Your examples of cycling bad value ( taking the p.... )

[Kilham5]

Come on, admit it, we have all probably paid willingly through the nose for not a lot, in pursuit of our pleasures
(Or ripped off depending on your perspective).

Let's name and shame, and share our embarrassment in falling for them.

Here is my maddest moment.
Striving to clean up the cockpit of a road bike I succumbed to this example of absolute "taking the pi55"

£ 9.00 for a 4g piece of injection moulded plastic. Thanks Trek / Bontrager

Castelli light jerseys come a close second

 

[Stihldog]

Paid …who knows how much …for a front fender that I used twice on my eMTB. It needed assembly as it came in 4 pieces. The only thing I use from it now is the head-set plug (keeps the security thingy in place). Expensive plug…hell yeah!

 

[RickBullotta]

An Enve wheelset. No better performance than a wheelset that cost half as much, and a real pain in the ass to true. Never again.

 

[Gyre]

An Enve wheelset. No better performance than a wheelset that cost half as much, and a real pain in the ass to true. Never again.

Reynolds rim-brake carbon wheelset here. Resin failed during a bumpy Eastern Sierra road descent. I had to limp home and was out $1000 since it was out of it's short warranty. That's my stupid tax for buying a boutique wheel instead of building my own from readily replaceable parts.

 

[RustyMTB]

Anyone who services their forks does a little wince every time they see the bill for a couple of SKF foam seals...

 

[Norange]

Imported a Moots seatpost clamp from the US, purely because it was anodised in the same ltd edition colour as the CK headset on the bike. Reckon it cost about 8x what a totally decent alternative would have

 

[Hamina]

I paid 26 euros for Park Tool MLP-1.2 tool chain pliers at LBS. That's kind of a robbery.

Now I have hard time paying 44 euros for Knipex wire cutters.

 

[apac]

I got done yesterday by Fox at their service centre here in S.Wales (Silverfish). I needed two 1.5mm plastic washers (end caps) for my shock eye hardware. I was hoping they would just give me a pair from the spares tray..
I was charged £18.95 for a new bushing set. All I needed was the two plastic washers inside the pack.

 

[Tubby G]

I got done yesterday by Fox at their service centre here in S.Wales (Silverfish). I needed two 1.5mm plastic washers (end caps) for my shock eye hardware. I was hoping they would just give me a pair from the spares tray..
I was charged £18.95 for a new bushing set. All I needed was the two plastic washers inside the pack.

that kind of thing pi$$es me right off!

I needed some spare Magura brake calliper spacer wedges (those yellow plastic things)

I wouldn’t pay the £4 each I found them for on eBay as thought that was extortionate for a bit of plastic. I asked my lbs if they had any spare, gave me a dozen for free

 

[steve_sordy]

In Oct'14, I dumped my perfectly good Shimano wheelset for an E Thirteen TRS+ MTB Wheelset for £600 (it had been reduced from I think, £750). It had a five year guarantee which I found very persuasive. Great reviews didn't do any harm either. Scandium-dosed aluminium alloy rims and hubs, lightweight etc, and don't forget the 5-year guarantee.

But the freehub failed after 700 miles, then the replacement failed again after another 700 miles or so. Each time more was replaced. Then It failed a third time, just when I was selling the bike and the guy had to push the bike back - on his test ride! (Another 700 miles or so). This time the complete hub was replaced, everything from the spokes inwards. I was without the bike for three weeks each time as the wheel (minus tyre) had to go back to CRC in Northern Ireland, who sent it to E13 (the UK agent I assume, back in England), and so forth. The guy bought the bike )), but I heard that he replaced the wheelset after 4-5 months (probably another 700 miles or so). Every single time it was the seal that failed, even the latest seal design failed. I never used a hose, always a bucket and a watering can. Must be a crap design, but the UK agent tech guy (I tracked him down, he did the work each time) said that he had never had one hub failure on the TRS wheelsets let alone three! So maybe it was a Monday morning wheelset. Never had a problem with the front wheel.

To complete the story. I sold the Shimano wheelset for £80 to a guy in Italy, the package went missing and PayPal repaid him the money. I had to remonstrate with eBay to get my money back. Overall, not a happy episode!

