with some big box stores) great service, and professionals who built their bikes to absolute perfection. Walmart hires average joes to build their bikes when a shipment comes in, and wheel bearing are never adjusted. Not even the brakes are adjusted sometimes. It's awful...
+Jed Scaramella one of the reasons I like making my own chainstay protector is because I can wrap it very close to the bottom bracket. I've had neoprene ones like lizards can not reach far enough and I get a lot of chain slap on the chainstay near the bottom bracket.
Clint, Fair enough. I've done it too. Just think it's fun to laugh at ourselves. UA-cam is full of "money saving hacks" videos for MTB. That's not the theme of this video, but it was about bike prices. Been struck by the lunacy of some of it. You just spent thousands on a bike, here's how to save $20 with some zip ties, old water bottles, and tubes... Why do we drool at a carbon wheels but balk at the price of a mud guard.... keep the vids coming.
Clint- i have a 2016 Focus Raven max Sl with XTR, it came with a Tundra M-5 with mag. rails. I recently installed got a Gobi M-1 with carbon rails, i cannot tell you how much smoother the bike is now, also took off the XTR pedals and replaced with Titanium EX-PEDO, 90 grams lighter, last but not least i grabbed a pair of DT SWISS XRC 1200 to replace the M-1700, i drop about 250 grams and up grading the hub to 54 instead of the 36 engagement, i know that's knit picking but i got an AMAZING deal on the wheels with FREE rotors, bike is 22.00 even now so the wheels should drop weight to 21.4-21.5-- yeah things can get REAL expensive quick, i have 2 road bikes and the Focus I am not in your level of riding and fitness but i am 62 now, when i do my trail riding i still pass people here and there that are WALKING their bikes up the steeper parts and they're half my age, riding is great cardio and general fun
I bought a Trek ExCal 9- it’s the highest spec’d ExCal they make. bought it new, but a 2 yr old model. Retailed just under $1,500. I got it just under $1,200. Since then I’ve swapped out: Tires (now Maxxis Minions), handlebar (Renthal Fatbar Lite), stem (short 45 mm), brakes (Shimano XT), seatpost (KS eten dropper). About another grand in parts and labor. So my rig cost me about $2,200. In two years of riding it I have well over 350 hours of saddletime. I like to go as fast as possible over the worst possible terrain. I am starting to do bigger jumps and drops again (I’m 45 and took a long hiatus from the sport while I played Rugby). With a professional career and wife and kid, this is my main entertainment/fun/relaxation. So ... 2,200 / 350 hours = $6.28/hour. Certainly a better deal than going to some dumb football game or something like that. And its continually getting cheaper the more I use it.
So, to answer the question posed by the title of the video: Are expensive bikes worth it? I can't see that they are unless you are a serious, serious rider. \
I thought you gave a good overview of the factors involved in buying a bike and a pretty good explanation of the trade offs involved in cycling and the relative costs associated with them.
theres a middle ground with everything in life, eventually you're paying for a placebo effect. Id be so ashamed in myself if i ever spent over $1000 on a mountain bike.
all bike parts nowadays are either made from carbon aluminum or plastic. theres very little deviation from those materials. this idea that a 5000 dollar bike has parts that will last longer than a 3000 dollar bike is a myth. they're all made using the same shit. granted 100 versus 1000 makes a difference as far as weld quality and shock performance but id argue there are diminishing returns after 1000 dollars and the difference in quality is marginal for the price you pay.
I spent 1400 and I have a Recon Silver that tops out loudly off any bump. If you’re the budget conscious rider than a hard tail gives you the biking experience. The full sus life is costly.
I was going to join the crowd but Clint really said it all towards the end: You don't need to spend a lot of money on a bike if you are just going for a leisure ride. I do not like the contemporary mass produced aluminium frames, I think the old style diamond steel frames are better for normal riders. They allow some flex without feeling wobbly.
YES, totally worth it! I've used both, and you get what you pay for. I couldn't imagine going up/down the "I think I can" mountains with the old Haro chromo bike I used to. I think it weighed about 60 LBS. I have a Yeti that weights about 20-25 lbs. Huge difference. It's one of those things that if you don't do it you'll never understand. Motocross riders are the fittest athletes in the world, however, if you've never raced motocross and experienced it, you would think I'm talking crazy talk.
One can get a FANTASTIC bike today for less than 1k... One can get a very good bike for 500 bucks... Why do things have to go to the moon ??? Because man's involved.
Well the 500-1000 bikes are there for people who want them and dont need the 2 or 3 or 4+ thousand dollar bikes. But there are people that are willing to pay that for a bike (people who do heavy trail riding, racing etc.) so I don't see the problem. A 500-1000 bike is an excellent price point and great quality bike for most recreational and health riders and again they are readily available.
plutoplatters 500 dollars won't get you a high end quality long travel air shock. Once you start at 500, and grow to love the sport, you will itch to get better, from entry level, to quality air shock hard tail, to full suspension, and so on. From regular tire size, to plus, to fat, not necessarily in that order. Just like cars or whatever hobby you're into. To each his own. Everyone's personal taste can but scrutinized by anybody.
nice video and I agree with most parts you said, except this: the wider axis don't make the bike stiffer, the opposite is the case, however, they allow to ride bigger tires, which in return give you more traction. For 29" it may not be a big difference, but for 27,5" bikes, especially fully, they don't have the "boost" for this exact reason.
If you want the most bang for your buck go hardtail. You can get a badass aluminium hardtail for around $2000 dollars. Lower quality full suspension bikes usually start at that price point.
Though if you are buying your first bike don't buy an expensive used bike. Buy a cheaper first bike so you can learn and then once you understand you can buy a better more expensive used bike. Though if you are buying new then you know the bike is covered by the warranty and you don't need to be nearly as accountable for the shape you buy the bike in. Meaning if you buy a bike do you understand if a suspension fork has been maintained properly.
Definitely the best way to get a great deal. Buying used can be tricky for someone new to cycling though. You really have to know what you are looking at to understand the value of bikes.
good advice if you know what you are looking for, but if you are new to MTB it can be a challenge. a year ago, I couldn't tell you the difference between sram or Shimano much less XT or Deore. or hydraulic or mechanical brakes. Its not that hard to research a bit, but I can see it could be tough for a new rider. I looked quite a bit at used bikes. in the end I decided to go with a new bike. Demo days are a mans best friend.
Look for a local ride swap They happen here in Canada too! facebook.com/mikesbikeshop/photos/a.127397800644209.35381.126661274051195/1449022901815019/?type=3&theater
I am 6,2 height and 240 lbs and I am in love with Trek Fuel bikes.I am not a racer as you can understand.I am a bike enthusiast.In past time I have owned a 2010 Trek Fuel EX 7 and after one year I have owned a 2009 Trek Fuel EX 9,9(a really great bike).The last 2 years I have a 2011 Trek Fuel EX 9,8.I am so much in love with this bike.I think I will never sell this great bike.I want your opinion about this bike.The usage is 95% in city(I am living in Athens-Greece) and 5% in trails.Maybe you surprised about my usage but Athenian roads are full of bumps and any kind of obstacles and I feel that I ride my little devil in mountain :p Also I encourage you to recommend the people to buy a used bike if they want a very expensive bike in an affordable price.Personally I am buying used bikes only from Germany.My Fuel 9,8 I bought it as good as new with only 1500 EUR...
I see some comments here that are just plain ludicrous. Some people are actually saying you don't need an expensive MTB if you are not a serious hard core mountain biker! Seriously. Like, who determines what I should buy and what I should use it for? Who determines who I should be in order to buy a certain category of bikes? That kind of segregation is so old fashioned and actually borders on discrimination. Who has the right to say only the hard core MTB enthusiasts must enjoy high end stuff? Why can't the general public do too? Not only serious mountain bikers *have* to buy the expensive, high end, hi tech full carbon MTBs. Anyone should, if they want to. A simple comparison with the car world : How many Porsche GT3 RS owners or McLaren 675LT owners or Ford GT EcoBoost owners actually take their cars to the race tracks? And yet these are very expensive, high end, track focused, high tech cars that you would expect only race drivers to buy and own. And yet they are all being driven around the streets of London and Los Angeles. Why? Because you don't have to be a track fanatic in order to buy those track focused cars. If you love them, you can buy them too and not ever use them for what they were designed. If you are someone like me, someone who loves hi tech, cutting edge technology, you can buy the expensive bikes too. My current Haibike xDuro FullSeven Carbon will never see anything much more than a shallow puddle in the country side. It spends 75% of its travel time on city streets. The other 25% is on paved cycle routes and canal trails. I blew £7,500 on that bike because I love it, not because I hit trails every evening and every weekend. I love the way it looks. I love the way it rides. I love the tech on it. And most of all, I love the way it makes me feel. There is a permanent smile etched on my face every time I'm on that bike. Should I now go on MTB downhill trails and become an enthusiast. Nope, I do not need to be. No one should tell you what property you should buy, or what you should do with your property. And on that note, I end my rant. Thank you.
chillout1109 What you are saying about the car is completely true. Bought a Metallic Orange 12c and not only have I only used sport mode to drive to my Moms, but I've owned it a year and half and haven't come close to a track. It may be able to do 204mph but the fastest I've gone is 115mph on the freeway, but a 60 year old in a '99 Mercedes was also keeping up to me. I also have to explain to everyone how to open the doors because of McLaren's stupid door handle. Then there is the impracticality of having 2 seats, limited storage space and outrageous price, not only to buy it, but to maintain it year round. Also you feel like a tool every time you open the Butterfly doors.
