Originally Posted by
Atlas Shrugged
To prevent this thread from shutting down and get things back to the original premise, I believe high-end bicycles are so expensive nowadays due to the following.
I'll say that there are a variety of factors contributing to this trend. One major factor is the rising cost of materials, particularly carbon fiber that are commonly used in bike frames. Additionally, advances in technology and design have made bikes more complex and sophisticated manufacture, which drives up the price. Lastly, increasing specialization has created a greater demand for high-end bikes, which manufacturers have capitalized on by producing pricier models with marginal gains in mind regardless of the cost to implement.
The additional expenses required to attain the slight improvements expected from premium bicycles significantly add to the end user's cost, particularly due to the limited quantities involved. It's important to factor in all the tooling and development costs.
I agree that marketing plays a role in these increased costs. However, marketing now focuses on product differentiation through features implemented and unique designs rather than in the past when marketing was primarily focused on the brand and brand reputation.
Dismissing the advancements made in modern bicycles as something the average consumer cannot appreciate is ludicrous. It's a tired argument that suggests things were better in the past, when in reality, progress should be celebrated.
An additional factor: as in many other categories (the example of the highest-performance cars comes mind), the machines that require the greatest investment in high tech are the ones that are bought in the smallest numbers. Some of us might consider the benefits resulting from the investment to be pitifully minimal, especially in the case the most expensive bicycles, and the return on that investment is likely fairly minimal, too, but I don't see that the companies making the bikes have much choice.
They could hire Grant Petersen to help them back away from the high-end market, maybe, but doing so didn't work out particularly well for Bridgestone.