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The used bike market seems to be all over the place at the moment.......
There's some serious gear at really low prices, but even that doesn't seem to be selling quickly.
Then there're the five or more year old rim brake road bikes for example, decked out with top end components that were likely 5k+ new, but now appear to be worth next to nothing.
Who's lumbered with a bike they're unable to sell, without taking a huge loss?
Who's picked up a bargain?
Tell me your tales.
Picked up a nice Colnago World Cup CX bike last year, but £330 was reasonable for a 10 year old bike, and it only needed new cables, pads, bar tape etc to bring it up to very good condition. Needed a bit of a good polish, but it's been a great bike - most ridden bike after my commuter as it's so versatile and I had spare wheels, so swap it between off road and road. Great for climbing with the low gearing.
Prior to that, before covid, I picked up a BMC XC full suspension MTB for £300, but it was from a mate. The only issue it was an XS size, so ideal for the wife. Decked out in XT and SLX and came with a brand new, unused Reverb. - List was £2.5k, but again it was 10 years old in great condition.
I'm very tempted with a used Colnago C60 or C64 with rim brakes at some point ! Used prices quite reasonable now, but still premium over other makes.
I recently had a big clear out and I took a hit on most stuff. I had frames, forks and wheels and stuff up for months. I had to slash the prices because I'd gotten impatient and bought the replacements!
Some people got some right bargains.
Still, the idea was to go from 2 meh bikes to 2 awesome bikes which I'm very happy with. I'm done buying and selling for the foreseeable.
These will do me until I'm ready for an e-bike.
PS not a buyer or seller. I keep my bikes. I had an itch for a CX/gravel bike, and the CX made the best sense as all my other 'road bikes' are rim braked, and I had spare wheels. The BMC was a one off offer, and MrsF then had an N+1. It's a bit over-complicated for her needs and she can't get the hang of she can't put her feet down whilst on the saddle as the FS rides higher, so uses the dropper, but it means we can do some gentle off road without her hybrid killing her. She loves her old hybrid.
2nd hand carbon rim brake bikes are stupidly cheap now
Been trying to sell this Colnago C59 rim brake frameset for a while now with no takers even when sending the watchers an offer of £500 (was 3.5k new for just frame and fork)
Im guessing the chainstay rub and paint cracking around the headtube is putting people off
They havent got any worse in 5 years of me using it but i can understand why some people would be concerned, just wonder how much im going to have to drop the price to actually sell it
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256630832180
Seems ok in my experience.
I recently sold my 2012 NukeProof Mega for £400, and it needed a bit of work (all fully detailed in the adverts). I had at least 6 interested buyers but the 1st one who saw it paid in full and rode it home.
When I bought my Rise, I planned to keep it for the 2 years it was under warranty and then sell it. Then use the proceeds to cover a chunk of the cost of a new ebike on the basis that 2 years would probably mean some development in the lightweight market. Either that, or I'd decide I wanted something more powerful/ longer travel.
I bought it July '22 at the height of a supply shortage. Paid full RRP at £5k. Within 6 months, supply shortage became oversupply the prices had fallen by 30%.
2 years into owning it, it's still available brand new for ~3k so worth what, half of that if I wanted to sell?
That's an obscene amount of money to lose in such a short time so I decided to just keep it and hope for the best with regards to the electronics. I figured a new motor or battery would be ~£900 out of warranty and I'd rather face that bill if it comes than to sell it for peanuts.
Bit gutted but, it still does everything I want from a bike. The newer model has definitely caught my eye as they've addressed all of the niggles that I don't like about mine but I don't want it badly enough to pay for one just yet. Cost wise, there's always a chance of some goodwill from Orbea to cover some of the cost if the motor or battery if the worst happens.
So... if anyone wants to buy a used Rise for more than they could buy a new one, let me know. I'll even deliver it for free lol 🙂
The guy who bought/swapped my Trek Fuel ex9.8
It's done about 300 miles and was £6500+ new.
He paid me just under £3000, it's at £1850 or best offer now.
I just picked up a very nice Thorn tandem with a mix of XT and Deore, Reynolds 531 tubing and S&S couplers.
New it was a £3000+ machine, paid £300 🙂
I've got a liteville 301 mk12, which I'd like to shift. It has marz 44 ti forks and saint/xt everything. I reckon that it's worth a big bag of peanuts
I got a fantastic deal on a 26" Nukeproof cub scout, as did the buyer of my lads old 24"...
Unfortunately I can't shift my Dura Ace rim brake bike at all! 🙁
Its not just bikes. it seems there is a glut of everything right now and its a buyers market. I just bought a PRS Santana SE in mint condition with upgraded Grover lockers and a bunch of extras (stand, hanger, tuner etc ) for £200. Conversely, i have an almost brand new boxed Orange amp which retails at 110 plus postage (lowest internet discounted price) which I literally can't give away for 50 quid.
I believe guitar sales also peaked during the covid pandemic?
I've only recently delved into used bike sales as I'm after something that's steel with discs, for winter hacking.
Just come across this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145947788949
Must be worth a quarter of the asking price, if that, in todays market!
Who’s lumbered with a bike they’re unable to sell, without taking a huge loss?
Who’s picked up a bargain?
Yes to both… But that’s just the situation we find ourselves in right now! It’d be a terrible time to be giving up MTBing, but a fantastic time to get into it… As I am neither, it doesn’t really matter ultimately as the hits I will take when selling something tend to be covered when replacing it!
I believe guitar sales also peaked during the covid pandemic?
I keep waiting for all the nice Squier bass guitars to flood the used market but they're either hanging onto them or want near RRP. The Fender Jazz that I bought new during lockdown has shot up in price so I might do alright if I wanted to sell but that particular one is a keeper.
