Originally Posted by Redbullet

Canyon has good price offers for the same quality, compared with bigger brands. Their internet commerce probably leads to smaller costs which translate in (roughly) 10-15% lower selling prices. But they also follow the evolution of the market.

A market evolution based on performance and good prices would have been:
Higher tier, “pros level”: Expensive, carbon wheels, disk brakes and electronic shifting, light weight and very good aerodynamics. Overall, very high performance.
Lower tier “casual riders”: Less expensive, aluminum wheels, rim brakes and mechanical shifting, light weight and reasonable aerodynamics. Overall, high performance, very close to higher tier.

But nobody wants the hassle and costs of maintaining separate production or assembly lines for disk / mechanical brakes and electronic / mechanical shifting. Since “pros” level dictates the trend, then disk brakes and electronic shifting become the norm for casual riders as well. The result for lower tier “casual riders” is: Relatively expensive, aluminum wheels, disk brakes and electronic shifting from lower level, no light weight and no reasonable aerodynamics (incl. bulky tires not optimized on aluminum rims). Overall, lower performance, not close to higher tier.
Pretty much nothing in between.