Cycling Community Manifesto – Prices in the cycling market have crossed the point of absurdit

[CyclingConscience]

Hi,
I am writing on behalf of members of the cycling community.
I am sharing a manifesto in response to the current state of the cycling market, where the prices of bicycles and components have long since crossed the point of post-pandemic absurdity. This is not an attack on specific brands nor a marketing action, but a collective voice calling for an honest conversation about necessary change — because the current situation cannot continue.
The manifesto will be distributed globally across media, the industry, and cycling communities.
If you do not see it directly in this thread, a link to download a safe, virus-free PDF version is provided below.

https://www.swisstransfer.com/d/b4a5e491-7804-40d6-9e9d-ef724da82846

If you believe this issue matters, please help spread the word — share the manifesto on social media, send it to friends, show it in your local bike shop, or pass it on to local media. The wider this message travels, the harder it will be to ignore.

Regards
Conscience

 

[salko]

You should start with a tech industry, I think they are main player to blame for such overinflated prices ... Smartphones with production cost below $100 are selling for $1000+ like a hot bread ... And as long as there will be enough buyers who are willing to spend so much money on it, why should they drop prices? Days when something has a price tag set to actual value and real work put into it, are long gone ... Now prices are set to the imaginary value, which buyers are willing to pay. And give them a bit of boost with a nice discount, still profiting several 100% per unit ...
And we as buyers are second in the line to blame. Stop buying overpriced goods, and prices will drop towards to real values rapidly ...

 

[irie]

Now prices are set to the imaginary value, which buyers are willing to pay.

That's free market competition for you.

 

[Pizzman]

On behalf of who? Us? The bicyclists of the bicycling community. We can write for ourselves thanks.

One post. And you want me to open a file called Manifesto.pdf
lol nope

No author
Swisstransfer in the link

Just gonna place this here
@Moderator

 

[RustyIron]

Aww, come on, Pizz. Don't go too hard on the poor lad. His mum won't give him an advance on his allowance, and none of the cool kids will let him ride his broken-down clunker with them. He's lashing out by issuing his "manifesto" to organize the cyclists of the world and get them to stop buying bikes. I'll bet the CEO's of the big bike manufacturers are trembling in their boots. What a way to ruin a good weekend. Thanks CyclingConscience!

 

[Frankenbetty]

Just because there are bikes and parts that cost gazillions of quid out there doesn’t mean that the price of normal bikes and parts are out of reach. a currant £500 hardtail is hugely better than a £500 hardtail twenty years ago and that’s not considering inflation or anything.
if anything bikes are better equipped and of a better quality than before and make cycling much more affordable and accessible for a larger portion of the population.

 

[randycpu]

If the prices are out of proportion, why are so many brands going out of business?

 

[Scott_123]

There are some bike builds which are outrageous as far as suggested retail pricing. Specalized, TREK, Pivot, Santa Cruz etc top end EMTB are all guilty. Some people will pay for them but most just wait until the new model is close to being released and get a decent deal on last years. My neighbor just picked up the top model Specialized from last year brand new for $7K which is 1/2 it’s original MSRP. The bike has top end everything.

There are plenty of manufacturers (Propain comes to mind) where they give you really good selections for building your own bike for thousands less than the top model.

For 2025 and 2026 Manufactuers are building bikes with expensive build kits which yield larger profit margins on individual sales. They are also building less. Obviously this is a safer bet and defiantly a reaction to the post COVID over-supply that hurt them all. The bike market is still suffering because the consumer is not buying, so manufacturers are playing it safe by appealing to people that have money to spend.

 

[pagheca]

Hi @CyclingConscience,

I’d be happy to support your manifesto, but I think it should be grounded in solid data on price trends and a proper market analysis.

I live in an Italian city where bicycles are widely used both for everyday transportation and for leisure. For both professional and personal reasons, I support any initiative that promotes sustainable mobility, but I believe it’s essential to start from the facts.

Throughout my adult life, I’ve bought only four bicycles, each of which I’ve kept or will keep until it is no longer usable. I’m not a fan of waste, shopping, or buying things just for the sake of owning them. For me, a bicycle is about the experience it enables — not an object to show off.

Here, I see thousands of people who rely on cheap, second-hand bikes for getting around, and many others who invest in high-end models for their weekend rides. Fine for me. But I don't think bicycles/ebikes sellers would give me a medal as I own 1 cheap Decathlon bicycle and a 4 years old trek ebike. And I have no intention to buy another one until those work fine for my need.

 

[Scott_123]

I was referring to EMTB only and the US market which is where I live. The current short term data supports exactly what I stated, however this is for the US market. Another factor for the US market is Manufactuers are not committing larger inventories due to tariffs. They can’t afford to buy 1,000 carbon frames from Asia [for example] under a tariff and pay X% more, then have that tariff go away a month later. This would be a financial disaster. Like I said earlier for at least the US market there will be way less inventory and the trend will be more expensive builds that yield a better profit margin.