Poll: Have your buying habits changed?

I’d say the biggest factors in my spending decrease is having a 1 year old at home and moving where the nearest trails are +30 minutes away. 

As above, fatherhood is definitely having a much bigger impact than economical factors or technological factors.

I answered "about the same" even though the way I spend money has changed a lot. I used to buy an entry level bike between 2-3k every other year, and then spend tons on upgrades, constant changes of suspension wheels, brakes, tyres, pedals, grips etc etc.

Now I spend a lot more (4-6k) upfront on an ebike every 2-3 years, but I barely upgrade it, as it just doesn't have as much affect on the ride quality as base geo and components are usually dialed these days.

I spend about the same. I'm in my 50's, have been riding forever, and still enjoy it immensely. It's a priority for me, so it would take a major, personal economic change to have an affect. 

I spend slightly less but it has nothing to do with the economy.  As a chef my pay has greatly increased while my expenses have not increased at remotely the same rate (or have mostly returned to normal post COVID).  If anything my spending power toward my hobby has increased, especially considering the plethora of deals and the fact I have every intention of dialing my current platforms rather than potentially trying new frames.

But I simply have decided I have other things in my life I need to focus on as I enter my mid 30s.  Cutting back on beer, restaurants, trips, etc too.  And while I have some planned upgrades budgeted for this quarter as well as a percentage of savings additionally budgeted towards “bikes and fun” that’s a far cry from being willing to spend several entire paychecks on bikes, student loans, and my very manageable rent payment,

I don't keep track but my gut says a little bit less, mostly because bikes and parts have gotten so good, I feel a lot less tempted to upgrade.  That said, I just did get new brakes for both my bikes.  But I mean, a lot of other stuff just lasts longer... Conti tires last about 3x as long as Maxxis did for me, T-type chains last years, my bikes/wheels don't need new bearings every 4 months like the last 2, etc.

I had a kid as well and that has made finding time to ride a bit harder, upgrades have to wait because we need more diapers

I used to look for the latest and greatest and pull the trigger without thought. But now that my bikes are built exactly how I want them, I don't find myself looking to buy anything new any more. The only time I spend money on my bikes is to maintain them and to replace worn out parts (tires, brake pads, cassette, chain, etc). 

This I feel is 2-fold; The industry has leveled off at a really good place quality wise, so even the newest, best of the best is just marginally better than what was good 3 years ago. And as I mature (45yrs old) I realize the little gains I'd get from the latest parts really wont help my riding that much anyway. Taking care of my health and fitness is far more important than the newest damper or drivetrain. Getting a divorce also made me realize the overspending I was doing and how unnecessary it was.

For me, the economy is forcing me to spend less but my experience with mountain biking motivates me to spend more. So sadly those things aren't aligned. But also some current industry trends are making me hesitant to buy new stuff. I bought a Kona during the Kona-Kerfuffle last year, wanting some modernization of the Kona I already had (2016)... And I realized fairly quickly the new rig just isn't for me. But since it was such a direct comparison (same model/travel) it gave me some valuable data on what geometry I prefer and where the limit is.

Sadly, regardless of me figuring out these minor details of what the perfect bike is for me, they don't really exist as new models and are even fairly hard to find as secondhand models. So not sure how to move forward after I sell this bike. Although I did buy a hardtail to ride this year with some smaller numbers just to have something to ride while deciding. Of course no luck selling the nearly new Kona in this market. Definitely slightly frustrated with my bike situation now.

Same here, and also have 2 kids who are getting towards college age but MTB is pretty much the only hobby I spend money on (I run too but shoes are cheap compared to bikes) and I quit drinking a few years ago so that also freed up some cash.

Also fortunate that my family understands how integral to my physical and mental health bikes are so they are supportive (occasional eye-rolling aside 🤣)

I have cut back, I am in my mid 50's, ride 4-5 times a week.  I took this year off from racing and that has saved money, both travel and bike maintenance.  I am not going through tires as quickly, not spending money on gas or lodging.  I also ride a v1 Transition Sentinel, I keep looking to get a new one and just cannot justify it.  That bike was ahead of its time with the geometry and I know the newer ones are better, but how much??  I keep up with the bearings, shock rebuilds and drivetrain and she just keeps plugging along.  I guess I am enjoying being home on the weekends and just riding my local trails, this will be the first year I did not ride a chair lift to ride my bike in 22 years!  Lift tickets are expensive, lift lines are longer.  I am turning into a grumpy old man.  But I just cannot find a reason to spend the way I did over the past 20+ years when I am smiling on my local trails.  

