4 ms·

I don't understand the market for bicycles in the thousands of euro price range. Bikes get stolen often enough for me to never be relaxed leaving such a bike ou

I don't understand the market for bicycles in the thousands of euro price range. Bikes get stolen often enough for me to never be relaxed leaving such a bike outside a shop or caffe or such. If you can't leave the bike anywhere, it's almost useless, except perhaps as a virtue signalling device.

sasaf5 8y ago
Or as sports equipment.
danburbridge 8y ago
Expensive bikes aren't for leaving around - they are for riding/racing. It is common to have a "beater" bike for cafe/shop/pub outings where its going to be locked up outside.
mirsadm 8y ago
I use my expensive bike for training/exercise not for commuting. Not too hard to understand.
dabeeeenster 8y ago
Huh? I have a £2k bike. Had it years. Never leave it in public. Doesnt stop me commuting on it to work every day or taking it out for rides at the weekend.
mcv 8y ago
I've always had tons of bikes stolen, until I got a light cargo bike. I often only use the ring lock, yet somehow nobody seems to want to steal it. My son's bike got stolen twice over the past year right in front of our house (we park it indoors now), but nobody ever touches my cargo bike. It's the most expensive bike I've ever had.
systemtest 8y ago
I live in the Netherlands and have not had my bike stolen in 25 years. Just use a good lock and only park in secured parking locations with gated access and cameras. And don't buy a bike without knowing the full history and paperwork, otherwise you are shooting yourself in the foot by supporting criminals and raising your chance of having your bike stolen in the future.
- PhasmaFelis 8y ago
  > I live in the Netherlands and have not had my bike stolen in 25 years. Just use a good lock and only park in secured parking locations with gated access and cameras. That works well as long as you only want to ride between places with secured parking locations with gated access and cameras. In the US I have noticed a bit of a disconnect between bike hobbyists (put your bike in your car and drive to the place you want to ride) and people whose bike is their primary mode of transportation. I'm sure it's different in the Netherlands, but a lot of places here you're lucky to find a single bike rack near your destination. "Secured parking locations" don't exist outside of the occasional upscale apartment complex.
- mrsuprawsm 8y ago
  I also live in the Netherlands, and if I restricted myself to only parking in secured parking locations with gated access and cameras, I would only be able to cycle from my office... to my office. This (obviously) precludes you from cycling anywhere you might want to go (home, the shops, your friends houses, a restaurant, a bar, a cafe). If you restrict yourself to parking in locations with cameras (e.g. stations), your bike will still probably get stolen, especially if it is expensive (I know people who have had their bikes stolen from station bike parks with cameras). I myself had the front wheel stolen from my bike that was parked between 3 CCTV cameras, next to a busy metro station, next to a shop with a security guard, and across the street from the main police station in the city.
  - systemtest 8y ago
    If I go to a bar or shop I will park my bike in a nearby secured location and walk the last couple of minutes. At home I put the bike in a locked brick shed.
- vanderZwan 8y ago
  > Just use a good lock and only park in secured parking locations with gated access and cameras. I can sadly say from experience that this does not help when you live in student housing. Also, one lock? You've been lucky. Two locks of different brands is a better bet (junkies tend to specialize in unlocking one particular type quickly)