 

[Gyre]

To complete the story. I sold the Shimano wheelset for £80 to a guy in Italy, the package went missing and PayPal repaid him the money. I had to remonstrate with eBay to get my money back. Overall, not a happy episode!

It's hard not to imagine that Italian customs are a big pile of crooks. I once bought a Dura Ace gruppo from a German online store. The package was routed through Italian customs and then sat there for a long time and eventually dropped off the radar completely. I started to contact the vendor and have them investigate the loss.

Eventually I get a phone call from some random guy in Los Angeles. He has my package. How? He placed an order for a MacBook laptop overseas. The package was routed through Italian customs. Someone opened up the package, lifted the laptop, and sealed it back up with my package inside to disguise the change in weight.

 

[steve_sordy]

It's hard not to imagine that Italian customs are a big pile of crooks. ................................

I knew that my wheelset had been received at the eBay central warehouse for overseas shipping because I had proof of delivery. From there onwards it was eBay's problem. They used their designated shipper and once it left the UK, they lost track of it. No doubt eBay got their money back from the shipper. But if I hadn't had a POD for my shipment to eBay, it would have been ME that was stuck with the bill.

 

[VWsurfbum]

Dear MTB industry, this is not OK

It looks like poo and is waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy over priced.
HGL Short Sleeve Baciu Jersey: RRP - $59.95 USD (£49.95 direct)

HGL BACIU SS

Short-sleeved MTB shirt in soft, cool hybrid yarn, which facilitates perspiration during every riding phase.

www.dainese.com

 

[Tubby G]

Dear MTB industry, this is not OK

It looks like poo and is waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy over priced.
HGL Short Sleeve Baciu Jersey: RRP - $59.95 USD (£49.95 direct)

HGL BACIU SS

Short-sleeved MTB shirt in soft, cool hybrid yarn, which facilitates perspiration during every riding phase.

www.dainese.com

View attachment 67638

View attachment 67638

I find MTB jerseys and tech tees way overpriced. Just paying for the logo. Berghaus are a reputable company that make tech tees at half the price. Even Mountain Warehouse have a decent range at a fraction of the cost of ‘branded’ tops

 

[RustyMTB]

You think the roadies have threads like this, complaining about £150 Rapha tops? because I'd be all over those if I was into curly bars, skin suits & tap shoes.

 

[VWsurfbum]

Oh god yeah, that Rapha and Le Col stuff they pay mental money for, its a bit of lycra FFS costs literally pennies to make. They cant claim R&D costs on Lycra surely?

 

[RustyMTB]

Ha, my fleet consists of a 2014 On One Whippet that I built, a 2017 Lapierre Zesty & a 2020 Decathlon Stilus. All the tech clothing I wear to ride came from Lidl, Tesco & Sports direct. I've noticed people dropping ££££ on a new eeb every year & wonder if they'd be better off with a set of tools & a bit of patience.

 

[Tubby G]

Of course Roadies have threads like this.
i.e. the rag of a Castelli jersey I mention in the opening thread being an example.
(Let's not mention the sizing ! I am 5'6" tall and look like a silly fat B@5stard in an XL ?)

But being into both on and off road cycling, I do think e & mtb riders are generally more influenced by fashion and big ticket stuff than Roadies.
Yes there are Roadies with more money than sense, but typically a roadie will keep a bike and groupset for a good few years and rack up serious miles.

If you read emtb forums though, many riders seam intent on dropping significant money on the latest "must have" bike, tyre, fork, shock etc, for what must be seriously diminishing returns (if any). Even before you consider many are 500 mile a year, occasional weekend warriors.
Their absence on this thread suggests they are either a) happy, b) deluded, or c) just plain embarrassed to admit that they can't tell the difference that 2021 Zeb made to their ride.

If they are mostly happy, that is all that matters ?

I’m certainly guilty of getting carried away with buying eebs as it started with the hardtail, then the full suss, then ordered two lightweight Rise which we’re waiting upon, but hopefully it’ll stop there and the Rise will last a good while!

I have good reasons for getting carried away which I won’t bore you with, but I don’t regret the wasteful & diminishing purchases for one minute. The pleasure factor I have had in return is worth far more than the hard earned cash that’s been spent ?

