7 ms·

For Wealthy Chinese, Bicycles Become Status Symbols

50 points by codegeek 14y ago

leeoniya 14y ago
$16k seems a bit much for a leisure bike while $450 isnt. top-end custom racing bikes can cost $16k+ though. i'm currently on a $2k Specialized mountain bike, though i wouldn't classify what i do with it as 'leisurely pedaling'...
- buro9 14y ago
  It's actually GBP 16,000, the article is wrong. http://www.fudgescyclestore.com/index.php?p=174107 http://www.fudgescyclestore.com/index.php?p=174107 This is the Alex Moulton New Series Double Pylon. It's an incredible bike, not a folder but a separable (take it apart and fit it in little bags). It's perfect for confined living spaces (such as a boat or small downtown apartment), whilst still offering an ultra-stiff frame and the feel and position of a full frame. The small wheels are there to support a faster ride and easier climbing, though that also counts against them on downhills as you have a tad less of a flywheel effect. I rode a Moulton up Mont Ventoux and down/through the Nesque Gorges in Provence. I've also visited the Moulton factory down near Bradford on Avon. They have this great mini track around the estate for testing the bikes, and you can visit the room in which they are made. To this day they are hand-made, every weld, on custom jigs. They're fairly special bikes, but you are paying for the labour in the frames more than anything. Also, Alex Moulton Sr died on 9th December 2012 http://www.alexmoulton.co.uk/ http://www.alexmoulton.co.uk/ . He was a hell of an industrial designer. His son Shaun Moulton runs the company now. But yeah... GBP16k not USD16k. And if you think that's expensive, go calculate how much you could configure a dream bike from Vanilla Cycles http://vanillabicycles.com/ http://vanillabicycles.com/ , Robin Mather http://apracticalguide.wordpress.com/ http://apracticalguide.wordpress.com/ , Richard Sachs http://www.richardsachs.com/ http://www.richardsachs.com/ , etc would cost. It is very easy to pass GBP 7,500 without batting an eyelid, easy enough to get to GBP 10,000, and with some mildly demanding stuff and some very expensive components (Enve Composites I'm looking at you) you can easily be on your way to GBP 20,000 for what the untrained eye may assume is just a nice town bike. Though... no-one is going to think a Moulton Double Pylon is a town bike! Oh, and if you really want consumer demand for a basic bike at a luxury level... research what the Japanese will pay for a superlight Brompton http://www.brompton.co.uk/ http://www.brompton.co.uk/ folding bike in naked finish. The waiting list is lengthy, and the factory in Brentford, West London now runs 2 shifts a day, 7 days a week to fulfil orders.
- justincormack 14y ago
  I think there is a big markup (and probably tax) in that $16k as it is an imported hand built bike.
  - scottkuo 14y ago
    Just throwing some numbers around, but I remember years ago when a friend was trying to become an import supplier of similar goods, he freaked out at the VAT & import duty being something like 120% on European made products. I suspect that this may still be the case with the price tag on these bikes.
m0nty 14y ago
They don't mention that in many crowded cities (many of those in China I would imagine) a bicycle is faster than a car.
pelle 14y ago
Oh so just like in San Francisco :-)
- codegeek 14y ago
  I always thought that in the US as well, having a bike is cool. We even have "bike to work" day once a year. Not sure if i will call that a status symbol but definitely cool and hip.
  - slurgfest 14y ago
    When you can hardly get a new bike for $600 any more, and it's not considered abnormal to spend well over $1000, I would say it is a bit of a status symbol
    - jlarocco 14y ago
      It's amusing that people spend $10k+ on a car, then hundreds of dollars a year on gas, but $1000 for a bike is a status symbol.
      - hyperbovine 14y ago
        This summer I built my "dream commuter bike". It was unexpectedly spendy, but when the alternative is a car, anything under five figures and it feels like you're making money on the deal! :-)
    - bane 14y ago
      I don't really think that's true. Walmart for example has a very large selection of bikes around the $150-200 price. Are they great bikes? Probably not. Will they go when you pedal? Sure!
      - jff 14y ago
        They're generally pretty terrible bikes, put together by some guy who didn't read the directions and doesn't care. They're so heavy and unpleasant to ride that sure, you could buy one for $150, but you'll never want to ride it. They're also full of false-comfort "features" like front shocks and heavily padded seats which sap your pedaling power and actually make your butt more sore, respectively.
pelle 14y ago
In Denmark where I grew up we all grew up using bikes just like in China. A lot of guys are also now spending ridiculous amount of money on hand made bikes just like the wealthy Chinese in the article. The interesting thing is that for women the fashion has been more towards going for old wrecks also known as grandma bikes. See http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com
- Luc 14y ago
  Do you mean the old grandma bicycles are valued over new ones in the same style? Or is it just the style of bicycle that is becoming popular? It's a very comfortable way to ride (on flat country) and I prefer it for non-hipster reasons (i.e. my back).
