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I'm tempted by a second hand Scott Gambler 10 from 2014. It's in very good nick but something tells me.i would be bonkers to buy a 26in bike in 2018 because in a year or two nothink will be available for it. It's a bit pricey in my opinion, but does seem to have been well cared for.
I want to scratch a dh bike itch while I'm in the Alps and rather tyan sink money on a dubiously equipped rental bike I thought a well spec'ed 2nd hand might be an option. Thoughts?
You can get 650b downhill bikes fairly cheap (Relatively speaking) these days. How much was the gambler and what kind of spec is on it?
2nd hand 26" sounds perfect for what you describe. It'd need to be cheap, though so maybe not this one, but another one. Limitation is likely to be forks. There will be plenty of wheels available for ages and other components are cross compatible. I'd aim for a frame with a tapered or 44mm head tube
It's for sale at 1500€. I'd want it to come down to something closer to 1000, perhaps 1200€. Saint/Zee, Fox 40 forks cannot remember what wheels it has, going to have another look tomorrow. It seems to have been a bike that was close to 6 grand when released but that was now 4 years ago.
Edit : if I go the 26in option I'd not be looking to upgrade, just keep it alive.
What is a very good price?
As for tapered, DH forks are normally straight steerer with plenty being 1 1/8th as it's a triple clamp.
Fora price comparison
https://www.evanscycles.com/norco-aurum-a7-2018-mountain-bike-EV306500
£2300 brand new, how good value is the 2014 bike?
Edit - Current Pink Bike listings
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/list/?region=5&category=1&price=..1500&wheelsize=11,10
Plenty of people with some sponsorship out there who need to turn DH bikes around every season or 2 makes for some great bargins, makes older bikes seem quite expensive as DH bikes tend to hit a floor price so long as they are usable for the 2 weeks in summer and trip to lifts
Another factor is that if I get one now during my Alps stay, it's likely to save me a couple of hundred euros in rental for a few days on a DH bike. If I get one later, that'll be sunk cost. (And yes, I might be trying to convince myself... 😁)
Another factor is that if I get one now during my Alps stay
Does this bike happen to live in the alps? Does the current owner use it all summer in said Alps?
Sounds like a fairly tough life if it has
I don’t think I’d be paying that much for a 26” wheel bike personally.....you can get new downhill bikes for not a huge amount more than that, depending on the size you’d need. All of these are under £2k:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/commencal-furious-origin-dh-bike-2018/rp-prod160329
Just over £2k:
https://www.radon-bikes.de/en/mountainbike/fullsuspension/swoop-200/swoop-200-80/
https://www.yt-industries.com/uk/detail/index/sArticle/1933/sCategory/93
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/gravity/sender/sender-al-6-0.html
If those are too expensive / you can’t find some cheaper new bikes I’d keep looking past the one you’ve mentioned below unless they’re willing to drop the price.
Does this bike happen to live in the alps? Does the current owner use it all summer in said Alps?
Yes to the first, and probably to the second. And I thought that too, but cosmetically it looks well looked after and there is no visible play in bearings etc. I'd want to ride it anyway before parting with any cash, but it's a fair point.
I’d keep looking past the one you’ve mentioned below unless they’re willing to drop the price
I won't pay 1500€, for sure. I'd been looking at new before I came here to be honest but even at €2300 (a Tues Al) it's still a lot to pay for a bike that I'll use for a few of weeks a year and although new it won't be spec'ed with the same level of components as a older top of the range - the fork in particular.
Thanks anyway for the input, though much of it is common sense it's often useful to hear it from someone else.. 😁
I’ll use for a few of weeks a year and although new it won’t be spec’ed with the same level of components as a older top of the range – the fork in particular.
Don't underestimate the performance drop off of older kit if it's not serviced and how far modern stuff has come on.
Oh and if I wanted to get the most I could from my old DH bike I'd have it up for sale in a prime location where sombody could be persuaded it's a good investment rather than on pinkbike where it would be in comparison with a lot of newer stuff.
I have been looking at 26" DH bikes recently too. I set a budget of £800 and there are a lot of options. Pinkbike prices are crazy though. A 2013 Demo for £800 alongside a 2008 giant glory for £1500.
To be honest I would not be looking to spend over £700 on a second hand 26" DH bike, and unless you are after something very specific you dont have to. The best I came across was a 2012 Session with fox 40s for £575. Its not going to be perfect buts its a used DH bike so you would not expect it to be.
I sold my 2016 Saracen Myst 27.5 a short while ago for a £950 and around the £1000 mark you can get pretty modern stuff.
I have a 2013 norco aurum for sale, 63 degree ha, ccdb, boxter teams, for way way less than 1500 quid! Actually less than half that amount! Its a medium.
£1000 tops for that age & wheelsize. The different size between my trailbike & my old 26" dh annoyed me. I prefer having both at 650 now as I can make better use of tyres.
