First Look: Specialized Epic 8

[Jewbacca]

2 minutes ago, Jbr said:

You could've at least waited 24h, when you posted nobody said anything on this thread about the bike

I knew it was coming..... and I was right!!! 😝

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, Jewbacca said:

Why are you question marking?

It's the same every year. New bikes are released and the internet is awash with 'experts' telling them how they should have done it, the geo is wrong, their auntie had one 23 years ago and it sucked so this one must suck etc.....

EVERY TIME! hahahahaha

Well it depends. imagine this MRP was R395k? Imagine it was R495k? would it be ok to comment on it then?

The price of top of the range bikes has become insane, just like you can buy a polo for R250k, or a porcshe for R5m. It wasn't like this that long ago.

 

They only cost this much because people buy them. and BOY do people  buy them so the pricing is correct (in terms of market forces).

 

infact, I could get a rapid divorce by this afternoon if i clicked this to my cart

 

 

guarantee you the stock will fly, so don't dither kids.

 

[Jewbacca]

9 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

Well it depends. imagine this MRP was R395k? Imagine it was R495k? would it be ok to comment on it then?

The price of top of the range bikes has become insane, just like you can buy a polo for R250k, or a porcshe for R5m. It wasn't like this that long ago.

 

They only cost this much because people buy them. and BOY do people  buy them so the pricing is correct (in terms of market forces).

 

infact, I could get a rapid divorce by this afternoon if i clicked this to my cart

 

 

guarantee you the stock will fly, so don't dither kids.

 

By all means comment away. I'm remarking on how predictable the merry dance is every single time.

The same posters making the same comments every year.

It is hilarious. 

[Steady Spin]

6 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

By all means comment away. I'm remarking on how predictable the merry dance is every single time.

The same posters making the same comments every year.

It is hilarious. 

Do you think they know that nobody is forcing them to buy it? 

[karma]

17 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

 

 

guarantee you the stock will fly, so don't dither kids.

 

At that price, they could only afford to make 2...

On a serious note, I do expect the financing options to change rapidly now, although no bank would want to finance a R300k bike that will be thrown around trails and depreciate every ride. 

[lechatnoir]

At 300k, I'm quite disappointed it only has 2 colourways... At that price, I'd like to get a handful of colours to ride on different days. I think that'd be nice. #disappointed. I'll pass until they make it in more colours

[splat]

1 hour ago, Jono said:

Everyone on about the price. I like to think if I perceive something as too expensive, I’m probably not the target market.

The stand out for me is the 65.9 degree head angle on an xc race bike. What a time to be alive.

I know that I am not the target market, but I look at these bikes the same way I look at a Super Car. Its just a thing of unattainable beauty and frightening cost. I would like to touch it, but don't think I would want to own it (unless I won several Lotto's).

I feel a bit sad knowing that each year and each new model (of any brand) puts me further and further away from owning a new bike. But I do think about the trickle-down tech in future years.

I also wonder what it does to the 2nd hand market.

[Irvin85]

That is crazy, for the guys in the industry, what does it cost to run a MTB team in SA, lets say you have 4 riders? 

Just the bikes alone will cost you a fortune, Cycling is killing professional cycling. these outrageous costs for a top end bike make it harder and harder to fund a team.  

[NotSoBigBen]

Thank heavens I'm just a hacker cyclist .... when people ask I say I own an Sworks Epic, don't have to mention which one do I?

[avatar]

Im just here for the comments...

[Danger Dassie]

27 minutes ago, Irvin85 said:

That is crazy, for the guys in the industry, what does it cost to run a MTB team in SA, lets say you have 4 riders? 

Just the bikes alone will cost you a fortune, Cycling is killing professional cycling. these outrageous costs for a top end bike make it harder and harder to fund a team.  

Even as hot takes go, that's pretty wild.

[Irvin85]

23 minutes ago, NotSoBigBen said:

Thank heavens I'm just a hacker cyclist .... when people ask I say I own an Sworks Epic, don't have to mention which one do I?

When people say the own a Sworks... is that the same as people telling you they went to "Affies" or have a MBA or was part of the "rekkies"?

[NotSoBigBen]

Just now, Irvin85 said:

When people say the own a Sworks... is that the same as people telling you they went to "Affies" or have a MBA or was part of the "rekkies"?

No we're a lot cooler than that!

[LazyTrailRider]

2 hours ago, Shebeen said:

The price of top of the range bikes has become insane, just like you can buy a polo for R250k, or a porcshe for R5m. It wasn't like this that long ago.

Every year, this gets rehashed. Every single year.

A top-of-the-range bike has always (even when I started checking when I was in varsity in 1998) cost roughly the same as an entry-level Polo. Now it's slightly more than an entry-level Polo, but only because of the very expensive electronic tech which has been tacked on.

I honestly don't think this is excessive. The reality is simply that the South African economy has regressed in buying power against large parts of the "first world", so it seems crazy to us.

In my industry (software dev and SaaS) the gap in cost between local skills and US skills as an example, has grown significantly the last 15 years. For those who haven't realised it yet (I don't know how this is possible) the average South African is getting poorer in real terms. This is structurally expected unfortunately, but it still makes people go WTF. Sorry folks, things are expensive because we're povvos, not because they're overpriced 🤷‍♂️

Edited March 13, 2024 by LazyTrailRider
Typo and grammar fix

[NGM]

18 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

One of the biggest and most successful bike companies releases new bike...... everyone knows better......

A tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme... 

I love the internet.

I couldn't care for the expensive bike banter but as you know, I love a good 90s movie or music reference. Double points on this one, a ripper. Celine and Peabo at their best. 

[Jewbacca]

10 minutes ago, NickGM said:

I couldn't care for the expensive bike banter but as you know, I love a good 90s movie or music reference. Double points on this one, a ripper. Celine and Peabo at their best. 

I knew you would appreciate it!