How ridiculous are we?

[cgolvin]

I just received an email from a retailer advertising the new (?) Pirelli Pzero Presta SmarTube. $36.99 … for a tube.

I'm generally willing to pay a premium for quality items but some products just make me shake my head and mutter "cyclists are idiots".

[Hilltopwalters]

The answer to this is simply: "yes"

[AngryScientist]

P ZERO™ SmarTUBE is the most advanced inner tube in our range. It was designed to match the need for lightness and handling of professional World Tour riders and its first application was inside the P ZERO™ Race Tub SL. It is now also available for every amateur cyclist

mixed messages abound!

i thought message de jour was tubulars are dead and pros use tubeless now.

[Mark McM]

The line between "ordinary participant" and "enthusiast" is also the line between common sense and foolishness.

[jkbrwn]

I bet most people on here are not quite as ridiculous as Mr Money Bags who buys a 15k S-Works and then never rides it. Plenty of them around, I am sure.

[unterhausen]

There are a lot of this kind of tube available now. If it's light and relatively puncture resistant vs. a butyl tube, it's somewhat tempting. What's $80 on an expensive bike anyway?

I wonder if the price will stay this high for long though.

And regular tubes aren't cheap.

I am pretty sure this isn't the first thread about this type of tube here on PL

[veggieburger]

My favorite is still the 50+ guy with a massive beer belly, trying to save a couple grams by upgrading his stem. Go buddy.

[mjf]

Originally Posted by unterhausen

There are a lot of this kind of tube available now. If it's light and relatively puncture resistant vs. a butyl tube, it's somewhat tempting. What's $80 on an expensive bike anyway?

I wonder if the price will stay this high for long though.

And regular tubes aren't cheap.

I am pretty sure this isn't the first thread about this type of tube here on PL

Same thought process here.

I work at a shop, so I'll be giving these a try sooner or later

[Coffee Rider]

Originally Posted by veggieburger

My favorite is still the 50+ guy with a massive beer belly, trying to save a couple grams by upgrading his stem. Go buddy.

That's just a bit more extreme than a lot of people (myself included) are with regard to the really expensive stuff we ride that won't actually make us any faster. Some people just want the best stuff there is, even though it won't make a real difference.

[pasadena]

Originally Posted by cgolvin

I just received an email from a retailer advertising the new (?) Pirelli Pzero Presta SmarTube. $36.99 … for a tube.

I'm generally willing to pay a premium for quality items but some products just make me shake my head and mutter "cyclists are idiots".

Shoes: $450
kit: $700
bike: $12,000
helmet: $300
wheels: $2500
saddle: $300

$37 innertube sounds just about right for cycling.

[Coffee Rider]

Originally Posted by cgolvin

I just received an email from a retailer advertising the new (?) Pirelli Pzero Presta SmarTube. $36.99 … for a tube.

I'm generally willing to pay a premium for quality items but some products just make me shake my head and mutter "cyclists are idiots".

I know I'm an idiot and still wouldn't pay that much for a tube.

[cgolvin]

Originally Posted by unterhausen

There are a lot of this kind of tube available now. If it's light and relatively puncture resistant vs. a butyl tube, it's somewhat tempting. What's $80 on an expensive bike anyway?

I wonder if the price will stay this high for long though.

And regular tubes aren't cheap.

OK, well clearly there is a market.

Personally, for a consumable item that I can often repair multiple times, regular tubes are definitely cheap in contrast to these (and tubolitos, and others of this ilk).

Yes, plenty of other examples of ridiculously priced components etc. premised on saving weight, increasing watts, etc., that's the point, but this one just seems especially egregious to me. Buy whatever the hell you like.

[Peter P.]

They must be Rapha tubes.

[pasadena]

makes latex tubes seem like cheap bargains.

i'm getting more and more disgusted by the prices. I know this last year has been a boon for the bike industry but these massive margins and pushing everything into the "luxury" segment is off putting...

[reuben]

Originally Posted by pasadena

Shoes: $450
kit: $700
bike: $12,000
helmet: $300
wheels: $2500
saddle: $300

$37 innertube sounds just about right for cycling.

I'd certainly be willing to spend $300 USD on a helmet to save my noggin, and I'd also be willing to buy a saddle that works for me. But so far I've managed to stick to $150 USD shoes. $2500 wheels? Nope, and Ye Olde Potatoe can verify that.

I can afford all of the above, but fortunately I inherited some sort of "reasonable" or "frugal" gene from my parents, God bless them.

I'm getting old, I weigh too much, I don't ride enough, and I no longer have a desire to race in any fashion. What I currently own already (lugged steel frame) exceeds my current ability. I'm not real happy about that, but c'est la vie.