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0:00 bike manufacturers conserving and price cuts
10:50 big names that could go out of business
Editor have me flicking on the light switch um also editor have the lights go on when I flick on the light switch um editor can you put me over there please thanks editor um can you get ready to cue me for my intro here editor all right this is a real easy job
I’m just going to go over there I’m going to do my intro and then all you have to do is just film hold the camera right here okay all right this cool all right that good face in the picture okay so if you’ve been in the industry what are you
Filming I’m you’re pointing the camera down here point the camera up stop the filming real quick it’s not that hard of a job it’s very simple you’re the 30th editor I have this whole entire year I don’t care about being the holiday seasons either I will fire you today
Okay next time don’t lie your resume about how to edit I don’t care if you call me goodl looking I don’t care if I think you’re good-looking I don’t care what the connection we have just get out of here go you’re fired happy holidays you too well that was kind of awkward um
The editor had a go and I don’t know if he’ll be back but there is another spot open I’m very easy to work with give me a call anyways guys let’s get into today’s video we’re talking about the collapse of the entrylevel road bicycle it doesn’t mean that it has to be carbon
It doesn’t mean that has to be aluminum we’re talking about those two sections and categories as a whole if you guys are looking at my inventory right now of my road bike stock uh this is current inventory adjusted to 2023 going to 2024 and as you guys can see there is a lot
Of high-end Road Bicycles up on here starting off with the S Works working all the way down to Pro all these bicycles are literally above $5,000 now it’s not just because of the fact that where we live at but it seems that after this whole kind of pandemic Swift change has happened
Um that the customer base that used to be here the entry-level road bike customer that we used to have stocked up on here has changed it become way more of an Enthusiast sport uh we have more people asking us questions about the pro expert and esks models we have more
People asking us about uh mid-tier to high tier stuff that customer that used to come into the store and look for a $1,000 road bike or a $2,000 carbon fiber road bike uh has been non-existent lately yes there’s been onesie two I mean there’s never like a complete Dead
Silence of it but it is non-existent in terms of what it used to be back in the day a customer used to come in and look at an LA E5 $700 um and we have a ton of them people will hear about the sport maybe get
Interested in the sport and want to jump on board into that sport as well and there’s always be that conversation now it seems that my sales of bicycles in general are that customer that knows what they want uh have YouTube as a tool maybe watch the pro tour has a bunch of
Friends has a bunch of group rides and they already have this kind of guided system but there really is that lack of that novice customer we used to have customers all the time say I want to get into Road biking I know nothing let’s go
Into it yes the sales will take a long time but it was always fun and exciting to go ahead and show this customer that uh talk about what are you looking to do with this road bicycle what are you what what’s your plans with it are you looking for leisure ridings competitive
Are you looking to get into group rides are you looking to do triathlons later on um that customer is falling off the face of the Earth and we barely get um questions asked on it and it’s not because those bicycles are bad this right here is an entry level specialized
La that is now $1,200 um many of you think might think that that’s just way overpriced uh which I will talk about in just a second in terms of what the price has become but for what you get for this bicycle in current year is actually decent and
Specializes pretty much on par or across the board right there with price in terms of everyone and I searched the entire Market Market I search treack Specialized Scott giant even Canyon and Canyon’s road bikes alone are $1,500 at aluminum price point uh what the aluminum bikes come with today aluminum
Frame usually carbon fiber forks disc brakes two gears in the front and eight gears in the back with a Shimano Claris on there now the Shimano Claris has come a long way there’s definitely been trickle down technology there is no more thumb shifters as you guys can see right
There the shifters actually look pretty modern for what they are um but still is this the reason why there is no more entry Road B customer is the above $1,000 price point bicycle just intimidating and scaring away a lot of people anyone whose entry levels to anything usually uh doesn’t want to jump
In and spend a bunch of money on it so is that the main reason for it also for entry level carbon road bikes tarmac sl6 that bicycle used to be $2300 then over the pandemic course it jumped up from 2,300 bucks to $2,500 to $2,700 now right now it’s on sale from
