As price increases, so does quality. It is not true that an expensive bike looks and feels the same as a cheap one. A really good bike will be lightweight, rugged, and responsive. An entry level bike won’t work as well, the gears won’t shift as crisply, the brakes won’t stop as well, and the bike will feel sluggish by comparison to a high quality model. Better bikes will look better, the parts will have a nicer finish, frame welds will be smoother, paint and graphics will be nicer
Why is a Cadillac CTS more expensive than a Kia Optima? They both look like nice cars. They both will get you from point A to point B and back again. They both probably give a nice comfortable ride. Which one will last longer taken care of properly? That’s the big question. Which one REALLY has the better parts, fit & finish?
Compare a 2010 Raleigh Talus 4.0 to a Men’s Roadmaster Mountain Sport All-Terrain Bike from Wally World. The Talus 4.0 sells for $449.99. The Roadmaster for $74.00.
Roadmaster: Steel wheels (single walled rim), crappy 18-speed torque drive twist shifters, one piece crank, freewheel hub (rear gears) vs. a better cassette hub, assembled in 15 minutes or less by an “associate”, only one frame size to choose from, etc., etc.
Talus 4.0: Rims – Weinmann XC260 Double Wall, Shimano EF-51 EZ Fire 8spd shifters, Shimano HG40 (11-32t) cassette hub, rear derailleur – Shimano Acera, Brakes – Tektro Novela Mechanical Disc, 160mm Rotors, assembled by a certified mechanic who takes 45 minutes to an hour, and last but not least – available in 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22″ frame sizes to fit anyone from roughly 4′ 11″ tall to 6′ 6″ tall.
supply and demand, quality, over priced, the value of the components, the brand name, the kind of alloy the frame is made of, the amount of take the sellers are on, different taxes in different communities, shipping, different rent prices and 100’s or 1000’s of other factors I have forgotten.
As price increases, so does quality. It is not true that an expensive bike looks and feels the same as a cheap one. A really good bike will be lightweight, rugged, and responsive. An entry level bike won’t work as well, the gears won’t shift as crisply, the brakes won’t stop as well, and the bike will feel sluggish by comparison to a high quality model. Better bikes will look better, the parts will have a nicer finish, frame welds will be smoother, paint and graphics will be nicer
Why is a Cadillac CTS more expensive than a Kia Optima? They both look like nice cars. They both will get you from point A to point B and back again. They both probably give a nice comfortable ride. Which one will last longer taken care of properly? That’s the big question. Which one REALLY has the better parts, fit & finish?
Compare a 2010 Raleigh Talus 4.0 to a Men’s Roadmaster Mountain Sport All-Terrain Bike from Wally World. The Talus 4.0 sells for $449.99. The Roadmaster for $74.00.
Roadmaster: Steel wheels (single walled rim), crappy 18-speed torque drive twist shifters, one piece crank, freewheel hub (rear gears) vs. a better cassette hub, assembled in 15 minutes or less by an “associate”, only one frame size to choose from, etc., etc.
Talus 4.0: Rims – Weinmann XC260 Double Wall, Shimano EF-51 EZ Fire 8spd shifters, Shimano HG40 (11-32t) cassette hub, rear derailleur – Shimano Acera, Brakes – Tektro Novela Mechanical Disc, 160mm Rotors, assembled by a certified mechanic who takes 45 minutes to an hour, and last but not least – available in 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22″ frame sizes to fit anyone from roughly 4′ 11″ tall to 6′ 6″ tall.
Does that about sum it up?
supply and demand, quality, over priced, the value of the components, the brand name, the kind of alloy the frame is made of, the amount of take the sellers are on, different taxes in different communities, shipping, different rent prices and 100’s or 1000’s of other factors I have forgotten.
Buy a cheap mountain bike from a discount store – ride the heck out of it on rough trails & find out for yourself.