rhinoceraptor 8y ago
It's pretty easy to get a bike that price if you use decent, brand name components rather than cheap generic components. And if you ride a lot, it's worth it to spend more and get a bike you enjoy riding. And with a good lock, I don't really worry about theft.
- icebraining 8y ago
  What lock do you use?
  - rhinoceraptor 8y ago
    I use the Kryptonite New York Fuhgettaboudit Mini. It's heavy, but small and light enough so I can fit it in-between my back and side belt loops.
kossmoboleat 8y ago
I think it's quite reasonable. My bike is my only vehicle and I don't own a car. It's actually the fastest way to commute in my larger city in Germany. On the other hand I find it incomprehensible how someone would spent more than 10K for a car that for me seems to offer only very marginal advantages day-to-day. For vacations cars are nice, but then I can just rent one or go by train/plane too.
ljf 8y ago
I largely agree - though my 'good bike' is currently worth around £1500 - though if I tried to sell it now it would be worth closer to £700. Still, I either go on a 50 mile type ride where I'll not be stopping until I return to base, a local training ride (similar), a cafe tour - where I'll be able to sit either where I can see the bike or right next to it, or I just leave it at home and take my 'rough bike' (the comedy but that the rough bike is actually also worth a whack - but I've just made it look terrible). Moving to riding a £1500 from a £200 is like night and day - the first time I rode a full carbon it was amazing, even though the gains were marginal, and comfort and ride were outstanding. I'd not tried them, but seeing friends with £9k or more bikes, I can imagine that yes they do offer marginal gains, and other things that make the ride better - is it 'worth it? Who knows - but if you have the money and a passion for your hobby, then why not? I'm sure to my parents they couldn't understand why someone would want a £1k phone or ipad when theirs work perfectly for their needs.
- ArrayList 8y ago
  Unless you are a legit elite top 1% rider, a $10k bike offers nothing that a nicely spec'd $2k bike doesn't offer.
  - drcoopster 8y ago
    I've been a motorcycle marshal for big triathlon races (Ironman and others) over the last few years. Aside from the elites who are basically all on the high-dollar bikes, the value of the bike seems to be a near-insignificant factor in the overall performance equation.
village-idiot 8y ago
> virtue signalling device. Perhaps you mean status signal? I don’t think having a bike is rare enough in Europe to be considered virtue signaling anymore.
- wild_preference 8y ago
  Probably the most over- + mis-used phrase on HN aside from orthogonal, our HN gang-signaling word.
CalRobert 8y ago
If you trust your bike won't get stolen in your home or your place of work that's a pretty big use case that isn't "virture signaling".
billsmithaustin 8y ago
Part of the market will be bike enthusiasts with disposable income who are attracted to the novelty of a wooden frame. The frames are beautiful. Time will tell whether that market is big enough to support a business. On a related note, I see Renovo Hardwood Bicycles shut down earlier this year.
CydeWeys 8y ago
I have secured access bike rooms available to me at work and I have room in my elevator building apartment for a bike. Plus, I can easily go do a long fitness ride without having to leave the bike anywhere. For everything else, there's Citibike.
samstave 8y ago
I have a bike that I term "ride-able art" Its not for racing, and while its not terribly expensive, I love it, care for it and don't want it stolen. I have had several bikes stolen from me - its such a horrible feeling when that happens.