$2,700 down to $2,300 and there is going to be um that sale will continue on there but that bicycle is a phenomenal bicycle but uh we don’t have a lot of people coming in asking for it that bicycle is a full carbon fiber road bike that is decked out with Shimano thiaga
Which is a very great group set this is the group set H right here and I almost think that Shimano thiaga has kind of taken over that that people’s group set it’s the 10speed group set looks really good um and also the shifters on the hydraulic disc Brak side as well perform
Exactly how you want to hydraulic nice hydraulic disc Brak a nice lever throw as well um I could see Shimano going ahead and making some crazy upgrades to this thing to make it a little bit more competitive a little bit better looking maybe reduce the size of the hoods and
Make it look like a normal Shimano 105 algra ad duras and uh maybe jumping up to 11 speed and really this will become the people’s group set but is the thiaga group set the reason why people are not buying carbon fiber entry level road bikes or is it just to
Price again we will talk about it in just a second let’s talk about who this bicycle is for this is the specializ LA this is the cheapest road bike that you can buy from specialized and this is like I said pretty much on par with the
Entire industry in terms of what a price point is uh this is $11,200 again aluminum frame carbon fiber Fork this is going after someone who wants to be starting off they don’t know if they want to invest some money into a bicycle they don’t know if they’re going to like
It we all heard the saying whenever someone comes into the bicycle store I ain’t no Pro bike racer I ain’t no tour to France Rider I just want a bicycle that bikes but this is a bicycle that kind of uh allows that customer to fall in love with the sport and become more
Than just a person who rides bikes this is maybe a bicycle that might um allow someone to jump into a group ride with a buddy allow someone to get into a aath uh a duathlon or a triathlon or maybe just want to try something new that’s
Out of their comfort zone these are the bicycles that are really supposed to make people enjoy them so them being at $1,200 I think are kind of being a price intimidation uh the entry level road bike really did Thrive when it was under $1,000 and also the LA E5 back in the
Day which just the the rim break they used to be not so much versatile but the L E5 back in the day used to look like a race bike and look badass and really draw on some people who are like hey I’m thinking about starting a sport and
Really make them fall over the bicycle not this bicycle is bad looking at all but it has a lot of characteristics to it that just is like a do-it-all bicycle it can fit up to 35 mil tires it can allow fenders you can put racks on this
Thing if you wanted to so this bicycle is great in terms of how versatile it is and what you can do with it but maybe someone’s just looking to get into a road bike in this matter for a specific reason like performance uh the gearing on here like I mentioned before is not
Bad at all it is a Shimano Claris an 8-speed group set that actually shifts really nice when the me can’t adjust it properly the hoods as well are pretty comfortable they’re very small the shifting looks like an old school 105 shifter works really well um what I will
Say though I think they need to make their bikes a little bit more appealing because back in the day they used to have an aluminum LA and aluminum sector and the sector was an endurance model that was more capable things and La was more of the race bike this is kind of
Like a Do-it all aluminum road bike again but if you got people that want to get into Sport and are fallen in love with this sport they’re not going to want to look at this thing and buy this thing because it doesn’t have this kind
Of race appeal to it um Canyon did a really good job with their aluminum road bike it’s $1,500 and it looks a little bit more enticing but it still has very similar components and group sets on there it’s not anything to Rave home about uh but
What I really do think is if you bring in a entry level road bike underneath $1,000 I think you’re going to set up customers to be in a little bit better position for that also another reason on why it could be just such a slow time of entry level road bikes during that
Pandemic time every single bicycle that was in bicycle stores sold a lot of people had used bikes that upgraded a lot of people that were uh a lot of people that needed a bicycle bought a bicycle during that time and even when people bought a bicycle they maybe they
Didn’t even need it and now that real life has got back and caught up to them maybe they sell off their bikes now so I’ve been seeing crazy deals for entrylevel road bikes uh on eBay on Facebook Marketplace on Craigslist um to the point where it’s like $100 to $200