I've always used component failures/breakage as upgrade opportunities, but parts are lasting much longer now. The appeal that the new crop of mtb frames offers is underwhelming as well. I can't justify replacing a 4 year-old frame just to get some in-frame storage and a seat post angle that's 1.5 degrees steeper than my current one. At 45, despite being much more financially able than I was 10 years ago, I'm also skeptical that the new "tech" is going to make me any faster or allow me to enjoy my rides more. Conversely, if there's something I actually do need, I'm much more inclined to the get the option I want most regardless of price point. 

I like to believe mine have changed and im spending less, but i think im probably spending the same.  My high school kid is in a performing arts studio and those costs have skyrocketed this year. Plus theres college applications and high school senior costs. My increased salary this year is being eaten up by that.  Blech.  But also, upgrades arent as motivating.  Ive got a very nicely built enduro bike and i think any upgrades would have marginal effect on my riding.  Wireless sounds cool and all, but its not going to make me faster.  I i was thinking i spent less based on whatnive written, but I also added a dh bike to the stable this year (used market).  Id like to throw some upgrades at it, but im probably just going to stick with maintenance.  Upgrading to a new dh fork is just so ridiculously expensive.  I cant justify it.  

This!

Although my purchase power as increased in this past few years, having a kid (2yo at the moment) has made ride time very little so I can´t justify the upgrades right now. 

The biggest challenge as of right now is being able to ride at all.

But my hope is in the not so distant future I can have more riding time and can justify to myself upgrading just for the sake of it instead of just replacing what is broken.

I started working in the industry a few years ago, along with the discounts that usually come with it, my spending habits have dropped. I don't spend nearly as much as I did even when comparing MSRP amounts from before changing jobs. I found what I liked and have stuck with it pretty well.

I find myself spending less on the latest and greatest and more on bike trips/lift tickets/season passes. Same as a lot of people chiming in here, I have kids getting towards the end of high school and looking at colleges. That definitely factors into my spending habits, but honestly I feel bikes have generally plateaued as far as performance is concerned. I still drool over a lot of the new bikes coming out, I just don’t lust after them like I used to. I’m pretty happy with the few bikes I have now and will probably only upgrade when they break or become completely clapped out. Although that new GT Fury is taunting me…Parts seem to have gotten more reliable as well. Deore everything is great IMO and cheap. I haven’t bought a Maxxis tire in a long time either. For me, there are a lot of cheaper just as nice options that fit the bill just fine. The only big ticket item I think I’ll spend my money on this winter is suspension upgrades for my DH bike. And even then I’ll probably go with Rock Shox or Fox even though I’d really like Ohlins. I just can’t justify it. 

Im solidly in that way less category. While having a second kid certainly impacted the amount of time I ride and spending money on necessary consumable replacement parts, There just have not been a lot of notable improvements in bikes/components the past few years that is going to make my riding experience much better than it already is. Bikes are so freaking good now. Im on a G2 Sentinel that I bought right when it came out and have been riding the shit out of for 4 years now. That bike has moden geo, reasonable weight and really everything I want in a bike with the exception of in-frame storage. I considered picking up a SJ EVO when they were getting blown out but decided having in frame storage was not work the spend. 

In the past 4 years the 2 non-consumable upgrades ive made are the Vorsprung smashpot in my 36 and the e13 Sidekick hub. Every time I ride my bike and rip a descent, I get giddy with how great it is. Ive got the $$ for some upgrades that would make a difference but Im just not seeing much out there currently which will make my riding experience that much better. 

Im also trying to be a bit aware of my general consumption of consumeristic crap. The older I get the more obvious it is that less is more and the only thing I really need more of is FREE TIME. 

I mean I recently turned 18, and my job as a mountain bike coach has allowed me to spend more than I should on mountain biking in general.

I spend significantly less because I now have everything I need.

Also Chain Reaction died so there are fewer "I don't need that right now but the price is too good to refuse" moments.

I’m interested to know why you think people have less purchasing power than say early or pre pandemic.

I will agree some people have less purchasing power than during the pandemic.  1200 a week is a significant raise for a vast portion of Americans even if a significant decrease for “middle class Americans”. And they could do that while staying home and not paying for child care.

Again i work in the restaurant industry.  I have no problem saying we have greatly increased our costs towards our consumers.  But its purely labor.  Honestly profit margins are slightly down and product has very much normalized.  To the point I can actually get certain products grocery stores are willing to take a loss on there cheaper than the price legally set by the state for wholesalers.

But our business isn’t down.  It’s growing better than ever.  And that’s pretty much universal across every restaurant I’ve worked in since pre pandemic.  All while paying workers a significantly better wage.

If the economy was truly bad my industry is the first to get hit.  I remember 07 recession.  The place I worked at went from 4-5 million in sales to barely above one.

So I agree certain services are more expensive.  But simply consumers have gained wages at better than that rate. And are simply willing to pay for those services at a bigger rate.  All while complaining how expensive everything is and patting themselves on the back for earning a promotion.