  - pelle 14y ago
    It started out with people preferring the old ones. Then the bike manufacturers caught on and started making fake grandma bikes as well.
    - jordanb 14y ago
      "Grandma bike" is a pretty derisive term for a practical utility bicycle. It's like a guy in a two-seat sportster with a tiny trunk calling a four-seat sedan a "grandma car." Here in Chicago, people realized many years ago that road bikes with tiny, crack-seeking wheels, rigid suspension, aggressive posture and delicate derailleurs made horrible utility bikes. So people first started appropriating mountain bikes, adding fenders, racks, new saddles etc. Then people discovered that old Schwinn three-speeds make perfect utility bikes without any conversion. Now, yes, bike manufacturers have responded by building purpose-built utility bikes. If you like road bikes then that's great. I actually love riding a road bike from time to time. 99% of the time I'm on a "granny bike" though, and if I weren't for those trips I'd be in a car.
      - pelle 14y ago
        Hopefully no bikes were offended ;-)
klenwell 14y ago
Now might be a good time to recommend Veblen's Theory of the Leisure Class for anyone who hasn't read it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_the_Leisure_Class http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_the_Leisure_Class One of my touchstones for understanding the modern world.
- rdtsc 14y ago
  That can also be used as a way to seek profit in the modern world. Remember the Citibank "plutonomy" papers? Whether authentic or not they basically made the same point. Invest in luxury goods. As the proverbial 1% accumulates more wealth they will want to engage in conspicuous consumption. They will buy Porsches and hand made watches and will pay a pretty penny for it.
- cma 14y ago
  It explains much of the ancient world as well: http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/seneca_younger/brev_e.html http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/seneca_younger/brev_e...
jellicle 14y ago
This story is the future of journalism. Instead of being subjected to fake-news fad stories about rich people in the U.S., now we'll be subjected to fake-news fad stories about rich people in China. Could probably track the prevalence of China-rich-fad vs. U.S.-rich-fad stories as a good marker of the changeover in superpower status.
sunnybythesea 14y ago
I'm all for this. China had it right in the first place. What's not to love about bicycles? Low carbon emissions (only CO2), good for the body, you actually get to experience your surroundings, less fatal accidents assuming more people are on bicycles,not noisy
- jff 14y ago
  I love my bicycle, but they are: Slow, one person at a time, low hauling capacity, no protection from the elements, and easily stolen. Like it or not, cars have their place. People who are so proud of not needing a car? They do a lot of mooching off car-having friends.
  - sunnybythesea 14y ago
    Well yes, cars are do have their advantages. No mode of transportation is perfect. Mooching off == carpooling == good :) If roads and cities were planned so that bicycling is easier then it will create incentives for more people to use pedal power. Easily accessible mass transit can solve the hauling capacity problem and long-distances problem. Honestly, if I could bicycle on roads (without having to worry about being run over by an SUV) and take the bike on a train/subway, I would do that 99% of the time. And, if I only need a car for the 1%, then I might as well rent one when I need it.
  - stephencanon 14y ago
    If you believe a bike is one person only, you've obviously never been to china. A family of three on a bike is not an uncommon sight.
  - flywheel 14y ago
    I have lived car-less in Los Angeles for 15 years. I do NOT "mooch" off car-having friends. If we are all going to a party together or on a trip, I pay for my share of gasoline, and usually buy lunch for the driver if applicable. I never request a ride from anyone when a bike or public transport can do the job. Your characterization of non-car-having-people is very misinformed.
  - 14y ago
mikle 14y ago
This holds true for Israel too. A lot of people in Hi-Tech are avid mountain bikers, including myself. It's one of those sports full with technology from bike parts to training computers to heart monitors. Also a great money sink :)
ck2 14y ago
Didn't several of the political leaders recently become millionaires in china? Ah, per ABC News "There are now at least 300 billionaires and almost 1 million millionaires in China. " I guess china is also getting it's 2% running the 98%
- enduser 14y ago
  1,000,300 Chinese people would make up only 0.074% of the Chinese population.
godisdad 14y ago
%s/Chinese/Americans/g
enduser 14y ago
My girlfriend runs a small (~30 employee) full-custom* folding bike manufacturer in Oregon. Asia makes up almost half of their market--and the number is growing, especially the Chinese segment. * they start with steel and build custom-fit bikes to order
- _vn5r 14y ago
  url?
MMXII 14y ago
I can't imagine wealthy bike owners actually riding them in the cities for health reasons. The air condition in the cities is extremely poor, and riding a bike would probably do more harm than good to your body.