On a bu cool not like this but you get the gist and yeah it’s absolutely crazy even giant giant has an entry-level road bike that is ,000 but it’s a rim brake bike their disc Brak bike starts at $1,200 the Trek is about $1,300 and Canyon like I mentioned before is $1,500
This spice right here is a step up from that La this is the LA sport model and this has a hydraulic disc brake system on here and a nicer group set you’re jumping from an eight-speed group set on that La that I just showed you to this
Group set right here that’s 10speed so you get much better gearing for climbing if you live in a climbing area you also have hydraulic disc brakes that feel night and day difference between those mechanical uh Rim braake calipers over there night and day for a road bike uh
And also a much better paint jop the this thing looks pretty badass I’m not going to lie to you guys uh but again I would like to see something a little bit cheaper again for that for $1,800 I think you can do a little bit better maybe get to that
$1300 price point have that for 1,000 that’s just me saying it obviously maybe price correction will come that’s for the road bike SC for the aluminum scene and just to give you guys an example too this is a Scott Speedster that is their entry level bike for
$1,200 this is with a Shimano turny rear derailer that turny rear derailer is usually found on your normal hybrids and city bikes it’s a seven-speed gear set with a crazy looking micro shift seven-speed Shimano shift on there and that thing is is $1,200 so again I think they can do a
Little bit better with pricing and get that underneath that $900 now this is an aluminum la like I mentioned before but for the entry level carbon fiber scene that was just mentioning we’re going to use this bike as reference because it has the exact same group set that will come on there
We’re going to go into the specialized tarmac sl6 that was once $2,300 that is now $2,700 and that bicycle comes with a Shimano thiaga now for whatever reason people are really hung up on group set and if it doesn’t have a name on there that they don’t like they don’t want to
Buy the bicycle now the tarmac sl6 was one of the best bicycles I think I think it was one of the biggest revolutionary jumps from the sl5 to sl6 and to get that sl6 frame and that price point was a really good deal especially at that 2200 to $2,300 frame during that time
When we were selling a lot of tarmac sl6 based models people whenever they would start going into the sport they would obviously ask a friend or maybe they maybe they’re getting introduced into the sport as a friend and because because of the fact that thiaga is
Considered a drunk group set back in the day everyone would usually always come in and say hey my friend sent me in here I’m looking for a group set with maybe a Shimano 105 Shimano lgra I’m like okay no problem what’s your what’s your budget what’s your what’s your price
Point you’re looking to get and they would say oh I’m looking around ,000 to $2,000 I’m like okay well the that’s not realistic anymore that shiman 105 that once was has definitely had trickle down technology and they put a lot of that old school 105 that your buddy looks
Like into this thiaga right here um but again because of the fact that was a not a name brand it definitely held up a lot of sales and people didn’t like that and even this being a 10speed stuff it was one gear off the 11speed stuff during
The time that all the Shimano 11speed stuff was the top tier stuff which would have a big issue if you ever wanted to upgrade you would have to upgrade the whole group at a time and not just uh one piece at a time because of the fact
That was a 10 speed on there so that had a lot to do with it so I think that b base model price point a lot of people utilize Shimano thiaga for that anyone who uses a base model entry-level bicycle they usually spec it with a Shimano thiaga around that price point
There um but what I think we’re seeing now is we’re think we’re seeing a lot of people with the direct consumer uh sales pitches they’re seeing a lot of bikes spec with 105 I’ve seen people buy crap crap crap crap crap frame bicycles just because it had a good group set on there
Um whereas this taga for where it is down here I always tell people when I was telling the tle 6 I’m like listen you guys are only shifting three to four times down here in South Florida you’re going to be boom boom boom boom boom boom that is it and this stuff will
Shift like a dream while riding I mean it is crisp You Close Your Eyes on here back in the day when you had a 10 speed to 11 speed Shimano 105 tagra it was very hard to tell the difference so the the specialized tarmac so6
I think I think they’re going to have to revamp that whole entry level stuff everyone’s talking about oh the bik way too high there has to be a lot of rework to the entry level stuff I think we have to start seeing again bicycles in that $2,000 price range with shiman 105
Mechanical or with a Shimano thiaga I mean they really Shimano I think has to step it up on the group sets and really do some uh revamping to his stuff to get a bicycle on there uh that’s that has a good-looking group set that’s around $2,000 because of the fact that so many
