An entry level new bike, that is agreeable to ride, not dragged down by antiquated standards like QR, that you won't regret buying, nor immediately feel the urge to swap out half the components because of cut corners, cost approximately USD $1500 at standard retail prices as of late 2024, give or take a few hundred (depending on the finer details).

Now, the prices are going to go up by at least 20%, and the smaller independent brands are going to go under as only the largest players will have the spare cash to ride out the sudden loss of consumer confidence. The most interesting and original bike products will simply disappear from the market permanently until the next wave of prosperity (which may be entirely concentrated somewhere far away and foreign, so that only the wealthiest of your peers will be able to import and use such goods).

How does that make /n/ feel?