I’ve spent more in the last two years, but only because I am making a conscious decision to buy some things at retail from a friend who just opened a shop. 

 I’ve had direct access to wholesale accounts and industry EP since 1998, but it wasn’t until 2022 that someone started a local bikeshop impactful enough for me to choose to patronize them. 

I still can’t imagine buying a frame or fork or deraileur at retail, but the novelty of paying full price for grips and tires and snacks so that my buddy can keep his lights on feels good.

I’ve probably spent more money buying  used, vintage road bike parts than new mtb parts in the last two years, though.  You literally can’t own enough 9 speed Durace.  It’s sooo shiny.

i've got a set of 8 speed campy wheels that you would probably want.  spam.jpg 

I was stupid enough to sell my old house and move and buy w an interest rate more than double.  So,  My mtg doubled.   I used to not even think about how I spent money.  Not any more.    

INTEREST RATES!  Profound affect.  Definitely regret selling even if my old neighborhood sucked.    

Mine has dropped mainly because I found a bike I love and have decided it's perfect for where I live and the trails I enjoy.  No more wondering what's better or chasing what's new.  Now my expense is mainly remove and replace worn parts as needed and hope that the frame lasts forever, or at least until I turn 70 and the e-bike need arises.   

While we often measure the inflation of economy through stuff like milk and eggs and gas, etc. The reality is purchasing power usually gets tied to the big stuff. Housing, first and foremost... And after that honestly car payments/maintenance and child care/costs if you have kids. (And healthcare particularly if you aren't in a position to have good employee insurance.) And that may also be for a variety of reasons. Cuz of course the costs still could align with inflation (they typically don't, but lets pretend they do) but the costs are DIFFERENT now. Even if you were taught maintenance basics by your parents, there may be a HOST of things you don't have the aptitude or equipment to handle on a modern car or even a modern house now. And with the new dual income meta to support modern housing prices, people pay out way more for child care. And I'm not even factoring in the concept of being shackled down by student loans to try to get an education worthy of 100k+ in modern times. (the joke is 200k is the new 100k, but if you are calculating inflation back to 1997 its just objective truth lol)

All this stuff could be applied PRE-pandemic. It's clearly gotten just that extra bit worse post-pandemic and you're starting to seriously choke out your middle class. Also, I dunno what area you're in, but I feel like plenty of restaurants are feeling the effects of not only pandemic but post-pandemic economy now. Shutting down left and right where I live. And many buildings left unfilled still. So I dunno...

The good news is bikes are so good you don't need to spend 5-10k to get a good ride! 2-3k right now will get you more than enough to shred.

Interesting that you are getting down voted for stating what is showed in this data.  Most people are doing fine, if not better than before the pandemic.  Majority of those stating they are spending less are doing so for personal reasons ie; kids, conscience choice, like what they already own.  A few people are doing worse, which sucks, but there are always people that are doing worse even in the strongest of economies.  BTW there are always people doing better even in the worst economies.  Nothing will ever change that.

Meh. I know it's technically on theme but I really don't want this to turn into another economy thread that wades in the paddling pool of 'i know people doing fine so things are fine.

National average minimum wage is 9 bucks (and thats after a decent bump through covid of course). Average rent is somewhere between 1500-2k, depending on which unreliable source you care to cite. Average house cost is 360k-500k, also depending on which unreliable source you cherry pick. (Not even gonna touch on housing cost where I live lol, hence using averages)

We're choking our middle class and gate keeping the next generation (as per tradition!) and the fact that a neighbor who works a trade is doing ok and a neighbor who is a teacher and is struggling... Doesn't mean Thanos has perfectly balanced the economy and both people are able to mountain bike. A reductive conversation on the economy is probably NOT what this thread needs. Whoever brought it up first may now assume the position for the paddling...

This is CLEARLY a thread where everyone announces that they do, indeed, have children now. And seal in concrete the age demo of the forums lol

I built a bike in '21 that was exactly what I wanted with all of the parts that I wanted, a generally no-expense-spared build. Maybe, introspectively, I'm finally coming to terms with being in my mid-30s and don't need a new bike every 2 years as I once thought I did. I don't have unlimited hours to ride and train every week like when I tried to race in college. I'm certainly not a top 1% rider, so incremental improvement in tech means about 0% improvement to my experience/performance. Nothing (bike or component) has come out in the time since that makes me question my main ride.  It's not a money concern in my household, but a few hundred dollars in parts I don't actually need here and there is better served with me popping my camper down somewhere for a long weekend and riding with friends. 

Buying habits changed with the rise of carbon. Now I want (and have) a warranty in case something cracks on the AM bike, e-bikes would be the same with motors I.e. bought new at a discount and holding for longer. I had no issue though buying an ex rental spec demo that I’ll probably offload next bike park season after 2x years of ownership.