I wouldn’t pay that for a 26er from 2014, no chance. I honestly think that you won’t be that impressed with it compared to a modern enduro bike. My 2018 smuggler is longer reach than my YT Tues DH bike from 2016. Only time I really love my DH bike is stupid rocky trails or big jumps, as it’s so stable in the air.
Ive not ridden a modern enduro bike, ie from the last 2 years, but mine felt far more capable than my old spesh enduro from around 2013, and likewise its far more suited to down hill trails verses my 2016 trance with 160 forks.
Maybe if you had something akin to a pole it may be no different, but most 160 mm bikes arent comparable to a full dh bike, even an old one, imo.
Ive not ridden a modern enduro bike, ie from the last 2 years,
Alrighty then! 😬
So is a 2017 spesh enduro significantly more capable than a 2013 model? Its a degree slacker, similar reach..I use that as an example, obviously there are certain outliers like pole, bird etc
Happy to be educated on how one is significantly more capable than the other, but things haven't moved on that much despite what you think.
Or are you telling me that a bike with a 63 degree ha and 200 mm of travel is not more capable than a bike with less travel and a steeper ha? Presumably you.attribute that soley to slightly bigger wheels?
I'd set a tight budget OP, the only real reason to go for an older 26" DH bike is to obtain a bargain, especially if it is just for alps trips and occasional uplifting... I assume you're going to want this bike to serve its purpose for the next ~3 years at least with a minimum of new parts and maintenance?
Personally I would shoot for sub £750, you should be able to get a decent 26er DH bike for that.
I'd also stock up on tyres you can still get them new but the options will be starting to thin out...
Pretty much everything else bar rims will basically be "current"...
So is a 2017 spesh enduro significantly more capable than a 2013 model? Its a degree slacker, similar reach..I use that as an example, obviously there are certain outliers like pole, bird etc
Well I swapped a 2012 Nomad - the go to Enduro bike before Enduro was well Enduro and the commencal Meta from last year that replaced it is quicker, more stable, better in the real steep stuff, the Fork is great and the front is as stiff as some older DH stuff I rode. It's come on a long way and weight is getting better for a good budget too
Something like this 2016 Myst Pro 27.5 £900 If its in ok condition would seem like a better buy
I have to sell a 1 season old DH bike every year and the arse has Def dropped out of the SH DH bike market!
Have struggled to sell a 10mth old 650b for £1.5k - £2k the last 2 years, (they are £5k RRP), it's Def a buyers market, so 1500 for a 4yr old 26" is dream land!!
I wouldn’t pay that for a 26er from 2014, no chance. I honestly think that you won’t be that impressed with it compared to a modern enduro bike. My 2018 smuggler is longer reach than my YT Tues DH bike from 2016. Only time I really love my DH bike is stupid rocky trails or big jumps, as it’s so stable in the air.
Most DH bikes have shorter reaches than enduro bikes, otherwise the 'downhill' nature of the tracks would mean the bars end up a lot further down than you want them and you'd not be able to keep weight back! Enduro tracks being typically longer/shallower gradient.
A large V10 still has a ~425mm reach.
My aurum has pretty much identical geo to last years model, 413 reach, similar head angle. Other than smaller wheels it's no different
Only thing I would say is even if you find a bargain, is it really worth it for 1 weeks use every year. I bought mine for similar reasons and have used it a total of 5 times in 2 years!
The market for second hand DH bikes is almost non existent these days, there are some seriously good bikes about for little money, as someone above pointed out it's very much a buyers market.
no chance is it worth that figure, save the money and have a look once your home, when you sell it back on you'll probably almost need to give it away.
been there done that, won't be doing it again!
Well, thanks all. I've passed on the idea. Spent some money on a coaching session which was much more fun and useful in the longer term.
I'll probably still want a dh bike at some point, but I'll look out for bargains and maybe build one up from bits and bobs as that'll be more satisfying too.
Can be satisfying but it can also be more expensive than buying a whole bike. I put together a Kona hardtail frame (£50) with old ish forks (£50) / build my own wheels quite cheaply etc (£134) and it still owes me around £500. Yet if I tried to sell it whole I reckon I’d probably only get £200 ish - because the frame is 26” from 2004.
You’ll really have to shop around and hope to have some bits in your toolbox already - it’s surprising how groupset / headset / B.B. / tyres / tubeless / bars / stem / seatpost can add up.
For reference I literally just sold my 2013 aurum to a poster off here who lived locally. I rarely rode it but when I did it was an awesome bike, Perfectly functional, top notch suspension parts.. 550 quid.
Bit less than I thought I'd get for it when I originally thought about advertising it, but clearly that's the market. It was for his son and I think the buyers of second hand dh bikes are probably going to be young lads who don't have huge amounts of spare cash.
It's not just dh bikes that lose their value though. I shudder to think how much I'd lose on my other bikes if I sold them, and they have proper sized wheels!