Is anyone completely done with these absurd prices?

[Maddie]

Canyon Ultimate CF SL7, 105 mechanical, 2600 EUR
Specialized Allez Sprint, 105 Di2 3100 EUR
Trek Emonda SL6 Pro, 105 Di2 2400 EUR

1 minute google search

[tymon_tm]

you know pounds are like 1,3 usd right? and usd is around 0.9 euro?

IDK where you get these prices from, but they do vary from distributors prices (Emonda is officialy 3500k euro)

price.differences aside, Emonda, Ultimate, Tarmac, these.arent "entry models", but rather just a differently made top of the linę racing bikes. and the price tags show just that. unless you count in thousands, but then discussing price sensitivity isn't really a.topic for you, is it?

(and that Tarmac is 5500 usd where i live, double checked)

[EtoDemerzel]

you know pounds are like 1,3 usd right? and usd is around 0.9 euro?

IDK where you get these prices from, but they do vary from distributors prices (Emonda is officialy 3500k euro)

price.differences aside, Emonda, Ultimate, Tarmac, these.arent "entry models", but rather just a differently made top of the linę racing bikes. and the price tags show just that. unless you count in thousands, but then discussing price sensitivity isn't really a.topic for you, is it?

(and that Tarmac is 5500 usd where i live, double checked)

Specialized UK
2024 Tarmac SL7 Comp £4,250.00
2024 Tarmac SL7 Sport £3,250.00

The topic at hand is affordability of race bikes and how expensive they have become.
go back several posts to what you were responding to.

You said:
"first of all they are nearly twice as expensive as "before all that &hit" (pandemic, disc brake craze etc). second of all - these are endurance focused, tall geometry bikes that really can't be used by those who wish a proper road racing bike but can't handle a 5k+ price tag."

I've already shown you prices from 2011 to now. These examples are also all pro-level framesets, not endurance.

SL7 is a pro-level frameset and a full bike w/warranty and storefront support for £3,250.00 is good value.

[tymon_tm]

im sorry, you showed me what? back in 2016 i think, I bought an Aeroad on Ultegra for around 3000euro. wanna guess.how much is one today?

in 2008 a full DA groupset was less than a grand.

and yes, there were also broader model ranges, which also allowed for lower prices, becuase an entry level bike had na entry level frame. which is what i wrote in the first place, no?

[EtoDemerzel]

im sorry, you showed me what? back in 2016 i think, I bought an Aeroad on Ultegra for around 3000euro. wanna guess.how much is one today?

in 2008 a full DA groupset was less than a grand.

and yes, there were also broader model ranges, which also allowed for lower prices, becuase an entry level bike had na entry level frame. which is what i wrote in the first place, no?

2016 Aeroad Ultegra mechanical $4160* ($3200* 2016)
2024 Aeroad Ultegra mechanical $3999

2009 Dura Ace mechanical groupset- $3938 ($2705 2009)
2024 Dura Ace Di2 groupset - $3300 (easily found for $500 less)

[AJS914]

Specialzed prices have definitely fallen back to earth. The SL7 Comp last year with Rival was $5500. Also, ironically you couldn't get your hands on a regular $3300 Tarmac SL7 frame all year (I looked frequently) but now you can get an SL7 sport bicycle for $3800.

I believe that the SL7 Expert was $8200 with Ultegra. Now the SL8 Expert is $6500 with Rival and Roval C38 carbon rims.

[kervelo]

Two years of discussion why the prices are higher today than they were ten years ago.

[EtoDemerzel]

Specialzed prices have definitely fallen back to earth. The SL7 Comp last year with Rival was $5500. Also, ironically you couldn't get your hands on a regular $3300 Tarmac SL7 frame all year (I looked frequently) but now you can get an SL7 sport bicycle for $3800.

I believe that the SL7 Expert was $8200 with Ultegra. Now the SL8 Expert is $6500 with Rival and Roval C38 carbon rims.

Was this before the SL8 hype train rolled in?
It's likely because the SL7 is 'second tier' now.

