New £13k Specialized audax bike

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mikeymo
Posts: 2299
Joined: 27 Sep 2016, 6:23pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by mikeymo »

Why is this in the Technical Section?

What's "technical" about how other people spend their own money?
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by pwa »

The utility cyclist wrote:
speedsixdave wrote:Clearly much of the attraction of a £13000 bike is the fact that it costs £13000,[ and the justification for this massive cost is the measurable fact that it is apparently the world's something something something .

Go on, prove that, clearly you can't, yet again someone failing to grasp why someone might buy a bike costing that much, which BTW is nowhere the most expensive bike you can buy, not even close!
I could buy a watch costing that much, but it won't tell the time much better than one costing twenty quid. And I'd be worried about scratching it.

The cost is one problem with that bike. Experience of buying bike stuff, admittedly much lower down the price range, tells most of us that paying X amount more has less and less benefit on performance as spending increases, and by the time you reach £13k you must be paying a lot more for next to no gain. But if someone else is happy to spend that much, that is their business. I just won't be as impressed with their bike as they are.

The second problem is the emphasis put on low weight. Given a choice, which of course you don't get, I'd ask the maker to put back that 100g or whatever they have taken off the previous model, and put it back where it will add some toughness to protect against crash damage. I would not want a bike claiming to be the lightest of its kind. I want a bike that strikes a balance between low weight and toughness.

This isn't a rant against carbon. There have always been ultra-expensive steel framed bikes that aim too light and end up being easier to break than I find acceptable. This quest for lightness at all costs is a tradition in the world of bicycles.

So for me that is a lot of money for a sub-optimal bike.
mikeymo
Posts: 2299
Joined: 27 Sep 2016, 6:23pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by mikeymo »

speedsixdave wrote: It's all fine, spend your cash on what you want.....


Great, thanks for the permission. I've ordered two of them.
cycle tramp
Posts: 3532
Joined: 5 Aug 2009, 7:22pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by cycle tramp »

The utility cyclist wrote:So you don't have any experience of high end bikes so go with the stupid comments, how very typical of some forummers. Things they don't understand or have zero experience of and go in just to make troll comments to antagonise and insult. :twisted:


Er... since you've asked..so far I've ridden racing up rights, folders, shoppers, traditional roadsters, expedition rated tourers, 2 and 3 wheeled human powered vehicles, used hydraulic brakes, roller brakes, drum brakes, coster brake, rim brakes (vee, capiller, roller cam), single speed, fixed wheel, three speed hub, nu-Vinci hub, rolhoff hub, deraileurs (1x5; 3x7; 4x7), lighting wise; dyno-hub; bottle and battery...

..I've cycled with road going cycling clubs, undertaken timed events, been on social rides, night rides,undertaken day rides, weekend rides, moving on touring, loaded touring, commuting and shopping..

...I have been cycling for some time. Perhaps enough to know that the quality of a bicycle ride is down to so many factors, the route you take, how you feel on that day, the company you may travel with, the weather, how the bike fits you, how other road users treat you, the quality of the road surfaces, the views, the smells you encounter on the way, the pub or cafe you stop at, those random, but good surprises on your journey.

Anyone can attempt to sell you any bicycle at any price - it's the open market after all, but to proclaim that you will have a better experience on this bicycle simply because it costs more seems rather dismissive of the fittness and bike handling skills of the rider and the whole experience which is travel.
Last edited by cycle tramp on 11 Oct 2020, 7:33pm, edited 1 time in total.
Motorhead: god was never on your sidehttps://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=m ... +your+side
Jamesh
Posts: 2963
Joined: 2 Jan 2017, 5:56pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by Jamesh »

10k for a pro race bike is about right 3k for a paint job more debatable.
GCN did a video on pro race bike prices.


canyons a bargain!!

https://youtu.be/DNV2psLKy0A

Cheers James
cycle tramp
Posts: 3532
Joined: 5 Aug 2009, 7:22pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by cycle tramp »

The utility cyclist wrote:So you don't have any experience of high end bikes so go with the stupid comments, how very typical of some forummers. Things they don't understand or have zero experience of and go in just to make troll comments to antagonise and insult. :twisted:


Well, yes I do... and as I have experience of bikes which do have high end components, I'm still struggling to find the value.. for example if I had to spend 13k on cycling I'd get one of these;

https://www.icetrikes.co/products/sprin ... bent-trike

Being a recumbent, it's more aerodynamic, meaning that I can travel at speeds of 20 mph, for the same energy expenditure as maintaining 16 mph on an up right, being low it makes it very hard for anyone to draft behind and having three wheels gives me better stability should I attempt to descend any hill at speeds of 45 mph. cost £3270, but let's increase the budget to £5000 to allow for any upgrades.

So that leaves £8000 in the bank... so I'll have a rolhoff fitted birdy as well; https://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/foldi ... rder-form/
Although it's a folding bike, its got disk brakes and a rolhoff hub. The bike has front and rear suspension so it handles like a bike with big wheels, and the fact it folds makes it all the more useful. If I fit it with front and rear racks, i can use it for touring as well. Its listed as £3445, but if we round up the budget to £4000 for any upgrades, that still leaves £4000 for a less specialist general 'all rounder' bicycle, even a dedicated load carrier :-)
Last edited by cycle tramp on 11 Oct 2020, 9:03pm, edited 3 times in total.
Motorhead: god was never on your sidehttps://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=m ... +your+side
Brucey
Posts: 44523
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by Brucey »

Image

not only has this troll spent a fortune on a bike that is clearly unique, he has even had cosmetic surgery on his nose in order to achieve the optimum aerodynamic efficiency. All topped off with a diet heavy on magic bean/golden egg omelette, (which might make sitting down uncomfortable). Even though he is typically not very fast and doesn't ride that far, he is at least enjoying his bike, and we are all very happy for him until he keeps banging on about how "no-one else understands just how good his expensive/plastic/'just like the pros use' bike is" .
Last edited by Brucey on 11 Oct 2020, 8:59pm, edited 1 time in total.
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roubaixtuesday
Posts: 5815
Joined: 18 Aug 2015, 7:05pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by roubaixtuesday »

I don't know why people get so wound up about expensive bikes.

