Freaken cycles are being sold for four grand , silly

I work in the industry and lots of people spend more on the bikes than cars. With most sports, as you get into them you want the best. Still hve too pedal them no matter how much they cost!

$4 grand is relatively cheap. Start talking $10K to $20K and we may be talking expensive. And then the wheels, another few grand and the tires....you can get a set of 4 for the SUV for the same price as 2 for the bike. Then, the fitting. I spent 3 hours being bent, probed and stretched to see if the bike could fit me. In the end, I go back a three more times to refine the fit before the race. 3 years ago I started out with a $300 road bike and it did me for 2 halfs. For the full Ironman I need to step up into a real tri-bike. Just part of the racing scene. Same bod but if I can get 2 extra kph over the 180km it's worth it.

I just traded an Araya Competition for a Gary Fisher Joshua 3.

Found a mountain bike for $15... Serves me well on paved/gravel trails...

I am only posting here for fun....bye

I'm an avid cyclist , if you want something to last you can't buy cheap bikes! I sold my first Mnt. Bike this past year that I bought in 1991 still in awesome shape but it was $900 in 91 . 4 grand is about average price .

I know a guy that could get you nearly anything you want and that includes bikes also. Stuff paying 4 grand for a bike? Madness!!!

Yeah, for those of us that are patient, we don't need to spend a lot of money. I once rode a 500 mile tour on an $80 bike.

And I commuted to work for years on a different sub-$100 bike. The extra weight of the bike probably cost me 5 minutes of extra pedalling time each day, but thats just 5 minutes more exercise!

Oh, *new* bikes that are cheap are generally so poorly made that they aren't worth riding.

I buy cheap used bikes. You can get a cheap used bike that is built to last, and still has 5 or more years left in it.

Got my 4" Fat Tire" with dual disk brakes and a seven speed for 249.00 put dual gun racks and the shock pedestal and large padded seat on it and what a great hunting machine for Florida & Georgia woods. Same thing from a bike shop would have been 2 or 3 grand and that is crazy....Thank You Wally World. Go ahead tell me how much trouble I will have....but can replace it 12 times for the bike store price

it is painfully obvious that most posters don't have a clue as to the reality of bike prices.

As of right now $4,000 is still expensive for a road/mtn bike for the vast majority which includes most riders except professionals .

To buy a proper bike pay attention to the frame material first & foremost.
match the ride quality of the frame material to the type of riding you favor/can endure.

stiffer frame usually means a more harsh ride. Yet, they have made so many advances in tweaking frame materials and marrying them with shock absorbing forks, handlebars and the like that there will be plenty of exceptions that will make many riders happy and suit them.

next attention are the wheels because of rotational mass; which governs speed. width of tires is based on the type of riding/surface you will ride over.

last but not least comes the component group, this is chosen based on various issues. 1st. being cost, 2nd. being performance/functionality and 3rd being durability. all 3 of these issues combine in different ways based on what that bike is designed to do.

So you can now get a really nice frame & wheels with a lower end component group that will suit most riders. the options/combinations on gearing & accessories are vast. yet, most riders can buy a stock bike off the shelf
that doesn't cost them anywhere near $ 4,000 ! from 500-1,000 will be the price range for a decent bike suitable for most all; but the hardcore thrill seekers or pros riders