People are not willing to spend that $3,000 and it’s definitely for an entry level bicycle you know people say I have to get carbon I have to get this no one wants to spend three grand on something that they’re not sure if they’re going to ride or not sure if they’re going to
Continue on so they get all this influence from YouTube from their friends maybe they’re scared to go into the group ride because of the fact that they’re scared about getting judged for getting an aluminum bike or maybe they get a bicycle that’s not what their friends said to get so they’re scared of
What they’re going to say uh there’s so much influence nowadays so the fact that they’re they just scrap the whole bicycle idea like that because the fact that a price point doesn’t work for them but let me know what you guys think how has your bicycle store had
Or ask the audience audience how’s your bicycle store doing no but seriously how has your local bike shop been affected by this whole industry change do you see a different change in what is on there for stock because our inventory has completely changed in terms of what we
Used to stock to now like all these bikes right here we don’t sell them as much where we used to be a big time walk-in store we have way more questions in the calls getting asked about top and Rob bikes we have way more questions getting called about
Top end the big end um B right now and that could be a big effect on the economy because the fact that people only spend money on what they necessarily need so if you’re spending that kind of Big Time bu bucks you this sport this hobby this whatever it is to
You might be really important to you so you’re okay with spending the money whereas that entry level customer is really trying to make that dollar work for them right now maybe just trying to put a roof over the head a meal provide for their family and they’re like hey I
Can cut out a bicycle I don’t need it right now so maybe that has a lot to do with it as well but we’ve seen the customer really driving into our store is really the top tier high-end stuff um even mid-tier stuff you know so let me
Know what you guys think thank you guys again so much for watching I’ll see you guys next video
36 Comments
Realistically what do you think the solutions is to the entry level bike scene, without making the bikes $200 dollars, The allez bike use to be such a staple in our store and also the entry level tarmacs and Roubaix's but for some reason right now there is not even a conversation on entry level bikes.
Aha and those idiots doubled the price of bicycles, between the brands and you are abusing the conscious consumer who does not need to fill gaps with ridiculous prices
Tiagra is (in terms of performance and price) a great group-set. I had 9s 4500 series in 2010 and it was perfect! I say was, because back then I could fit Ultegra 6500 series, if I wanted to.
Poeple hated it in ~2014, when Shimano released 10s version, relaying on 10s-hub-based wheels. But the trick was the hubs were 11s incompatible. So no, people couldn't upgrade to 105 and above, without replacing entire grupset AND wheels in one go. Conclusion? Go and start with "105" as the 1st bike. If they offer you Tiagra, walk away… That story drags till today.
I keep hearing about how you're not getting as much as before for your money. I'm a beginner and I just ordered a Diverge E5 for 1k. If you think about it, it's not that much in this day and age. The dollar has lost so much value. People are anchoring to the past. The cost for everything that goes in to manufacturing and puttimg together a bicycle has gone up. Metal, groupsets, shipping, etc. All of this adds up.
Its easier to find deals on used bikes from people upgrading. A lot of guys sold their old bikes once the new ones hit. Almost every guy I know sold his SL7 and got an SL8. This is why some companies are buying used bikes from the consumer to sell them back.
I was just in a mid to high end bike shop here in Singapore yesterday and their bike stock is low! About half of what it was pre-pandemic.
I have that Allez. Its my commute bike. I can fit 38m gravel tires on it with no problem. I had it out in the mud and it did fine. Its definitely a all around bike. I plan on buying my son one just for the ability to put gravel tires on it.
Hrmph, I have been in at least one group where it's not only about the groupset but the kit and pedals too. You sort of get that "nod of approval".
that Allez is an ugly colour!!!
Buy a nice lightly used Allez Elite 105 rim braker for about $600 — swap the stock blah wheelset for a sweet $1500 wheelset — VIOLA! — you now have a bike that is lighter and better than any new bike you can find for even $3000.
i got Canyon Endurace 105 hydraulic disc – amazing. Aluminium. so what, and you're right. Youtube totally affected everything.
Any stats on entry level bikes purchased in the Covid years?
My theory is you average entry level sales between 2020-2023 and compare to pre Covid years and things will look somewhat normal.
