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So I've been looking for a suitable frame, or cheap donor bike, as a basis for replacing my Saracen Hack commuter bike as the frame is broken.
Been scouring classifieds, eBay etc for weeks now.
But prices seem a bit bonkers.
Eg, a 'like for like' replacement, a tatty Planet X London Road frameset just went for £150.
A tatty Inbred frame went for over £160.
Boardman CX, Hybrids, MTBs, even quite a few years old seem to be £300-£500.
Before lockdown, I'd expect those to have been significantly less; I struggled to shift a reasonably nicely specc'd full Inbred a couple of months ago, only getting £185 for it.
At those prices, something like a new Camino frameset at £300 feels like a comparative bargain ...
So, unless someone has got something kicking around in their loft/garage/shed (Ideally steel, Med CX frameset / Small-Medium XC Hardtail) that they're NOT going to turn into a lockdown project, I've decided to use an old 2006/7 small Carrera Vulcan frame that has been unused in my garage for 10 years, as the starting point.
(Maybe that's the best outcome, recycling something that would have just become landfill in another 10 years ...)
Noticed the same thing.. Been trying to find a small frame to move my daughter onto but everything is going for silly money
Supply and demand. I done myself over I sold a paddy waggon just before lockdown for £200 and some weights for £60 which would easily fetch £100 now. Oh well
What size frame are you after ? I have a pinnacle arkrose sat in the shed that could be built up. In fact I've got most bits to do it
Happening with everything, in my other hobby if you can post it items are brining 3x what they are usually worth.
I keep getting tempted to build a hack single speed but not in this market.
I've just bought my daughter a new bike as she's outgrown her current one. Reckon I need to get it up for sale sharpish to maximise the return on it.
big yim
Member
What size frame are you after ? I have a pinnacle arkrose sat in the shed that could be built up. In fact I’ve got most bits to do it
Medium (or possibly a large small - not sure how Arkose's size up).
Think the PMs are broken on here still, but possibly my email address is in my profile if your bike is suitable?
I'll check the size and get back to you
Turbo trainers are unbelievable, older model used Wahoo Kickr are going for more than their new prices. Bit confused though as "proper" lockdown hasn't happened.
Turbo trainers are unbelievable, older model used Wahoo Kickr are going for more than their new prices. Bit confused though as “proper” lockdown hasn’t happened.
I was just about to post a similar thing.
There was a couple of used Wahoo Kickr Snap turbos selling last week for in excess of £500 on eBay. They're normally around £400 new!
I sold mine for £375 and the buyer collected it. It was about two years old and I think I paid less than that for it when I bought it!
Things are going mental with people wanting bikes/parts
I stuck a 8 year old GT Aggressor XCR on Facebook marketplace yesterday afternoon for £275 or near offer
Less than 24 hours and Ive had over 20 people message me asking if its still available!!
In nearly 40 years of buying and selling bikes/parts ice never had this much demand for one item, especially in such a short time
Turbo trainers are going for big numbers, pretty much as new for the decent stuff.
Kettlebells, bars & plates all going for a lot more than expected too.
I've enjoyed selling bike stuff recently, save for a rear mech & some cranks, i've cleared just over £2ks worth of bits in 6 weeks & I haven't dropped the price on anything, which is quite unusual. But i'm not complaining 🙂
*wanders off to the cellar to find old bike crap to sell*
Turbo trainers are unbelievable, older model used Wahoo Kickr are going for more than their new prices. Bit confused though as “proper” lockdown hasn’t happened.
My daily government exercise is to go a walk with my wife and daughter, or to go cycling with them, both of their mental healths are my priority over biking. I use the turbo and treadmill for a bit of HIIT.
Lots of folk locally seem to be going out as many times as they want, I'll no be doing that.
*follows Mister P after looking at how much my basic six-year-old turbo is fetching on eBay*
yep, just sold my trainer. I think i burnt more calories wrapping my turbo trainer up in bubble wrap than i ever did using it...
I built a ss with all new parts cheaper than second hand bits were going for.
I cant wait till the lockdowns over. There will be a glut of cheap bikes and parts on the market as everyone goes back to normal.
I had loads of stuff on eBay that weren't getting a sniff but since lockdown I've sold every item I assume there's a lot of people with time on their hands and not much to do
just to echo the comments on the turbo trainers. Most Wahoo smart trainers are going for up to £300 over the rrp. Part of me thinks its madness, but then I take it for granted that I can ride from home. If you are stuck in a city centre in a flat, the opportunities to get out are probably a lot less, hence why people are paying over the odds.
