COVID has increased price of carbon road bikes
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I really like this a lot better than not being able to find toilet paper.
Of course I already have a carbon road bike.
Of course I already have a carbon road bike.
#29
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If the vaccines get distributed as they plan and no truly vaccine resistant COVID variant surfaces, I expect we’re likely to see a flood of lightly used mid-priced bikes hit the market sometime around fall of 2022. So if you’re in the market for an R7000 equipped entry level carbon or aluminum, I’d keep a tab on my local craigslist...
This is just judging from the huge numbers of new, reasonably nice bikes out on NYC streets this past summer/fall. Lots of Domanes and Roubaix that will be looking for homes as city dwellers try to free up apartment space as life goes back to normal.
This is just judging from the huge numbers of new, reasonably nice bikes out on NYC streets this past summer/fall. Lots of Domanes and Roubaix that will be looking for homes as city dwellers try to free up apartment space as life goes back to normal.
#30
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I'm still seeing the term "clearance" hereabouts, but they have dropped the word sale, because there isn't any discount. Now it means clearing out the customers wallet.
Best of luck for 2022 bike industry.
Best of luck for 2022 bike industry.
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It’s hard to determine if Carbon priced bikes are overpriced as it’s an oranges and apples kind of comparison. Steel bikes are usually the cheapest option and by far the most economical to produce requiring low skilled labour, minimal tooling, low materials cost and mass production techniques. Look at any low end bicycle or what is ridden in the third world, steel bikes. Even in the high end custom market steel bikes are the cheapest option, many produced in small shops or garages like the blacksmiths of days gone by. Carbon bikes occupy a completely different segment of the market, high performance materials, expensive tooling requirements, skilled layup techniques and extensive computer modelling yet employing economies of scale to ensure affordability to the masses.
Last edited by Atlas Shrugged; 02-19-21 at 08:31 PM.
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It’s hard to determine if Carbon priced bikes are overpriced as it’s an oranges and apples kind of comparison. Steel bikes are usually the cheapest option and by far the most economical to produce requiring low skilled labour, minimal tooling, low materials cost and mass production techniques. Look at any low end bicycle or what is ridden in the third world, steel bikes. Even in the high end custom market steel bikes are the cheapest option, many produced in small shops or garages like the blacksmiths of days gone by. Carbon bikes occupy a completely different segment of the market, high performance materials, expensive tooling requirements, skilled layup techniques and extensive computer modelling yet employing economies of scale to ensure affordability to the masses.
When we start seeing posts about cf bikes sitting on dealers' floors for months at a time, and clearance pricing on last year's cf bikes, then we may conclude that they are overpriced. But as long as we keep seeing posts from people who can't find new bikes, and people who are waiting for months (or >1 year, as some have posted), then they are clearly NOT overpriced.
I think the problem here is that some posters are using the word "overpriced" in a subjective sense, as in "more than I want to pay." That renders the word virtually meaningless.
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Pricing discussions always tend to be subjective. "The price of gas is crazy." "Airline ticket prices are cheap right now." "Bitcoins are priced to sell." or whatever. It would I suppose make sense if within all conversations, everybody just always agreed that the cost of something is exactly as it should be.
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Pricing discussions always tend to be subjective. "The price of gas is crazy." "Airline ticket prices are cheap right now." "Bitcoins are priced to sell." or whatever. It would I suppose make sense if within all conversations, everybody just always agreed that the cost of something is exactly as it should be.
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None of this market is normal. Its all squed due to the pandemic. If the bicycle manufacturers plan for this season based on what happened last year a lot of them will go out of business. Covid caused a lot of this to happen. As things return to normal a lot of this will be undone. Used bikes are going to flood the market with parts and complete bikes as people go back to work and won't have time for recreation. The demand will die off again and prices will come back down as demand wanes.
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A few things:
1. The Taiwan Dollar is at near historic highs. This adds about 15% before the bike even gets on the boat.
2. Shipping is screwed. Turnaround times for containers have become weeks, instead of days.
3. As a result, we are already being warned that carbon from Toray will become increasingly hard to get in the very near future.
It's not always 'the man' out to get you.
1. The Taiwan Dollar is at near historic highs. This adds about 15% before the bike even gets on the boat.
2. Shipping is screwed. Turnaround times for containers have become weeks, instead of days.
3. As a result, we are already being warned that carbon from Toray will become increasingly hard to get in the very near future.
It's not always 'the man' out to get you.
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#40
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If the vaccines get distributed as they plan and no truly vaccine resistant COVID variant surfaces, I expect we’re likely to see a flood of lightly used mid-priced bikes hit the market sometime around fall of 2022. So if you’re in the market for an R7000 equipped entry level carbon or aluminum, I’d keep a tab on my local craigslist...
This is just judging from the huge numbers of new, reasonably nice bikes out on NYC streets this past summer/fall. Lots of Domanes and Roubaix that will be looking for homes as city dwellers try to free up apartment space as life goes back to normal.
