There is a lot of good info on this thread.. To The Author…
Mountain biking is a dirty sport. It is a sport that abuses the equipment and the rider. On Purpose. Why? Because we like it that way!
As mentioned before, today’s technology is far advanced from just a few years ago, and it is advancing exponentially. Yes prices are going up for the new technology and we all want the cool new stuff, but if you look at the lower cost stuff today compared to 5 years ago the durability is up and the weight is down, Basically you get more bang for your buck but you may spend more bucks.
So (In my opinion) to answer your question the the problems typically settle around being able to perform at a very high level (or higher than your riding buddies) on equipment that will take the abuse, keep you safe and last forever. In short… We want a Tank that goes really fast uphill AND downhill, only weighs 10 pounds, will last forever and only costs 100 bucks! So what’s the big deal?
Oh one more thing. You have to look cool too! 😆