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7 Reasons Why Trek Bikes Are So Expensive

Trek bikes are some of the highest quality bikes that are currently available, the American brand is known for producing high-end bikes that can withstand the challenges of long rides and look amazing at the same time.

There are many reasons why bikes can be expensive and today we will be taking a closer look at 7 reasons why Trek bikes are so expensive. 

1. They Are Used By The Pro’s

To begin with, Trek bikes have long been used by professional riders and teams. Currently the Trek Segafredo squad ride Trek bikes and carry the manufacturers name as their lead title sponsor making them closely linked to the research and development of new models. 

Having professional teams using your bikes is a brilliant marketing strategy for bike companies for a number of reasons, the main one being that your bikes are viewed on television around the world on an almost daily basis.

At races such as the Tour de France, your bikes can become even more popular if a stage winner or jersey wearer uses one of your companies’ bikes. 

Having teams use your bikes can also allow you to market them in a way that presents them as incredibly high-end, as professionals wouldn’t use them if they didn’t believe that they were good enough to endure the challenges of professional racing. 

2. They Can Be Customized

Customization can mean a variety of things, such as color schemes, wheel dimensions, and general sizing of the bike. These things can all cost money though and will go someway to increasing the price of a Trek bike if bought from them directly. 

When buying a bike, many companies market their models at the cheapest available specification that they produce them at, but if you want better components and higher quality tires to be attached to them then you will almost certainly have to pay extra for the pleasure. 

3. Paying For The Trek Name

As with many products, branded items almost always cost more than none-branded or unknown branded items and the same rings true when it comes to bikes. The Trek name is one of the most famous and well respected in the world of cycling and they have made bikes for the very best for decades. 

Trek was always a name that was intertwined with the legend of Lance Armstrong, the disgraced 7-time Tour de France winner always used the American bikes in his all-conquering laps around France. Whilst Armstrong may no longer be regarded as a legend by most in the sport, his links to Trek have not damaged the company’s reputation at all. 

There is a reason that these brands charge what they do, but perhaps you should be aware that some smaller brands also produce some quality bikes for much lower prices. 

4. Top Quality Components 

Bikes are of course products that are made up of many different components and all of these need to be of the highest quality in order to charge the kind of prices that Trek currently do.

Thankfully, Trek bikes are made with some of the best components that money can buy, such as SRAM gear systems and drivetrains that would cost hundreds of dollars to replace or buy separately. 

The most expensive road model that Trek currently produce is the Trek Madone SLR 9 performance road bike, that comes in at an eye watering $13,800.

This bike features a new frame design that is made for aerodynamic performance that was made in conjunction with the Trek Segafredo team with the idea that it would be the teams racing bike in 2022, which it was. 

5. They Last Long (or?)

Something that people want to know when buying a bike is how long will it last me? Nobody wants to spend thousands of dollars on a bike that will stop working in a years’ time. 

According to many reviews, Trek bikes are said to last around 4-5 years. This in all honesty isn’t that great, with many European bikes able to last a lot longer and this is something that you should consider before going out and buying a Trek bike. 

The reason for this lack of lifespan is the components that Trek use are not meant to be used every day, with this in mind you are better buying a cheaper model that is replaceable if you intend to use your bike for the daily commute. 

6. Delivery Costs

This is a point that many people often forget about and does not apply to everyone, especially if you have a large vehicle that can carry a new bike. If you don’t own a car though, you will probably need to have your new bike delivered to your home and this isn’t cheap to do if you buy it directly from Trek.

In the United Kingdom Trek charge £35 for home delivery as opposed to their offer of free in store collection, personally I believe that paying so much for delivery when you may have spent thousands on a bike is ridiculous and that it should be free. 

If you can, you should collect your bike or find a retailer that offers free delivery in order to keep the cost of your new Trek bike down. 

7. Inflation 

Finally, the most forgotten aspect of Trek bikes being so expensive is inflation. This is of course has happened at an exponential rate in recent years due to a variety of external factors. But what is inflation?

Essentially it means that the purchasing power of currency has decreased, so each dollar buys you less than it used to. The overall prices of goods increases in line with inflation so and this is much more noticeable when it comes to high-end items like Trek bikes.

A Trek road bike used to cost much less than $13,000 to buy and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as companies have to charge more due to increased production costs (inflation impacts manufacturing too). Just make sure you know what you want to pay for your bike before doing so.

Learn more about why bikes are so expensive in this post.