Bytager the publication "When a bicycle is worth the price of a racing motorcycle: the reflections of a former rider"
There are comparisons that amuse, and others that challenge. The one Carlos Lopes, a former top-level motorcycle racer and now a passionate cyclist, recently shared with us clearly falls into the second category. Last spring, Carlos treated himself to an exceptional bike: a Colnago V4Rs fitted with Dura-Ace and Enve wheels, for a price tag of around €14. An impressive sum, even in a market accustomed to elitist prices. However, his perspective as a former motorcycle racer puts things into perspective: for him, his competition machines at the time cost barely more than a current high-end bike.
By Jeff Tatard – Photos: DR
A racing motorcycle for less than €20
« At the time, my competition bike cost me less than €20, says Carlos, still amused by the contrast with the current figures. For that price, I had a machine tailor-made for me: a lightweight chassis, tuned suspension, and an engine honed to deliver its power over a very specific range. Each part was designed to withstand extreme stress, but also to be replaced or adapted quickly depending on the circuit. It was a true mechanical laboratory, not just a speed machine. And my pair of slick tires cost €250. Today, that's barely the price of a set of tires. route top of the line. »
It's hard not to be surprised.A racing motorcycle, with its rudimentary but already advanced on-board electronics, its composite materials, its perfectly machined elements, therefore cost barely more than a bicycle. route modern equipped with the latest carbon. The comparison is striking : she asks about the evolution of costs, but also about the way in which Some industries have been able to transform passion into a luxury market..
The economic paradox of cycling
This remark raises a question: isn't the bike today badly placed in terms of price?
One could invoke the volume effect, the power of the industrial structure or even the weight of motorcycle budgets, often supported by major manufacturers. But in Carlos's case, these were not showcase prototypes or showroom machines: we are talking about real competition motorcycles, prepared in detail, with unique parts and calibrated to withstand the intensity of a championship.
« The most ironic, Carlos smiled, The fact is that my motocross bike, which I still ride today, cost me less than my racing bike. And yet, it's a much more complex machine, with an engine, a gearbox, sophisticated suspensions... In short, a whole mechanical universe that a bike doesn't have to support. »
On the other hand, the bicycle, even in its most exclusive versions, remains an assembly of carbon frames, profiled wheels, and electronic transmissions. Certainly, innovation is real, materials are ever more optimized, developments are constant. But The surge in prices seems to be fueled as much by marketing, organized scarcity and the search for a prestigious image as by pure engineeringThe high-end bicycle has become a status object, sometimes closer to luxury than raw performance.
Passion, prestige and perceived value
Where the comparison becomes truly exciting is in the notion of perceived value. The competition motorcycle is measured above all by its raw performance : top speed, acceleration, lap time on the track. The bicycle, on the other hand, mobilizes more intangible criteria. : the quest for extreme lightness, the aura of a brand, the prestige associated with certain components.
Basically, a high-end bike goes far beyond its technical realityIt becomes a symbol, an identity marker, an object of passion. It is undoubtedly this extra irrationality that explains why some cyclists agree to invest so much – or even moretage – than for a racing motorcycle.
Carlos knows something about it. Always accustomed to beautiful mechanics, he didn't wait for his Colnago V4Rs to taste the very highest level. Before that, he was already riding a Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7, equipped with high-end Sram. An exceptional machine, priced higher than that of... a complete motocross bike. A paradox that illustrates to what extent, In the world of cycling, value lies as much in image as in mechanics..
A thought worth asking
Carlos Lopes' remark obliges us to reconto amaze the price hierarchy between two mechanical worlds which, at first glance, seem close. Yes, There is something disturbing about the fact that a competition motorcycle, packed with unique parts and designed to withstand extreme stress, could cost less than a current high-end bike.But this paradox also reveals the singularity of cycling: a universe where passion, more than strict technical rationality, imposes its law.
Because a bicycle isn't just an assembly of carbon fiber and sophisticated components. It embodies an imaginary world, a sense of belonging, a part of ourselves that we project into the machine. Price, then, is no longer just a market value: it becomes the expression of a commitment, a desire, sometimes even a status.
Ultimately, The real question is probably not how much a bicycle or a motorcycle costs, but what we are willing to invest. – in money, in time, in passion – to fully experience these emotions. And from this point of view, whether it is two motorized wheels or pedals, emotion remains the most beautiful currency.