Most people don't. They buy what they like, spend what they feel like spending, and ride how they want, simply because they can. Only the truly gullible feel like a better bike makes a better rider.
That is why there are what I call "CONsumer bikes". These are bikes you can get at walmart, target, toys r us, etc etc... The reason I call that is they "CON" you into thinking they are like REAL mtn, bmx, road bikes, etc because of advertising and an unknowledged population. So your little brain is pushed towards their pricing and you go buy one... Ride it a few times around paved, graveled or even dirt walking trails at the park then it sits outside usually getting all rusty and crap. But most peiple who intend to take them on actual trails realize that those bikes aren't as capable or safe to do that on. They are designed for a casual rider that might ride through grassy areas of a park or rail trail systems. I know someone who broke his the first day on a paved trail at the local park.
I do agree about the $1500 price range for full suspension bikes, although I live in Costa Rica and not the US, I think it's very comparable in my personal experience. 2 years ago I didn't know anything you explained in this video and I bought a cheap full suspension, which cost around $500; the bike worked for sure, but the fork was basically useless as soon as you enter mountain-like trail, topping out most of the time and being so rude on the rebound and it actually caused me a couple accidents because of that. On top of that, it had low-quality gears (Shimano Altus) mixed with a generic crankset which constantly caused the shifts to be out of sync and sometimes I had to pull 1.5 times the shift lever and wait half a second before the gear shift to happen. Then around 4 months ago I helped a friend to buy a hardtail, after learning a lot from channels like yours. He spent good $900, but he ended up with a good Shimano Deore set, a decent air suspension fork with remote lockout, good disk brakes and a very good bike overall and he can't be happier about his purchase. After riding both I started upgrading mine and ended up replacing the cheap, coil 28mm stanchions fork for a Rockshox Recon RL 32mm stanchions air suspension with remote lockout, replaced the generic and Altus parts for a full Shimano Alivio set with a 2x9 drivetrain and the difference is impressive, however the price went up around $1000, and whereas is still cheaper for a full suspension is still not done. Once I replace my rear shock (planning to get a Rockshox coil one) and the tires for ones a bit lighter and tubeless, is probably be around $1500, which is what I could've spent in the beginning and stop struggling with the components update. Honestly, the final savings won't be worth it for the whole update process, but I guess you have to really ride through the process to appreciate the huge difference that exists between cheap and even decent (not great or performance rate) components.
Yes it is. However that Walmart bike, if it is stock just might kill you with plastic brake levers that break. I broke a lever myself. If it a newer bike you will note that most mountain bikes at Walmart say that they are not intended for off road use. Funny concept for a mountain bike. Stay safe and ride on!
Every ride is a time trial. How else do you you know if you have improved! I guess in a time trial that you ride no brakes are needed. Even for obstacles?
Good video. Don't shoot the messenger. He explains why bikes are expensive and why you don't necessarily HAVE to spend a ton to get into the sport. Bikes are expensive but for those of us into the sport, they enhance our lives greatly to a degree that justifies the cost. You will find a lot of people with nice bikes that have cars that cost less, so we do sacrifice. Haters gon hate but whatevz, it's all about the fun.
I totally agree with 98% of what was said in this video. The only thing I think was incorrect was the comment on the road bikes and how beyond 2k the difference is minimal. Now this could be because i live in Canada and currency is different but I work for giant and our entry level carbon road bike starts at 2k CND (lower than most of the competition) and for that you're getting a Tiagra group set and a hybrid hydraulic brake system. At 2700 CND you enter the Ultegra group set with a full hydraulic brake system, which I would personally say is where the performance per price starts to taper off. Now let's not forget that this is a giant, so for the competition like trek, you're looking at 10-15% increase in price and for specialized maybe more like 20% increase. For all other brands like BMC, Pinarello, cannondale, jamis etc... the price is usually higher. So unless you think a 10x2 drivetrain is what you need, be prepared to spend a bit more money to bump up to 105 and even ultegra which by many experienced cyclists is the benchmark. having an 11 speed cassette is worth it to most. It's typically an added midrange cog and that gives the rider more selection of gears where they'll need it most, not to mention the components are lighter and typically more crisp shifting. So if you're looking for a performance road bike, I would say to budget a little higher than 2k for the added goodies. Thanks and happy riding
Hi Clint. Great video. I would love to see you do a video and hear your take on the different ride characteristics of different frame materials. Keep up the great work!
A very thorough video. You really do get what you pay for. That said, I still ride a 20 year old Rockhopper, and I have just as much fun as the guys who have $5,000 bikes.
I think, that if you don't have any suspension, steel frames are the best, because they can't break. Where I live, the roads are terrible, but I don't want to carry the extra weight of suspension, so I ride a bike with a cr-mo frame, which is quite lightweight, and doesn't cost as much. And I don't have to worry about it breaking. I live in hungary, so I really do need suspension if I ride an aluminium or carbon bike, but suspension can be heavy, so my only real option is a steel frame.
Bikes are like sports cars. You can get a Corvette for 65k, or a Ferrari for hundreds of thousands or a car like my Mazda 3 for about 25k. You pay 90 percent of the money for the last ten percent of performance, just like bicycles.
I personally think there is a TON more grey area for bikes. If you get Shimano Deore or SRAM X5, there is seriously minimal, it not, unnoticeable difference in shifting aside from some seriously minimal weight savings on the overall bike. What really matters is the suspension on the bike. That is where the feel can be noticed the most. Going from RockShox all springs to a FOX Float is noticeable and will cost you because a bike that features such a fork is never going to be a good value. They jack up the bike with the other components to match it. Me, I'm perfectly satisfied with my Deore Giant Talon 2, but I definitely want to upgrade the low grade fork. Still will end up costing me less than $1,000 in the end and I'm an expert rider. I don't need some high end carbon frame with ridiculous shocks and shifters to make me feel like a man.
@@ia5662 That's just your opinion which you are absolutely entitled to. If I had the money I would go coil springs any day but expect to pay up to (and more than) 3-5K for the best coil springs these days. The price is so stupid but that's the reality...
no way that frame is worth 3000$ - it's mass produced. You're paying for the CEO's ferrari and sponsorship deals
You paid 25k for a Mazda?
@@TranslateToEnglish This is Canada. The dollar is only worth 75 cents and everything is a rip off.
I went through this process a year ago, I bought a hard tail in feb 2016 for about 700 dollars, perfectly good bike, then I started watching this channel. by May I had demoed several full Suspention bikes, and ordered a Carbon Full suspension and selling the hard tail. I have never regretted it. I have put 400+ miles to date on the bike and love it.
My justification for dropping 4K on a bike is this: for me, I have never been in to daily exercise, I have spent more than that on Gym memberships that I never used. I play ice hockey but that is not enough. Mountain biking is the first sport that I really like doing on a regular basis. last year I rode almost 700 miles, not much for some but for me it was a big accomplishment. This year I plan to ride 1000. cable TV is cancelled because I dont have time to watch TV, too busy riding my bike. I even repaired my 17 year old mountain bike that sat for...17 years, and I use it when I am down in florida. in short I am fully obsessed, and this channel is partially to blame. ;-)
+axxxxman that's an awesome post! Thanks for sharing!
I want to add that since I have started mountain bikeing, my Ice Hockey stamina has improved and as of now, April 2017, this was the first winter I did not get sick with the flu or having a cough in the last 20 years. That alone is worth the investment. not to mention all the fun I am having.
That is so awesome, and spending $4k on a bike that is getting you out there exercising and improving your health is probably saving you far more than $4k in medical expenses over time! Keep it up!
Screw all the haters man :D I just invested into a Scott Spark 930 for the exact same reason as you. I hate running, absolutely hate it. But getting out in nature and become fit and improve my overall stamina while looking at a beautiful scenery makes the day for me.
Earlier on my life was significantly different, spending loads of money on nights out. Then I got a gf, got bored of my activities on the weekends involving a lot of booze etc, and actually always wanted to take mtb a bit more serious. But it was hard for me to go out on the weekends since alcohol always played a part. Nowadays I can't be bothered to drink, I honestly just find it boring. Now mtb is what I turn to when I got some sparetime and want to get out. It's loads better than so much other shit one can do and you make many friends who think alike on it too :)
Had to throw in my 2 cents. Good luck on the trails bro :)
Excellent post. Thanks!
