The $16,250 bike

[Climb01742]

pinerello has a model called the "dogma ego" that sells for (please sit down first) $16,250. oh my god. ok, i'm a bike nut, but oh my god. you can see it on competitivecyclist.com. who'd have thought an ottrott could ever look cheap?

[Andreu]

"Unlike other types of paint that can be put into an oven to assist with the drying process, the Ego's paint must air dry. As such, it takes 2 complete days to get through its paint process."

(a bit like the fence in the back yard)

"The paint on the frame was designed to provide such mirror-like reflectivity that the rider could look down while riding and see himself, a la Narcissus peering into the river to admire his own image."

(and in the process probably crash...dead cool!)

I have never heard so much rot in all my life.....you still have to pedal the bu*ger.
A

[bostondrunk]

well, if you can afford an Ottrott, a Legend, A hors, and every other custom bike out there for your collection, then money probably isn;t an issue, so whats another 16k?
Yeah, I'm jealous, I only get to have one Legend and my nashbar bibs...
Anyone got any half eaten powerbars they want to donate to my race kit for this year?

[saab2000]

... is getting out of control quickly and is one of the reasons I purchased a Strong. It is made in the US and it is well made and it is reasonably priced and it is not disposable.

Of course, Serottas all fit this description too, but they are a bit more spendy.

Anyway, when I got into cycling in the early '80s a top bike with the best stuff, Campagnolo Super Record, cost about $1,500-$1,800. The price of the top ride today easily exceeds $5,000. Yes, bikes are better than 20 years ago in many ways, but they are not 2.5 times better and this is the reason some people become retro-grouches. :D

[flydhest]

saab2000,

by and large, I agree with you, but if you use the CPI to compare prices (and there are reasons you might not want to, but let's not get into that here), $1500 in 1980 is about $3400 now.

c.f. http://www.bls.gov/


A lugged steel bike with Record could be had for about that. Then adjust for improvements in quality of components (not to mention steel).

$16K on the other hand. Well, it ain't my money.

Of course, is it so different from someone who has 20 bikes? You could have 10 bikes--with every riding style you'd want represented--plus this crazy $16K bikes for less than 20 bikes.

Just a point of reference for people who think it's crazy to pay that much for a bike.

[Kevan]

Buy your toys now boys, cuz in ten years you'll be looking into leasing agreements for your $20k rig.

[bostondrunk]

Lemme guess, that 16k 'rig' comes with what, a 3 year warranty?

[Ray]

above, what, 2,000 per year? Or is it excess hours charges?

-Ray

[saab2000]

Flyhest,

I agree, inflation needs to be considered. Additionally, bikes really are in most ways better than they were 20 years ago. Even a sworn retro-grouch like myself will recognise that.

:D

[jpw]

I just clicked on the "Purchase Dogma Ego" link below the picture and went throught the process of buying the bike, but for some reason my credit card wasn't accepted.

I wonder why?

[Ozz]

There does seem to be a "race" by manufacturers of both frames and components to build the most expensive products possible.

If there were incremental improvements in performance, I might buy into the spiraling costs...but most "improvements" are barely noticeable.

I think too many people get on board with the "if it is more expensive, it must be better" mindset. This just encourages manufacturers to s build more expensive items, and marketers to figure out ways to spin the "benefits" of such items.

I mean, do you really think your bikes rides better with a $700 carbon-ti stem/bar combo than the $200 alternative that weighs about 20 grams more? Gimme a break!

I'll admit, I jump on board occasionally, but luckily I have a non-cycling spouse that slaps me upside the head with reality when I show her the newest gee-whiz items in the Colorodo Cyclist catalog....

That's my rant, and now I have to go back to making widgets....

[jpw]

It's that whole 'loss leader' principle of marketing.

"Because we also make a Dogma Ego your Pinarello base line bike will most certainly have the same 'genetic' characteristics".

K'ching!

[Russ]

I thought the Colnago Ferrari carbon bike was about that much, wasn't it?

[Bruce K]

Maybe the limited edition Madone is Trek's way of funding it's commitment to the USPS team.

BK

[davids]

What's even more absurd about this particular exercise in conspicuous consumption is that, for the price of this Pinarello Dogma, you could buy three Chorus-equiped (wait for it...) Pinarello Dogmas!

I'm dismayed that 200 cyclists may actually fall for this. Maybe Robin Williams bought a few... Sorry, that was mean.

[Too Tall]

Maybe they just needed to market the most expensive frame.

[JohnS]

At least with a name like "Ego", they're being upfront on whom they feel their potential cusotmers are...

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . a market for hyper-expensive toys purchased by rich people for little more reason than that they can. Nieman-Marcus bases an entire (very profitable) company on this absurd reality.

What's really funny here is that here is a product obviously designed and priced so that the only place you might see one actually on the road is at a club ride in the Hamptons or Aspen. But the club riders in those locales are all already so rich that they will not be impressed by this bike that is so obviously designed mostly to impress other riders.

How ironic that any real cyclists buying these bikes will merely be showing themselves to be posessed of more money than brains whenever they actually ride them in public.

I think riding something like a Serotta is actually more of a positive impression to other serious riders because Ben has a reputation for making expensive bikes that WORK well, not just expensive bikes that LOOK cool.

BBDave

[CarbonTi]

If the Dogma Ego gets people to notice it, talk it up a little then it has done it's purpose, even if it doesn't sell a one. For some, buying on the highest price serves the same purpose as brand recognition - "Gotta be good it cost yadda yadda". Goods such as these get purchased because the sport is shopping and the subject just happens to be bicycling.

The Colnago Ferrari CF1 was about $9K. Very different to a Dogma Ego simply for the marque of the Scuderia on the top tube. Ferrari collectors aren't buying it to ride. I think it at least conveyed the right attitude for a Ferrari as far as technology and emotion. Last time I looked, Pinarellos AL frames all had welds like toothpaste - $16K with the weld aesthetics of a BMX bike out of Walmart.

I put a good word for Nieman Marcus though. Yeah some stuff sold is extravagant but they gotta keep the attitude going. A Hermes tie costs what a Hermes tie costs.