the great big cycling accessories rip off....
Discussion
am i the only one who thinks that accessories (specifically those bought in bike shops or are 'cycle oriented' are outrageously priced?
i take for example:
muc off: about £6 for a bottle in the lbs. in the 99p shop, the same, equally capable bottle is errr...99p
lights: outrageiously priced going into potential many hundred of pounds. no justification for such prices when you can get as good if not better lights with as many 1000's of lumens for hundreds less
clothing: anything that is cycle oriented ie base layers, tops, short, winter jackets etc. same stuff (but not labelled as cycling oriented - eg outdoor clothing) significantly cheaper. teams jerseys and shorts in the shops compared to some chinese ebayers is unbelievable, and quality is very good in my experience.
cycle helmets. possibly the biggest rip off of all time.
there's a massive market for equally capable 'kit' at knock down prices. even the on line stores aren't that realistically priced.
am i on my own on this one? can we get a sticky on this site that people can post amazing knock down prices for cycling 'stuff' and where they can be bought from?
sorry but a bee suddenly appeared in my bonnet and venting was required to restore inner karma
i take for example:
muc off: about £6 for a bottle in the lbs. in the 99p shop, the same, equally capable bottle is errr...99p
lights: outrageiously priced going into potential many hundred of pounds. no justification for such prices when you can get as good if not better lights with as many 1000's of lumens for hundreds less
clothing: anything that is cycle oriented ie base layers, tops, short, winter jackets etc. same stuff (but not labelled as cycling oriented - eg outdoor clothing) significantly cheaper. teams jerseys and shorts in the shops compared to some chinese ebayers is unbelievable, and quality is very good in my experience.
cycle helmets. possibly the biggest rip off of all time.
there's a massive market for equally capable 'kit' at knock down prices. even the on line stores aren't that realistically priced.
am i on my own on this one? can we get a sticky on this site that people can post amazing knock down prices for cycling 'stuff' and where they can be bought from?
sorry but a bee suddenly appeared in my bonnet and venting was required to restore inner karma
Some of it does appear to be very overpriced, I agree. Drink bottles especially.
But having just cast around a few shops for a fluoro top to wear at night - all the waterproof ones start at £50+, which is about what you'd pay for a decent anorak.
So I bought a running jersey made of that dri-fit stuff from Sports Povvo. £9.
But having just cast around a few shops for a fluoro top to wear at night - all the waterproof ones start at £50+, which is about what you'd pay for a decent anorak.
So I bought a running jersey made of that dri-fit stuff from Sports Povvo. £9.
Mr Gear said:
This is true for a lot of cycling stuff though. Look at how much an Ultegra groupset costs, and then take a look for bikes that can be bought brand-new with it fitted. Some complete bikes cost less than the groupset alone!
What? You mean Shimano give bike manufacturers discounts for buying groupsets in bulk! How dare they!?!
Back in the 90's I ran a small cycling accessories business, selling by mail order. I don't know if things have changed since, but back then you could count on everyone in the food chain from manufacturer through importer to wholesaler to retailer adding a 100% margin, so it isn't surprising that some stuff is stupidly expensive.
Sadly other things got in the way, and it was just too early to see the potential of the web, otherwise Wiggle might have had another competitor if I had stuck with it
Sadly other things got in the way, and it was just too early to see the potential of the web, otherwise Wiggle might have had another competitor if I had stuck with it
Rob_T said:
muc off: about £6 for a bottle in the lbs. in the 99p shop, the same, equally capable bottle is errr...99p
Is it labelled as MucOff in the pound shops? If not, what should I be looking out for on the label? (though my local bike mechanic place sells it for about £3 from a big barrel if you bring your own bottle to refill so there's another hint for savings)Helmets are outrageously priced, how can they justify £80/£90/£100+ for a piece of injection moulded plastic/foam? Plus they are meant to be VAT free yet they are priced at £79.99 etc. Price fixing at it's worst.
My other grip is saddles, again a piece of moulded plastic and bent metal tube that's outrageously priced.
My other grip is saddles, again a piece of moulded plastic and bent metal tube that's outrageously priced.
cjs said:
Helmets are outrageously priced, how can they justify £80/£90/£100+ for a piece of injection moulded plastic/foam? Plus they are meant to be VAT free yet they are priced at £79.99 etc. Price fixing at it's worst.
My other grip is saddles, again a piece of moulded plastic and bent metal tube that's outrageously priced.
I agree to an extent, although the manufacturer will incur costs during safety tests and gaining the appropriate certification.My other grip is saddles, again a piece of moulded plastic and bent metal tube that's outrageously priced.
Energy gels/drinks - do they really cost that much?
Oils - same stuff as other industries, just a different sticker, a bit of green dye and a 50% price hike.
Most of the problem is that we convince ourselves that we need something better, or that a cheaper product is going to be less good so I'm not sure it is always a true rip off.
Oils - same stuff as other industries, just a different sticker, a bit of green dye and a 50% price hike.
Most of the problem is that we convince ourselves that we need something better, or that a cheaper product is going to be less good so I'm not sure it is always a true rip off.
cjs said:
Helmets are outrageously priced, how can they justify £80/£90/£100+ for a piece of injection moulded plastic/foam? Plus they are meant to be VAT free yet they are priced at £79.99 etc. Price fixing at it's worst.
My other grip is saddles, again a piece of moulded plastic and bent metal tube that's outrageously priced.
Just because the intrinsic value is a few pence doesn't mean that they don't cost a lot to make.My other grip is saddles, again a piece of moulded plastic and bent metal tube that's outrageously priced.
Factor in design costs (inc wind tunnel time), tooling, testing, marketing, type approval for safety, sponsorship for pro athletes to advertise them etc then it's totally justifiable IMHO.
My helmet was just shy of £100 and fits me perfectly, gives great cooling and ventilation and could save my life.
just my 2p though.
its all relative... walking around Bristol today people were falling out of Hollister, Jack Wills and other such tat shops clutching £50 hoodies just for the latest trendy brand name on it... THAT'S a rip off!... to be honest, i dont find cycling stuff that bad, yeah some of its over priced but you pay for what you get.
having read this thread yesterday, i found a helmet today for under £10 with all the right BSI kitemarks on it. sure it looked like a colander, had only four vents and some nasty webbing straps but it was functional. again, i found 99p water bottles, they were thin, had no seal and were poorly finished. paying a fiver for my elite bottle with a seal in the cap and a little window bit to see how much is left didnt seem that bad...
having read this thread yesterday, i found a helmet today for under £10 with all the right BSI kitemarks on it. sure it looked like a colander, had only four vents and some nasty webbing straps but it was functional. again, i found 99p water bottles, they were thin, had no seal and were poorly finished. paying a fiver for my elite bottle with a seal in the cap and a little window bit to see how much is left didnt seem that bad...
nammynake said:
cjs said:
Helmets are outrageously priced, how can they justify £80/£90/£100+ for a piece of injection moulded plastic/foam? Plus they are meant to be VAT free yet they are priced at £79.99 etc. Price fixing at it's worst.
My other grip is saddles, again a piece of moulded plastic and bent metal tube that's outrageously priced.
I agree to an extent, although the manufacturer will incur costs during safety tests and gaining the appropriate certification.My other grip is saddles, again a piece of moulded plastic and bent metal tube that's outrageously priced.
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