The cost of bikes ... retro and now

[doctor-bond]

i wonder if the cost of stuff is also impacted by how we buy things now: e.g. lots of folk lease cars, making the new screen price a bit irrelevant.

has the same happened to bikes? Low cost credit and cycle to work schemes make the list price less of an issue and manufacturers can go to town. (That said, the cost of components does seem eye watering: using those online bikebuilder sites, you can see how the component prices take the overall cost north very quickly. youd expect modern design & manufacturing to reduce components costs no?)

 

[FluffyChicken]

but it may have dropped or not changed. I always half the price and you get a retro price.
A quick example a top suspension fork in 1992 was about £350, that £740 in todays money just from inflation.

looking at Wheelies prices for 1995

Wheelies Direct Vol4 Catalogue (1995)

Wheelies Direct Vol4 Catalogue many thanks to @marc two tone for sending me the catalogue to scan.

www.retrobike.co.uk

An X-Lite Camlock Q/R cost £21.99, now that's a lot of money for a quick release even now, but in todays money (1995-2021) that's £43.37 !
Manitou EFC fork £480 that £946 now.

£21.99 in 1995 → 2024 | UK Inflation Calculator

This inflation calculator uses the official UK consumer price index. An inflation rate of 3.08% per year means £21.99 in 1995 is worth £52.98 in 2024.

www.in2013dollars.com

 

[2manyoranges]

Yes noted - in using ONS data they do quote different figures and different organisations give other figures - depending on the sampling across occupations I assume. 26k is one of the low figures - ONS 30k-32k ish....

 

[Hotwheels.]

It’s all getting a bit....fiscal in here.

 

[2manyoranges]

Agreed - I think the conclusion might be that workaday bikes are good value compared to 1935 and expensive bikes are...well....expensive

 

[mattr]

Cost of Raleigh Service Model 3 in 1935 was 7.5 gbp.
That means an ‘equivalent’ bike - everyday runaround - would be 1500 gbp.

Which I suppose makes my recent two Transitions (one for me, one for the Grom) BLOODY EXPENSIVE.

Not sure i'd call a transition an "Everyday Runaround".

 

[2manyoranges]

Absolutely matt - I was suggesting that an everyday runaround bike of 1500 would be equivalent to the 1935 bike, while indeed the transitions are not everyday runarounds but instead are specialist expensive things....

 

[mattr]

Absolutely matt - I was suggesting that an everyday runaround bike of 1500 would be equivalent to the 1935 bike, while indeed the transitions are not everyday runarounds but instead are specialist expensive things....

Ahh, got ya.
Yes, bikes are a lot cheaper than they used to be, compared to wages.

 

[2manyoranges]

And cars became STUPIDLY CHEAP....until the ‘electric revolution’ (which being so dependent on rare earths surely can’t be ‘the answer’?) ... would like a Rivian - but 55,000 gbp!!! Or more when it gets launched in Europe....

 

[FluffyChicken]

And cars became STUPIDLY CHEAP....until the ‘electric revolution’ (which being so dependent on rare earths surely can’t be ‘the answer’?) ... would like a Rivian - but 55,000 gbp!!! Or more when it gets launched in Europe....

That'll change in a few years, more are coming out so prices will drop And vice versa for petroleum based.

Both are dependent on stuff dragged out the ground, it's what the put back into the air that changes (at a local level and at controlled level nationally).
Neither stop small/tiny particulates (way smaller than the Covid virus) and plastic pollution as they move around.
But then stoves are worse for that and people still put them in their houses as is the fashion now. Even though they have central heating.