High-end or Low-end Theory...

I’m dazzled by the amount of cycling products in the market. Why, just the other day I took a stroll down Price Point lane to see what sales were in order. I usually don’t frequent online markets, but I was just browsing. At first, I started in the sale isle (web page). Then I moved quickly to the high-end wheels. I eagerly perused the Chris King, XTR and Kysirium wheels. After my visit, I thought for a moment about all these high-end products. Do many cyclists purchase $1200 wheel sets? Would they ever invest in a $300 saddle? Who buys what, and at what price?

Cycling means a lot to me – take a look at the picture to the left. I’ve spent a lot of money on bikes. My Iron Horse Azure, the one in the picture, is valued at over $4,000 - and I took a picture with it (DORK). Personally, I’m one of those spending hundreds on a pair of shoes. But, I’ve often heard that manufacturers want to hit the mid-market customer. They want the guy/gal who will spend no more than $2,000 on a bike. They want this person becase he/she has at least one high-end friend who’ll spend double. They try to find this shopper because he/she has a lot of friends with similar socio-economic status. In other words, these riders make friends!

Can anyone give me an idea on the market out there? What kind of buyer are you – high-end or low-end?