Now, I don't know about you, but what the hell is a $500 tire? What kinds of special casing/rubber/inner tube/stitching materials can possibly justify what seems to be a completely insane price tag? I mean, these aren't some rare tubular tire from back in the day, maturing in the rafters for 40-50 years - they're brand new! There's no "they're not making them anymore" cachet to apply here.
hand made , pure silk casing , in a small European professional caliber Race Tire making shop,
[So labor has to be paid better (than the common off shore chase to the bottom)]