"How much did your bike cost?"

[sheri]

I get that question all the time. I hate it and a lot of the posts here ring true with me. Sometimes I feel like a total poser who doesn't deserve a bike as nice as mine. The question also embarrasses me because I'm conservative with money and even though I can afford it, I wonder if people see it as being wasteful. But it's for a healthy endeavor and I'm on the thing three times a week.

I got the question again from a friend last week because I just bought a mountain bike. First question? How much did it cost? I answered just like always (and tried to not be irritated but I was). More than I planned!

Sheri

[violette]

I tell them: "less than smoking"...

[Crankin]

I rarely get asked that question, one, because my friends know better, and two, people know that this is how I choose to spend my money. But last week, at the B and B we stayed at, the owner asked my husband how much our bikes cost. My husband was truthful in his reply, but he also added that you can get a really nice road bike for 2K and a good entry level one for $800.00. That was the end of it, I think because the person asking is familiar with what people spend on power boats and golf clubs. I think if you can relate the cost of the bike with the cost of something familiar, it's good.One of the few times I was asked about the cost of my bike, I just laughed and said " a lot."
I don't think people should make assumptions about how much others spend. It's personal. I relate to the person who said that some question whether she really needs to work, like that's anyone's business. When I go back to grad school in a few weeks, I hope none of the other students make assumptions about me because of my stuff. I worked for 30 years, can finally afford to do what I want (within reason) and if I want to change careers or spend x amount of dollars on a bike, it's my business.

[lovelylibrarian]

I usually reply "enough" because isn't it incredibly rude to ask how much something costs? I was raised that you NEVER ask that.

Was is Dear Abby who said..."I'll forgive you for asking if you forgive me for not answering."

End of lecture.

I know. I was raised the same way and it always shocks me when someone asks how much I pay for rent or I overhear someone asking how much another person paid for their house. UGH. I would never!

[grey]

For me it really matters who is asking. I don't mind telling people what we paid for our house, or our cars, or how much our last vacation cost. I try not to look at finances as being so personal. Houses, sometimes, people are just trying to gage what your neighborhood is worth. If someone wants to judge me because of where I live or how little my house cost, that's OK. My goal isn't to have the best, but to have enough (though I do mind if someone wants to know the cc balance or how much cash is in the bank. Not that our balance is super high or the money in the bank is too much or too little, but because it's none of anyone's business).

But, I also wouldn't just tell anyone about the bike cost. A friend, yes. Someone interested in getting into riding, sure. Some of my family? I'd have to put it into perspective for them, like the TV thing or explain how much time I spend in the saddle a week. My grandma would never understand it (golly, I can hear her now!), and I'm not sure my parents would either.

[smurfalicious]

Wasn't there a thread like this a long while back? Didn't someone have a witty retort along the lines of "less than a triple bypass?"

[Tokie]

DH and I did a credit card tour in Alaska on our Santana tandem. People would pull up next to us at stop signs and ask "how much does a bike like that cost?" (this was 20 yrs ago) When I told them 1500$, they were actually soooo disappointed! So the next time someone asked us, I just said 500$. Then they said "cool!" and drove off with a smile. That answer worked well for the Alaska tour! When people ask me now, I tell them how much my snazzy little Ruby costs with no shame. When they are shocked, I add - well, I ride it about 120 to 180 miles a week (which is usually a jaw dropper) and I'm on it actually more than I drive my car. That usually shuts them right up. Then more than one person has said "well, if you're on your bike that much, it must be important for it to be comfortable" . But the people who ask are inevitably non-athletic slobs er I mean types, not slobs! Tokie

[Dianyla]

I tell them the truth: "I paid more for my bike than for my car."

(Granted, my car was a gift from my sister. But the bike was still worth more than the blue-book for my car at the time.)

[MtnBikerChk]

Kind of related - speaking about people who don't know what bikes cost:

My cousin had a carbon fiber louis garneau rodie. She went to Tahoe for the TNT - well long story short, she filled out the insurance paperwork for FedEx and L&L didn't file it. Her frame came back cracked and the wheels trashed. They gave her and her shop SUCH a hard time and took almost 8 weeks to remiburse her for it. Her shop was on a conference call with the bean counters at L&L and one guy said to him "I ride a hybrid bike so I know about bikes. How could hers possibly be worth $3k?"



For me, I don't tell. Which usually makes people want to guess.

[Aggie_Ama]

I got asked this when I brought my husband's bike into my office (I was dropping at the LBS by me). One of the managers would not stop fidgeting with it, he seriously tried to get on it! He asked how much one like that was (DH's was about $2800). I said "More than my first car (true) and enough that I am not comfortable with you playing with it".

He scoffed but I know him from my previous life as a bowler and bowling balls can run $300/ea. Most competitive bowlers have 6+ balls and get a couple new ones a year. My second reply was "that one has lasted longer than the car or any bowling ball I ever owned. And I spent more in 4 years bowling than I have in the 4 years cycling." I actually bowled for 15 years and don't want to think about the number of bowling balls I owned or how much I spent on league, tournaments and practice. Other than a couple hundred in maintenance a year my bike can be free to use. I can ride many rides from my house, so I don't even have to drive. There was no free bowling.

I did tell one co-worker exactly how much my commuter, roadie and mountain cost. I also told him you could find a good quality bike for less and it would last a long time.

[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.

[Yen]

As others have said, it depends on whether the person is a cyclist and what kind of bike they ride -- and, what toys they might own.

I might say "It cost a lot.". If they press, and drive an SUV, I'd say "Less than a year's worth of gas in your SUV, and let me tell you about the immeasurable health benefits I get in return...."

If a certain someone (a non-cyclist who just wants to know how much money we spend) asks how much my Sidi's cost, I'm ready to say "Much less than just 1 payment on your new luxury SUV."

[7rider]

I might say "It cost a lot.". If they press, and drive an SUV, I'd say "Less than a year's worth of gas in your SUV, and let me tell you about the immeasurable health benefits I get in return...."

If a certain someone (a non-cyclist who just wants to know how much money we spend) asks how much my Sidi's cost, I'm ready to say "Much less than just 1 payment on your new luxury SUV."

Why pick on SUVs? Why not "As much gas as it takes to run your soccer-mom mobile, or as much as a payment on that mininvan."?? Or..."As much as that loud-stinkin-tire-squealing sports car you got there."
Oh wait....it's only p.c. to pick on SUV drivers. Got it.

[salsabike]

Actually, why pick on anything? The wide-screen TV comments bothered me a little, and no, I don't have one. But my neighbor, a great guy who works his butt off on the graveyard shift, does. So what? More power to him if that's what he wants to do with his hard-earned bucks. He also got himself a relatively inexpensive bike lately and brought it over to show us--very pleased, he was, and went off for a ride around the neighborhood with his daughter.

I don't feel any need to defend the cost of my bike to others, and I don't see any reason to put down whatever they're doing with their money, either. Just like to go my own way and do my own stuff, and let others do the same.

Also, for someone like me who grew up on sci fi and would love to meet people from other worlds, I consider my neighbor's TV a major asset. I'm sure it will attract aliens since I am convinced you can see his TV from space.