Cheap Bike Vs Expensive Bike

warteva on 26/05/2017 - 16:57
Last edited 26/05/2017 - 17:36 by 1 other user

Just wondering, whats the difference between cheap bikes (i.e Reid, Fluid) vs expensive bikes (i.e Merida, Cannondale).

Does it actually make a difference to riding? I'm no pro or anything. Just casual rider to and from work.

The guy from the shop kept emphasising that this bike is more stiff than my current alloy bike. Does it even matter? I did suggest to just upgrade the groupset from my current but he said don't bother about changing on mine and suggested I should get a bike like this.

Is it even worth upgrading and spending for a bike like this?

This is my current bike at the moment

Honest input will help a lot.

Sports & Outdoors

Comments

  • captobvious on 26/05/2017 - 17:05

    Yes. Better bearings is a start. Rolls better less resistance

  • atris17 on 26/05/2017 - 17:36
    +1

    Have a Reid Urban x1 by for about $450

    Used it daily to go to work, grocery and meeting friends

    So far so good, no complaint.

    • Save me some money
    • Did some DIY learning in regard to servicing your bicycle
    • Used your cash into other more appreciable assets
    • Peace Maker on 26/05/2017 - 19:07

      Fellow X1 owner here. Great bike for the price.

      • imtahir7 on 01/06/2017 - 21:43

        im looking for a bike, with the 15% off ebay code the x1 drops down to 350. you think i should pull the trigger without a test drive?

        • Peace Maker on 01/06/2017 - 21:44

          I would definitely test ride first. Bike choice is pretty personal as is frame size. It was everything I wanted but you might be different.

        • Euphemistic on 02/06/2017 - 08:27

          @Peace Maker: I have been able to ride the bikes I have purchased without test riding. I do have a good idea what size I need and typically have been able to make it comfortable to ride fairly easily. For an urban bike like the x1 it is a lot easier to fit the bike than needing to determine if the geometry suits your riding style.

  • tsunamisurfer on 26/05/2017 - 17:38
    +1

    You have a good bike at the moment….if you are just as casual rider, then spending over $1000 on a bike is enough for the daily commute.

  • warteva on 26/05/2017 - 18:16

    The only reason why i wanted to have a change is cos the gears are playing up. I had a crash before and its not the same anymore despite having it serviced many times. Hence why im looking if i should just change the groupset (to tiagra or something) or upgrade to a new one completely.

    • ceftax3 on 26/05/2017 - 20:22

      I am new to riding but I absolutely love my bike. It is a Caad8 with a 105 groupset that I bought earlier this year.

      There are sooo many bike deals going around at the moment, it might actually work out cheaper in the long run if you bought a new bike. For not much more that a new groupset, you might be able to upgrade and get yourself a new bike. Then just sell you current bike cheap for some new accessories.

      See the deals below:
      Synpase Sora: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/309326

      Caad8 105: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/305422

    • RockyRaccoon on 27/05/2017 - 08:04

      Is it the same shop who repairs the bike as the one offerring the new bike?

      You say he is pushing the new bike as its more stiff? I cant understand how that term relates to your gears.

      I had a crash and repaired the bike with a new derailleur and chain. One broken the other bent. BTW Repaced thse myself and retuned with the help of internet videos (Aliexpress/ebay for parts)

      Replacing the whole groupset seems extreme. If these were ALL damaged I would have thought the whole bike would have been damaged as well.

      I suggest you have another blke shop look at the bike.

      And some repairs are easy for an owner to do as I mentioned above

    • 2ndeffort on 02/06/2017 - 09:04

      Another thought is that you can buy groupset bits pretty cheap on FB Swap groups. What exactly is the problem with your groupset? Trouble changing gears? Strange rattling noise? You can pickup Ultegra level bits off some of the FB swap groups a lot cheaper than a bike shop.

  • chumlee on 26/05/2017 - 18:34
    +1

    Probably a difference in the profit for the retailer but no distinguishable difference for your ride

    • warteva on 26/05/2017 - 18:44

      R u suggesting is better off just changing my groupset? :)

      • altomic on 26/05/2017 - 19:56

        yeah

  • Nugs on 26/05/2017 - 19:39

    I could not imagine spending $1000 on a pushie, let alone more.

    • PotPlant on 26/05/2017 - 20:09
      +4

      I think my "pushie" is literally my favourite material possession. It keeps me super fit, I get to see amazing things and get there under my own steam, I take it overseas, and we have bonded over thousands and thousands of kilometres. Riding regularly has also helped my twice operated on knee to become completely pain free. I love my main bike so much that my spare bike is worth $3000. And I am not rich. Its just that…..different things appeal to different people.

      • [Deactivated] on 26/05/2017 - 20:32
        -7

        You know what appeals to me? The idea of a bike rider using the designated cycling lanes on Beaconsfield Parade in peak hour, instead of riding on the road and blocking traffic just to prove how tough he is.

        [Deactivated] on 26/05/2017 - 20:32 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
        • PotPlant on 26/05/2017 - 20:38
          +5

          Yep, sorry, my mistake. All cyclists, nationwide, are jerks. And all motorists are awesome. All the time. :)

        • [Deactivated] on 26/05/2017 - 21:00
          -2

          @nortyjak: I agree, 95% of riders are great and use the designated bike paths. But every morning there is one guy, who seems to think he can keep up with traffic at 25kmh. And the scary thing is, that one guy, every morning it's a different guy.

        • RockyRaccoon on 27/05/2017 - 08:07
          +1

          @Burnertoasty:

          every morning it's a different guy

          so why are you so worried. That should tell you something

        • [Deactivated] on 27/05/2017 - 08:39
          -2

          @RockyRaccoon: Im not worried, I'm pissed off. It should be pretty clear why I'm pissed off, I just want to get to work and that one guy is always in the way. It's so dangerous for him, for a start. Same thing happens on Dandenong Rd on the way home. It's essentially a 5 lane highway, and there is always one guy on it, in what is a clear way zone ( to further emphasise how many cars are on it and the need for them to flow). Most cyclists are smart enough to avoid it at peak hour or ride on the footpath. But not Mr important with a death wish.

        • RockyRaccoon on 27/05/2017 - 13:44
          -1

          @innerserenity: Well thats the point I was making, since its a different guy each time, so I guess someone else always beats him to it. 🚴🏿🤕🤕🤕

        • POSITIVEVIBESONLY on 27/05/2017 - 15:24
          +1

          @RockyRaccoon: hahaha I was really out of the loop, needed you to spell it out for me.

        • Euphemistic on 28/05/2017 - 09:08
          +1

          @Burnertoasty: I'm pissed off too, I want to get to work on my bike safely and there are you clowns out there whinging about B being held up for all of 10 seconds while you wait to ge past. Bikes have legal right to be in the road, get over yourself.

        • [Deactivated] on 28/05/2017 - 11:28
          -1

          @Euphemistic: If there is a designated cycle path alternative bikes should not have a legal right to the road. And using a bike in peak hour on a busy road ain't just dangerous, it's selfish and being an (profanity). It's not 10 seconds, bikes in peak hour on busy roads are mobile traffic jams, the impact of a single cyclist can be get many kilometres down the road, in more than one lane, as cars have to change lanes in order to avoid the cyclist. Pragmatics and being a good citizen should come into it.

        • Euphemistic on 28/05/2017 - 21:10
          +1

          @Burnertoasty: one bike does not cause a massive traffic jam, it's all the cars that do that. When there are that many cars on the road that you think a bike causes so much drama, the average speed is going to be much closer to the speed of the bike anyway lessening the impact. traffic lights causes stops and starts that impact traffic much more than a bike.

          If you have ever ridden a bike along a bike path you will know that they often stop and start at random locations making it much more efficient to ride on the road. having to stop to cross a road uses significantly more energy that going with the flow of the traffic.

          Most cyclists will choose a compromise between safe (low traffic or paths) and direct routes they don't just jump on the nearest busy road. Riding on a busy road is not at all enjoyable, so when it can be avoided it usually is.

        • [Deactivated] on 28/05/2017 - 21:16

          @Euphemistic:

          Yeah, the cars changing lanes around the bikes cause the jams.

        • Euphemistic on 28/05/2017 - 21:20

          @Burnertoasty: yeah, coz I've never been in a traffic jam that wasn't caused by a bike. In fact every single time I've been slowed down driving in my car the has been a bike at the front.

          When you are driving your car, you are not stuck in traffic, you are the traffic.

        • [Deactivated] on 28/05/2017 - 22:14

          @Euphemistic: Total straw man.

        • Euphemistic on 29/05/2017 - 07:09

          @Burnertoasty: well think about if all those on bike were in cars how much extra traffic there would be.

          Get over yourself, the worse the traffic gets and the more fuel prices rise, the more likely there are to be extra bikes on the roads

        • PotPlant on 29/05/2017 - 15:56

          @Euphemistic: Agree with every single word.

        • 2ndeffort on 30/05/2017 - 12:59
          +1

          @Burnertoasty: so let me get this strsaight….bikes arent as fast as cars so if we share the road we force others behind us to have to slow down or cause them stress having to overtake. Because we do this we must be arrogant and selfish, particularly if we also wear lycra whilst doing so. We should be legally forced to ride on an adjacent bikepath.

          If we ride on the bikepath and we complain about having to slowdown for slower cyclists, pedestrians, people walking the dog or small kids we are also arrogant, impatient and entitled. So if I am a cyclist riding a roadbike at 35 km/hr and you come up behind slower pedestrians or cyclists doing 5-10 km/hr I am a reckless hoon endangering lives. If I ride ont he road I am a slowpoke holding everyone up and causing chaos. If I complain and ask where is appropriate for me to ride i get told I am arrogant and entitled for even asking the question but the answer is "I dont care as long as it isnt anywhere near me".

          Yeah right! Also, for the record, like most cyclists i am a 90% driver, 10% cyclist. I drive to work most days partly up Dandenong Road coming from home in Berwick to work on St kilda rd. Monash Fwy part of the way and Dandenong Rd part of the way. I do this every weekday. I see cyclists on the slip lanes and side roads, I see a cyclist in gridlock on Dandenong Rd maybe once or twice a year, normally as they skip from slip lane to slip lane. I drive in peak hour (8-8:30 am and 5:30 - 6:30 pm). I've ne3ver been held up by a cyclist on Dandenong Rd. Sometimes if it is busy on the Monash i will drive the length of Dandenong Rd between Berwick and the city. Still never been held up by a cyclist!

  • Euphemistic on 28/05/2017 - 09:01

    Didn't take long to get to cycle hate. Don't know why the haters even bother looking at these theeads.

    Anyway,

    I expected it to be a question about Kmart bikes vs bike shop bikes. There is a big deference there, some are absolute rubbish and yes, you can feel the difference easily.

    Yes, a more expensive bike will be better, stiffer, better gears etc. the question is will YOU notice the difference. Most riders won't. The Reid, Fluid examples don't have the 'brand name tax' on them and are almost as good. The frames are very similar and the running gear is identical (as long as the running gear model is the same). Cheaper models usually cut a few corners with things like cheaper bars and wheels that you don't 'see' in the spec sheet.

    What you have is a pretty nice bike, and it should be able to made to run nicely with proper servicing and replacement. If you don't want to upgrade there is no need, but if you want to you will need to decide what benefits you will get out of your new bike. I ride a lot and have had and have a lot of bikes. I can feel the difference in some things, but in others it doesn't make any difference. My current flat bar commuter seems to accelerate better than my old mid 90s road bike, the frame feels stiffer.

  • 2ndeffort on 29/05/2017 - 13:22
    +3

    Dodging the obvious cyclist hate, to answer the original question:

    It Depends!!

    You say you just ride the bike to work. If that means a leisurely roll down a reasonably flat bikepath for 20 mins or less each way then there is probably not much reason to spend another $1K on a different bike. I say this from a functional perspective. I have 4 bikes and I seem to spend hours each day daydreaming and convincing myself that my life isn't complete because I don't have a CX bike or a fixie or I've never ridden a lapierre or a Ritte Vlanderen etc etc. From a purely functional perspective there is probably no reason to upgrade your current bike. From an emotional perspective there is not much better than 'New Bike Day'!!!

    In terms of the groupsets, you would get more gears with the better groupset and maybe a little less weight but if you arent riding up hills that bother you now then this probably isn't going to be a noticeable upgrade….from a functional perspective. If a bike is stiffer in the right places it should transfer more of the precious watts your legs generate into forward momentum. The trick with good bike frames is building one that is stiff in the right direction but has a bit of give in other areas so that every lump and bump on the road doesn't rattle your back teeth. Those little 'marginal gains' for transferring a couple of extra watts or shaving off a couple of extra grams of weight are how the bike companies justify their extra pricing for premium models. if you arent struggling to make the distance or struggling to get up hills now I am not sure how a stiffer frame would help. It might make you a couple of watts more efficient but if you arent worried about performance so much why would this be a consideration?

    I have an old aluminium giant defy that I built up out of mostly 2nd hand parts. I also have a Trek Madone 9 with a Di2 Groupset. They both functionally do the same thing, the trek cost me many many times more than the Giant. Although the Giant is still a good bike to ride, in comparison, the Madone is like floating on a rocketship (OK maybe a slight exaggeration). When i ride to work I take the Giant for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is that i am scared the Madone would get nicked or damaged. Practically, for a leisurely roll along a bikepath the Giant does 90% of what the Madone does for a fraction of the price. On my epic 8 hour weekend rides with my bike buddies and on my quest to make it into the top 20% of all my local Strava segments the Madone is light years ahead of the Giant. I could do the rides on the Giant no problems but I would be slower and it might not be as comfortable.

    What price do you put on going a bit quicker, being a bit more comfortable and maybe the hills on your ride being a little bit easier. If you are prepared to invest an extra $1K for these things then go for it. in terms of your groupset, without knowing anything about your bike it is highly unlikely that you've trashed the whole gruppo. A better groupset will get you extra gears that should make hills easier. With the age of your frame though, in a $$ sense you would probably be over capitalising. In other words, the cost of the groupset is probably 70-80% of the cost of a new bike. If you were going to have to spend $600 for a 105 groupset for example, you might as well spend a bit extra and get the whole new bike.

    • warteva on 29/05/2017 - 22:16
      +1

      Wow thanks for the insight. Definitely help me to think from different perspective now :)

  • Zippy7 on 06/06/2017 - 17:55
    +1

    The guy at the shop is just trying to sell you a new bike.

    You have a Giant Avail - comfort/endurance geometry, works well for commuting.

    He is trying to sell you a Merida Scultura - that's RACE geometry, not so comfortable, and not so suitable for commuting. He should've been pushing the Merida Ride model - that's their endurance/comfort bike (which is basically what you already have).

    So based on that, the answer is NO, no need to upgrade.

    Getting to your issue of bad shifting since a crash, despite the services.
    I suspect that when you crashed, you landed on the drive side, and probably bent the rear derailleur hanger. The shop will need to bend it back or replace it (I'm guessing it would be around $20 replacement cost??).

    Sora is plenty good for commuting. Seriously.
    105 is nice, but if you're happy with your existing bike, except for the shifting, then just get it sorted at a competent bike shop.
    You pay more $$ for replacement chains and cassettes as you go up the groupsets.

    Now if you just want a new bike, that's another issue altogether.

    Bike sales people aren't necessarily mechanics. If it's 99 bikes, they do push the sales side of things quite hard…

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