You may be wondering just how much one of those bikes cost on the Tour de France? It may surprise you to know that some bikes can cost more than the car you’re driving! That’s right, the majority of bikes on Tour cost in the vicinity of $14k to $20k+.
Given that you can walk into a bike shop and pick up a bike that looks like theirs for $2k, it will take some explanation as to the big price variance. Although the bikes may look similar, it’s the subtle differences that cost! For instance, the quality of carbon resin used in the making of the bike frames, the quality of the electronic gears, breaks and wheels. Then you’ve got to add the electronic components that provide data to the riders on their handle bars – power metres can cost $2k to 5k.
All of this may only result in a 10 to 20% improvement in performance, when compared to a $2k bike, but at this level a half a percent is the difference between winning and losing!