I had an inexpensive mtn bike for over 15 years. Worked good. Not everyone needs a Ferrari to drive to work.
Carl W Depends on what you throw at your bike. Start sending a cheap bike down rocky decents and jumps and it wont last a week.
It never had any suspension. I used it mostly for trail riding. Yes, usually a more expensive bike will be better. However, 20 years ago we didn't have all these fancy gizmos and suspension. And we still had fun on our bikes.
I could buy 8 $500 bikes for the price of one $4000 bike. So even if i had to buy it twice i would still be ahead financially. Buying used makes more sense to me these days.
Carl W That's pretty much what his video explains. I have a newer mountain bike that cost retail 1200 bucks 4 year's and a 25 year old mountain bike that cost me 550 bucks. They both trail fine and ride on the street just fine. The newer more expensive stuff is for people that will spend the extra cash and they are doing some extreme stuff or trail riding 3 or 4 times a week. A 500-1000 bike is a solid bike. It's just not competition grade or has the durability some of the more extreme users need.(the guys jumping over stumps,rocks, over cliffs etc. ) The sport of mountain biking has changed and the bikes with it.
He never said anyone did...
2 things you neglected to mention about carbon, besides it's cost, stiffness, and weight:
1) It has garbage impact resistance, and is incredibly fragile compared to Steel, Al, or Ti. As a cyclist who also kayaks, I've seen more than a few bikes and boats destroyed by sudden impact, e.g. in a crash, by accident, or careless handling.
2) When carbon fiber fails, it fails catastrophically, and often without warning.
Granted, carbon fiber bikes frames usually can be professionally repaired, but things like rims and components aren't, for a variety of reasons.
Check out the testing on santacruz carbon frames vs aluminum frames. Their Carbon is actually stronger then their al. It is true that aluminum will dent and bend instead of snapping, which is both good and bad. Good because you won't have to replace it, but bad because you will go on riding a damaged bike. I am also a kayaker, as well, and I believe that plastic is preferable there because of rock impacts.
Not true. Carbon fiber in the tests was stronger in the directions which it was designed for. There it can be much stronger than aluminum. However impacts in non-intentional directions can easily damage the frame. I've seen a carbon MTB leaning against a wall and falling over, onto a rock. Result: broken seatstay. Frame was a total. Repair was more costly than the time value of the frame.
@@GavynPendleton you mean the testing done by Santa Cruz convincing us to buy CF frames? You cannot quote infomercials as data. Those tests are rigged for directional stresses. There are no rock impacts in mountain biking? Do you even ride brah?
@@truantray Yea I ride a Carbon Santa Cruz Nomad, and I'm currently studying mechanical engineering with a minor in materials. I certainly don't think carbon is by any means necessary for bikes, Aluminum, cromoly, and ti frames are totally fine, however I find carbon bad rap a lot of the time. Not all Carbon Fibers are created equal, and even if its the same material small design flaws can cause major issues, however, if a company does it right it will work well. Plus lifetime warranty's are pretty sick.
Not true
its awesome when someone is more happy on a 100 dollar bike than a person on a 7000 bike. Its all about fun
Yeah i got yeah
Yeah i got ya i also fell the same way
I choose durable and cheap. Good video!
Like your channel name, cool...
To me, the most expensive bikes are those rarely used, sitting in garage and rusting away. The least expensive bikes are the ones you get to ride them as often as possible and you enjoy riding them, no matter what the price tags are.
Love your videos.
Cheers from Thailand.
+Nakorn Masathienvong 👍
Nakorn Masathienvong I use my bike literally once every over day
I'm a highest cat elite roadie and my last bike was a ~10k road bike (specialized tarmac s works). My current bike (even though I make more money than ever) is 18oo euro bike with a very good carbon frame, entry level groupset and wheels (105 and mavic ksyrium elite)(canyon ultimate). Only things I've swapped to high end components are saddlepost, saddle and handlebar+tape(the last two ones more because that's what I'm used to). These two bikes are functionally IDENTICAL. The 10k one isn't even a slightly bit better. Sure it's about 1kg lighter, maybe stiffer in lab tests(not even sure it really is, though) and probably faster due to aero wheels, but it doesn't ride better, it just doesn't.
Takeaway point: don't be as stupid as I was in the past. I'm not saying you should buy a shit bike, but a very good bike! Just don't get ripped off. After saving several thousand bucks take your family or friends on a several week (bike) vacation, maybe even multiple times. Thank me later.
Nah not boring. You know who's boring? Every guy next door who works his ass off just he can buy more stuff....
100%. My last buy was Roubaix with Tiagra. Would i like to have D2 on it? LOL year but i am in my 40 and ride for fun not for time or score. I don't care if my gears shifts 0.1 sec faster but i care about 6-8k price difference on same bike. Same with mountain bikes. Good quality aluminum bike with deore set is more then enough for any casual rider.
Yep your 100% right👍 My last DH bike was amazing but it cost me just over £7500.. but was busy "KIDS" didn't ride it for a year and sold it, now I have a litle more time in my hands... I just spent £2000 on a new DH bike and it's also amazing. .And it got me thinking, was my old bike worth over £5000 more than this New one??? NO!!!!!!!!!
Its hard to get the same feeling on a mountainbike for less than $2500 because of the suspensions: crappy suspensions make for very unconfortable riding in technical terrain.
Kung Lao only in 10k bike land
Very well grammatically articulated and informative video Clint! Great job, keep those great videos coming!
Still watching this in 2021! I've ridden bikes all my life but rarely for recreational purposes but did go for an entry level gravel bike when Covid hit in 2020. So after a year, you start to wonder why some things on your entry level bike start to break and you start gaining info on upgrades and the role each part of a bike plays.
I've been following you for a year now and this is one of your best video's, Clint. Thanks for sharing the knowledge in a way that every beginning bike enthusiast can understand and get to work on. I bet you could teach me calculus. Keep it up!
I think that a "high end" bike is absolutely worth it. It's no different than a mechanic shelling out extra money for a nicer/high quality tool. Sure the cheap one will do the same job, but the nicer and probably more expensive tool will save them in the long run.
My 8 year old daughter got her first (big girl) bike last Christmas. I bought a new 29er hardtail from my LBS for 500 bucks to go ride with her. It is all I could afford and I am learning and upgrading as we go. I am having the most fun I have had in a long time. Love riding and ya can't beat that daddy daughter time. I say as long as your having fun who cares what ya paid 500 or 5,000. Oh and Clint thanks, your instructional vids have taught me tons on maintaining my own bike.
One thing i have noticed is that many companies charge for the name. For example. My girlfriend has a CUBE hardtail that costs 659$. I have ridden it, and it performs super well. On the other hand, because i don't own a lot of money, and i was supper exited to get into MNT Biking, i bought a hardtail, from this firm VIPER (i think its French), that costed me around 370$. For some reason the only difference is the front suspension fork. I do not say that my bike suspension is bad, it is very good actually it performs well, it absorbs well to. All the other things are basically the same. We have the same shimano shiffters, wheels and other stuff. The material is also the same. I have ridden my bike for some time on the trail and it seems to be more than good. But maybe the name has a little bit to add to the value. Just like Apple does. The phone to be real with all its parts costs round 400$, they sell it for 600$ just because of the name. But that is just my opinion. BTW, yes i am planing to upgrade my fork in close future and I do not say that expensive bikes are bad. Sure if you can afford it, than it will last u long and it will perform at its best, but all i want to say is that if you don't have the money, you can do some research and get a bike round 370 - 500 $ that will perform more than fine on the trails. :D Keep riding :3
cerebellum you clearly have more exp then me as i am new to this sport. Yes the bikes are diffrent, but my point is that you can have fun on a bike for 400$.. i ride my bike for 1 and a half month and i love it. yes i upgraded the grips and i orderd RockShox XC 32 AL. Im planing on upgrading it with hydroulic disks, but for now the bike performs as the same as the cube, for real. Ive ridden them both as i take my girlfriends bike for rides. yes there is clearly some difference but not that big. anyway, i am open to suggestions as i am willing to.learn new stuff for MTBing. Keep paddling ^_^
cerebellum tottally agreed. as soon as i get home ill try to tell u the specs on my bike as i would like your opinon on my bike , having in mind that the bike.is 400$. Y(＾_＾)Y
Mouse. I'm just sitting here, still try'na figure out what 'MNT' Biking is.
IDontBelieveInPenises MONTANA BIKE
People are giving this dude shit for no reason. I have a MTB worth over $7,000. Its what I am into and I love it. I would rather spend my money there then on stupid shit I will never use like $500 watch or designer clothing. The more money you spend on a bike the better it will be.
