We all baulk at the cost of bikes these days, but would it surprise you to hear that some mid-to-high-end models are actually cheaper than they were a few years ago, both in real terms (taking inflation into account) and, in some cases, with lower RRPs? No, really. Why is this the case, and how can you make sure you get the best value for money?
We’re always telling you about the latest bike launches and, there’s no getting around it, some of the prices we report are extremely high. The new Pinarello Dogma X range we covered recently starts at £12,500, for example. The new Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL 9 is available in two top-end builds with either a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or SRAM Red AXS groupset, for £11,999. Gulp!
Okay, we all know that’s a lot of money, but when Specialized launched the Tarmac SL8 back in August 2023, the S-Works version built up with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 was £12,000.
Using the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), prices in the UK have generally increased by about 8.5% since then, so in real terms, today’s S-Works SL9 is actually a chunk cheaper than the S-Works SL8 was at launch, believe it or not. £12,000 in August 2023 equates to about £13,000 today.
That’s a decrease in real terms (taking inflation into account), but the RRP has remained virtually unaltered. Some bike RRPs have reduced significantly over the past few years.
For example, we reviewed the Giant Defy Advanced SL 0 in 2023 when it cost £11,499. Granted, there have been a few spec changes, but today’s Giant Defy Advanced SL 0, also built up with a SRAM Red groupset and Cadex wheels, is £9,499 (currently reduced to £7,599 on Giant’s website).
The Canyon Ultimate CFR AXS we reviewed in 2024 was £9,749. In 2026, it’s £7,599, currently reduced to £6,649.
Are there differences in spec? Both incarnations feature SRAM Red groupsets, although the one we reviewed a couple of years ago came with Zipp 353 NSW wheels rather than today’s DT Swiss ARC 1100, and that could account for a large part of that price difference, but not all of it.
The Orbea Orca M10iLTD PWR we reviewed in 2024 was £11,749. Now it’s £9,999 in a similar build.
We’re by no means saying that all bike prices are going down; that wouldn’t be true at all. But what we are saying is that if you look around you’ll find that some prices have reduced over the past few years – and we’re talking about full RRPs here, not including any discounts. We’ll come back to the reasons behind that in a mo.
Are we talking only about top-end bikes?
The most dramatic bike price reductions you’re likely to spot will be from the mid-to-higher end of the market. You’d guess that.
For a start, a £500 reduction on a £1,000 bike would be proportionately much greater than a £500 reduction on a £10,000 bike, of course. Plus, a few industry sources have told us that the margins are so tight on bikes priced at £1,000-£2,000 that there’s far less scope for reduction there, and that overheads like volatile shipping costs can wipe out any profit. For those reasons, we’ve not seen much lowering of prices in that sector of the market.
Look around, though, and you’ll find some mid-range bikes a little cheaper than they were a while back (depending on how you define mid-range).
The SRAM Rival-equipped Cube Agree C:62 Pro we reviewed in 2022 was £3,399, for example. The 2026 Cube Agree C:62 Pro comes in a Shimano Ultegra Di2 build so it’s not a great comparison, but the 2026 Cube Agree C:62 Ex is £3,099. This is built up with a SRAM Rival groupset and with more expensive wheels than the 2022 model we rode.
The Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 we reviewed in 2023 was £5,999, and the 2026 version is £5,499 (currently reduced to £4,399) even though it has a wheel upgrade.
As we said above, we’re not for a minute suggesting that bikes are universally priced lower than they were a few years ago, but that you can find some price reductions if you look around.
How come?
The COVID bike boom
The global COVID-19 pandemic changed the bike market radically. In 2020, we saw lockdowns begin, public transport use collapse, gyms close, and many people looked to cycling for outdoor exercise and socially distanced transport. Bike sales surged, entry-level bikes sold out, and waiting lists developed, with many retailers having little or no stock.
Demand remained unusually high through 2021 while manufacturers struggled with supply chain problems, raw material inflation, component shortages, shipping delays and container costs. All of this led to higher bike prices. Even when sales volumes began to normalise, the value of the market remained well above pre-pandemic levels.
The boom ended in 2022. Demand fell back, and retailers were left with excess inventory that had been ordered during the shortage, leading to widespread discounting.
Since then, the bike industry has had to work hard to encourage sales. Basic market economics says you can raise prices in times of high demand, but in times of low demand, the traditional market response is usually the opposite: lower prices or increase value to stimulate demand, and we’re seeing some of that in the bike industry – although brands are often reluctant to talk about specifics.
This chart from the Office for National Statistics shows how bike prices compare over time since 2015 (CPIH stands for Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs). As you can see, prices generally rose from April/May 2020 until mid-2022, and haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Ben Hillsdon, Canyon’s director of communications, says, “We can’t comment on the reasons behind the pricing strategy of each individual model – there are many factors that can influence the price – but generally speaking we set our prices as competitively as possible to provide the best value to our customers. As an online retailer with a distribution model through Canyon.com, we don’t have to offer ‘model year’ pricing through dealer networks, which means that we can adjust our pricing when we have additional savings to pass onto customers.
“The price of our bikes is governed by factors including raw material costs, production costs, exchange rates, shipping costs and customs charges, not to mention broader market factors.