50 points by codegeek 14y ago

$16k seems a bit much for a leisure bike while $450 isnt. top-end custom racing bikes can cost $16k+ though. i'm currently on a $2k Specialized mountain bike, though i wouldn't classify what i do with it as 'leisurely pedaling'...

buro9 14y ago
It's actually GBP 16,000, the article is wrong. http://www.fudgescyclestore.com/index.php?p=174107 http://www.fudgescyclestore.com/index.php?p=174107 This is the Alex Moulton New Series Double Pylon. It's an incredible bike, not a folder but a separable (take it apart and fit it in little bags). It's perfect for confined living spaces (such as a boat or small downtown apartment), whilst still offering an ultra-stiff frame and the feel and position of a full frame. The small wheels are there to support a faster ride and easier climbing, though that also counts against them on downhills as you have a tad less of a flywheel effect. I rode a Moulton up Mont Ventoux and down/through the Nesque Gorges in Provence. I've also visited the Moulton factory down near Bradford on Avon. They have this great mini track around the estate for testing the bikes, and you can visit the room in which they are made. To this day they are hand-made, every weld, on custom jigs. They're fairly special bikes, but you are paying for the labour in the frames more than anything. Also, Alex Moulton Sr died on 9th December 2012 http://www.alexmoulton.co.uk/ http://www.alexmoulton.co.uk/ . He was a hell of an industrial designer. His son Shaun Moulton runs the company now. But yeah... GBP16k not USD16k. And if you think that's expensive, go calculate how much you could configure a dream bike from Vanilla Cycles http://vanillabicycles.com/ http://vanillabicycles.com/ , Robin Mather http://apracticalguide.wordpress.com/ http://apracticalguide.wordpress.com/ , Richard Sachs http://www.richardsachs.com/ http://www.richardsachs.com/ , etc would cost. It is very easy to pass GBP 7,500 without batting an eyelid, easy enough to get to GBP 10,000, and with some mildly demanding stuff and some very expensive components (Enve Composites I'm looking at you) you can easily be on your way to GBP 20,000 for what the untrained eye may assume is just a nice town bike. Though... no-one is going to think a Moulton Double Pylon is a town bike! Oh, and if you really want consumer demand for a basic bike at a luxury level... research what the Japanese will pay for a superlight Brompton http://www.brompton.co.uk/ http://www.brompton.co.uk/ folding bike in naked finish. The waiting list is lengthy, and the factory in Brentford, West London now runs 2 shifts a day, 7 days a week to fulfil orders.
justincormack 14y ago
I think there is a big markup (and probably tax) in that $16k as it is an imported hand built bike.
- scottkuo 14y ago
  Just throwing some numbers around, but I remember years ago when a friend was trying to become an import supplier of similar goods, he freaked out at the VAT & import duty being something like 120% on European made products. I suspect that this may still be the case with the price tag on these bikes.

m0nty 14y ago

They don't mention that in many crowded cities (many of those in China I would imagine) a bicycle is faster than a car.

pelle 14y ago

Oh so just like in San Francisco :-)

codegeek 14y ago
I always thought that in the US as well, having a bike is cool. We even have "bike to work" day once a year. Not sure if i will call that a status symbol but definitely cool and hip.
- slurgfest 14y ago
  When you can hardly get a new bike for $600 any more, and it's not considered abnormal to spend well over $1000, I would say it is a bit of a status symbol
  - jlarocco 14y ago
    It's amusing that people spend $10k+ on a car, then hundreds of dollars a year on gas, but $1000 for a bike is a status symbol.
    - hyperbovine 14y ago
      This summer I built my "dream commuter bike". It was unexpectedly spendy, but when the alternative is a car, anything under five figures and it feels like you're making money on the deal! :-)
  - bane 14y ago
    I don't really think that's true. Walmart for example has a very large selection of bikes around the $150-200 price. Are they great bikes? Probably not. Will they go when you pedal? Sure!
    - jff 14y ago
      They're generally pretty terrible bikes, put together by some guy who didn't read the directions and doesn't care. They're so heavy and unpleasant to ride that sure, you could buy one for $150, but you'll never want to ride it. They're also full of false-comfort "features" like front shocks and heavily padded seats which sap your pedaling power and actually make your butt more sore, respectively.

pelle 14y ago

In Denmark where I grew up we all grew up using bikes just like in China. A lot of guys are also now spending ridiculous amount of money on hand made bikes just like the wealthy Chinese in the article. The interesting thing is that for women the fashion has been more towards going for old wrecks also known as grandma bikes. See http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com

