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Some manufacturers demand a list price of 15,000 euros for their top model. Quite a few road cyclists find that crazy. On the other hand, there are bikes that cost less than a tenth of that; you can pedal on them and be happy. So why get upset? The fact that a familiar price structure is being shaken affects all areas of life - and inflation does not stop at bikes. However, the bike industry has caught up with other sectors rather than catching up, but today there is a greater range of expensive and very expensive products than ten or 15 years ago. The benchmark prices for a "Dura-Ace wheel" have risen significantly and the top components from all manufacturers have become considerably more expensive.
Parts work better
However, the higher prices go hand in hand with the fact that all parts work better, especially the cheaper ones. There is hardly any difference in operation between the cheapest and most expensive parts from Shimano & Co. A current Shimano 105 is clearly superior to an older mechanical Dura-Ace groupset. And the electronic shifting systems are all of a super standard anyway, even the cheapest ones. So there is no reason to only consider top-of-the-range bikes with the highest price tags.
The trend towards expensive bikes is not the whole truth anyway. There are very affordable products. Highly versatile all-road racing bikes such as the Rose Blend (>> available at a reduced price here) are an enrichment for the market and are not only attractive for newcomers to narrow tyres, who can use them to find out how and where they can have the most fun riding. The bikes are available from 1200 euros. The modern road bike in the shape of an all-road bike is more versatile than in the past (unless we go back a long way in the history of road bikes, because tyres were also wider then). So, on the one hand, we see increasingly specialised products, some of which are the result of extreme development work, for example with complex calculations and elaborate wind tunnel tests, but on the other hand, a large number of interesting bikes that meet the requirements of amateur athletes much better than the expensive racing bikes of days gone by.
Bikes with user-friendly gears for the mountains and space for wide tyres in the fork and rear triangle bring tangible added value. In addition to industrial products, there is also fine craftsmanship that creates customised bikes in a thousand and one variations, regional or international, to suit every taste. In other words: We are in the luxurious position of being able to draw from the full range. There is fantastic material for really every taste, either at the highest technical level or so individualised that the bike doesn't exist a second time in this world.
A lot of these products actually involve a lot of effort; you can buy them - but you don't have to. The best thing about it: even in 2024, the road bike is still a manageably complicated mechanical machine that can be tuned and customised to your own preferences if necessary. This starts with small things with a big impact, such as the choice of saddle, handlebars and pedals, and continues with wheels or tyres that can change the character of the bike. Faster, more comfortable, more beautiful, lighter, more personalised - there are many reasons to tweak your bike. And you can do it, even in the age of integrated handlebars. They don't make life easier, but they do make it more beautiful, and there are still bikes that are put together in the conventional way. It's a land of milk and honey where we move around. We have the choice!
The road bike invites you to customise it. A better saddle, a faster tyre and handlebars that are more comfortable to hold are the first steps towards customisation. - Robert Kühnen
Lightweight construction costs money
However, one truth remains: Lightweight construction costs money. A 1000-euro road bike weighs around 10.5 kilograms. Some people find that heavy, others don't care. Objectively speaking, however, 10.5 kilos is not a problem. For orientation: The average weight of the professional racing bikes at the Tour de France this year is 7.5 kilograms - in relation to the low body weight of the professionals, the bikes of the world's best professionals are therefore hardly lighter than the simple bikes of recreational riders in relation to their weight.
In contrast to professionals, for whom the regulations impose a minimum wheel weight of 6.8 kilograms, hobbyists can lighten their bikes indefinitely and buy crazy parts, for which material professionals have spent months brainstorming how to use 70 grams of carbon fibre most effectively.
The only catch with so much freedom is the price. The diet costs around 1000 euros per kilo to bring the bike weight close to the professional bikes. At less than eight kilos, the price increases further, below seven kilos the diet costs between 2000 and 3000 euros per kilo, the last few grams are the most expensive. The limit is somewhere above five kilograms and defies a cost-benefit analysis. But we have the freedom. Freedom, not obligation. Those who find fulfilment in weight tuning can maintain Excel lists, swing the file themselves and exchange ideas with like-minded people in the Weight Weenies forum. The road bike makes all this possible. That's marvellous. And what's more, it's a great way to go for a spin and think about all the things that could be improved.
