Crashes: A Windfall for Bike Dealers?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by gntlmn
This year, after less than 1/2 the Tour done, more than half of the 188 riders has been involved in a crash.

If you end up with about 100 bikes destroyed by the end of the Tour, that's about a million bucks. $10,000 * 100. Somebody's making money.

Do you think there is much incentive to reduce these crashes on the part of team organizers? Do you think the public likes crashes? What about the bike dealers? I think all the riders don't like crashes, except perhaps if they are ahead of the crash and gain a lot of time as a result. Do you think the riders want less crashes?

Yes I think the riders want less crashes....ask Stuart O'Grady or Robbie McEwen.

Aren't all the bikes/components/etc... in the Tour supplied free of charge to the teams as part of the sponsorship package? I don't think anyone is making money on the crashes.

$10,000 per bike, I think that is pushing it. The frames LA uses are out of the box. Even with top of the line components, it would be hard to spend more than $6,000.

RyanS77 said:

$10,000 per bike, I think that is pushing it. The frames LA uses are out of the box. Even with top of the line components, it would be hard to spend more than $6,000.

And those are retail prices....It doesn't cost Trek $5000 to produce the bike and their part of sponsorship is providing USPS with bicycles. I imagine the bikes go back to Trek at the end of the day. It's like rowing. Hudson and other companies supply teams with rowing shells for competition. It's part of their sponsorship package. The shells go back to Hudson at the end of the race and they're sold as demonstration models, etc.

RyanS77 said:

$10,000 per bike, I think that is pushing it. The frames LA uses are out of the box. Even with top of the line components, it would be hard to spend more than $6,000.

I think you're right on this. Here's a quote directly from Trek's website:

Along with the Madone 5.9, Madone SL 5.9, and Team Time Trial bike, the Madone SSL will be one of four bikes that Lance will have available for him to ride as he attempts to make history at the 2004 Tour de France. Of course, since every bike Trek has supplied Lance and the Postal team with has found its way to the dealer floor, you can expect to find the revolutionary Madone SSL at your local dealer in the near future - parking lot test anyone?

Trek Bicycles - we don't just make bikes – we make history!

It appears that if you want a limited edition Lance Armstrong Madone 5.9, it would cost you $7,000, but that's because it has special engraving. They're not using that in the Tour. It seems that the Tour bikes are $4,500 to $5,000. I think bike prices have come down in the last 15 years or so. I was taking late 80's prices in my head and adjusting them upward. It seems that these top bikes have more mass appeal now; thus, they can spread design costs over a greater market, resulting in a lower price for all. They certainly aren't going down in quality. So that must be the answer, not considering gains in manufacturing productivity.