Originally Posted by
Kontact
There are carbon framesets you can buy new for $500. There are groupsets that cost $150. There are all carbon trispoke wheelsets that cost $500. And that includes the profit.
Substituting some more carbon or titanium does not raise labor costs 1000%. A hard to lay up frameset might take at most twice the labor time. Nothing actually requires meticulous added labor and none of the materials are anything but standard industrial stuff.
A $14k Aethis maybe cost Merida and Shimano a grand at most. A pair of handmade shoes probably takes more labor hours.
Aside from luxury price points, the main thing that raises the price is all the middlemen that each add a margin.
I've been watching an interesting series of videos on Cam Nichols' YouTube channel, about what you get for $500, whether it's framesets, or groupsets, or wheelsets. Mostly, what you get is crap. Poorly made, poorly finished, big voids and unevenness in the carbon layup, etc. A lot of times, "Halo" products don't make much profit, if any. Manufacturers don't sell that many, and often they can't price them commensurate with their costs.