"How much did your bike cost?"

[Beane]

my response would be, "why do you want to know?"

if they want to know because they like it (or just are interested) and want to buy one (whatever it is, bike or otherwise) fine, we can discuss the item and its merits, cost, etc. i would expect this would normally be a bike person and they would have some idea of bike prices. if they just want to talk about money and how much i do or don't have, well, that's not really something i'm comfortable discussing with strangers. you can usually tell when people are asking for this reason, but asking their motivation never hurts.

lately there has been so much bike theft that if a total stranger asked me that i would wonder if they were trying to case out whether they should steal my bike!

[spokewench]

I'll usually give them a range for different types of bikes and if they are really interested then, I will tell them what I paid for mine

I get a laugh right now - cause I have a scooter (chinese, used, 50cc) with a motor and everything that I paid $500 for and this is just a drop in the bucket when I compare it to the non-motorized road bikes/mountain bikes/ and even cross bike sitting in my garage!

spoke

[denda]

I have never had anyone ask, but I wouldn't mind telling them.

[Jiffer]

I was just asked this a couple of weeks ago for the first time. Obviously not a cyclist asking and it did feel a little weird. My friend and I were together and she wasn't responding, so I did. My bike isn't easy to explain the price of, so I explained how all the "parts" on the bike came from my husband's old bike and when he was ready to buy an even better bike, he bought me a frame and had the parts put on it. If I had bought the bike retail all put together, it would have been around $4,000 (Dura-Ace components, etc.), but we saved a lot on the frame because our LBS guy sort of decided dh was on the Cannondale team, so he got the Cannondale team price. And the parts were all bought separately, a little at a time, while dh upgraded his first bike over the course of a year.

And then he asked about my friend's bike and I looked at her and said, "What, about $2,000 or $2,500?" She said $2,500.

After we left I thought maybe I should have simply said "a lot" and left it at that. I did say that, actually, but the guy pressed for more. I'm not sure if my friend was irritated or not. I shouldn't have answered for her. I don't really care if the guy wants to know how much my bike is, except for the fact that we did recently have a burglary at our house, so I really shouldn't be going around telling people how much money I have sitting in my garage. However, luckily, the burglars left all our high end bikes. Police said they'd be too easy to trace I guess. The bad guys also probably didn't have enough room in the back of my Jeep Cherokee they stole to PUT the bikes along with the big screen TV and everything else!!!

[SadieKate]

. . . . except for the fact that we did recently have a burglary at our house, so I really shouldn't be going around telling people how much money I have sitting in my garage. However, luckily, the burglars left all our high end bikes. Police said they'd be too easy to trace I guess.

The police are dead wrong. We lost high end bikes that could not be found and the police suspected it was a planned hit. The burglar probably knew what was in the garage as they parked inside while they "shopped" and took a custom tandem that wouldn't fit the average couple.

You need to lock your bikes even inside the garage.

Another reason I don't discuss the cost of my bikes with strangers.

[Hammer]

It is a touchy issue. Usually if a bike person is interested, they can and will find out for themselves. So, I will typically chat about the cost of an item. I may ballpark it with a non-cyclist or inquistivie family member.

It is too bad that my hobbies are a bit spendy. Fortunately my husband doesn't grimace too much, he understands the importance of buying good tools and not wasting money on something that won't do the job. On the other hand, he makes me really think about whether I truly NEED the next bicycle purchase. We're still working on establishing our home and working toward starting a family.

My other hobby is photography. Talk about another thing that inspires equipment envy among observers... "How much did THAT cost?" I really should try to make money with that hobby so that I can support my riding hobby.

[Flybye]

I just tell them. It's not some kind of secret - they can walk into a bike shop and find out. I don't find it rude, either. What they do with the answer isn't up to me!

What it is worth and what I paid for it are two different answers altogether.

[GLC1968]

Depends on what bike I am riding and who's asking (and the situation). If it's my mixte 'around town' bike, I tell the truth, no matter who it is. $80. If it's someone who seems to be interested in buying bikes (and asking "why do you want to know?" is a great idea!), then I might tell the truth if I'm on one of the other bikes. If it's someone I work with, I'll tell the truth. I often get a "well, you guys both work and you don't have kids, right?" as a way that they can justify it for themselves...which I find pretty funny!

If it's some random guy at a gas-station and I'm alone? I say it was a gift, and I don't really know. I often joke and say "way less than your car!" or something like that, too. Or I'll say "not much, I bought it used and it's 3 or 4 years old" or something.

I don't really feel like people are being rude, though. Anyone can find out the price of bikes if they want to...asking me is just a short cut.

[SadieKate]

my response would be, "why do you want to know?"

if they want to know because they like it (or just are interested) and want to buy one (whatever it is, bike or otherwise) fine, we can discuss the item and its merits, cost, etc. i would expect this would normally be a bike person and they would have some idea of bike prices. if they just want to talk about money and how much i do or don't have, well, that's not really something i'm comfortable discussing with strangers. you can usually tell when people are asking for this reason, but asking their motivation never hurts.

This is my approach. I ask why and then if they say they want to get into cycling I find out what kind. Give them a starting cost for a decent bike for the purpose and suggest an LBS that I think can help them. Gives me an avenue to direct them to resources including clubs.

Some folks just seem to be fascinated with what people spend on bikes and either try to play one-ups-manship or want to imply you're a fool for "wasting" money. I refuse to engage in that kind of conversation. It doesn't matter if they don't think they're being rude. In our culture it is rude unless I've hired the person as my financial adviser.

[amy]

I used to be shy about the cost of my bike. I was brand new to cycling and kind of felt like I had no business riding a carbon fiber Madone, so I didn't really want people to know how much I spent. I guess it was probably more personal judgment... like had I just wasted thousands of dollars on a bike I might not ride?

Now that I'm absolutely in love with my bike and love being on it... ask away. I spent a lot, but actually saved $1000 off MSRP because it was the last 2007 available in the US before the redesign. I like to brag about that... haha

[Kano]

I used to be shy about the cost of my bike. I was brand new to cycling and kind of felt like I had no business riding a carbon fiber Madone, so I didn't really want people to know how much I spent. I guess it was probably more personal judgment... like had I just wasted thousands of dollars on a bike I might not ride?

Now that I'm absolutely in love with my bike and love being on it... ask away. I spent a lot, but actually saved $1000 off MSRP because it was the last 2007 available in the US before the redesign. I like to brag about that... haha

Amy -- your post sounds just like what I would write about my Specialized Roubaix! It's my first road bike too, and yeah, carbon fiber seemed mighty fancy for a first road bike for a 220# 49 year old couch potato. But, like you, I saved a bundle buying "last year's model" and actually paid about what I had budgeted for a bike in the first place.

Karen in Boise

[sundial]

The park ranger once asked me about my mtb. And because he was very diplomatic and apologized in advance for asking the question, I was happy to share the value of a really nice mtb.

Other people have wanted to know for less than noble reasons and those questions are often redirected.