This is just judging from the huge numbers of new, reasonably nice bikes out on NYC streets this past summer/fall. Lots of Domanes and Roubaix that will be looking for homes as city dwellers try to free up apartment space as life goes back to normal.
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Talked to my LBS, who handles Cannondale, and they said they couldn't guarantee that they could get me anything, so if I could find something to go ahead and grab it. Took about three weeks of searching to find a SuperSix Evo in my size, bought it from a shop in Jersey and had it shipped down. The day I bought it, Cannondale raised the prices on all SuperSix models by $300, so it was good timing. Just the state of the market. There is still a big ripple effect in the supply chain, epspecially for components. I've heard that a lot of manufacturers have frames available, but no components to build them out.
Now that I have a solid road bike, and my gravel bike, I'm pretty much set. Stocking up on some consumable spares as I find them available, just to be safe.
Now that I have a solid road bike, and my gravel bike, I'm pretty much set. Stocking up on some consumable spares as I find them available, just to be safe.
#42
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If the vaccines get distributed as they plan and no truly vaccine resistant COVID variant surfaces, I expect we’re likely to see a flood of lightly used mid-priced bikes hit the market sometime around fall of 2022. So if you’re in the market for an R7000 equipped entry level carbon or aluminum, I’d keep a tab on my local craigslist...
This is just judging from the huge numbers of new, reasonably nice bikes out on NYC streets this past summer/fall. Lots of Domanes and Roubaix that will be looking for homes as city dwellers try to free up apartment space as life goes back to normal.
This is just judging from the huge numbers of new, reasonably nice bikes out on NYC streets this past summer/fall. Lots of Domanes and Roubaix that will be looking for homes as city dwellers try to free up apartment space as life goes back to normal.
#43
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cool, just another good reason for me to never buy a carbon fiber bicycle... thanks... LOL
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One upside (I think) - when this whole pandemic thing is behind us, there will probably be a lot of really high quality, low mileage bikes on the market at good prices.
#45
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Setting aside Covid-related supply chain disruptions and demand spiking, I personally don't understand why people are willing to pay $7,800 for an off-the-rack Tarmac with Ultegra Di2. I know people are will to pay that because you can't find one anywhere in stock. I don't get it.
Story time: in 1990 I built up a Tommasini with top end everything for a bit less than $2k, or about $4k in today's dollars. I spent a summer's worth of lawn mowing money on it. That bike was the fanciest bike you would see at any local crit, people used to come over to drool over my bike. Even at the Cat 2 level, most people were on ~$1K bikes. Now, i see entire groups with no one on less than a $5k bike. Shops in my area can't keep $12K+ bikes in stock. Things have changed in road cycling.
Story time: in 1990 I built up a Tommasini with top end everything for a bit less than $2k, or about $4k in today's dollars. I spent a summer's worth of lawn mowing money on it. That bike was the fanciest bike you would see at any local crit, people used to come over to drool over my bike. Even at the Cat 2 level, most people were on ~$1K bikes. Now, i see entire groups with no one on less than a $5k bike. Shops in my area can't keep $12K+ bikes in stock. Things have changed in road cycling.
#46
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Setting aside Covid-related supply chain disruptions and demand spiking, I personally don't understand why people are willing to pay $7,800 for an off-the-rack Tarmac with Ultegra Di2. I know people are will to pay that because you can't find one anywhere in stock. I don't get it.
Story time: in 1990 I built up a Tommasini with top end everything for a bit less than $2k, or about $4k in today's dollars. I spent a summer's worth of lawn mowing money on it. That bike was the fanciest bike you would see at any local crit, people used to come over to drool over my bike. Even at the Cat 2 level, most people were on ~$1K bikes. Now, i see entire groups with no one on less than a $5k bike. Shops in my area can't keep $12K+ bikes in stock. Things have changed in road cycling.
Story time: in 1990 I built up a Tommasini with top end everything for a bit less than $2k, or about $4k in today's dollars. I spent a summer's worth of lawn mowing money on it. That bike was the fanciest bike you would see at any local crit, people used to come over to drool over my bike. Even at the Cat 2 level, most people were on ~$1K bikes. Now, i see entire groups with no one on less than a $5k bike. Shops in my area can't keep $12K+ bikes in stock. Things have changed in road cycling.
2. Your inability to understand why people would spend so much money on a bike probably stems from your budget constraint versus theirs.
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Interesting that OP hasn't been back to poke this pile. IIRC, his position is bikes have gone downhill since early 90s Litespeed.
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#50
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2. Your inability to understand why people would spend so much money on a bike probably stems from your budget constraint versus theirs.
My point is that if I were going to spend $12K on a bike, I would go to Firefly or Bishop and have them make something special. Spending that kind of cash opens up some very interesting possibilities. I wouldn't walk down to the local bike shop and buy a Tarmac that four other guys in my group already have and will be just another copy of last year's Tarmac in 2022. That's me, though.