Maelochs

To the OP: Say, are you new to America? Just arrived in the Western world? Never before seen capitalism?

Here is a sound business proposition: "Charge what the market will bear."

That means, "Set the price as high as you can but just below where people won't buy stuff."

Actual value of the product has no importance. Perceived value is everything (you didn't think people spend billions on advertising for nothing, did you?)

How about the concept of "Supply and demand"? Market conditions make a difference---if an object is scarce, or is perceived to be scarce, people who can, will pay more money.

How about this: bikes are a luxury item. The people in America for whom bikes are Not a luxury item, buy those bikes at Walmart. The rest of us are buying toys, or exercise equipment, or both .... stuff we Choose to buy. Such people typically pay more for what they think will give them the lifestyle they desire.

As for prices being "justified"? You know what "justifies" prices?

Sales.

If you think the bike costs too much, don't buy it. But so long as enough people Are buying it, to the seller, the price is "justified." It is fair, it is correct.

Check out that whole "Invisible hand of the market" idea: The market self-regulates because supply and demand and available income and discretionary income, production and transport and sales cost, all balance out----charge too much, and people don't pay it, and you have to lower prices. Charge too little and you cannot cover cost of operations and go out of business.

Right now bike sellers are losing volume due to the CCP virus, but supply is low for the same reason, so not only do they Need to sell at a higher price to offset reduced sales volume, they Can sell at a higher price because of increased demand driven by low supply.

Any of this making sense?

Again---if You feel the prices are "Too High"---Don't Buy the Bike. That is what lowers prices. But---your power to lower prices only goes so far. Get too cheap, and if we all get too cheap, bike companies will go under. We will All be buying bikes at Walmart.

But I don't think that there is much danger to the bike industry. People want bikes, and people have been paying a quite a lot for bikes for quite a while You complain about the $6500 bike today, but you paid $3600 six years ago? Because you allowed yourself to get gouged in 2014, the bike companies are sure they can gouge you even more in the time of the virus. And a lot of people are willing to pay.

Shoot, I haven't bought a bike since 2017, and my main ride I built in 2015. I don't see a lot of major tech breakthroughs in the past several years that make what was a really excellent bike in 2015, any less excellent in 2020. Disc brakes .... but I don't need them on my lightweight bike (I don't live in the mountains) and I have them on my rain bike. Electronic shifting is supposed to be a big deal---but I have Ultegra 6800 and it is pretty much as good as mech shifting gets already, so I don't see where my entire riding experience will suddenly, exponentially improve with DI2.

I really don't see Any reason to buy another bike. I am a bike Rider, not a bike collector. The whole mentality of "Buy bling, upgrade, buy a better model every time the manufacturers introduce a new bell or whistle" is exactly why bikes cost so much---so many people indulged their desire to acquire. Bike manufacturing and bike parts manufacturing profits increased because people got caught in the "I must have the Latest and Greatest" mentality. Seller saw suckers, and prices climbed---and will keep climbing. Because you will eventually break down and buy the next Shiny Thing™ at some inflated price. And then .... prices will go up even higher.

As far as the political stuff---that makes you look .... well, I will retrain myself. Suffice to say, if you cannot understand business, learn or leave it be. If you cannot control your impulse to follow the deities of advertising which tell you your perfectly good six-year-old bike Must Be replaced, pay up and man up--quit whining about the choices you have made. And if you really don't think bikes are worth the money---a purely personal decision---don't buy another bike.

Sorry I don't share your outrage. While you typed your post, and while I typed mine, how many children were molested? How many women were *****? How many people died of curable diseases because they could not afford medicine? How many starved to death in a world where millions of tons of food are discarded daily? How many people were tortured or murdered for their spiritual beliefs?

There are plenty of reasons to be outraged. Having to pay a little more than you like for a new toy .... not so valid a cause for outrage .... but that is just my opinion.