 

[Pdoz]

Guilty, I've spent &10 to effectively get nothing. All because , well, I have absolutely no idea what a zeb will do for my weekends . I'll confess, I'm a happy weekend worrier .

Bad value? Nah, BARGAIN

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www.emtbforums.com

 

[The EMF]

Of course Roadies have threads like this.
i.e. the rag of a Castelli jersey I mention in the opening thread being an example.
(Let's not mention the sizing ! I am 5'6" tall and look like a silly fat B@5stard in an XL ?)

But being into both on and off road cycling, I do think e & mtb riders are generally more influenced by fashion and big ticket stuff than Roadies.
Yes there are Roadies with more money than sense, but typically a roadie will keep a bike and groupset for a good few years and rack up serious miles.

If you read emtb forums though, many riders seam intent on dropping significant money on the latest "must have" bike, tyre, fork, shock etc, for what must be seriously diminishing returns (if any). Even before you consider many are 500 mile a year, occasional weekend warriors.
Their absence on this thread suggests they are either a) happy, b) deluded, or c) just plain embarrassed to admit that they can't tell the difference that 2021 Zeb made to their ride.

If they are mostly happy, that is all that matters ?

My Whyte 150 RS cost almost as much as my first house……don’t give a flying F**K. Love my Ebike

 

[The EMF]

Dear MTB industry, this is not OK

It looks like poo and is waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy over priced.
HGL Short Sleeve Baciu Jersey: RRP - $59.95 USD (£49.95 direct)

HGL BACIU SS

Short-sleeved MTB shirt in soft, cool hybrid yarn, which facilitates perspiration during every riding phase.

www.dainese.com

View attachment 67638

View attachment 67638

That’s a lot of coin!!!!!

 

[MrSimmo]

Dear MTB industry, this is not OK

It looks like poo and is waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy over priced.
HGL Short Sleeve Baciu Jersey: RRP - $59.95 USD (£49.95 direct)

Completely agree.

A lot of mtb jerseys are massively overpriced. Ive started buying the circa £10 knock off ones from Ebay. 100% and Fox want nearly a hundred quid for theirs; the fakes a tenth of that price and judging by the labels, are from the same clothing supplier… Even if they turn out to be crap, I can buy another 8 or 9 of them for the same price as one official one…

 

[Zimmerframe]

but my god the women are built well

And very expensive .. ??

 

[The EMF]

And very expensive .. ??

And age very very quickly ?

 

[Zimmerframe]

And age very very quickly ?

I thought you only had relationships with mermaids and other aquatic specimens ?

 

[bluerich]

Finned Metal pads for M8120 brakes, 40+ notes a pair if you can find them!!

 

[mak]

The freehub failed . Then It failed a third time, just when I was selling the bike and the guy had to push the bike back - on his test ride! ( 700 miles or so).

Holy shit, I would of just given him the bike and a few hundred quid for his effort

 

[fenwick458]

fox crush washers , £1 each is ridiculous
brake fluid, sold in tiny little 250ml bottles for £10, if you buy a 1Ltr bottle from a car garage its cheaper, £8-9
suspension fluid, I'm sure I paid £10 for a 250ml bottle of oil that is apparently a bespoke blend of oil for my coil suspension, it's probably just some run of the mill 5w-40 which costs £25 for 5 litres

but I'm not complaining, it's a free market they can charge as much as they like.
I'd rather live in a world where things like this cost way more than they should than live in a communist state where all the prices are fixed and you don't have a choice

 

[steve_sordy]

Holy shit, I would of just given him the bike and a few hundred quid for his effort

I just re-read what I wrote and it looks like I meant that he pushed it back 700 miles or so.
I hope you understood that I meant that the hub had failed again at 700 miles or so.
Once the hub was replaced with a brand new latest model, he gave me the £1000 we had agreed. I think he appreciated the fact that I towed him two miles back on my mtb and he was 16 stone!!! And half of it was uphill!

 

[flash]

Pretty much everything with a *designed for eBikes* or rated for eBikes sticker on it. Apart from my Ergon saddle, *eBike approved* equipment is just bullshit marketing designed to add a few bills to the price.

Gordon