Sam Poirier best response in this video I do exactly the same
I am happy with my 1987 Cannondale ST400 (Labeled as LLBean) as a triathlon bike, but better wheels are a possibility.
I started with a cheap, heavy $400 bike. After a year of riding it, I knew what I wanted. For off-road, I now have a titanium frame 29er with hydraulic disc brakes and xtr drivetrain, middle of the line-up WTB rims (tubeless tires), and middle of the line-up Rockshox front fork. It's a hard tail because I knew I would never get into anything to crazy. Yet, if you had told me I was gong to spend $3500 on a bike when I first started I would have said you were crazy. But, not only do I have this MTB, I spent another $2000 on a titanium frame road bike with mechanical discs and Ultegra 6800 drive train. It's what I like, and I certainly get more enjoyment and a healthier life out of this than fancy clothes, fancy food, or a fancy car. The difference between these bikes and $400 to $800 are what keep me riding day after day. They make riding fun.
Thanks. I went with titanium because I wanted a frame that would last; that way as components wear out, I can upgrade (or not) to what I want without worrying about the frame. I've read that carbon fiber is just as reliable as titanium, but in my heart, I just can't believe that. My heart trumps my mind in this case.
Wayfaring Stranger Are you talking to me? I'm not going to list the exact components. I was trying to give a quick thumbnail sketch. No, it isn't a $7000 bike but it also isn't a $700 bike. I got a good frame that should last me a lifetime with a top end drivetrain. Everything else is fine for the moderate trail riding that I do.
The heaviest part of my bike is me.
you always make super informative videos, they're really good
Canyon: great company that sells great bikes at great prices.
highly suggested
Well i mean YT industries is also a great option. Not a fan of the shape shifter on the canyon enduro bikes
Giant is also good price-wise if you don't want to order online
FELT rider here! They make excellent quality bikes. Underrated imo so they are not overpriced like other big name bikes
Visited their HQ in Koblenz on saturday, staff was very nice, got to ride a Spectral ofc my size. I had never ridden a bike this good before ever. Their bikes are so well made and I think that their prices are completely okay as you get good quality and SIX years of warranty. This led to me buying a Spectral 6.0 EX which I'm very happy to ride in a few days.
But if you're in the UK as they're abroad and don't have a factory here you can wait as much as 6 months for shipping
I just turned 60 last Oct and have been riding and tinkering with bikes all my life, I just got into mountain biking. I look to your info for the knowledge that you share and I make informed decision. Living on Oahu I have limited resources So your channel is a God send.
Plus I am originally from Cocoa Beach Florida and I get the good old boy southern draw!
What I do is troll ebay for months in the winter. I got a 2005 Specialized enduro expert with fox talas fork for $768 shipped. It was in almost new condition. Brand new it retailed for $3500. But wait, I can't be seen on it because it has unfashionable 26 inch wheels. LOL. Ha ha ha.
Actually bought 2011 dt swiss rim 40 us dollars.. last month has serial no. Even has the manufacturing date. Bought it feb 2020.. so i guess the rim had been sitting in a storage room for 9 yrs
Exactly
I've enjoyed a lot of your other videos but this one has been, by far, the best.
Thanks!
Yeah this was very good content. I hope I can do this good on my new channel some day.
biking is a hobby and hobbies never make sense to others. lol
Omar Moreno biking is a way of life! And even one's way of life doesn't make sense to others! 👍
its about the diminishing returns of bike materials after a certain cost. its actually not worth it to buy a bike over 1000$, you're paying for a brand far more than improvement in quality.
ooDirtyMickoo Are u serious? A $1000??? Dude I don't think you actually ride a mtb from this century.. you can't get a bike for $1000 even on Kijiji or pinkbike if it's a real mtb.. Fuck, u can't even get one at sportcheck for that that's worth taking on an actual Mountain.. A decent fork costs near a grand.. A wheelset with tires that is decent is near a $1000..shimano slx brake set is $400 plus.. A dropper post is over $300...where are these diminishing returns u speak of?? Maybe at the 6k mark u are hitting the diminishing returns
/watch?v=aR2oLA9mSXw all the proof you need that under 1000 can handle just about anything. you can also find excellent used bikes for that price. carbon bikes only win in races by a matter of 2 seconds compared to aluminum bikes and thats on smooth roads, going downhill, a slight addition of weight is beneficial for gaining speed. the costs outweigh the benefits of a over 1000 expensive bike. ESPECIALLY, if its just your hobby.
ooDirtyMickoo haha dude proof of handling and the application I actually need what I need are in different universes k! See I'm the type that puts bike's over my vehicles k! I commute 40k round trip daily to work and then hit mtb seriously on the weekends as well as after work on certain days.. On top of that all my vacations are based around mtb trips k!.. You see I NEED Rockshox pike 140mm on my ride k... I need Sram Eagle 1x12 drivetrain to sustain the amount of Canadian Rockies climbing that I engage in k... I need 9.8falline dropper post at 175mm drop for my 6'3 lanky ass k... I NEED 35mm wide nox carbons Rollin on Maxxis dhf casings laced to Chris King evo pro 4 hubs to give me the engagement I NEED K! I NEED Shimano xt trail brakes to give me the modulation coupled with Supreme stopping power and quietness on the trail k!... I need Race face Next sl carbon cranks to give me the stiffness combined with gram cutting weight on my low center of gravity at the bb k.. Last but not least.. I NEED that Yeti sb5.5c carbon frame to give me the switch infinity type pedal efficiency that any true mtber requires for must have long days on the trail k! You see, It's not about what gets u by.. Its about what your priorities are in life when it comes to the seriousness of a Hobbie and having amongst the best available equipment at hand to help one achieve their goals, and to enjoy the feeling of being on a top notch steed as u embark on many trail adventures/travels..
Excellent video. I am experienced in buying mountain bikes and I still found this interesting and well done.
I think you nailed it at the end comparing the road bikes beyond $2000. similar in MTB world though bar might be a bit higher. the people who will get the most out of a $6500 XC MTB vs a $2000 one are those who race and need to shave off time. the average rider is not going to get any more out of the expensive bike and are wasting money. better off spending the money on a gym pass or MTB skill lessons. Shave 50 lbs off your gut vs few pounds off your bike.
When dealing with such a small amount of $2000 for road bikes, its very easy to bust past that amount when dealing in carbon fiber. Wheelsets alone can hit that $2000 mark.. I'd say a more realistic number is $4000 when it gets hard to tell what you're paying for other than grams.
Been watching your videos for about a year now. Great stuff that just keep getting better.
It's more about the athlete then the bike. One of the best bike messengers in NYC rides 85+ hours a week, six days a week, at 65+ miles a day 6 days a week, 48 weeks a year with a cheep heavy high tensile steel beat up single speed bike with a torn up saddle and a missing back brake. He is a high caliber athlete with drive. When a couple seconds matter like during a race then the bike helps just a little. For 99.999% of people that cycle it doesn't.
Cecile Ravanel won 7 out of 8 Enduro World Series races last year on an aluminum bike. It's really more about the rider and also the discipline.
"NYC messengers ride cheap beaten bikes"
Nope, it is a 'always works' bike.
Just like here in the Netherlands, everyone rides a bike with the priority that it 1: needs to work, 2: zero maintainence, 3: comfy.
crap that needs to be cleaned after every rainy day else it rusts or wears to much get thrown out. crap that breaks when the bike gets blown over by wind gets thrown out... and so on.
And don't forget one hour in the shop for repairs the wages for the repair man almost can pay for a new bike.
as somebody who has biked quite a bit both in NYC and in Amsterdam, i'm finding this conversation pretty funny. It's two totally different worlds... you're both right. pretty much the only thing they have in common is they're both bicycles in name.
I am not saying you need to spend 2k on a bike to go ride a trail and have fun, but there is a HUGE difference between a 500$ Trek and a cheap Walmart mongoose. Can't just say all bikes are the same, they're not.
I've learned almost everything I wanted to know in only 15 minutes. Thank you SO much.
I love this video!!! For the majority of riders I feel like you don't need more then a $3k bike. You will have just as much fun on a 3k bike as a 10k bike. Only time you will notice a difference is if you are racing the clock!
Alex Chamberlin I went from a 2900$ bike to a 5300$ carbon bike this year. I am not a racer but I do like to go fast and get rowdy. I can notice the difference for sure. It is like driving a honda civic vs a bmw m5. sure the Honda will get you from a to b but the bmw will get you there too but be more fun.
Travis G I heard that one was pretty good. it's probably a toss up.
Travis G I have heard really good things about the 5010. it is hard to say if things are a "good deal' but I hear they are allot of fun and typically have a pretty good build kit. I would go for it.
Warren Van Niekerk if you have been riding a low end hard tail for a year than I would say you are more than ready for an upgrade. Once you get past the basics your old bike will hold you back. Getting into a nicer FS bike will let your skills progress allot further. Plus that seems like a pretty good price.