“While inflation can affect the cost of raw materials or services associated with the production of our bikes, where possible we look to insulate consumers from price rises. Above all, we are a company that was founded by enthusiastic cyclists and we want to inspire and enable as many people as possible to ride our bikes. When we have a way to offer customers better value, whilst still being able to push the envelope of innovation, we take steps to do so.”
Another bike industry figure (who wished to remain anonymous) said, “Bikes were in huge demand when COVID was at its peak, and prices rose. The bike industry’s biggest mistake was assuming pandemic demand would continue, and that didn’t happen.
“People returned to offices and to other hobbies, inflation and higher interest rates reduced discretionary spending, and bikes ordered during the shortage finally arrived just as demand weakened. We saw warehouses full of unsold inventory and bike shops struggling with cash flow. It was a buyer’s market.
“We’ve now experienced a reset to some extent. The UK cycling market returned to modest growth in 2025, and 2026 is still a good year to buy a bike – certainly much better than 2020 to 2022 when there were high prices and shortages.”
There’s discounting too
If you bought a bike in 2021 or 2022, you probably paid close to peak pricing because, as we saw earlier, RRPs had increased due to supply shortages, freight costs, and demand, and there wasn’t a need for retailers to offer discounts.
From 2023 onwards, some bike brands have run clearance promotions and price reductions. Even where list prices (RRPs/MSRPs) haven’t reduced, actual selling prices have often fallen because of discounting. In other words, although the brand’s official price for a particular model might not have dropped, you could pick it up cheaper from a retailer eager to gain your custom.
For example, if you bought a new Trek Madone SLR 9 Gen 7 when it was launched in mid-2022, the Shimano Dura-Ace version was priced at £12,700.
A 2026 Madone SLR 9 Di2 Gen 8 road bike has an RRP of £10,000, which is over 21% lower than the 2022 launch price. That’s a huge reduction, especially when you consider that UK inflation moved a typical basket of goods and services upwards about 17% between mid-2022 and mid-2026 (using the UK Consumer Prices Index as the measure of inflation).
On top of that, you might get a discount on the 2026 model, especially now that the 2027 models have started to arrive in UK bike shops (the same is often true of bikes from other brands when the model year changes and there’s existing stock left with retailers). Balfe’s are asking £8,999 and have stock in a couple of sizes, for instance. That’s over 29% lower than the 2022 RRP.
Similarly, when the Specialized Tarmac SL8 was officially launched in 2023, the Pro model with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and Roval Rapide CL II carbon wheels cost £8,000.
The most recent Specialized Tarmac SL8 Pro, with a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset and Roval Rapide CL III wheels, was £7,249. The high-end S-Works Tarmac SL9 was launched earlier this year and everyone suspects that more affordable versions of the SL9 are on the way, because that’s usually the way things work.
If you want a Tarmac SL8 Pro now, chances are that you can buy one below the 2026 RRP. Specialized Concept Store has them in most sizes for £6,099, for example. That’s over 16% lower than the list price, and nearly 24% lower than the 2023 RRP.
You get the picture.
The takeaway? While there are plenty of models that cost more than they did a few years ago, it’s also true that some brands have quietly reduced the official list prices of their bikes – certainly when you take general inflation into account – and that’s even before you factor in retailer discounts. That’s a pretty unusual situation.
Add in the available discounts and, if you’re prepared to shop around, you can save a lot of money compared with what you’d have paid during the post-pandemic boom. This doesn’t necessarily make a £10,000 superbike affordable – no one is saying that – but it does mean that buyers are in a stronger position than they were a few years ago.
You might argue that comparing bike prices from today with those from the post-COVID bike boom doesn’t tell us much. Of course bikes are going to be a little cheaper now (in real terms) than they were in that extraordinary time. In fact, though, bike prices have increased a little less than general UK inflation since 2019.
One final point. We’re certainly not suggesting you should chase the very lowest price at all costs. Far from it. The UK bike retail sector has had a tough few years, and over and above what they sell, good local bike shops provide invaluable advice, warranty support and servicing that are well worth paying for. But if you’re in the market for a new bike, it’s worth looking beyond the headline price. Compare today’s RRPs with what equivalent bikes cost a few years ago, then see what your local dealer can offer. You might be surprised by just how much value is available right now.
1 thought on “Why are these bikes cheaper than they were four years ago?”
One thing that’s missed out is upgradability.
By which I mean, what is the benefit of upgrading my bike? Over the last decade or so , we have had, electronic gears, disc brakes, fully intergrated cable free designs, more aero frames, there has always at lease one reason to eye up an upgrade. Lets use the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9. What is the difference between that and the SL8? its so marginal. same can be said for so many new releases. the upgrades are so marginal and when they are always boasted about in ridiculous terms like a 5 seconds saving over 80km averaging 45kph. its preposterous to the average mere human non pro rider.
Its like the evolution of the iPhone. the leap in every new model was always worth the cost of upgrading. bigger screens, higher resolutions, better camera etc etc. but now each new model is almost identical to the last and people stopped upgrading every year, to maybe ever y 2-3 years instead with the new contract etc.
In the last 4-5 years, with the exception of a few radical bikes like the Factor One or the Colnago Y1RS etc, upgrades are not worth the expenditure. Especially when people are more prepared to buy Chinese instead. Why spend 5 figures on a top end Dura Ace clad superbike from a marquis brand when you can get a very good alternative from China for almost half the price?
Its happening in bikes, phones, electric SUVs. Big brands took the piss and now they are paying for their greed.