True, I just bought my first road bike for £350 rest of the gear cost a further £150 or so but that's it now until I want to change up or spank it!

All that said I never look out of the window and think what an awesome day to go riding like a do with kitesurfing

hey TommyDelly - hate to have to point it out to you, but US inflation is pretty much at historically low levels...about a percent and a half vs historic average of three and a half, let alone the times its been ten plus. So all those new EUR and USD ain't the problem...

Exactly. You can't compare riding a bike to kiting!

I agree that the price of equipment is getting pretty ridiculous. BUT look at what you are getting: A giant wing that weighs just a few pounds that flys in the air while you steer it and ride a little board at 25+ knots behind it and launch up 20+ feet in the air at will with nice soft landings at the end!

Well, its even more ridiculous to compare it to the cost of a low level bike.

My last hardtail cost me circa £2000. Its a decent bike but still not over the top. The transmission will last a year and a bit, then cost £600 to overhaul + tyres, tubes, grips, pads, fork servicing and so on. And any decent full susser will cost you a minimum £3000. So the analogy is pretty flawed....

If you have the same interest in bikes as kitesurfing, you're not riding around on a £350 quid bike.

Is this not because the majority of tool up individuality and give you the old line of niche product in a niche market, etc etc.

Bars, safety systems are pretty standard now and there's no real reason why brands can't get their heads together and tool up to produce bars at lower costs.

But uiu have to take Chinese inflation into account which is at an alltime high.

Taut - Chinese wage inflation (but not consumer inflation) is indeed high. But I sense that this is not the issue here if you consider the man hours to construct a bar together with the inflated (but still very low in absolute terms) labour rates.

Anyhow, feel like I'm at work now, time to relax!

Jonno,

I think you miss understood my comparison. I was saying for the cost of a North Bar, which is one element of the kit that you require to go kite surfing. You can get a good starter road bike and begin a new sport. Yes If I wanted to go top of the range I could spend a fortune.

I'm basically saying that to start off in the sport no matter what brand you buy it's expensive. Yes I know about the second hand market and the deal that you can get etc etc. but most people feel more confident buy new when they first set out.

Cheers

Paul

p.s. somewhat jealous of your bike, i'm guessing you are in to down hill racing?

Fair enough BigPaul - point taken about entry costs.

And no, not downhill for me, but if you come from a big BMX background and want a fun, light, fast bike that you can still do silly stuff on, it costs loads. Heavy and weak = cheap. Light and weak = more expensive. Light and strong = more expensive (thats me). Ridiculously light = most expensive.

Obviously, if the prices go up in China it will have an effect on something. If you think that the companies have such a huge margin on the bars that they can eat any price increase from the factories that is one thing, but also a claim I would love to see documented instead of I heard this and that....

I actually can't believe we are having this discussion again. This is economies of scale. becase companies are producing such low volume, their prices per item is higher. Their RD per item is higher. etc. Which is also why any bike analogy does not work...they are producing bikes in staggering numbers, and it is therefore not comparable to kiteboarding.