Why do Cruzbike recumbent road bikes cost so much compared to standard frame bicycles?

Why do Cruzbikes cost so much compared to standard frame bicycles? The essential answer is volume and specialization.

We are a small family-run business with a unique product. Truly, no other company makes a bike like ours. Cruzbikes are assembled and packed by hand, and we generally produce 200 or less per model each year. Let’s break that down a bit…

• Because the market demand for standard bicycle frames and parts is so high, machine tools and processes are developed to automate fabrication. The resulting high production volume translates to low unit prices for standard frame bikes. There is very little on a Cruzbike frame that is standard.
• Manufacturers of standard frame parts can sell to many different companies that build upright bikes. If one bike model doesn’t do well, those parts can be sold to another company.  Manufacturing a small number of specialty products like ours comes with more uncertainty and financial risk. We are very fortunate to have a high quality manufacturer willing to take on the work of building our bicycles in such small quantities.
• In addition to the fabrication cost, R&D costs are very significant for small companies with manufactured quantities below ten thousand. Cruzbike has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on R&D, bringing to life our wonderful and unique bicycles, but we remain in a niche market.
• Volume again comes into play when purchasing components (groupsets, wheels, tires, etc.). Our small order numbers prevent us from getting the same deep discounts that large bicycle companies can. We aim to source the best components possible while keeping an eye on affordability.

Over the past twenty years, while many recumbent bicycle companies have closed, down-sized, or sold their remaining inventory to dealers, Cruzbike sales have continued to climb. But until we “break-through” to the larger bicycle market (which we have been artificially locked out of by arbitrary rules of the UCI, USA Cycling, USAT, and other cycling gatekeepers), our prices will be relatively high. 

The consolation for our devoted customers is value; they will ride their Cruzbike many more miles, for many more years, and in much more comfort than they would on a standard bicycle. And when our riders need advice or assistance, they benefit from our exceptional first-class customer service provided by real people who love cycling (no bots here!). If you need help ordering a replacement part, you’ll hear directly from Katie, our warehouse manager. If you are looking for guidance on selecting components to build your frameset, you’ll be connected to Robert, our mechanical expert. Don’t be surprised if your email is responded to by our CEO, Maria Parker…she reads them all. Viewed from the perspective of price per mile or cycling-joy per cost, Cruzbikes are a great deal. And we work hard to ensure you get what you paid for. 

Thanks for being a customer. We appreciate each and every one of you!