How Can A Road Bike Cost £10,000?!

"How can a road bike cost 10k?!" is a question we get asked a lot, here at GCN. Most bike brand's flagship models currently retail at or above the price of a car! Why is that? In this video, Ollie breaks down just why brands charge so much for some bikes, what goes into justifying this price, and how it compares against other industries.

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Would you ever spend 10k on a bike? Let us know in the comments below!

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Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound:
ES_All These Memories (Instrumental Version) - BLAEKER
ES_Black Hole (Instrumental Version) - Tommy Ljungberg
ES_Never or Right Now (Instrumental Version) - ELFL
ES_One Trick Pony (Instrumental Version) - OTE
ES_The Streets (Instrumental Version) - Roof
ES_White Gold (Instrumental Version) - Tommy Ljungberg

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[gcntech]

Would you ever spend 10k on a bike? Let us know in the comments below!

[Membrillo]

I work in the cycling industry in Taiwan and I can say that the money is not going to workers' pockets.

[markg]

It's simple - a bike is worth $10, 000 because someone is willing to pay $10, 000 for it.

[jameslee-pevenhull]

I worked for Jaguar Land Rover. The customers were more concerned with looks, image and the stereo system than combustion technology and efficiency.

[bikepackingadventure]

The bigger question is - Are BB shells manufactured round on a £10, 000 bike?

😏😏😁

[philipkingsnorth]

I spent 3k on my bike and 1k on my car. My family and friends thinks it's nuts. But I get more enjoyment from it and as an investment in my health and sanity. Its what I could afford and it's what I spent

[_Digitalnative]

Bike industry: Some of our best models go for $15, 000.
Watch industry: Hold my beer.

[rogersimmons]

If your ego is that big and you're stupid enough to pay 10k plus for a bike, bike shops will happily sell them to you.

[fernandohenriques]

We are missing the operating profit from Pinarello. Without is impossible to make a any analysis. Automotive companies run is very low margin. Would be interesting to see the margins from cycling companies. And from here start this discussion

[ad]

I think the problem people have with these costs is the quality your getting, especially in the BB department. I'd want aerospace tolerances on a 10k bike. We are not getting anything like it. In fact sometimes it's absolutely appalling.

[gustavorincon]

For me the issue is not even the prices, you can justify almost any price, but the big thing for me is the marketing and the manipulation: this industry depends on the vanity, greed an desire to cut corners of people, none of which are virtues in my opinion. At the end people are buying and justifying prices because it's saving watts and making you faster without any improvement on your own and that's a powerful feeling that ultimately hurts the sport

[mohamadjamil]

Manufacturers are increasing the prices without any justifications. The price tag on bikes and components is ridiculous those days. GCN, thanks for the videos and engaging us and growing our passion. I think you also have a responsibility to influence producers towards the common good. 10 k for a bike is a yearly salary of some....

[mudonsunday]

The most ludicrous thing about those prices is that the frames cost around $400 to make in China.

[royevans]

So Cannondale are pretty smart to continue to develop high end Aluminium frames as it can protect them from increased labour costs while allowing them to ask a bit more for their frames due to their competitiveness with carbon. They do a good carbon bike too of course and I wonder how much their aluminium development is to thank for that. I'm a fan of Aluminium bikes. Did you notice? lol.

[DavidWhiteOfFleet]

Good job on the sound. All those locations but unnoticeable transitions.

[lokerola]

In the last few years something clicked in my brain. I cancelled my Velonews and Bicycling magazine subscriptions. I just cannot stomach articles about "best budget" bikes for 3000 to 5000 dollars, with top end bikes at the 9-15K range. The bike industry has lost it's mind, it's lost me, and sadly I'm not longer interested in new bikes, or new tech any more. It's all just insanely priced and out of touch with reality of most bike owners.

[N_TT]

In Canada an S-Works Tarmac costs costs of $17, 000. But many make the excuse of it being a niche product.
An even more niche sport is Kart racing. For the same price or less you can get a KZ Tony Kart that puts out close to 50 HP for the same price.(Which is also insane) All the parts are designed and manufactured in italy to very high tolerances, and sell far less units than Specialized sells bikes per year. also based on Hambini's videos the manufacturing precision of many bike brands doesn't seem great. Even with motorcycles you can buy a yamaha R6 for the same cost, which is a proper track machine, that has millions of $ of r and d put into it and has to go through several emissions tests by governments. So I really don't understand how a bike can cost so much.

[jmh]

Surely there's a conflict of interest here, GCN only exists to promote the products of cycling manufacturers, we shouldn't really expect you to present a balanced argument.

[charleshulsey]

If you feel like $10, 000 is too much for a bike, you probably feel like $100, 000 is too much for a car. Depends on what you want from it.

[LarsRR]

The best answer probably is, „because they can“.
Demand is high, purchasing power is higher than ever and people, including myself, are vain.
I like riding around on the shiny new world tour bike, and like telling myself, that I can actually feel the difference and that people would actually notice.