[JMeinholdt]

I don't ever remember a non fit guy showing up on a bike like this. This "earn it to ride it" thing does not exist now. The clumsiest, softest, out of shape guys in the world are proud to show up on and in top level kit.

I've never felt more attacked in my life bro!

[wheelbuilder]

I don't ever remember a non fit guy showing up on a bike like this. This "earn it to ride it" thing does not exist now. The clumsiest, softest, out of shape guys in the world are proud to show up on and in top level kit.

I've never felt more attacked in my life bro!

Lol

[AJS914]

I started road cycling and racing in the late 80s. I don't recall any kind of earn it to ride it kind of ethos. Sure, people were more conservative back then and tended to not start off with top of the line Colnago. Mostly it was the "dentist" effect - meaning the guys with the best and newest bikes in my club were the older guys with the best paychecks. They were still fit enough and road their bikes. And wealthy enough to fly to Italy every year and come home with a new Colnago because they got some super deal.

I had a Guerciotti SLX with C-Record and handmade wheels. I honestly don't recall it breaking the bank and I was only making $25k/year back then. It also wasn't that much cheaper than the Colnagos those guys were bringing back from Italy.

That Guerciotti frameset was $600. I probably built the whole bike for $2000 - 8% of my entry level salary. If an entry level salary today is $45k, 8% buys one a $3600 bike. That can be an ok bike but not a top tier groupset and the best wheels like I had.

I get that the data shows that top of the line racing bikes aren't more expensive when you factor in inflation but it sure feels like they are to me.

---------

Also, by the 90s most people I know where buying off the shelf bikes (Trek, Specialized, etc). I was the only one still buying frames, specing parts and building my own bike.

[AJS914]

Specialzed prices have definitely fallen back to earth. The SL7 Comp last year with Rival was $5500. Also, ironically you couldn't get your hands on a regular $3300 Tarmac SL7 frame all year (I looked frequently) but now you can get an SL7 sport bicycle for $3800.

I believe that the SL7 Expert was $8200 with Ultegra. Now the SL8 Expert is $6500 with Rival and Roval C38 carbon rims.

Was this before the SL8 hype train rolled in?
It's likely because the SL7 is 'second tier' now.

I'm talking about peak SL7 hype. Spec raised the price (going by memory) of the SL7 Expert from $6500 to $8200 on the Expert. Now the SL8 Expert is $6500 though has Rival. It's just interesting that they pushed pricing to the max and now it's back to where it was.

[BikeTyson]

Specialzed prices have definitely fallen back to earth. The SL7 Comp last year with Rival was $5500. Also, ironically you couldn't get your hands on a regular $3300 Tarmac SL7 frame all year (I looked frequently) but now you can get an SL7 sport bicycle for $3800.

I believe that the SL7 Expert was $8200 with Ultegra. Now the SL8 Expert is $6500 with Rival and Roval C38 carbon rims.

Was this before the SL8 hype train rolled in?
It's likely because the SL7 is 'second tier' now.

I'm talking about peak SL7 hype. Spec raised the price (going by memory) of the SL7 Expert from $6500 to $8200 on the Expert. Now the SL8 Expert is $6500 though has Rival. It's just interesting that they pushed pricing to the max and now it's back to where it was.

I'm not sure I'd use that as a great example of reasonable pricing. $6500 for a Rival bike? Really? The SuperSix Evo with Ultegra is $5500.

[EtoDemerzel]

Specialized is usually at the high end, which is probably useful for this topic of comparisons to the past.
But SSE at 5500 is great, and that's probably less than or at least equal to prices in the last 5 years at least.

[BikeTyson]

Specialized is definitely at the top end though Cervelo take the top step (though they don't have a lower tier frame layup). Some brands are better than others. Here's a quick comparison of lower tier frame with mid-tier carbon wheels and Ultegra 12sp Di2.

* Tarmac SL8: $8300.

* SuperSix Evo: $5500.

* Emonda SL: $6200.

* Madone SL: $6500.

* TCR (new model): $6500.

* Aeroad CF: $6000.

* Giant Propel: $8000.

* Scott Foil RC: $6600

* Cervelo S5: $9000 (top frame layup)