If you don't want one, don't buy it.

If someone does buy it, and it's not very good for whatever of the many potential reasons listed here, so what? They've just paid 13k for a bike, they can afford the hit!

If someone is buying it purely as a status symbol, why worry, it's far less damaging than other status symbols like fast cars/mansions/ first class fights etc.

In the unlikely event it's really as good as the blurb says, then great, 13k well spent.

Chill.
Bmblbzzz
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Location: From here to there.

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by Bmblbzzz »

I don't have £13k to spare nor the space to keep another bike, and even if I did, this one doesn't appeal to me. But isn't it great that rich people can get their veblen on bikes as well as cars and jewellery! And a refreshing change that these bikes are marketed on the basis of 'experience' rather than speed! (TBF £13k probably isn't quite veblen territory.)
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speedsixdave
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Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by speedsixdave »

Bmblbzzz wrote: veblen


Not come across the term before but a quick google reveals a most useful concept and name for it. Thanks Bmblbzzz!
Big wheels good, small wheels better.
Two saddles best!
mikeymo
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Joined: 27 Sep 2016, 6:23pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by mikeymo »

roubaixtuesday wrote: it's far less damaging than other status symbols like fast cars/mansions/ first class fights etc.


I'd like a nice big house to live in. At the moment, on my below median income, I'm mainly working towards a decent shed. But if I had more money, a nice big house, a "mansion" even, would have SFA to do with being a "status symbol" and everything to do with living comfortably.

As for "first class flights", seems to me they have got nothing whatsoever to do with being a "status symbol". I've only ever flown twice, and I hated the cramped seats, even though I'm not big. If I had the money, and was flying, I'd definitely book first class, for the space.

People don't half talk dross about the wealthy.
roubaixtuesday
Posts: 5815
Joined: 18 Aug 2015, 7:05pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by roubaixtuesday »

mikeymo wrote:
roubaixtuesday wrote: it's far less damaging than other status symbols like fast cars/mansions/ first class fights etc.


I'd like a nice big house to live in. At the moment, on my below median income, I'm mainly working towards a decent shed. But if I had more money, a nice big house, a "mansion" even, would have SFA to do with being a "status symbol" and everything to do with living comfortably.

As for "first class flights", seems to me they have got nothing whatsoever to do with being a "status symbol". I've only ever flown twice, and I hated the cramped seats, even though I'm not big. If I had the money, and was flying, I'd definitely book first class, for the space.

People don't half talk dross about the wealthy.


By all means substitute your own favoured status symbols. I'm sure you get my drift.
mikeymo
Posts: 2299
Joined: 27 Sep 2016, 6:23pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by mikeymo »

roubaixtuesday wrote:
mikeymo wrote:
roubaixtuesday wrote: it's far less damaging than other status symbols like fast cars/mansions/ first class fights etc.


I'd like a nice big house to live in. At the moment, on my below median income, I'm mainly working towards a decent shed. But if I had more money, a nice big house, a "mansion" even, would have SFA to do with being a "status symbol" and everything to do with living comfortably.

As for "first class flights", seems to me they have got nothing whatsoever to do with being a "status symbol". I've only ever flown twice, and I hated the cramped seats, even though I'm not big. If I had the money, and was flying, I'd definitely book first class, for the space.

People don't half talk dross about the wealthy.


By all means substitute your own favoured status symbols. I'm sure you get my drift.


Oh, I get your drift all right. You don't like rich people spending large amounts of money (that they don't deserve) on things, so you describe them as "status symbols". This has the comforting effect of portraying the rich people as vain and shallow, which at least offsets the feelings of envy and resentment. After all, "they may be rich, but they're like little children" is bound to make us feel better. Whereas the thought that many people who are wealthy are so because they are good at what they do, or have talent, or have worked hard, is more troubling, isn't it?

Here's a crazy idea - maybe some wealthy people are actually good with money, and that's why they are wealthy. And maybe they are good at making rational decisions about what they would like to spend money on. Those decisions may not seem rational to you, but a large luxurious house is very definitely something I would like if I had enough money, ditto first class plane tickets. Neither of those strikes me as a "status symbol".

If I were a millionaire I wouldn't buy that bike, I think it's ugly. But I'd get a custom frame maker to build me just the thing I wanted (in steel), and fit it out with just the drive chain, brakes etc, I wanted. It might end up costing £13,000 (though I'm not sure how).

The only millionaire I know for certain knew exactly when something was worth buying and when not. He understood value.
Bmblbzzz
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Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by Bmblbzzz »

Worth reminding ourselves that probably everyone reading this is in the top 10 percent or so of the world's population by wealth.
mikeymo
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Joined: 27 Sep 2016, 6:23pm

Re: New £13k Specialized audax bike

Post by mikeymo »

Bmblbzzz wrote:Worth reminding ourselves that probably everyone reading this is in the top 10 percent or so of the world's population by wealth.


I though it was even less than that. Isn't it something like if you are on the median wage in the UK, you're in the top 2% or something? Still won't stop people bleating though. I'm on less than the UK median wage, by the way.

I think it was globalrichlist.com, but the site seems to be down.
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