If you love mountain bikes, you probably know how pricey they can be. Most serious mountain bikers won’t pay under $500 for a new mountain bike. Why? Because a mountain bike isn’t like a road bike or even a gravel bike; it is heavy-duty and extra-durable to handle the rough terrain of a cross country ride. They can handle the rough rides they take over mountains and through forests.
Some people like motorcycles, some like sports cars, some like horses, and some need a mountain bike!
While mountain bikes can be expensive, they don’t always have to be. If you’re wondering what the most expensive mountain bike is like and what it has to offer, you can read all about it here, plus some of the most expensive runner-ups with a price tag that will drain your bank account.
The Most Expensive Mountain Bike: Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo
The Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo is the most expensive mountain bike on the market, coming in at around $24,200, depending on where you buy it.
The price isn’t just for giggles. It has the mountain bike technology and impeccable construction that a serious rider looks for when buying a new bike.
One of the best aspects of this bike is its incredible suspension. So no matter how rocky the road is, you can still have a comfortable and enjoyable ride. Good suspension also helps you tackle tougher hills and other trail challenges an ordinary bike wouldn’t be able to handle.
It has a large 700Wh internal battery and a Brose-manufactured motor that delivers 90Nm of torque, so this mountain bike does feature a motor to give you that extra oomph up the mountain.
Many bikers appreciate the massive and durable tire tread Specialized puts on its higher-end models. So you can handle the tough mud in the woods or the sharp rocks you may roll over when you’re whipping down a hill.
The geometry and the frame design make it super lightweight and easy to carry when you can’t ride it somewhere. Plus, it has excellent aerodynamics to reach high speeds without even using the motor.
The exorbitant price of this mountain bike can be attributed to the top-notch engineering, expensive but lightweight materials, and the technology integrated into it that allows you to monitor speed and other factors. The bike is pretty cool, but is it worth the price of a used Mercedes? Probably not.
Runner-Ups
The Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo isn’t the only bike that's worthy of the price of a mid-range car. Many other mountain bikes cost thousands of dollars because of fancy materials and sleek designs. Check out the three runner-ups for the most expensive mountain bike on the market.
Antidote Carbonjack Ohlins RXF & TTX 22 Custom SRAM X01
The Antidote Carbonjack Ohlins RXF & TTX 22 Custom SRAM X01 costs about $19,000 due to its incredible customization option.
From a distance, this mountain bike may look like a regular bicycle, but the slim wheels are super durable. The frame is lightweight enough so you can go fast but heavy-duty enough to take a mild beating from a rough ride.
The mountain bike is a great product, but at nearly $20k, you can probably find something more modest that will perform just as well.
The manufacturer refers to this bike as the pinnacle of mountain biking technology, but in reality, it’s just an awesome bike. It doesn’t necessarily bend the rules of the genre.
This bike is all about being futuristic and fancy, and it entices many people to it. One of the most fun aspects is that it comes in a wide range of colors, from the sleek black to a white Stormtrooper Inside and the gray Client Performance, so you can have any look you want.
Kenevo SL S-Works Carbon 29
The Kenevo SL is a light carbon fiber material with excellent hydraulic brakes and full suspension. The bike costs $15,000, making it as expensive as a Toyota.
But it does seem to be a favorite among the wealthier mountain bikers. It comes in a few different colors, so you can get it in a vibrant tropical orange or a deep forest green to blend into the woods.
It has a small motor, so you can bike around the trails for longer without getting tired legs. The 250-watt motor and 320Wh battery offers seamless rides where every bump is smooth, and every turn is sharp.
One of the ways the manufacturer justifies this high price is that this bike should last you forever. Probably not forever, but it should stay in good shape for as long as a decade, meaning you won’t need to drop money on tons of repairs or a new bike for quite some time.
Giant Trance Advanced Pro 29.0
Coming in at around $14,000, the Giant Trance Advanced Pro 29.0 is the third runner-up for the most expensive mountain bike on the market.
It’s so expensive because of the carbon wheels and the advanced adjustability. You can adjust the seat, handlebars, pedals, and practically every part of the bike to fit almost any body type.
Like most bikes on this list, the frame is carbon fiber, so it’s lightweight, but the wheels are also carbon which sets it apart. Carbon fiber and carbon, in general, are expensive materials because they come from nonrenewable resources. But it’s still hard to believe there’s $10k+ worth of carbon in this one bike.
It has some technology, like the XX1 AXS shifting capability, but it’s still hard to justify the price of this mountain bike. But it offers a lot of the features that the even more expensive bikes have, so some may see it as excellent value for the price.
Conclusion
Mountain bikes can be pricey, but nothing compares to these four options that top the market as far as price point. It’s wild how much one can pay for what is essentially a bicycle.
But many riders say that added tech and fancy terminology make a huge difference on the ride, so if you can afford the $15k+ price tag on an expensive bike, you can see for yourself!