Mountain biking has consumed my life. I grew up not knowing what this sport was and had no clue that one day, every decision of mine would be dictated by two wheels. When I was younger, I was very well rounded, playing basketball, attending college, and dreaming that one day I would have a career that would only take up my 9-5. Little did I know that the career I would end up in would be solely dictated by this sport, and any “well rounded-ness” I had would be replaced by a borderline unhealthy addiction to seeking that next dopamine hit from my next ride. Bikes have become my life, life has seemingly become bikes.
Now I am not complaining at all. I love bikes and am so thankful to have found this life path, where my passion has become my career. Instead, I am prefacing this information to justify my take on riding expensive bikes. I have heard many people say “no one needs to ride expensive bikes” and “budget friendly” seems to be a category that is highly favored, especially in the new age of the sport. Some people are even quick to blame the bike industry's current struggles on prices of bikes getting in their eyes out of hand.
Are bike prices getting out of control? I am not disagreeing that some prices are getting somewhat out of hand. Pro models of bikes for $15k and $4k wheelsets are insane premiums for sure, that if looked at alone could be perceived as out of control. However, those premiums are not the entirety of the bike industry. There are many brands that specialize in bringing you amazing bang for buck and awesome price points. Sometimes the same brand that has a $15k bike in its lineup also has a budget alloy option, as is the case with Specialized and the Epic. Want to race a $15k bike? They have you covered. Want to race a highly capable $2600 bike? They also have you covered.
Do you need an expensive bike? Absolutely not. I got into mountain biking via a bike I bought from a department sporting goods store. My first “real” mountain bike was a $600 Kona Mahuna entry level hardtail. I rode that thing into the ground and went on so many awesome adventures! In today’s market, $3000 gets you an insanely well priced mountain bike, not just entry level!
But what I want to touch on in this article is, so what if I personally want to ride expensive bikes in my personal time. When it comes to my personal bikes, I absolutely love riding the latest and greatest bike technology, over priced or not. I love carbon frames, I only run carbon wheels on personal rigs, I genuinely prefer electronic shifting. The carbon brake levers found on the highest end SRAM brakes genuinely bring me stoke. All of it, I want all the technology!
And why is this? Like I said, mountain bikes have consumed my life. I don’t understand shopping for clothes, all of my shirts have been event swag handouts. Purchasing concert tickets makes no sense to me. I have no interest in ever attending sporting events, and Chipotle is as fancy of a restaurant as I want to be at. I have no interest in going to the movies, and never want any non bike related things for Christmas. I purchase one non cycling pair of shoes a year, Hokas, and this is only because I have some back pain caused by cycling.
Bicycles, I want all of my money to go towards bicycles, and cycling in general! I want to travel to ride my bike. I want my bike to take me to places that would take days if not weeks to reach on foot. I want to explore this world on 2 wheels, and I want those 2 wheels to be nice! We are currently looking for a home base, and the number one deciding factor is bikes (are there trails nearby and how many).
Once again you do not need to ride the top level build of a bike to have fun. You also dont need the highest end parts to shred hard. But for some of us, riding and testing high end bikes is fun! The same excitement some people have when they splurge on an indulgent holiday vacation is the same stoke I get when it’s new bike day, and that bike has more carbon than a formula 1 race car. Bikes have become my life, and my life has become bikes. And when it comes to personal bikes, I love nice bikes and I am not ashamed to admit it.
Now some people would say I only say this because I’m in the bike industry and have access to deals. While the part about access to deals is true, I will also say that if I was in any other industry I would most likely be making a lot more money than I currently am while in the bike industry. Just look at the same salary for a position in the cycling industry as outside of the cycling industry. Chances are, that same job is double if not triple in any mainstream non-cycling related field. And with that extra money I probably would still end up buying the same bikes I like to ride now, without the deals, but with a lot more “benefits” from my work like health insurance, paid vacations, and holiday bonuses.
As I get older I’m sure this will change. Adding kids to the equation changes the budgets, as does a house and mortgage. However I have a feeling my addiction to cycling will stay the same and my love for nice bikes will also never go away. After all, if I could figure out how to get a top of the line Santa Cruz Bronson when I was 23, driving a Honda Accord with 220k miles and a weird grinding sound when I accelerated it, while eating peanut butter and potato chip sandwiches, anything is possible!
So go ahead and go for it, ride whatever bike you want. Just make sure to ride your bike!
-Mo Awesome
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