Are modern bikes overpriced?

We seem to be forgetting inflation. If something cost £500 20 years ago then that would be £1000 in today's money.

Modern bikes are cheaper, more comfortable, safer, stronger, better made and more reliable than our 20 year old monsters. Doesn't make them nicer though...

As a rough rule you can use the following to working out the price of your old bike in today's money (based on retail price index and inflation). Just pick the year you bought your bike in and multiply the price you paid by the RBRPI (RetroBike Retail Price Index)

Year - RBRPI
2009 - 1.01
2008 - 1.07
2007 - 1.13
2006 - 1.20
2005 - 1.26
2004 - 1.33
2003 - 1.40
2002 - 1.46
2001 - 1.53
2000 - 1.59
1999 - 1.66
1998 - 1.77
1997 - 1.77
1996 - 1.87
1995 - 1.87
1994 - 1.98
1993 - 2.08
1992 - 2.08
1991 - 2.18
1990 - 2.29
1989 - 2.50
1988 - 2.71
1987 - 2.81
1986 - 2.91
1985 - 3.02
1984 - 3.23
1983 - 3.33
1982 - 3.54
1981 - 3.85

I paid just shy of £1K for my modern (and then threw another £1K in go-faster-goodies at it, but that's another story).

XT groupset, brakes that stop you like you've hit a wall, properly working "dual air" fork with lockout, lighter than the comparable bike from BITD (which would have cost around £500 according to inflation etc)

So no, I can't say mine was overpriced.
Mind you, if you buy a modern GT, Scott, Trek, C'dale or similar, you're paying half as much again just because of the badge.

Lots of generalisations about modern bikes! IMO you've never had it so good. You can get a bike to suit whatever type of riding you want to do. You want light*? Carbon bikes are now at a pricepoint where most could afford them and aluminium has been developed to the nth degree. Groupsets not good enough? Its widely excepted that even Deore/SLX works almost as good as XT/XTR.

*Light isn't where its at these days. For most modern bikers I'd hazard a guess that they are more interested in going down fast rather than up.

As an exercise, my cannondale M500 in 93 was £600 from an LBS and a loaf was 55p (according to a quick google). Now a loaf is allegedly £1.22 today which would give me £1330. WHich would let me get THIS with a bit to spare and with a (perceivably)better groupset than the exage stuff I had on my old dale.

As noted above, inflation has more to do with price rises than any outlandish profitmongering. A £600 Clockwork in 1990 is nearly £1400 in todays money.

That Clockwork was made in the same Far Eastern factories that people seem so quick to berate these days. I would suggest that with over two decades more experience building bikes, those factories have probably learned a thing or two and are now churning out far superior frames to 1990.

As for weight... My modern hardtail with 140mm travel, a dropper seatpost and disc brakes is considerably lighter than (for example) my 1991 Dave Yates despite it having rigid forks, canti brakes and a very normal seatpost.

Pete_mcc is right, modern bikes represent better value for money, are better built and generally lighter than their retro equivalents. They're better, get over it.

Does this make nice retro bikes less desirable though? Of course not.

Russell":108v4168 said:

Pete_mcc is right, modern bikes represent better value for money, are better built and generally lighter than their retro equivalents. They're better, get over it.

Click to expand...

That statement needs the word 'production' in the middle, as no modern bike that I have seen is better made than my Roberts or Yates frames.

Lets not confuse advances in technology and production techniques with advances in strength and quality.

NeilM":betx8tfk said:

Russell":betx8tfk said:

Pete_mcc is right, modern bikes represent better value for money, are better built and generally lighter than their retro equivalents. They're better, get over it.

Click to expand...

That statement needs the word 'production' in the middle, as no modern bike that I have seen is better made than my Roberts or Yates frames.

Lets not confuse advances in technology and production techniques with advances in strength and quality.

Click to expand...

Are you saying modern bespoke is worse than retro bespoke?

kaiser":3v63j0p4 said:

NeilM":3v63j0p4 said:

Russell":3v63j0p4 said:

Pete_mcc is right, modern bikes represent better value for money, are better built and generally lighter than their retro equivalents. They're better, get over it.

Click to expand...

That statement needs the word 'production' in the middle, as no modern bike that I have seen is better made than my Roberts or Yates frames.

Lets not confuse advances in technology and production techniques with advances in strength and quality.

Click to expand...

Are you saying modern bespoke is worse than retro bespoke?

Click to expand...

You beat me to it.

Yes they are overpriced but wether it be Britain or anywhere the supplier always asks what can I get away with charging rather than a fair price.

Modern bikes are made better but that is also why they have no soul and in 20 years time will be a recycled coke can rather than a piece of history still alive.

KDM":chkq5v1m said:

Modern bikes are made better but that is also why they have no soul and in 20 years time will be a recycled coke can rather than a piece of history still alive.

Click to expand...

I think that is quite an over romantic view. The young lads of today see as much character and soul in their bikes as we did in ours 20 odd years ago.

kaiser":22v73gfn said:

Are you saying modern bespoke is worse than retro bespoke?

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No, of course not. My visit to Bespoked Bristol in March, clearly showed the superb quality of bespoke frames that are currently being made.

What I am saying is that retro bespoke is better than or at the very least equal to modern production made.