--- title: "Japan’s Olympic Track Bike Costs More Than a New Porsche 911" date: "2024-08-12" modified: "2024-08-12" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/japans-olympic-track-bike-costs-more-than-a-new-porsche-911" categories: - "Culture" - "News" --- # Japan’s Olympic Track Bike Costs More Than a New Porsche 911 ![PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 09: (L-R) Riyu Ohta of Team Japan and Mathilde Gros of Team France compete during the Women's Sprint 1/32 Finals on day fourteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome on August 09, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)]() *\Tim De Waele\* The Olympics are over, and to be honest, I didn't really watch much of it—though social media delivered most of the updates and highlights I needed to stay informed. That's exactly how I came across the [Japanese]() national cycling team's new track bike, which reportedly costs a heck of a lot of money. How much, exactly? Enough to buy a brand-new [Porsche 911]() with a few options—so about $135,000. As a yearly watcher of the Tour de France, I knew that purpose-built road bikes were expensive due to their advanced frames, race-ready components, and mostly the never-ending chase for lightness, but I never thought an Olympic track bike would eclipse them. It's common for a Tour-spec bike to cost anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000. That's a lot of money, but going deep into the six-figure territory is truly wild. Now, I didn't want to take some random video on [Instagram]() as the ultimate word on track bikes, so I did a little digging on these Japanese bikes, and what I found out was pretty darn cool. Not only did I confirm the price of one of these—*[Cycling Weekly]()* puts them at 108,000 GBP, or approximately $137,000—but I learned that the company that makes these bikes is also heavily involved in car racing and aerospace. The V-Izu TCM-2 track bike is manufactured by Toray Carbon Magic, which is owned by Japanese carbon giant Toray. According to Toray's official [site](), they produce carbon components for everything from Super GT monocoques, [NASCAR]() seats, Olympic-grade bobsleds, WEC prototype and Formula 3 body panels, and even competition wheelchairs and winged rockets. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() In a blog by the Japanese cycling publication *[More Cadence]()*, the V-Izu TCM-2 is photographed with some pretty cool cars, including a racing Honda [NSX](), a Dome S101.5, and some other vintage open-wheel race cars. The photos look incredible. The blog describes in detail how the frame geometry came to be, the tweaks this second-generation bike has over its predecessor, and how its unusual left-sided drivetrain makes it extremely unique. It also mentions that it took two years to develop and produce this bike for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. I don't believe anyone out there is trying to decide if they should spend their hard-earned $130,000 on a bicycle or a Porsche, but I'm just shocked that such a dilemma could technically exist. These bikes are certainly a work of art and have been developed with the same tech and commitment as cars that go over 200 mph or rockets that go into space. Amazing. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()