The thing that gets me are those being able to buy the odd one's that come into stock at shop then immediately listing them on ebay for big money. I just think that sort of profiteering is a bit rotten.
The same thing is happening with the lazy spa style hot tubs (my missus was looking). £325 ones are going for £600. Its like people are so bored they are happy to pay over the odds for something.
madness I tell thee!
There'll be a bonus when it's all over and the novelty of cycling wears off. That's when I'll be on the lookout for a turbo.
Hmmm might be time to break up the scandal 29er and sell the bits...
As someone selling a bike on eBay, this is awesome 🙂
I got excited about my old bkool smart trainer , look on eBay and they’re not fetching anything worth selling it!
Agree with the comments above, I've turned over more in the last three weeks than I have in the previous six months.
Including a set of six year Old Pikes that went for £90 more than I paid for them new in 2014!
If you've got older forks now is time to start shifting them as the technology is out there to switch a tapered steerer for a 1 1/8th one
It is a combination of time of year (Spring is always best time to sell, especially with nice weather we had in last few weeks) combined with more people getting out cycling.
Good grief! Realise how lucky I am then. I bought a Kickr off a club mate for £275 just a few weeks ago. Bit embarrassing to get it so cheap. Think I'll slip him a few quid more while he's not looking.
Well my LBS have just announced on FB that they’re closing all of next week to catch up with all the sales and repairs they’ve booked in. It’s probably fair to say demand is up.
Skankin_giant
Member
Happening with everything, in my other hobby if you can post it items are brining 3x what they are usually worth.
I keep getting tempted to build a hack single speed but not in this market.
Road or off-road hack? I have an old felt dispatch road single speed that I want to shift. Will need some new wheels at some point. Fully winterised with full.length mudguards) Will let go for good price to an stw'r (collection only Bristol/Bath area)
I have just put a 16" 29er frame in the classifieds for £100 if thats any use to anyone?
Road or off-road hack? I have an old felt dispatch road single speed that I want to shift. Will need some new wheels at some point.
No, off road is what I'm after. Disc and clearance for minimum 35c tyres with mudguards.
I have just put a 16″ 29er frame in the classifieds for £100 if thats any use to anyone?
Yep. Saw that. Might be interested. Any idea on the frame weight, and does it have mudguard/rack points?
Interesting, I've got a few 26" wheels, forks and frames including a Prophet, Ragley Mmmbop and a 14" Scandal that I've been meaning to sell.
Shoes as well apparently, I've just sold a pair of Five Tens on ebay for more than I paid a year ago.
Ive got an old, medium Cotic Soul with Pikes that I would be happy to move on. May be worth sticking it on Ebay unless anybody on here wanted it.
Edit - just updated the add in the classifieds
https://singletrackmag.com/classifieds/advert/cotic-soulk-mk2/
@Big Yim ... Still interested in the Arkose frameset
PMs don't seem to be working still, email me on kevindotharleydashrobertsatvirginmediadotcom
(dash = -)
Some of the planetX stuff are selling for the same as they were sold for... Arguably with some of the P/X sales, some are selling for more used than they were new.
Is this just cheap bikes and parts.
Just taken delivery of my new full sus and was going to keep the bird 120 LT it augments but if now is a good time to sell I may reconsider.
Are we talking people buying cheap s***e, or are decent bikes selling too?
I think there is a bit of a split in the market.
At the lower end, cheap bikes are fetching silly money, because there is a massive demand. Cheap new bikes are also selling out (see LBS comment above), so people are forced to buy secondhand, driving up cheap bike prices.
At the top end though, I think there are a lot of distressed sales, where people are being forced to sell prides and joy because the money has stopped coming in. I think there are a glut of expensive bikes coming on to the market, and demand for these is much lower because there are few people able / inclined to spend large sums at present.
My LBS was lamenting the shift in mix too. So whilst they were selling high volumes, they were generally high volumes of low cost bikes, with low margins and just as much work to PDI. They weren't selling high end MTBs or road bikes though. eBikes were doing OK.
My own experience, last weekend I sold a ~20 year old Raleigh Boulder 15 speed for £140! Pre-Covid, I'd estimated I'd maybe get £40. It is nuts.
I was about to ask the same kind of thing. Sounds dreadful wanting to take advantage but where do people see the massive bargains coming?