Thanks for higlighting this issue. Mainstream entry level and lower mid range bikes from Specialized and Trek are way overpriced and under specified to appeal to yer average newbie and enthusiast cyclist or triathlete nowadays. The $1200- 1400 Specialized Allez aluminium road bike should have a Shimano 105 12 speed mechanical, and a lower mid $ 2200- $ 2500 range Tarmac carbon should have Shimano 105 Di2 or even Ultegra Di2.. Unless the mainstream cycling industry begin to offer value for money, the cycling industry will go into recession. I never thought I would see Claris 8 Speed and Sora 9 speed equiped bikes being sold for $1200. Consumers aren't stupid, we tend spend our hard earned disposable income wisely.
😂😂 happy new year, stay awesome in 2024 and beyond 🍻😎👍🏽
My Specialized Allez was $1000, and it’s pretty good, but I have had a problem with slipping gears.
That Scott is ridiculous! Don't tell me they have no show cables through the headset with a tourney derailleur! Come on!
Local shop should have a reconditioned 2nd hand bike that is budget friendly. Maybe start a trade in program?
People got smart. Unless you are racing, you do not need a race bike. Racing is only for the rich.
At these price ranges, you can get an ebike that will do much more than these bikes can do.
You said it yourself: Riders that want to join group rides are too proud to be seen on what passes as entry-level. The latter are bought by commuters or tourers, is my impression. Sell them Deore, flat bars, fenders, at reasonably low prices.
Consider also: Cannot insure a used bicycle (unless it circulates through a bike shop), but a new commuter that's possible.
I think that with the economy in the shambles that its in right now, the people that would normally be buying entry level bikes are either out right now or bought a bike during the pandemic. The midrange (say 3k) and up are a more dedicated rider that for them riding is a bigger deal. Those people will do whatever they can to find the money to make it happen.
Wonder why you don't sell any cycling kits? Knowing your location and people with deep pockets will buy stuff from Velocio, MAAP or similar brands.
Claris Road bikes are useless.
People need to stop judging and people need to stop giving a f#%k as to what people think about what you have. Buy what you like and can afford and enjoy yourself. If anyone has anything negative to say just walk away and ignore them you don’t need a person like that in your life
Hahaha that intro, quality work.
I think the mental thing of over $1000 is still a thing. I know in my head that inflation has bumped what I used to spend 2500 for to 4500. But I don’t make 2x the paycheck… that last part and that inflation has gone way up in the last few years didn’t help things.
The $1,200 105 road bike uses to be a thing. When you now have 12 speed group sets, the minute they see an 8 speed it it is an issue. It used to be that the 105 was 9’speed and top end was 10. Now you have a 4 gear gap
I'm hanging around for another 5 years to pick a high end covid bike with 200 miles on it from markplace for $400
I spent £680 on my Giant Contend SL2 in 2017. Alloy frame carbon fork and seat post. Tiagra groupset. Still going strong with nearly 50,000 kms on it. Lifetime frame warranty 😊
buy good china bike much cheaper
The push to disc and e-sets is insane. Literally nobody new is gonna need either.
What about other small companies?
I just got a Poseidon X gravel bike (aluminum frame, carbon fork) 1×10 drivetrain for about $600. Then bought some reasonably priced carbon bars, seat, and seat post. Well within the $1000 mark with room to spare.
You can buy budget and still get some pretty decent stuff
I remember purchasing a Felt Z85 in 2011 for about $900 which is $1200 in today's money. It had full 105 (minus the brake calipers) 10 speed. The top of the range Dura Ace at that point was also 10 speed. This bike is too expensive. Technology should trickle down. This should be at least 10 speed, probably 11, and with hydro brakes.
I just want a working road bike ideally under $400 for my commute man. I'd take steel/aluminum, I don't care much about groupsets, I don't even care about the high end stuff.
Has this part of the market moved to gravel bikes? One bike for multiple applications.
what i dont understand with companies like trek and specialized. their entry bikes cost 1200$ and has claris. but if you look at decathlon you get sora or spend 500 more you get 105. and in decathlon you also have entry bikes that has similar specs with the allez but cost under 1000$ its not its collapsing its just way to expensive, in my country bought a rb wiht claris for 500$. when i bought the new domane al2 gen4 with claris on it, it cost me 1600 i just bought it because of the color, when people learn that i used it used a 1600$ bike as a commuter bike (use it for commuting, road riding, gravel) they thought i am rich.