Bike prices - I don’t get it !

[Ming the Merciless]

The smallest readily available chainset for road groupsets seems to be 50/34, while for GRX it is 46/30

Plenty of touring doubles or triples will offer same or lower gearing.

 

[mustang1]

If I was looking for a bike purely for commuting, and I was intent on buying new, I'd get a hybrid for about £400-500 from Decathlon or Halfords or somewhere like that. Or I'd get a Brommie (oh, I already have one ) and you know you are paying for swankiness and foldiness there.

Comparing aero bikes with mopeds is a bit weird. An aero bike is for sport cycling, whether its racing or bragging on Strava. A moped isn't (unless you are a sneaky cheat)

I see what you mean (I'm up for the hybrid and folder too).
The aero bike was my tongue-in-cheek attempt to say "I just need something to go quickly, an aero bike allows me to do that, or, I can just twist the throttle on a moped which is far easier."