exoensive bike with cheap wheels..why?

elderone
elderone Posts: 1,410
edited May 2013 in Road buying advice
Was in tweeks today and they had a luvly colnago carbon bike for 3k.Wasn,t looking to buy,just looking(actually went for rollers and shoes).Now, said bike is Italian,carbon etc etc,so why does it come with shimano rs30 wheels.
These wheel are about £130.What,s the logic behind a 3k bike coming with cheap wheels.
Im assuming most who buy this kind of bike would change wheels right away so why don,t the manufacturers leave wheels off the as no pedals,then knock price down a accordingly.
Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori

Comments

  • navrig
    navrig Posts: 1,352
    Because that is what nearly everyone else does and hence when comparing prices across several websites you need to appear competitive.

    Most experienced cyclists will know this is the norm but the first timer wont. In addition to price they will look at name, frame material, groupset and colour (in that order IMHO) and whilst this may not appear to be a beginner's bike there are some who have that sort of cash so why lose their interest by adding £500 wheels and appearing to be more expensive.
  • Percy Vera
    Percy Vera Posts: 1,103
    Wheels are like pedals, people have their own preferences
    No point putting £2k Zipps on when someone would prefer HEDs etc.
    Also, keeps the bike under a certain price point
  • lc1981
    lc1981 Posts: 820
    I was just discussing this here. I presume that it's (a) to cut costs, and (b) because the best wheels to use depend on the rider and the type of cycling they do, so it's not worth speccing expensive wheels only for the buyer to have to change them. As you note, the same applies to pedals, which are a matter of personal preference, but perhaps people would feel they were being cheated if they didn't get any wheels at all.
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    Many purchasers of a bike like that will already have some nice wheels that they would want to put on there anyway - and as said, there is the personal preference issue. So what would you fit on a bike like that which would be more suitable? Deep carbon wheels? Fulcrum Racing Zero's??

    I do agree though - maybe it would be nice to have the option of buying a bike without any wheels. You're getting into the realms of custom spec then - which is how i intend to buy my next bike.
  • How much do you want for the RS30's ?
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles