The future of (my) cycling?

[Takingabreak]

There is a thread on here about the state of the cycling industry that I have been following with interest. One of the things around the cycling industry that I’m struggling with is why new bikes are so expensive and how have those prices become normalised.

It’s partly down to the high prices and low resale values of used bikes that has stopped me buying one of those new fangled gravel things. You see, nagging at the Buy It Now part of my brain is a Sonder Camino gravel bike, these look good value for money compared to some other brands and would maybe cost me £1500 for what I wanted.

So, what has stopped me buying? Well, even keenly priced at £1500, that is still a fair amount of money to splurge, particularly when used models on that famous auction site are dragging their heels limping through at £700-£800.

But that is only part of the reason for me, the other part is much more disturbing for my brain, that is, my cycling requirements have changed.

Maybe I don’t have any real reason to buy another bike - WTH.

Thinking back to the COVID bike boom, they were fantastic cycling days, I could cycle on the road with barely any traffic, with plenty of space to swerve round potholes without risk of being mashed by an overtaking vehicle. I could also pootle off into the countryside for some leisurely fresh air without hoards of people spoiling my solitude.

How I miss those times.

Now, the COVID times wasn’t just a boom for bikes, it was also a boom for dogs. So many people bought dogs during lockdown, I assume the appeal was that walking the dog was a way to get some much needed fresh air and exercise.

So, fast forward to 2024 and my road cycling has become minimal / non-existent, in part due to it being February but also because road traffic seems even worse than pre-COVID and the pot hole situation seems just as bad. As for my off road forays into the Countryside, well those have also ground to a halt because I seem to encounter groups of dog walkers with their COVID purchased pets, which I don’t much enjoy. Of course, the other side of the coin is that they probably don’t much enjoy a GOM (Grumpy Old Man) on a COVID bike purchase trying to weave his way through the middle of them any more than I do.

So, has my cycling stopped I hear you ask (well I hear those that have read this far through ask)?

NO IT HAS NOT

90% of my cycling is now done in the solitude of my garage using a ZWIFT set up, no traffic, no dog walkers, no potholes, just me immersed in a virtual world of cycling listening to my favourite tunes.

WTH – if this is the future of my cycling then all I need is a bike on the trainer (not even a whole bike required) and some drivetrain spares and maybe a hybrid / rigid mountain bike for occasional outdoor cycling. That’s it, no winter bike, no summer bike, no new fancy gravel bike, no spare sets of obsolete tyres (thinking vittoria open pave here) – NO NOTHING.

For a N+1 person, that is quite a disturbing thought, which has made me wonder if there are other people immersing themselves in a virtual world of cycling rather than venturing outside and if there are and that number keeps growing then what does the future of cycling and demand for new bikes actually look like?

 

[N-plus-one]

There is a thread on here about the state of the cycling industry that I have been following with interest. One of the things around the cycling industry that I’m struggling with is why new bikes are so expensive and how have those prices become normalised.

It’s partly down to the high prices and low resale values of used bikes that has stopped me buying one of those new fangled gravel things. You see, nagging at the Buy It Now part of my brain is a Sonder Camino gravel bike, these look good value for money compared to some other brands and would maybe cost me £1500 for what I wanted.

So, what has stopped me buying? Well, even keenly priced at £1500, that is still a fair amount of money to splurge, particularly when used models on that famous auction site are dragging their heels limping through at £700-£800.

But that is only part of the reason for me, the other part is much more disturbing for my brain, that is, my cycling requirements have changed.

Maybe I don’t have any real reason to buy another bike - WTH.

Thinking back to the COVID bike boom, they were fantastic cycling days, I could cycle on the road with barely any traffic, with plenty of space to swerve round potholes without risk of being mashed by an overtaking vehicle. I could also pootle off into the countryside for some leisurely fresh air without hoards of people spoiling my solitude.

How I miss those times.

Now, the COVID times wasn’t just a boom for bikes, it was also a boom for dogs. So many people bought dogs during lockdown, I assume the appeal was that walking the dog was a way to get some much needed fresh air and exercise.

So, fast forward to 2024 and my road cycling has become minimal / non-existent, in part due to it being February but also because road traffic seems even worse than pre-COVID and the pot hole situation seems just as bad. As for my off road forays into the Countryside, well those have also ground to a halt because I seem to encounter groups of dog walkers with their COVID purchased pets, which I don’t much enjoy. Of course, the other side of the coin is that they probably don’t much enjoy a GOM (Grumpy Old Man) on a COVID bike purchase trying to weave his way through the middle of them any more than I do.

So, has my cycling stopped I hear you ask (well I hear those that have read this far through ask)?

NO IT HAS NOT

90% of my cycling is now done in the solitude of my garage using a ZWIFT set up, no traffic, no dog walkers, no potholes, just me immersed in a virtual world of cycling listening to my favourite tunes.

WTH – if this is the future of my cycling then all I need is a bike on the trainer (not even a whole bike required) and some drivetrain spares and maybe a hybrid / rigid mountain bike for occasional outdoor cycling. That’s it, no winter bike, no summer bike, no new fancy gravel bike, no spare sets of obsolete tyres (thinking vittoria open pave here) – NO NOTHING.

For a N+1 person, that is quite a disturbing thought, which has made me wonder if there are other people immersing themselves in a virtual world of cycling rather than venturing outside and if there are and that number keeps growing then what does the future of cycling and demand for new bikes actually look like?

Interesting post. I've actually gone in the opposite direction: I've just cancelled my Zwift subscription and am going to expand the range and variety of my rides. So while I will still do fast-paced peloton rides, I intend to use all of my other bikes on a more frequent basis and enjoy the philosophy of cycling whilst ceasing to obsess on PBs etc.

That doesnt mean I'm going to stop ascending Pyrenean cols. It means that I'm going to immerse myself in the real-time immediacy of things and stop and enjoy views, a beer, a stream and just take pleasure from the moment.

Potholes are a fact of life. I'll live with them. Dogs and people can be avoided, as can traffic levels.

 

[Takingabreak]

Interesting post. I've actually gone in the opposite direction: I've just cancelled my Zwift subscription and am going to expand the range and variety of my rides. So while I will still do fast-paced peloton rides, I intend to use all of my other bikes on a more frequent basis and enjoy the philosophy of cycling whilst ceasing to obsess on PBs etc.

That doesnt mean I'm going to stop ascending Pyrenean cols. It means that I'm going to immerse myself in the real-time immediacy of things and stop and enjoy views, a beer, a stream and just take pleasure from the moment.

Potholes are a fact of life. I'll live with them. Dogs and people can be avoided, as can traffic levels.

So you're going back to Old Skool real actual cycling - that seems quite impressive from where I am at the moment

 

[CassidyAce]

For me, the great outdoors is inextricably part of the pleasure of cycling. Indeed, it's probably more important to me than the cycling itself. But cycling and the great outdoors are a great combination. I've never been interested in competitive cycling or Strava. For me, a bike ride is like a micro-holiday: a break from screens, people, reasons... And it's an opportunity to enjoy nature, local history, the elements... It's an interlude in which to be carefree. Gravel bikes and retro MTBs are perfect for the local riding; they don't need to be elite bikes, they just need to be fun. The idea of cycling in the garage in front of a screen sounds horrible to me. Sorry. I'll take the wind and the rain and the potholes and the mud before riding in the garage. However, I guess we all have our own reasons for cycling and those are influenced by what the other aspects of our lives are like. If cycling in the garage works for you, so be it. Live and let live.

 

[d8mok]

Prior to Covid I used a turbo trainer when the weather wasn’t great apart from maybe 1 ride a week. Summer I managed 2 or 3 rides a week.

Since 2020 I’ve not touched the turbo and ride whatever the weather. I’d rather be wet / cold than be stuck in a garage sweating.

Summer I’ll try to get out on 2 wheels as much as possible. Maybe every day if I can.

It’s a mindset and part of the routine now. It’s very easy to say the weather isn’t great , roads are bad , dogs are in the way etc. But in truth none of it matters if you truly want to ride.

Summer is here soon- I’m sure if you started getting in a routine again you’d stick to it.

 

[widowmaker]

Ride, wherever and whenever as long as it makes you happy. Not a sob story as my life is good but lots of it is controlled by other factors workload, family, money, ailing parents and relatives the usual stuff.

On the bike I go where I want, when I want, as fast as I want, stop when I want, and avoid as many humans as possible.

 

[d8mok]

Ride, & avoid as many humans as possible.

Edited it for my mindset

 

[hamster]

I'm the same as the general tone - I work long hours in front of a computer. The last thing I want is a screen or to be indoors. I'm not saying it's wrong or right - I have a sneaking admiration for anyone who can stand the monotony of a stationary trainer.
Personally I prefer real reality to the virtual sort, with all its imperfections.

The roads round here are shocking this year and I have my road frame off being restored so it's been mainly off-road riding. The 40% real terms cut in local authority grants from central government over the past decade has left poor road surfaces and ditches unmaintained so things spiral worse even faster. I will vote accordingly.

 

[greencat]

Never managed more than about 10 minutes on a stationary trainer. But if you enjoy it, you enjoy it. No worries.

Apart from commuting, I don't really do any road riding. Living in a fairly rural area, I don't get exposed to much traffic. Similarly, providing you avoid the popular hills around here, my mates and I encounter very few other people on them. But I used to live in London too, and I was never particularly bothered about traffic either. But I was always a chilled out cyclist. Push it as hard as you can and you might shave a minute or two over a journey. Not worth the hassle for me.

I agree, the cycling industry and all of the various hangers on associated with it, have done cycling a great diservice by making it appear so expensive and inaccessible to ordinary folks with other calls on their money. Retro, secondhand or not, you can buy a perfectly good mountain bike for around £400-£500 (and much less than that if you go secondhand). It'll suit 90% of people very well unless you aren't prepared to (or can't) cycle up hills, or plan on doing black runs at the local bike park.

 

[Titiritero]

I have never cycled indoors and I don't think I'll ever do, if I decide to stay home I waste my time in other hobbies (like tinkering with my bikes). But I agree that riding on the road stinks, drivers are getting worse, even though people are more aware that we need to respect cyclists. In my opinion, now that cars are so expensive, fuel is so expensive, parking is so expensive, they feel under attack and cyclists are an easy target for their anger.

I bought once a used road bike "to try" and that lasted only 2 months. I don't feel relaxed riding next to cars as a hobby. I commute daily, but I see that differently, as a need rather than pleasure, and it's in the city where speeds are lower and we are all forced to share the road.

Among the many valid reasons for the boom of gravel bikes in the last years, one of the most important I think is that roadies wanted to get out of the road...