Alex Chamberlin exactly. i prefer aluminum for a daily driver like my GT hardtail and with a full suspension bike i prefer the specialized enduro comp aluminum. i can build it as a 1x or a 2x and it has extreme versatility. i like function so this bike is the epitome of all mountain style bikes,
Great video Clint! Don't let the haters get to you! The true fans understand your examples and will listen to your advice. Keep it up as always. Your content and the way you explain bikes is superb! Thank you!
I thought $500 on a mountain bike was insane a few years ago. I've been through several bikes in the last couple years, with each one progressively more expensive than the last. My most recent bike, a yeti SB6c, was far from cheap. Since going through the progression, I know where every penny I spent went on this new bike, and it is worth every cent.
Thanks for doing this. Although I already purchased my mtn bike, I have a greater appreciation for where my money went. I bought a high end bike that was last year's inventory so I got it for a good price. I wanted good shifting components because I had bikes in the past that were poor shifting under power. I hate when a hill forces me out of the saddle. I can remember frothing at the mouth and having to get off because the bike wouldn't shift or the chain fell off. A bike is, for me, a toy. I'm glad I spent a little more. The bike is comfortable, fun and confidence inspiring. Gerry in Calgary.
+Gerald Prost 👍
This kind of frame costs about $600 shipped from China. So the companies then paint them and sell them for $2-3k. Just saying.
exactly.
Dmitri Nesteruk different grade of carbon i think it will be
Dmitri Nesteruk a really profitable company nets 10% profit. You are exactly right about the $600 to $2000 ratio. But, after you pay utility bills, labor, shipping, building rent, and marketing, the selling company pockets $200. Gross sales is not net profit.
more to a bike than the frame. there is way more.
That is absolutely untrue. I sincerely hope no one takes your piece of consumer advice to heart. The reason why these manufactures have frames that cost so much is becuase they're using high quality materials, advanced manufacturing processes that take longer time, and spend lots of time and money in R&D to ensure that they are producing the best product they can.
2018 Rockhopper-paid $350, sold $550. 2018 Giant Contend-paid$200, sold $450. 2018 Surly Pugsley-paid $450, sold $850. 2019 Trek Stache, paid $800 sold $1300. And now a 2018 Giant Trance 2, paid $1700, worth more than $2k. Bought an rode all of these bikes within the last year. Enjoyed each and every one of them. Some were nicer than others but at the end of the day they were all fun and I enjoyed them. I'll probably settle on the Giant Trance for a long term trail bike but nothing beats a "cheap" or good deal for me to ride then sell for a profit. It all depends what you want in your price point or transactions. Love the videos, convinced me on the Trance 2!
I really advocate buying used. I got my sweet carbon 29 'r only one year old at half price The better bikes are amazing.
I Fully agree that used is almost always the best way to go if you know about bikes.
If you are new to biking then you can be scammed with faulty parts that work temporarily or frame that has hidden issues.
This pretty much goes for buying ANY thing !
My bike had a MSRP of 12k built. I got it for $2,000.
BUT how old is it....................12k for 2k sounds like a old bike.
Is it stolen ? lol
4 years old. The problem like the guy in this video is when you buy a Frame BRAND NEW 2018 for 10,000 dollars that same frame in 1 year is worth about 1500 used TOP end. Bike MSRP and real value are two separate things. Carbon Frames are the worst mistake you can make that and Carbon handlebars, everything else goes at it. If this guy paid 1500 for carbon wheels he's a bigger idiot than I thought.
so your 12K bike isn't carbon ?
This is very useful information Clint. I just bought carbon cc Santa Cruz Hightower with 29" wheels and Travel 140mm. You are correct besides carbon frame, the rim and crank should be carbon also so you will get a maximum speed. It is going to be my next goal to upgrade the Hightower. Cheers.
Just like cars, cameras, computer parts...
On the lower end of the budget scale, you make a LOT more compromises for every dollars saved on purchases
In the middle there is the "Sweet spot" that is different for every body depending on their needs
On the high end, every dollars gives you a little less at every steps up the range since its smaller market and high production and development costs
Knowing where is that sweet spot is a long process and an unfortunately costly one
Good advice, clearly spoken and easy to understand. I especially appreciate the way you break it down so anyone can understand what you're talking about. Most guys, you go in the shop, and they talk way over your head like you're supposed to know as much as they do. But I would buy a bike from you and feel like I got great advice and guidance. *subscribed
There comes a point where you get diminishing returns. Are these minor performance improvements really worth so much money?
Yes if you can afford it...
No there not worth it , but if you have the money it doesn't matter if it's worth it
@@josehernanguerrerohernande5023 fair enough not my money, still seems kinda silly... " My bike is 5% lighter than yours. And it only cost me 2 grand more than your pleb bike. You jealous?" Lol I'm sorry xD
As a non weight weenie I went the aluminum route. Canfield Yelli Screamy hardtail. Race Face Atlas bars and stem. XT 785 crank so I have ring options. Easton Arc aluminum rims seems to be very solid for me. What I really put my money into was the Rockshox Pike. Quite happy with this burly hardtail build. Dropper is next.
Are expensive bikes worth it, is an individual answer, and that is based on what you value. Value is going to depend on how much money you have to spend, and what brings you happiness. When I started riding my first serious bike at 15 was $1000. That was like a million dollars to me. It probably gave me more value and happiness than any bike I ever owned. Now as an adult who rides a lot, I have multiple bikes, and all of them have value, even the expensive ones. So in short, are expensive bikes worth it? It's an individual answer. Also, for us married guys- The answer depends on what your wife thinks. :) Luckily, my wife rides as well.
+Peter Laskiewicz 👍
Peter Laskiewicz If you saved a another year when you were fifteen you coulda bought a used car.
Hey Clint. You might remember me as one of the older CX guys. I've experienced the great ride qualities of carbon composite frames. They make a noticeable difference on road bikes where frame compliance is a large proportion of total bike compliance. On Mountain bikes, I can't help thinking it's less a factor. On a modern cross country bike with 100mm of suspension compliance and, say, 40mm of compliance from low pressure tires I doubt if I'm benefitting from frame compliance in the single digits.
Of course composite is lightest, but not by much. I just have a certain budget security feeling when that stray rock hits my alloy frame that the likely result is a ding, not a crack that ha the potential to get bigger every stress.
One more reason to look at alloy is that the budget savings can be large enough to take a week off work and train harder. 'cause riders, not bikes win riders.
I've just re-read and this is coming off a little bit ranty and complainty and I don't really mean to be that. Your videos are very accessible and I've personally benefitted from the one about servicing Stan's hubs and freehubs. Thanks
+Steve Noble great to hear from you Steve! You are right, carbon frames make more of a difference on road and Cross Bikes. One of the biggest advantages for full suspension Mountain bikes is weight savings, and it's not huge.
Clint Gibbs but carbon DOES give you one thing that aluminum can’t, longer fatigue life. Someone riding an alloy bike very hard will fatigue an alloy frame to the pint of being unsafe relatively quickly. Sure you see a lot of EWS riders on alloy frames, but it is because they are less stiff, and some riders prefer that. What doesn’t get mentioned, is that those riders can get a new frame whenever they need it. Not so much for the average joe rider.
Long story short: You're a pro rider? get an expensive bike. You're an amateur and use the bike just for fun ocasionally? Buy something in between expensive and economic. You bike to work? Buy something easy to do maintenance on, easy to clean, cheap to repair (cheap but strong bike).
Really appreciate all of the detail. Extraordinarily thorough.
Its gets to a point with bikes and than it becomes ridiculous. Clearly people who spend crazy money on bikes believe the better the bike the better the performance which is totally wrong. I have been in bike races and seen riders being beaten on the finish line by other riders riding really cheap bikes. Anymore than 1500 to 2000 dollars maximum is enough. Unless it's yr career and you are making hugh money from sponsorship deals etc. Not some nut job who is obsessed with his bike and just riding it up and down to the store. Give me a break.
fully agreed!
You are right... But there are some people out there who just want a really nice bike. Like how most exotic car owners will never race their cars.. I myself am on UA-cam looking for a very nice midgrade mountain bike for recreational purposes with my kids. Don't get me wrong, I use to race amateur mountain bikes in my 20s, and I never bought new or expensive
I think to 2,000-3,000 is the sweet spot for most bikes
Texarmageddon I ride a Stevens Aspin. They are build in Hamburg Germany. Best bike I could find for the money and 5 year warranty on the frame. I also liked the almost straight top bar and racing geometry. The race bikes that Trek, Special ized, Cannondale etc are building are disgusting. Those ugly looking frames with those sloping top bars. Jesus people look so damn stupid riding them. Let alone trying to race on that shit
Geraldine Geraldine very true I would only spend 1000-2000 on a bike this dude is probably scared to crash it bc it’s a 6,000 dollar bike not to hate tho
Agree with you Clint, there's a big difference on performance. Just recently upgraded my bike to Ripley LS and loved it more than previous ASR. Thanks for the video.