sasaf5 8y ago

Or as sports equipment.

danburbridge 8y ago

Expensive bikes aren't for leaving around - they are for riding/racing. It is common to have a "beater" bike for cafe/shop/pub outings where its going to be locked up outside.

mirsadm 8y ago

I use my expensive bike for training/exercise not for commuting. Not too hard to understand.

dabeeeenster 8y ago

Huh? I have a £2k bike. Had it years. Never leave it in public. Doesnt stop me commuting on it to work every day or taking it out for rides at the weekend.

mcv 8y ago

I've always had tons of bikes stolen, until I got a light cargo bike. I often only use the ring lock, yet somehow nobody seems to want to steal it. My son's bike got stolen twice over the past year right in front of our house (we park it indoors now), but nobody ever touches my cargo bike. It's the most expensive bike I've ever had.

systemtest 8y ago

I live in the Netherlands and have not had my bike stolen in 25 years. Just use a good lock and only park in secured parking locations with gated access and cameras. And don't buy a bike without knowing the full history and paperwork, otherwise you are shooting yourself in the foot by supporting criminals and raising your chance of having your bike stolen in the future.

PhasmaFelis 8y ago
> I live in the Netherlands and have not had my bike stolen in 25 years. Just use a good lock and only park in secured parking locations with gated access and cameras. That works well as long as you only want to ride between places with secured parking locations with gated access and cameras. In the US I have noticed a bit of a disconnect between bike hobbyists (put your bike in your car and drive to the place you want to ride) and people whose bike is their primary mode of transportation. I'm sure it's different in the Netherlands, but a lot of places here you're lucky to find a single bike rack near your destination. "Secured parking locations" don't exist outside of the occasional upscale apartment complex.
mrsuprawsm 8y ago
I also live in the Netherlands, and if I restricted myself to only parking in secured parking locations with gated access and cameras, I would only be able to cycle from my office... to my office. This (obviously) precludes you from cycling anywhere you might want to go (home, the shops, your friends houses, a restaurant, a bar, a cafe). If you restrict yourself to parking in locations with cameras (e.g. stations), your bike will still probably get stolen, especially if it is expensive (I know people who have had their bikes stolen from station bike parks with cameras). I myself had the front wheel stolen from my bike that was parked between 3 CCTV cameras, next to a busy metro station, next to a shop with a security guard, and across the street from the main police station in the city.
- systemtest 8y ago
  If I go to a bar or shop I will park my bike in a nearby secured location and walk the last couple of minutes. At home I put the bike in a locked brick shed.
vanderZwan 8y ago
> Just use a good lock and only park in secured parking locations with gated access and cameras. I can sadly say from experience that this does not help when you live in student housing. Also, one lock? You've been lucky. Two locks of different brands is a better bet (junkies tend to specialize in unlocking one particular type quickly)

rhinoceraptor 8y ago

It's pretty easy to get a bike that price if you use decent, brand name components rather than cheap generic components. And if you ride a lot, it's worth it to spend more and get a bike you enjoy riding. And with a good lock, I don't really worry about theft.

icebraining 8y ago
What lock do you use?
- rhinoceraptor 8y ago
  I use the Kryptonite New York Fuhgettaboudit Mini. It's heavy, but small and light enough so I can fit it in-between my back and side belt loops.

kossmoboleat 8y ago

I think it's quite reasonable. My bike is my only vehicle and I don't own a car. It's actually the fastest way to commute in my larger city in Germany. On the other hand I find it incomprehensible how someone would spent more than 10K for a car that for me seems to offer only very marginal advantages day-to-day. For vacations cars are nice, but then I can just rent one or go by train/plane too.

ljf 8y ago

I largely agree - though my 'good bike' is currently worth around £1500 - though if I tried to sell it now it would be worth closer to £700. Still, I either go on a 50 mile type ride where I'll not be stopping until I return to base, a local training ride (similar), a cafe tour - where I'll be able to sit either where I can see the bike or right next to it, or I just leave it at home and take my 'rough bike' (the comedy but that the rough bike is actually also worth a whack - but I've just made it look terrible). Moving to riding a £1500 from a £200 is like night and day - the first time I rode a full carbon it was amazing, even though the gains were marginal, and comfort and ride were outstanding. I'd not tried them, but seeing friends with £9k or more bikes, I can imagine that yes they do offer marginal gains, and other things that make the ride better - is it 'worth it? Who knows - but if you have the money and a passion for your hobby, then why not? I'm sure to my parents they couldn't understand why someone would want a £1k phone or ipad when theirs work perfectly for their needs.

ArrayList 8y ago
Unless you are a legit elite top 1% rider, a $10k bike offers nothing that a nicely spec'd $2k bike doesn't offer.
- drcoopster 8y ago
  I've been a motorcycle marshal for big triathlon races (Ironman and others) over the last few years. Aside from the elites who are basically all on the high-dollar bikes, the value of the bike seems to be a near-insignificant factor in the overall performance equation.

village-idiot 8y ago

> virtue signalling device. Perhaps you mean status signal? I don’t think having a bike is rare enough in Europe to be considered virtue signaling anymore.

wild_preference 8y ago
Probably the most over- + mis-used phrase on HN aside from orthogonal, our HN gang-signaling word.

CalRobert 8y ago

If you trust your bike won't get stolen in your home or your place of work that's a pretty big use case that isn't "virture signaling".

billsmithaustin 8y ago

Part of the market will be bike enthusiasts with disposable income who are attracted to the novelty of a wooden frame. The frames are beautiful. Time will tell whether that market is big enough to support a business. On a related note, I see Renovo Hardwood Bicycles shut down earlier this year.

CydeWeys 8y ago

I have secured access bike rooms available to me at work and I have room in my elevator building apartment for a bike. Plus, I can easily go do a long fitness ride without having to leave the bike anywhere. For everything else, there's Citibike.

samstave 8y ago

I have a bike that I term "ride-able art" Its not for racing, and while its not terribly expensive, I love it, care for it and don't want it stolen. I have had several bikes stolen from me - its such a horrible feeling when that happens.