Those aren't "casual" bikes. Maybe you could call them "prosumer", but really those are ridiculous prices for bikes, that's like calling a $300k Ferrari a car

Those aren't "casual" bikes. Maybe you could call them "prosumer", but really those are ridiculous prices for bikes, that's like calling a $300k Ferrari a car for "casual" car fans. You can walk into any decent bike shop in the US now and buy a very nice carbon-frame bike for $2-3k, and a really nice aluminum-frame bike for under $1k. And these are road bikes BTW, where there simply is no low-end market any more: if you want a low-end bike, you go to Walmart and buy a $100-150 mountain bike. If you're spending more money on a bike than a new economy car costs, that is not even remotely "casual", and not even "avid" unless you're someone who has more money than you know what to do with.