With lockdown and recession, I'd initially thought all shops would be panicking and selling everything at 90% off but the mix of lockdown specific stuff like turbos, new cyclists wanting cheapish bikes and lack of staff to deal with online orders the shops seem to be making a killing or couldn't deal with shipping everything even if they discounted.
Can't see people having bought high end helmets, glasses, bike travel bags, energy food etc and shops must have lost chance to clear out winter kit a few months ago so guessing it'll all have to be discounted at some point?
Any bike industry insiders out there?
I've been eyeing up picking up a cheap gravel bike but not at the prices people are asking! Guess I'll wait until the lockdown ends and the used market is (hopefully) flooded..
I was about to ask the same kind of thing. Sounds dreadful wanting to take advantage but where do people see the massive bargains coming?
Don't see it as taking advantage, you could be doing someone a massive favour by putting some much-needed cash in their bank account.
Yes sale prices are highest I've seen for years, I've just sold a set of 26" wheels for a touch under £200 & some straight steerer Lyriks for over £300!
cheers for the heads up... just listed some 2015 RS revs, in very unfashionable white. I'm expecting big money! 🙂
Just sold my rollers, there's a set on ebay for £230 and they were averaging £180-£200. Asked for £140 as anything more seems like excessive profiteering. And yes I'm making a profit Vs what I paid 3 years ago but equally I anticipate being out of a job at some point as a result of this hence having a bit of a fire sale.
Got a fat bike up for sale, lots of interest but no one's bought it yet. TBH I may well keep that one as it'll be the most useful as a spare MTB.
Got a SS CX/Gravel/Road bike up for sale as well, same as the fatty but again might keep it as it makes a nice summer gravel bike/winter road bike without needing to have either.
It's properly mental. Almost tempting to sell the fleet and re-buy when things settle back down.
What's the maddest pricing people have seen? This one has to be close to triple what it'd normally go for.
I was looking for a hard tail frame to build a bike for the boss and all the eBay stuff was indeed going for silly money but Wiggle and CRC had a deal on brand X hard tails, £74.99 each delivered. Would have been rude not to buy a couple.
I've got a mk 1 escapade to sell. I thought I'd missed the bus and would hang on to it until this blows over but the chat on this thread is telling me to get it on eBay.
I haven't seen another for sale anywhere... hard to know what to ask (danger - how much for my escapade thread coming).
*arse drops out of the market as STW'ers flood ebay with tat*
That's me with some 9spd bits from the spares box and a spare hybrid bike in the game. Already got bids and it's only been up 2 hours!
Late 80's-90's Grunge and indie vinyl are the new hot cakes too. Which is nice.
Just sold a 15 year old turbo I couldn't give away 2 months ago for £75.
Just sold something for £2 more than the buy it now price, madness.
If you’ve got older forks now is time to start shifting them as the technology is out there to switch a tapered steerer for a 1 1/8th one
?
So what's the postage method of favour? I'd usually go to the Parcelforce depot but in this era of social distancing...
Yes it's weird at the moment. Hunting Ebay for some Guide RSC brakes. Folks selling them used for £25 less than they can be bought brand new from online bike shops and refusing offers of two thirds of the brand new price.
Hmm I’ve a bundle of bits I’ve got for a 26” build. I’ve been tempted to sell in the past but figured it’d be not worth my time for the money I’d get but maybe I’ll take a look! Any tips to selling bundles on eBay? List separately and offer to group or list together and then split if it doesn’t go?
It's mostly people who haven't got a bike buying one or reviving something from the shed. I've refurbed a couple of 2nd hand bikes for family in the last fortnight and noticed that the upmarket kids bikes (frog, Isla etc) were going for daft money. My kids are ready to do a hand-me-down but I don't think I'd get a decent bike for the older one at the moment so it's just time to up the seat post another notch.
Well I listed my basic turbo trainer at £95 this lunchtime and it's already sold BIN to a chap in London.
Quite happy with that as I think I only paid £120-ish for it in 2013.
Wow, the price of rollers!!
I have a virtually brand new set of resistance rollers in the loft, I think I'll stick them on!
Last bike I sold (still in lockdown) went for a song.....but then kids trials bikes are nicher than niche. Strange as trials biking is THE lockdown sport, perfect for the back garden.
@the wanderer Either look at ebay Packlink, they've apparently reduced the prices down for courier (Hermes/UPS I think) to collect from your house to the same sort of level as you pay for dropping it off yourself. Or Parcelforce will collect from your house too, but it's more expensive!