Buy a YT. By far the best value for a full suspension.
Or Canyon! Got mine crazy cheap from the factory outlet.
Hey I have a canyon too! Spectral AL 6.0!
YT? Yeti?
v1d300 YT Industries
v1d300 no, YT, I know it's confusing...
Super informative! Thanks for your time and effort Clint... I have learned a lot from you!
Bikes are expensive because people are buying them. In my opinion there is no point spending $4000/5000 on a bike for the average cyclist, racer or not. I've got a aluminum road bike and this bike is not the reason I don't win races. I don't race MTB anymore.
Love that innner tube wrap on your chain stay, great bike hack to protect your bike without spending tons on specialty protectors.
PS thanks for the much needed info
Hi Clint, what is your daily job?Because you have great presentation skill and you are really friendly and cool guy. Thx for your videos. I like your "non profi" point of view. Very usefull for amateur riders. Keep uploading..all the best from me, Stan,Czech Republic
+Stanislav Krmicek thanks. I work for a construction workforce development company called NCCER.
Mr.Clint Gibbs could be a teacher without a problem. Your narrative skill is profound. Videos are great as well as your knowledge of bicycles, absolutely stunning. Thank you for your videos and your time.
Great Video- as a person looking to start mountain biking, this is exactly what I needed to get me ready to purchase a bike.
How do u justify a high end MTB as expensive as an enduro motorcycle
+Fenix Yuk you don't justify... You put your investment in the things that are most important to improving your quality of life.
Clint Gibbs wow! nice. definitely agree!
one of your best Vids..
I'm 54 and just dropped 3k on a carbon MTB.. is it the smartest thing to do with 3k , who knows..but it makes me happy..and my wife was ok with it :)
👍
I just don't think the carbon bikes are worth it unless you're racing. I ride an aluminum frame Giant Trance and I seriously doubt my times would be much, if at all different if I were on the Trance Advance carbon.
There's very much a clear improvment at price points but also a noticable amount of diminishing returns. Going from a £500-£1,000 to a £1,500-£2,000 bike is like night and day but price points over £2,000 offer less noticable improvements, especially if you lack the experiance to make the most of the top shelf componants. The avarage cyclist, even the avarage MTB rider will never get the most out of a £5,000 Devinci or Santa Cruz. The most important componant is the rider.
Nice high end bikes are expensive for those who dont have the money. If I could afford it I d be riding a $10,000 bike as well.
no shit
Flex LCS Expensive is still expensive even if you have the money. For example- Say Bill Gates wanted to buy a 100 million dollar yacht, that's very expensive, but just because he has the money to buy it doesn't nigate the fact it is expensive.
tell bill gates to buy a 10.000 dollar bike and if he likes to ride a bike he would buy it. my bike is around 400 dollars and im too lazy to make the math to find out how many can be bought of my bike with that money.
blueknight You are wrong. The idea of what is expensive or not is subjective. That's why you have people that pay 6000 usd for a bottle of wine or pay 1B for a yacht.
Expensive is not subjective. Expensive is expensive whether you have the money or not. You can either afford it or not and your willingness to spend the money. Once again just because a person has 40 billion in the bank and can buy anything they want, doesn't mean they won't think something is expensive.
In road bikes the point of diminishing returns comes much sooner than most cyclists realize. If you get dropped on a $700 bike chances are you would also get dropped on a $3,000 bike. Assuming the bike fits, shifts, and stops well enough it is much more the engine than the bike. Tiagra and 105 parts turn, shift and stop better than any parts available 30 years ago so even the cheap stuff is great. Mountain bikes are a little different; expensive forks are a lot lighter and ride better than cheap ones.
"Strong. Light. Cheap. Pick two." Keith Bontrager.
Strong and Cheap. Gotta need the weight for the workout. It's the perfect choice for me ;)
Carbon frames are going to crack and than you have to buy A new frame and thats expensive i would buy a aluminium frame
I can say from my experiance because I depend on a bicycle sometimes for transportation, I remember buying a $150 bicycle from Wal-Mart and within about 4 to 5 months, the bearings were falling apart in the wheels and crank and the shifters were dificult to shift, this was a GMC Denali bicycle. Then in 2013, I bought a $900 Felt nine-sixty mountain bike and even after close to five years, the bearings are still secure and intact and still rides comfortable and I even use it for pulling a trailer.
Mountain bikes are WAY overpriced. I came from a world of dirt bikes and ATV's. When I moved over to mountain bikes and found many of them priced similarly to dirt bikes and ATV's, I had to laugh. Motorized sports equipment is way more complex and have many more parts than any mountain bike. Therefore, they should cost much much more. This is a good example of a product being priced the way it is because people are willing to pay it. Many people who ride these high-end bikes are people with lots of money they don't know what to do with. Even the expensive bikes get a lot of parts from overseas where everything is cheap. I doubt that a good quality mountain bike costs more than a few hundred dollars to make and they shouldn't cost the consumer more than $1000.
GrnXnham 100% correct sir.
GrnXnham You couldn't be more Wrong in your assertions! I work for the Fire Dept.. I do Not have lots of money! What I do have his the realization of what my priorities are.. Bikes being at near the top! Therefore I drive a cheaper vehicle.... I don't have motorcycles, boats, atv or holiday trailers.. My hobbies are all based on using your body... Priorities man!
Overall correct but the important thing to consider is where are you with respect to the sport and what do you expect to get out of the bike. Just for beginner and exercise? You still want something safe and fun and reliable. Expect $500 to $1000 include a helmet a bag and bottle and a car rack. Fitness fanatic or beginner racer you have to move up a notch or two to &2000 to $4000. Full race? The sky is the limit, but you already knew that if you are in this category. Be honest with yourself and the sales person, at a good store they will be honest with you. Especially beginners would do well to go to a REAL bicycle dealer. You want the thing properly fitted and adjusted with a good person to help you with questions. I worked in a shop for over 20 years. There is a whole lot of hype and posing and you want to ignore most of that. And have fun.
Doesn't CARBON FIBRE chip, crack and break easily? And if it does, it can't be repaired, Can't hydraulic brakes LEAK?
Jakob W carbon fiber is stronger than anything for example a 4 pound carbon frame is going to be stronger than a 4 pound steel frame and also carbon fiber can be repaired more easily than steel or aluminum and is also safer
I race xcm on a fully rigid hardtail and encourage others with low budget to try it. Is just a matter of putting wider tires and a slightly low air pressure. My rig is a Specialized Crave 29 , with Chisel carbón fork, carbon bars and seatpost from Easton, full 2x10 XT& XT brakes and Stan's ZTR and Fizik saddle and 2.3 Michelín tires. Very affordable yet race ready
the answer is yes and no. depends on what you do with your bike
a $6000 bike is worth it if you're planning on riding it hard and often and planning on taking advantage of everything it has to offer.
P Monk or biking to work like me no need for a car
Haha, I bike to work too.
Definitely a thumbs up on this video. Great content, I was engaged the entire time, and you discussed topics for experienced and beginner riders.
Who the crap has that kinda money.. your bike is worth 2x my truck!
Jeff Mcilroy If the bike is $6,500 then your truck is $3,500???
(Did you think he said $65,000??? If so, your truck is $35,000???
Towerz YT $65,000 would be almost as much as my Jag, I don't thing there is a bike out their costing that much... actually fuck it, their probably is rich fuck out there with a Diamond Engraved Norco.
Towerz YT you've never seen someone drive a truck over ten years old have you?
Sage Lawrence Wait..hold up.... There are trucks out there worth $3,500????? 😲😱 HOLLYYY
lol I spent twice as much on my bike as I did on my car, and I got both used!
Great video Clint. I have a Turner Flux 3.0, the aluminum version. Turner has a program that if you send back your old Turner frame they give you $600 credit towards the new frame. Thanks to that deal I was able to get my 3.0 Flux frame for $1600. I am running alloy rims as well but eventually I will move to a carbon frame. You do a great job of explaining the benefits of carbon, thanks. As far as justifying the cost of an expensive mountain bike, my bike total cost is around $4500, it is a hobby I have had for many years and love and will continue to love. So I feel it is worth the investment.
If they are worth to be expensive, howcome they lose sooo much value after a year?
This is a good way to get an expensive bike for a lower price. The price of last year's models go down and some sites will have clearance sales like 40% or even 50% off. The only drawback is that the size and /or color may not be available.
koukimonzta i don't see the justification for those prices. That's just insanities unless your in competition. It's more about "look what I have" than it is a need. I bought my first mountain bike last year a Kona Lanai for $250 in great shape. So it dropped 50% or more in two years. So yeah I'll buy used any day.
