Originally Posted by
NumbersGuy
Please clarify the great difference between Fact 11r and Fact 12r carbon, or Dura Ace 11 speed Di2 and Dura Ace 12 speed Di2. How are these different products? We as consumers are paying a tremendous premium beyond inflation for these technological improvements. I fail to see how these have caused greater jumps in price than any prior shift to a slightly lighter and stronger carbon fiber, or adding one more gear to the rear cassette. Aero carbon frames were already a thing 10 years ago, Specialized had the Venge and over 10 years and multiple new generations they merged the aero with the light weight.
If there are actual R&D costs behind these increases then bike companies have been extremely inefficient at making improvements or they’re simply throwing too much money at gains that are minuscule for anyone but elite pro tour riders.
Let’s look at another industry, automobiles, which if anything have had much more new technology implemented in the last 10 years than bikes.
2014 Honda Accord EX-L Sedan Navi: MSRP $30,045
2024 Honda Accord EX-L Sedan Hybrid: MSRP $34,540
15% increase in price against 31% inflation despite the R&D of engineering a hybrid drivetrain, numerous safety technologies, vastly improved cabin tech, increased raw material costs, etc. Auto sales have not exploded since 2014 so the cell phone volume of sales argument is out. Somehow they kept price increases below inflation rates, while the bike industry more than doubled it.
This debate is not about whether the advancements in new top of the line HALO bikes are worthwhile or warranted. That has been flogged to death and will continue to do so for decades to come until those who remember cycling from the 70’s and 80’s age out of the sport.
Your are being disingenuous when comparing the bikes which are 10 years apart. Nothing between the bikes can be transferred over, all of these changes had to be engineered, prototyped and put into production with new materials, molds ect. And all of these costs have to be amortized into the new bikes final selling prices along with inflationary increases as well. Stop with the stupid mass market comparisons such as cell phones and cars the economy’s of scale make those comparisons irrelevant.
Frankly I don't understand your point we all agree these high end bike costs have increase faster than inflation where we differ is that increase can be traced to increases in overall production costs not some mysterious rip off machine which operates in the background pocketing the differential. Bike manufacturers are not the type to be living the life of billionaires with homes in Monaco, flying in private jets and spending the summers on super yachts in the Mediterranean instead bordering on profitability. From small custom builders to Giant there are all average at best for return on investment.