Would it be a good time to sell some FFWD 50mm rim Carbon tubulars or is that too niche?
Edit 10speed
Been watching 14” wheel Islabikes selling for up to and around £260 - they’re £320 new! And we’re not even talking about bikes in particularly good condition either
I put a nice but cosmetically slightly tatty hybrid up yesterday and it went for full asking price overnight.
Also sold some tyres and a flat bar quick, but less interest in other parts.
I suspect people are mainly wanting stuff they can use right now.
Interesting thread
I've just done my first parts bin build. So my sons house hold in Sheffield can have a bike each and he'll have access to a MTB.
I did look at getting a more modern frame when I thought I had a stuck BB cup. But as said prices are mad. Worse was condition. Looking at one frame I thought that's steep but needs must and the scratches don't matter. Then the description said "stuck seat post might needed some oil". Way to many frames with a free BB.
Any way I got the BB cup out and all I'd needed is cables and BB. These came from Spa cycles who deserve a shout out for being about the only place I could find with an in stock octalink BB (122mm) for rapid delivery
Who would you use to collect and deliver a bike? I have a box
The pedal insert came loose on NDS arm of my Race Face Next R cranks a few weeks back and it was not possible to repair. I've been using an old XT crank in the meanwhile. Listed the remailing parts (DS crank arm, Cinch Axle, Cane Creek Pre load ring, 2 chainrings & Threaded BB) On Pinkbike early evening yesterday they were sold by 11 last night.
I listed to a Renthal stem and that has multiple interests too.
I bought a 9020 XTR crank and Absolute blck oval ring on Ebay yesterday and the sale of the above almost covers the cost.
I've been getting rid of a few bits on the bay recently, a lightly used 11spd cassette went for twice what I was expecting. Crazy.
I've found the cheapest option...
I fished an ancient specialized frame out of the back of the garage; 1" headtube, 130mm spacing and slot dropouts that a previous owner clearly attacked with a file. It's utterly worthless, I've just re-welded the canti bosses further up the stays to accommodate 700c wheels and found a pair of forks for £12.50 on fleabay.
So I'm building an "all the old standards" based SSCX bike in anticipation of having a crack at post lockdown CX racing...
But yeah, if you don't want to pay over the odds go hunting for old school and mechanically simple stuff. None of this disc brakes and boost bollox, quill stems and rim brakes FTW 😉
Is road stuff selling? I've an old allez frame taking up space in my front room.
Interesting. I've got a 3 year old carbon Endurace disc I want going to put up yet as I presumed there's be difficulties with viewing. How are people managing that? Just putting them on eBay and then getting people to collect at the end of a stick?
I've been watching Galfer 223 brake rotars, BIN before lockdown £39.99, BIN price today £250...
free postage though!
So how much do you think I should list this old Kona for? I'm thinking try FB marketplace first then ebay 
If you are not sure put on ebay, wisdom of the crowds.
Decided now is best time to ebay all my N+'s. To fund one new modern bike to-rule-them-all with flat mounts and bolt throughs. Took a week off work to prep them all. And looks like I'm getting my money back on the turbo.
The 'do you have a BIN price' messages are thick and fast. But I'm letting them run.
What are ebay fees like these days? Is BIN still a lot more than an auction?
Sold two more rim-braked road bikes now, the time seemed right for a clear out and in two-out-of-three cases I got my (ambitious) full asking price via BIN. The other I took an offer £20 less.
It's a bit weird but I'm not complaining, got more for my old road bike than my new disc-braked one cost me.
What are ebay fees like these days? Is BIN still a lot more than an auction?
Wait for a £1 listing offer.. they'd not had one for a while (after being virtually every other weekend) but did last weekend. That way you only pay £1 tops (plus whatever PayPal take).
I’ve been watching Galfer 223 brake rotars, BIN before lockdown £39.99, BIN price today £250…
sellers do that when they don't have stock but want to preserve their sales record
occasionally you do catch a sale though, like this Basketball hoop, in the middle there's one sold for £126, no idea who is paying 70 quid for them though, they were 20 quid all winter
Put a turbo trainer on gumtree for 30 and had an immediate offer for 40!
Have some rollers on eBay and am having quite a few offers to end early!
I wonder if my Carbon 456 can hear my devious thoughts from the garage...
Sold two bikes on faceache today, only put them on this morning. Pick-up and no fees...