How much for a bike used by the top pro's?

[Cyclopathic]

Are you for real! Do you want a response????!!!

I am sure Cav/Wiggo/Cooke/Armitstead or any Pro rider could trounce you if they were riding a Halfords Appollo with a basket and you were riding a Pro road bike .

No. No response is necessary. The comment was meant very much tongue in cheek, hence the emoticon. A child of five could probably trounce me on a bike with stabalisers and I've never claimed or implied otherwise. My apologies if I have ruffled your feathers.

 

[Crankarm]

No. No response is necessary. The comment was meant very much tongue in cheek, hence the emoticon. A child of five could probably trounce me on a bike with stabalisers and I've never claimed or implied otherwise. My apologies if I have ruffled your feathers.

No problem.

 

[User16625]

£20k for a Team GB track bike.

I can go a whole lot faster for much less. Here are some bikes that cost much less:
Hayabusa
R6/R1
GSXR series
ZZR1400

I dont think they would be allowed in many cycle races but for personal use you will be flying along. My question is this. How is it that racing cycles can cost £10k or more which is basic in design yet you can get an 180mph+motorcycle for the same cost which is complex in design? Makes me think the manufacturers are using stratospheric mark up on their products.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Saxobank were all on production S-Works SL3s a couple of years ago - a £2k (retail) frame - Contador won the TdF on one of them...

I thought Contador won the TdF on clenbuterol

 

[Smokin Joe]

I can go a whole lot faster for much less. Here are some bikes that cost much less:
Hayabusa
R6/R1
GSXR series
ZZR1400

I dont think they would be allowed in many cycle races but for personal use you will be flying along. My question is this. How is it that racing cycles can cost £10k or more which is basic in design yet you can get an 180mph+motorcycle for the same cost which is complex in design? Makes me think the manufacturers are using stratospheric mark up on their products.

Economy of scale. All those bikes are assembled in vast numbers on fast moving production lines which are automated as much as is practical. As high performance as they may be they are the Ribbles of the motorcycle world.

To get a proper motorcycle/cycle comparison you have to compare professional racing bikes with professional racing motorcycles, and they cost about a quarter of a million quid apiece. Cutting edge technology and small production numbers don't come cheap, whatever field they're in.

 

[oldroadman]

Economy of scale. All those bikes are assembled in vast numbers on fast moving production lines which are automated as much as is practical. As high performance as they may be they are the Ribbles of the motorcycle world.

To get a proper motorcycle/cycle comparison you have to compare professional racing bikes with professional racing motorcycles, and they cost about a quarter of a million quid apiece. Cutting edge technology and small production numbers don't come cheap, whatever field they're in.

Exactly. Hand lay-up of carbon is labour and skill intensive. And if anyone believes that riders have standard off the peg frames....only if they are standard size off the peg riders. Maybe.
Almost always geometry is custom, just as a starting point, then the sprinters want a bit of reinforcment, climbers a light as possible set up, all of which as a paying customer can be ordered (as per UCI regulations). If you are prepared to wait a long time and have deep pockets!
In days past it was common to see frames labelled "XXXXX" which had never been near a factory named on the downtube, simply built to spec. by a bespoke builder somewhere and sprayed with the appropriate colours and transfers.

 

[86TDFWinner]

..and bell.

And horn, tassles & basket.

 

[raindog]

Exactly. Hand lay-up of carbon is labour and skill intensive. And if anyone believes that riders have standard off the peg frames....only if they are standard size off the peg riders. Maybe.

The top teams maybe, but the smaller teams use standard frames. There's no way they're having hand built carbon frames for every rider. Maybe team leaders or star riders, but the rest get what they're given.

 

[Cyclopathic]

I can go a whole lot faster for much less. Here are some bikes that cost much less:
Hayabusa
R6/R1
GSXR series
ZZR1400

I dont think they would be allowed in many cycle races but for personal use you will be flying along. My question is this. How is it that racing cycles can cost £10k or more which is basic in design yet you can get an 180mph+motorcycle for the same cost which is complex in design? Makes me think the manufacturers are using stratospheric mark up on their products.

I think it's simply a way of deliniating or defining their different ranges. I think it's ordered along lines of quality but possibly not proportional. The profit margin on a £5,000 component is , I suspect much greater than on a £5 one. The excessive price is to let you know you've got the best in their range not necessarily to reflect the price they made it for.
As with a lot of things that I just think might be the case, there is every chance that I am talking out of my hat. It is all conjecture and has no basis in fact. Please do not repeat these opinions to anyone without this strict disclaimer as it could lead to embarrassment.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

And if anyone believes that riders have standard off the peg frames...Almost always geometry is custom.

When Cav won the world championship and green jersey in TdF on a Specialized Mclaren Venge his bike used completely standard geometry. Although custom geometry is used in pro cycling It is equally not uncommon to find bikes used by the pro's which have standard geometry.

 

[black'n'yellow]

as above, it might have been the case when frames were steel and made by men with brazing torches, but the price of CNC moulds and autoclaves puts that beyond economic reach for most...

 

[Dave 123]

I was quite under the impression that pro riders were loaned bikes, not given bikes. Certainly not so they could go on and sell them after. That would be quite an enterprise in itself.
I imagine they would be returned after their seasons use. Very used too.

In the world of whitewater kayaking the team sponsored paddlers place adverts on a forum a bit like this one. They read something like this....

For sale- 3 month old Pyranaha Everest. Done one 2 week trip to Nepal- Usual wear and scrapes £450 ono
They will have a signature on their profile saying that they are Team Pyranha. Paddlers aren't reimbursed like peddlers, but free is free and they sell them on....

 

[black'n'yellow]

Team bikes are usually team property. If an individual rider sells a team bike, it is because the team has ok'd it....

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

In the world of whitewater kayaking the team sponsored paddlers place adverts on a forum a bit like this one. They read something like this....

For sale- 3 month old Pyranaha Everest. Done one 2 week trip to Nepal- Usual wear and scrapes £450 ono
They will have a signature on their profile saying that they are Team Pyranha. Paddlers aren't reimbursed like peddlers, but free is free and they sell them on....

Sounds great if you are into Kayaking. I remain under the impression that the teams are given the bikes by the sponsors. So the team probably then owns that bike and does with as see's fit. Someone above mentioned that knowing a member of team staff or a rider might help with the acquiring of said used pro bike. I am guessing that means most of us are sh*t out of luck.
Might start playing the lottery again.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Someone above mentioned that knowing a member of team staff or a rider might help with the acquiring of said used pro bike. I am guessing that means most of us are sh*t out of luck

Sky procycling sell their dogmas to the general public, I can give you details if you want them. You pay about 3.5 to 4k for a frame and fork set complete with Di2
Highroad also used to sell their bikes to people with sufficiant funds, its not uncommon for teams to sell old bikes on and you most certainly do not need to know a member of staff of rider.