Why are bicycle tyres so expensive?

[DroppedRider]

The costs of bicycle tyres are now almost the same as what it costs for my car tyres.  Is there special material in them or more R&D? Someone help me understand. 

[Brawler]

Devils advocate - don't shoot me.

• Lower economies of scale
• Fewer suppliers and fatter profits
• Are you comparing an ultra high end bicycle tyre to a Toyota Tazz tyre? Go look at the price of a Range Rover tyre...

Edited March 29, 2023 by Brawler

[DieselnDust]

16 minutes ago, DroppedRider said:

The costs of bicycle tyres are now almost the same as what it costs for my car tyres.  Is there special material in them or more R&D? Someone help me understand. 

Unadulterated price gauging 

kower material costs

lower labour costs

lower energy costs

loke everything else provided by the bike industry , because we’re willing to be ripped several new ones , they oblige, even open the door fot you with a smile 

[DieselnDust]

10 minutes ago, Brawler said:

Devils advocate - don't shoot me.

• Lower economies of scale
• Fewer suppliers and fatter profits
• Are you comparing an ultra high end bicycle tyre to a Toyota Tazz tyre? Go look at the price of a Range Rover tyre...

225x40 R18 Z rated is around R2200 per tyre. A lot of rubber and steel, fabric. It’s heavy and when shipped there’s a lot of air 

average Mtb tyre is R1200 for a 1/20th of the material, weight and is packaged far more economically.

import tax has a role in the bicycle tyre being so expensive but largely it’s just because we’re willing to pay. 
commuter bike tyres are far cheaper 

[love2fly]

Because we're getting ripped off! Not by the LBS but by the manufacturer. Compare the weight of your car tyre vs bike and that's it. Same with brake pads. Someone mentioned economies of scale - car tyres are produced in their 10's of millions but there are thousands more vrands.

Same goes for bicycle disc pads...

The bike industry is contracting so hopefully some sanity will emerge.

[Danger Dassie]

Also factor in that cycling/tyres often have material not found on car tyres. Kevlar beads, graphene compounds etc .... 

Fyi I don't know which car tyres are that much cheaper really. Anything 15inch and over is way more than any cycling tyre. Don't even get me started on motorbike tyres. 

[OVERDRIVE]

25 minutes ago, Brawler said:

Devils advocate - don't shoot me.

• Lower economies of scale
• Fewer suppliers and fatter profits
• Are you comparing an ultra high end bicycle tyre to a Toyota Tazz tyre? Go look at the price of a Range Rover tyre...

 

11 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

225x40 R18 Z rated is around R2200 per tyre. A lot of rubber and steel, fabric. It’s heavy and when shipped there’s a lot of air 

average Mtb tyre is R1200 for a 1/20th of the material, weight and is packaged far more economically.

import tax has a role in the bicycle tyre being so expensive but largely it’s just because we’re willing to pay. 
commuter bike tyres are far cheaper 

Range Sport tyre vs MTB wheel...

[Prince Albert Cycles]

Asked myself the same question many times . But the question answered every time I barrel down a rocky path at speed without a worry about a tyre failing..

[BaGearA]

36 minutes ago, OVERDRIVE said:

 

Range Sport tyre vs MTB wheel...

And you can get the cream of the crop mtb tyre for 1299 if you shop around a little 

 

 

 

anyone seen what A Pirelli P-zero costs ? 

[MORNE]

Yes but will i bike tire last 60000km?😅

Edit: lets compare fruits from the same species:

Bicycle tyres are expensive.

Edited March 29, 2023 by MORNE

[Frosty]

Tread carefully, all this talk is making me very rather tired.

[MORNE]

Just now, Frosty said:

Tread carefully, all this talk is making me very rather tired.

Yea, all these pressures can be deflating.  

[Frosty]

I guess inflation is the reason tyre prices are expensive

[Nick]

31 minutes ago, MORNE said:

Yes but will i bike tire last 60000km?😅

Edit: lets compare fruits from the same species:

Bicycle tyres are expensive.

What'd they cost if the market expected them to weigh 1.6 kg instead of 4.5 kg?

[MORNE]

There’s no beading around the bush even if you valve a little deeper in search of core answers. In a pinch a cheap solution works like a bomb and will seal the deal for most. But often costs will mushroom out of control and leave your wallet as flat as an Ardent Race at the 2022 epic.

[Ncayi]

This is no expert opinion but my humble opinion. I’m no economist so my logic could be flawed.
Short answer: relative to my position in the socio-economic landscape, bicycle tyres are expensive AF including most things associated with the sport. 

Proceed at your own risk

Long answer: Requires a bit of patience.
There is a scene in The Wire that sums up the cycling industry for me. For context The Wire was a show based on the drug infested city of Baltimore which explored how the drug industry influenced and was influenced by other social issues.

During the show Stringer (a drug lord) is having a conversation with DiAngelo (a minion) about the good thing about selling your product to less than rational customer base that will do anything to satisfy its need for a high.

In this scene DiAngelo is stating that you can’t sell a weak product and expect your customer to not notice and when they do , still buy it and not complain.
Stringer proceeds to explain that even if the product is weak a dope fiend will still buy it. Even if you double the price they will still buy it. Furthermore they will by more instead, as they need a higher dose to try and satisfy their need for a high. The implication being that when a customer has an insatiable appetite for your product and limited options they will buy it.

So Stringer is basically saying, when you sell an in demand product that has a relatively limited life span at an inflated price you make more profit. What does this have to do with cycling you may ask. We are to some extent “dope fiends" who will pay what ever price to satisfy our need for a “high". There is absolutely no justification for a bicycle being worth R200 000 a cycling top being R2000 etc. But our  drug dealer is smart. He dangles  the concept of the customers being able to use the same products used by the pro's as a justification to essentially loot our wallets. 

As I wait for my overpriced helmet to arrive
 

Edited March 29, 2023 by Ncayi