For $250 you could of went to Walmart and got a brand NEW bike. Anyways, there's people who will spend $6k on a bike and there's people who won't. If you don't wanna pay $6K for a bike, then don't, no one is saying you should and there are options for less than half that price. For those who would, It's not a bad decision and it's not a waste of money. But keep in mind, between a used $250 bike and a $6K enduro bike, you get what you pay for.
koukimonzta everything gets lower in value. even cars do
P Monk let me just add that between 250 and 6k you also have 500 dollar bikes lol. And simply walking into a bike shop doesn't entail spending thousands. In fact, our bread and butter bikes at the shop are 500 dollar entry level city bikes that smart people get when they've had enough of replacing Walmart bikes once a season. In addition to a great bike, customers get a decent warranty (not 30 or 10 days as with some big box stores) great service, and professionals who built their bikes to absolute perfection. Walmart hires average joes to build their bikes when a shipment comes in, and wheel bearing are never adjusted. Not even the brakes are adjusted sometimes. It's awful...
The wheels advice helped me out the most. I never thought about it that way. Thanks!
Ha! Nowhere else but in MTB does one spend $6.5K on a bike then go cheap w/ an old tube as a chainstay protector. Why do we all do things like this?
+Jed Scaramella one of the reasons I like making my own chainstay protector is because I can wrap it very close to the bottom bracket. I've had neoprene ones like lizards can not reach far enough and I get a lot of chain slap on the chainstay near the bottom bracket.
Clint, Fair enough. I've done it too. Just think it's fun to laugh at ourselves. UA-cam is full of "money saving hacks" videos for MTB. That's not the theme of this video, but it was about bike prices. Been struck by the lunacy of some of it. You just spent thousands on a bike, here's how to save $20 with some zip ties, old water bottles, and tubes... Why do we drool at a carbon wheels but balk at the price of a mud guard.... keep the vids coming.
Thank you from up here (Montréal, Qc) as your advises are well explained. Please keep on with your good bicycling educational work :-)
Somebody made some money of you
$3000 for a frame the costs $500 to make hahaha
Yea if he paid 3,000 for that frame someone clearly knew he had money he doesn't account for. Completely ripped off.
In my personal advice i would never would pay that i have 2018 bmx wethepeople justice i got good deal on it it was on sale bike shop850
Everyone has differnt oppositions
My bike retail at 1500 it was on sale boxing day
Clint- i have a 2016 Focus Raven max Sl with XTR, it came with a Tundra M-5 with mag. rails. I recently installed got a Gobi M-1 with carbon rails, i cannot tell you how much smoother the bike is now, also took off the XTR pedals and replaced with Titanium EX-PEDO, 90 grams lighter, last but not least i grabbed a pair of DT SWISS XRC 1200 to replace the M-1700, i drop about 250 grams and up grading the hub to 54 instead of the 36 engagement, i know that's knit picking but i got an AMAZING deal on the wheels with FREE rotors, bike is 22.00 even now so the wheels should drop weight to 21.4-21.5-- yeah things can get REAL expensive quick,
i have 2 road bikes and the Focus
I am not in your level of riding and fitness but i am 62 now, when i do my trail riding i still pass people here and there that are WALKING their bikes up the steeper parts and they're half my age, riding is great cardio and general fun
I don't think the new Intense is worth it haha
I bought a Trek ExCal 9- it’s the highest spec’d ExCal they make. bought it new, but a 2 yr old model. Retailed just under $1,500. I got it just under $1,200. Since then I’ve swapped out: Tires (now Maxxis Minions), handlebar (Renthal Fatbar Lite), stem (short 45 mm), brakes (Shimano XT), seatpost (KS eten dropper). About another grand in parts and labor. So my rig cost me about $2,200. In two years of riding it I have well over 350 hours of saddletime. I like to go as fast as possible over the worst possible terrain. I am starting to do bigger jumps and drops again (I’m 45 and took a long hiatus from the sport while I played Rugby). With a professional career and wife and kid, this is my main entertainment/fun/relaxation. So ... 2,200 / 350 hours = $6.28/hour. Certainly a better deal than going to some dumb football game or something like that. And its continually getting cheaper the more I use it.
So, to answer the question posed by the title of the video: Are expensive bikes worth it? I can't see that they are unless you are a serious, serious rider.
\
I thought you gave a good overview of the factors involved in buying a bike and a pretty good explanation of the trade offs involved in cycling and the relative costs associated with them.
That bike is a wicked piece of machinery
these videos are entertaining to watch and the comments are even better when you're a bike mechanic :^)
theres a middle ground with everything in life, eventually you're paying for a placebo effect. Id be so ashamed in myself if i ever spent over $1000 on a mountain bike.
all bike parts nowadays are either made from carbon aluminum or plastic. theres very little deviation from those materials. this idea that a 5000 dollar bike has parts that will last longer than a 3000 dollar bike is a myth. they're all made using the same shit. granted 100 versus 1000 makes a difference as far as weld quality and shock performance but id argue there are diminishing returns after 1000 dollars and the difference in quality is marginal for the price you pay.
I spent 1400 and I have a Recon Silver that tops out loudly off any bump. If you’re the budget conscious rider than a hard tail gives you the biking experience. The full sus life is costly.
I was going to join the crowd but Clint really said it all towards the end: You don't need to spend a lot of money on a bike if you are just going for a leisure ride.
I do not like the contemporary mass produced aluminium frames, I think the old style diamond steel frames are better for normal riders. They allow some flex without feeling wobbly.
Santa cruz is worth the money
Weareallbeingwatched I think your wrong
@@bobdixon3048 I think you spelt "you're" wrong
Ryan Tyniec good one mate 👌🏿
YES, totally worth it! I've used both, and you get what you pay for. I couldn't imagine going up/down the "I think I can" mountains with the old Haro chromo bike I used to. I think it weighed about 60 LBS. I have a Yeti that weights about 20-25 lbs. Huge difference. It's one of those things that if you don't do it you'll never understand. Motocross riders are the fittest athletes in the world, however, if you've never raced motocross and experienced it, you would think I'm talking crazy talk.
One can get a FANTASTIC bike today for less than 1k... One can get a very good bike for 500 bucks... Why do things have to go to the moon ??? Because man's involved.
Well the 500-1000 bikes are there for people who want them and dont need the 2 or 3 or 4+ thousand dollar bikes. But there are people that are willing to pay that for a bike (people who do heavy trail riding, racing etc.) so I don't see the problem. A 500-1000 bike is an excellent price point and great quality bike for most recreational and health riders and again they are readily available.
Eben Daggett what trek did u have, I started on a trek hardtail 29er too, marlin 6
Eben Daggett yeah it is, I took it down a slippery descent yesterday and let's just say it needs a tune up😂😂
plutoplatters 500 dollars won't get you a high end quality long travel air shock. Once you start at 500, and grow to love the sport, you will itch to get better, from entry level, to quality air shock hard tail, to full suspension, and so on. From regular tire size, to plus, to fat, not necessarily in that order. Just like cars or whatever hobby you're into. To each his own. Everyone's personal taste can but scrutinized by anybody.
plutoplatters you're an idiot
nice video and I agree with most parts you said, except this: the wider axis don't make the bike stiffer, the opposite is the case, however, they allow to ride bigger tires, which in return give you more traction. For 29" it may not be a big difference, but for 27,5" bikes, especially fully, they don't have the "boost" for this exact reason.
i wont spend a dollar more than $450.00 on a mbike
And you’ll miss most of the fun.
cheesefunnel your a nugget boy
If you want the most bang for your buck go hardtail. You can get a badass aluminium hardtail for around $2000 dollars. Lower quality full suspension bikes usually start at that price point.
Buy used
Though if you are buying your first bike don't buy an expensive used bike. Buy a cheaper first bike so you can learn and then once you understand you can buy a better more expensive used bike. Though if you are buying new then you know the bike is covered by the warranty and you don't need to be nearly as accountable for the shape you buy the bike in.
Meaning if you buy a bike do you understand if a suspension fork has been maintained properly.
Definitely the best way to get a great deal. Buying used can be tricky for someone new to cycling though. You really have to know what you are looking at to understand the value of bikes.
Thats the way to go, just make sure you inspect the bike very well before purchasing.
good advice if you know what you are looking for, but if you are new to MTB it can be a challenge. a year ago, I couldn't tell you the difference between sram or Shimano much less XT or Deore. or hydraulic or mechanical brakes. Its not that hard to research a bit, but I can see it could be tough for a new rider. I looked quite a bit at used bikes. in the end I decided to go with a new bike. Demo days are a mans best friend.