Luc 14y ago
Do you mean the old grandma bicycles are valued over new ones in the same style? Or is it just the style of bicycle that is becoming popular? It's a very comfortable way to ride (on flat country) and I prefer it for non-hipster reasons (i.e. my back).
- pelle 14y ago
  It started out with people preferring the old ones. Then the bike manufacturers caught on and started making fake grandma bikes as well.
  - jordanb 14y ago
    "Grandma bike" is a pretty derisive term for a practical utility bicycle. It's like a guy in a two-seat sportster with a tiny trunk calling a four-seat sedan a "grandma car." Here in Chicago, people realized many years ago that road bikes with tiny, crack-seeking wheels, rigid suspension, aggressive posture and delicate derailleurs made horrible utility bikes. So people first started appropriating mountain bikes, adding fenders, racks, new saddles etc. Then people discovered that old Schwinn three-speeds make perfect utility bikes without any conversion. Now, yes, bike manufacturers have responded by building purpose-built utility bikes. If you like road bikes then that's great. I actually love riding a road bike from time to time. 99% of the time I'm on a "granny bike" though, and if I weren't for those trips I'd be in a car.
    - pelle 14y ago
      Hopefully no bikes were offended ;-)

klenwell 14y ago

Now might be a good time to recommend Veblen's Theory of the Leisure Class for anyone who hasn't read it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_the_Leisure_Class http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_the_Leisure_Class One of my touchstones for understanding the modern world.

rdtsc 14y ago
That can also be used as a way to seek profit in the modern world. Remember the Citibank "plutonomy" papers? Whether authentic or not they basically made the same point. Invest in luxury goods. As the proverbial 1% accumulates more wealth they will want to engage in conspicuous consumption. They will buy Porsches and hand made watches and will pay a pretty penny for it.
cma 14y ago
It explains much of the ancient world as well: http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/seneca_younger/brev_e.html http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/seneca_younger/brev_e...

jellicle 14y ago

This story is the future of journalism. Instead of being subjected to fake-news fad stories about rich people in the U.S., now we'll be subjected to fake-news fad stories about rich people in China. Could probably track the prevalence of China-rich-fad vs. U.S.-rich-fad stories as a good marker of the changeover in superpower status.

sunnybythesea 14y ago

I'm all for this. China had it right in the first place. What's not to love about bicycles? Low carbon emissions (only CO2), good for the body, you actually get to experience your surroundings, less fatal accidents assuming more people are on bicycles,not noisy

jff 14y ago
I love my bicycle, but they are: Slow, one person at a time, low hauling capacity, no protection from the elements, and easily stolen. Like it or not, cars have their place. People who are so proud of not needing a car? They do a lot of mooching off car-having friends.
- sunnybythesea 14y ago
  Well yes, cars are do have their advantages. No mode of transportation is perfect. Mooching off == carpooling == good :) If roads and cities were planned so that bicycling is easier then it will create incentives for more people to use pedal power. Easily accessible mass transit can solve the hauling capacity problem and long-distances problem. Honestly, if I could bicycle on roads (without having to worry about being run over by an SUV) and take the bike on a train/subway, I would do that 99% of the time. And, if I only need a car for the 1%, then I might as well rent one when I need it.
- stephencanon 14y ago
  If you believe a bike is one person only, you've obviously never been to china. A family of three on a bike is not an uncommon sight.
- flywheel 14y ago
  I have lived car-less in Los Angeles for 15 years. I do NOT "mooch" off car-having friends. If we are all going to a party together or on a trip, I pay for my share of gasoline, and usually buy lunch for the driver if applicable. I never request a ride from anyone when a bike or public transport can do the job. Your characterization of non-car-having-people is very misinformed.
- 14y ago

mikle 14y ago

This holds true for Israel too. A lot of people in Hi-Tech are avid mountain bikers, including myself. It's one of those sports full with technology from bike parts to training computers to heart monitors. Also a great money sink :)

ck2 14y ago

Didn't several of the political leaders recently become millionaires in china? Ah, per ABC News "There are now at least 300 billionaires and almost 1 million millionaires in China. " I guess china is also getting it's 2% running the 98%

enduser 14y ago
1,000,300 Chinese people would make up only 0.074% of the Chinese population.

godisdad 14y ago

%s/Chinese/Americans/g

enduser 14y ago

My girlfriend runs a small (~30 employee) full-custom* folding bike manufacturer in Oregon. Asia makes up almost half of their market--and the number is growing, especially the Chinese segment. * they start with steel and build custom-fit bikes to order

_vn5r 14y ago
url?

MMXII 14y ago

I can't imagine wealthy bike owners actually riding them in the cities for health reasons. The air condition in the cities is extremely poor, and riding a bike would probably do more harm than good to your body.