Adrian wrote:
chris harrison ) gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying :
Those are not typically factors considered when spending that sort of
amount on a bike


But they're definitely factors in spending £50k on a new car rather than
£5k.

While the reasons for speeding ten times as much on a car as a bike are
different, the reasons for speeding a tenth of the amount are similar
(because it can do the primary job (utility) just as well, the secondary
skills are just that, less important than the price).

Consider road bikes. At the cheap end of the market (e.g. less than
500 quid)


Umm, I'd have said the "cheap end of the market" for new bikes was less
than £100 from Halfrauds. £200 at a push. That's your direct bicycle
equivalent to a £5k new car.

Now you're talking 5 grand for a new car, that's different than 5 grand
for a car. But yes, 5 grand in new car terms is probably c.100 ish in
Halfrauds.

£500+ for a new bike is equivalent in market position to somewhere around
£15-20k new car territory, I'd have thought - starting to get towards the
top end of tangible reasons to buy (space, toys, build quality) and head
into the intangibles (prestige, bling, fashion)

But while there will be people who will spend money for its own sake,
purely to show off (in cars and bikes) - I would contend that a higher
proportion of high end (500) bikes will be sold to 'knowledgeable'
cyclists than similar cars (20k+?).

On that basis, £5k for a bike has to be somewhere around £100k car
territory?

Probably slightly higher in terms of percentage of the market, but yes,
in that ballpark.