Look for a local ride swap They happen here in Canada too! facebook.com/mikesbikeshop/photos/a.127397800644209.35381.126661274051195/1449022901815019/?type=3&theater
I am 6,2 height and 240 lbs and I am in love with Trek Fuel bikes.I am not a racer as you can understand.I am a bike enthusiast.In past time I have owned a 2010 Trek Fuel EX 7 and after one year I have owned a 2009 Trek Fuel EX 9,9(a really great bike).The last 2 years I have a 2011 Trek Fuel EX 9,8.I am so much in love with this bike.I think I will never sell this great bike.I want your opinion about this bike.The usage is 95% in city(I am living in Athens-Greece) and 5% in trails.Maybe you surprised about my usage but Athenian roads are full of bumps and any kind of obstacles and I feel that I ride my little devil in mountain :p Also I encourage you to recommend the people to buy a used bike if they want a very expensive bike in an affordable price.Personally I am buying used bikes only from Germany.My Fuel 9,8 I bought it as good as new with only 1500 EUR...
I see some comments here that are just plain ludicrous. Some people are actually saying you don't need an expensive MTB if you are not a serious hard core mountain biker! Seriously. Like, who determines what I should buy and what I should use it for? Who determines who I should be in order to buy a certain category of bikes? That kind of segregation is so old fashioned and actually borders on discrimination. Who has the right to say only the hard core MTB enthusiasts must enjoy high end stuff? Why can't the general public do too? Not only serious mountain bikers *have* to buy the expensive, high end, hi tech full carbon MTBs. Anyone should, if they want to.
A simple comparison with the car world :
How many Porsche GT3 RS owners or McLaren 675LT owners or Ford GT EcoBoost owners actually take their cars to the race tracks? And yet these are very expensive, high end, track focused, high tech cars that you would expect only race drivers to buy and own. And yet they are all being driven around the streets of London and Los Angeles. Why? Because you don't have to be a track fanatic in order to buy those track focused cars. If you love them, you can buy them too and not ever use them for what they were designed.
If you are someone like me, someone who loves hi tech, cutting edge technology, you can buy the expensive bikes too. My current Haibike xDuro FullSeven Carbon will never see anything much more than a shallow puddle in the country side. It spends 75% of its travel time on city streets. The other 25% is on paved cycle routes and canal trails. I blew £7,500 on that bike because I love it, not because I hit trails every evening and every weekend. I love the way it looks. I love the way it rides. I love the tech on it. And most of all, I love the way it makes me feel. There is a permanent smile etched on my face every time I'm on that bike. Should I now go on MTB downhill trails and become an enthusiast. Nope, I do not need to be. No one should tell you what property you should buy, or what you should do with your property. And on that note, I end my rant. Thank you.
+chillout1109 👍👍👍
chillout1109 What you are saying about the car is completely true. Bought a Metallic Orange 12c and not only have I only used sport mode to drive to my Moms, but I've owned it a year and half and haven't come close to a track. It may be able to do 204mph but the fastest I've gone is 115mph on the freeway, but a 60 year old in a '99 Mercedes was also keeping up to me. I also have to explain to everyone how to open the doors because of McLaren's stupid door handle. Then there is the impracticality of having 2 seats, limited storage space and outrageous price, not only to buy it, but to maintain it year round. Also you feel like a tool every time you open the Butterfly doors.
Must be nice being rich
Buy what you like, want and can afford... Just don't expect it to make you a better rider.
Most people don't. They buy what they like, spend what they feel like spending, and ride how they want, simply because they can. Only the truly gullible feel like a better bike makes a better rider.
Thank you! This was very informative and exactly what I needed to know as look to purchase my first serious bike.
To expensive. No bike should cost these insane prices.
Thomas L.S. if you see how much work is put into designing and creating high end bikes you might change your opinion
Thomas L.S. U don't need 1 million dollar cars either... Most of them aren't even driven. But the rich people have to spend their money somehow....
That is why there are what I call "CONsumer bikes". These are bikes you can get at walmart, target, toys r us, etc etc... The reason I call that is they "CON" you into thinking they are like REAL mtn, bmx, road bikes, etc because of advertising and an unknowledged population. So your little brain is pushed towards their pricing and you go buy one... Ride it a few times around paved, graveled or even dirt walking trails at the park then it sits outside usually getting all rusty and crap. But most peiple who intend to take them on actual trails realize that those bikes aren't as capable or safe to do that on. They are designed for a casual rider that might ride through grassy areas of a park or rail trail systems. I know someone who broke his the first day on a paved trail at the local park.
You wouldn't understand
I do agree about the $1500 price range for full suspension bikes, although I live in Costa Rica and not the US, I think it's very comparable in my personal experience. 2 years ago I didn't know anything you explained in this video and I bought a cheap full suspension, which cost around $500; the bike worked for sure, but the fork was basically useless as soon as you enter mountain-like trail, topping out most of the time and being so rude on the rebound and it actually caused me a couple accidents because of that. On top of that, it had low-quality gears (Shimano Altus) mixed with a generic crankset which constantly caused the shifts to be out of sync and sometimes I had to pull 1.5 times the shift lever and wait half a second before the gear shift to happen.
Then around 4 months ago I helped a friend to buy a hardtail, after learning a lot from channels like yours. He spent good $900, but he ended up with a good Shimano Deore set, a decent air suspension fork with remote lockout, good disk brakes and a very good bike overall and he can't be happier about his purchase. After riding both I started upgrading mine and ended up replacing the cheap, coil 28mm stanchions fork for a Rockshox Recon RL 32mm stanchions air suspension with remote lockout, replaced the generic and Altus parts for a full Shimano Alivio set with a 2x9 drivetrain and the difference is impressive, however the price went up around $1000, and whereas is still cheaper for a full suspension is still not done. Once I replace my rear shock (planning to get a Rockshox coil one) and the tires for ones a bit lighter and tubeless, is probably be around $1500, which is what I could've spent in the beginning and stop struggling with the components update.
Honestly, the final savings won't be worth it for the whole update process, but I guess you have to really ride through the process to appreciate the huge difference that exists between cheap and even decent (not great or performance rate) components.
No, I won three time trial using a walmart bike
I wish I had your skills and strength!
its all about training and skills
Yes it is. However that Walmart bike, if it is stock just might kill you with plastic brake levers that break. I broke a lever myself. If it a newer bike you will note that most mountain bikes at Walmart say that they are not intended for off road use. Funny concept for a mountain bike. Stay safe and ride on!
you ride time trial on a mountain bike ? lamo
Every ride is a time trial. How else do you you know if you have improved! I guess in a time trial that you ride no brakes are needed. Even for obstacles?
Is UA-cam thinking I am getting fat? It is recommending only bike-videos to me!
Good video. Don't shoot the messenger. He explains why bikes are expensive and why you don't necessarily HAVE to spend a ton to get into the sport. Bikes are expensive but for those of us into the sport, they enhance our lives greatly to a degree that justifies the cost. You will find a lot of people with nice bikes that have cars that cost less, so we do sacrifice. Haters gon hate but whatevz, it's all about the fun.
Thanks Clint. Another good and instructive video.
I totally agree with 98% of what was said in this video. The only thing I think was incorrect was the comment on the road bikes and how beyond 2k the difference is minimal. Now this could be because i live in Canada and currency is different but I work for giant and our entry level carbon road bike starts at 2k CND (lower than most of the competition) and for that you're getting a Tiagra group set and a hybrid hydraulic brake system. At 2700 CND you enter the Ultegra group set with a full hydraulic brake system, which I would personally say is where the performance per price starts to taper off. Now let's not forget that this is a giant, so for the competition like trek, you're looking at 10-15% increase in price and for specialized maybe more like 20% increase. For all other brands like BMC, Pinarello, cannondale, jamis etc... the price is usually higher. So unless you think a 10x2 drivetrain is what you need, be prepared to spend a bit more money to bump up to 105 and even ultegra which by many experienced cyclists is the benchmark. having an 11 speed cassette is worth it to most. It's typically an added midrange cog and that gives the rider more selection of gears where they'll need it most, not to mention the components are lighter and typically more crisp shifting. So if you're looking for a performance road bike, I would say to budget a little higher than 2k for the added goodies.
Thanks and happy riding
Hi Clint. Great video. I would love to see you do a video and hear your take on the different ride characteristics of different frame materials. Keep up the great work!
A very thorough video. You really do get what you pay for. That said, I still ride a 20 year old Rockhopper, and I have just as much fun as the guys who have $5,000 bikes.
Thanks for a well presented and very informative video. You answered many of my questions.
I think, that if you don't have any suspension, steel frames are the best, because they can't break. Where I live, the roads are terrible, but I don't want to carry the extra weight of suspension, so I ride a bike with a cr-mo frame, which is quite lightweight, and doesn't cost as much. And I don't have to worry about it breaking. I live in hungary, so I really do need suspension if I ride an aluminium or carbon bike, but suspension can be heavy, so my only real option is a steel frame.
Miklós Bremer ripping it in the hungarian mountains? Get suspension, save up weight on rotating parts instead, that counts more