Originally Posted by
Maelochs
The issue here seems to be not whether bikes are expensive, but that the OP seems outraged by the fact that bike manufacturers charge more then the OP thinks they should.
So many ways to view this .... and all of them make the initial position seem .... whatever.
And some other facts that are being ignored: inflation, while low lately, is ever-present -- and so, even though
nominal prices have risen a bit,
real (inflation-adjusted) prices haven't risen as much, if at all. Also, the equipment improves over time, and hence today's $3000 bike may be significantly more advanced (and costlier to produce) than the bike of 10 years ago.
Here's my analogy: In 1972, my father bought a brand-new economy car for $3000; today, a new economy car might cost $20,000. Sure, we could complain that new cars have gotten sooo much more expensive; the reality is that all prices,
and incomes, have risen in the past 48 years, and the economy cars of today are vastly superior to those of 1972. And if you don't believe me, go find a '72 Gremlin and take it for a spin. Ugh.