Originally Posted by ViperZ
How much has the Bicycle really changed over the last 10 years? 20years, 100 years?
A lot. Even over the past 10 years. The amount of r&d going into frame material and processes alone has skyrocketed over the past 10 years. Componentry has evolved quite a bit too. And I still am of the opinion that if you consider the true cost that goes into producing new models and new designs, cycling is a relative bargain. Some firends of mine run a company that produces high end mountain bike frames. Currently they are in the process of launching a new downhill bike that introduces some pretty radical ne technology. Althought the frame alone retails for 3500 dollars, they will be the forst to tell you that if they calculated out the total amount of r&d that went into getting that frame to market, they would have to charge ten times that amount to simply break even.