The other thing I keep an eye on (because I really want one) is moto trials bikes. They've definitely plummeted in price since I first started looking which is good news for me because I haven't bought one yet. Used models I was interested in for about 3500-3800 are now 3k max.
Got an Orange Switch 6 frame and shock under £500 this spring.
Hope headset and invisiframe fitted too.
Banked a few quid from the sale of my starling frame.
Might have sold my barely used carbon road bike, if prices hadn't dropped so low though.
Peak STW bike along with owning a wood burner, Volvo and sandvik axe - Pashley Sovereign woman's bikes* are going for nothing on eBay. Probably all bought in Covid and never used since. I'm idly looking for a bargain local 24.5" men's version.
(MrsRNP has one - had some great rides out together with me riding my grandads 1954 Raleigh Superbe)
Specialized Tarmac SL2 carbon road bike, nearly new 11sp 105 groupset, mid range wheels. £305.
Sadly that was selling, not buying.
Finally succumbed to Yeti Arc itch scratching after selling my Epic Evo for £1450 and getting small discount on frame but free Fox Factory fork!
Comes next week - does happy dance - as moving bits from garage to shiny frame and fork.
It is my only bike for everything.no plus 1 for me and will keep me till ebike time in 1000 years or when legs cannot spin, whichever comes first.
James
Have a bunch of bits to offload including possibly a Gen5 Soul frame, but prices are almost too rubbish for the effort involved. Luckily it's just that I have too much in the shed and thinning things out. Must resist looking for bargains though!
In: £80 nuke proof cub scout frame ?
In: £900 Orange stage evo frame ?
Out: Oxidised segment frame ?
Out: 14" one on inbred frame ?
Finally succumbed to Yeti Arc itch...
Picked up my Santa Cruz Highball in immaculate condition for the price of a frame - even had brand new grips and pedals installed. The old chap selling it decided he wanted to try an Arc for his pavement riding instead! (hoping he gives me first dibs on that when he gets bored!)
Still waiting on a brand new Rocky Mountain to arrive for my youngest lad ($4.5k reduced to $1.9k). Having waited 3 weeks for it I decided yesterday if I could pick it up from stock at another bike shop i'd cancel my order from the LBS. But shop 2 said they couldn't price match as I was getting it for $200 less than their cost!
Meanwhile, the whole world of FB loves the look of my Ti Hardtail frame but no bugger has even made any enquiries... not even an offer of an Xbox or drone!
I've never been a serial bike swapper, so haven't done too bad
First MTB around 1989/90 was a second hand Scott that I bought for a few quid and an eighth of dope. Can't remember what I did with it when I moved it on
Second was a '97 Lava Dome which I still have and doubt I'll ever sell
Then a Spesh Enduro Expert - sold for pretty much the second hand market value at the time
After that, I built up an S-Works Enduro - eventually swapped most of the bits on to a Production Privee Shan and gave the frame to a mate
The Shan cost <£500 with the frame, the bits I swapped over and some new bits. Still have it as a bikepack/shopper. Wouldn't really be worth selling, but will probably let it go at some point when I run out of space
At the same time, had a '16 YT Capra CF from new. Sold for decent s/h value when I got the ebike
Spesh Kenevo bought in 2019 and still going strong, but has had new 38's, wheels, gears, finishing kit, motor refurb (as a precaution), spare battery and just bought a range extender. Bike was £5.5k and probably spent close to £3k on it. Market value would be around £2-2.5k if I could even sell it. Could take the forks off though and put the old Lyriks back on. Occasionally think about a new one, but this one has been so good and with the money I've spent, will probably run it for another couple of years and see where the tech is at the time
Ragley Big Al - Chain Reaction fire sale plus a few nice bits, cost around £1800, but is so good, will keep it for a good while unless I ever get the itch for a blingier HT
Boardman ADV gravel bike - bought at a reduced price and will keep that for a good while unless I get bored of it
In Spain with work just now, tried to find a second hand hardtail, but prices are silly high for what's available. Ended up buying new from decathlon.
I'm genuinely astonished that people have swallowed the kool-aid so badly to be giving away some of the rim brake road bikes and components I'm seeing right now, it's not like any of them look like the sorts of bikes you'd ride through the winter anyway so I guess it's either serial bike swappers, or people so dedicated to aero gains that they must have the latest breed of disc only aero wheels?
Just wish I could capitalise but I don't have the ready cash, saw some glorious DT shallow section carbon wheels on 240 hubs, my dream wheelset right there I reckon!
Also doesn't bode well for the rim-braked franken-CX bike I'm probably going to sell, someone will be getting a ridiculous bargain!
I'm stuck with one bike and two frames I haven't bothered to try and sell due to the low demand.
The bike (an old Ragley blue pig) I should probably build back up and sell or donate.
The frames are a Stanton Switchback, which I tried selling for £300 but didn't even get a sniff of interest, and it's such a nice frame I'd rather hang it on the wall than sell for nothing.
The other is a Switch9er FS which I bought second hand during the peak, so I'll lose a chunk if I sell that.
I don't sell bikes.
I keep them so long that they are worth nothing, so give them away or store them.
Keep them until they break.
Keep them to pass along to kids (who then break them).
I also can't flipping stand the mouth breathing imbeciles who populate the used bike market.
"I'll swap you a PS3 and a skateboard for it" is just the tip of the iceberg.
I'd rather have an attic full of slightly out of date parts and frames that i can donate/pass on/swap with mates.
Spesh Kenevo bought in 2019 and still going strong, but has had new 38’s, wheels, gears, finishing kit, motor refurb (as a precaution), spare battery and just bought a range extender. Bike was £5.5k and probably spent close to £3k on it. Market value would be around £2-2.5k if I could even sell it. Could take the forks off though and put the old Lyriks back on. Occasionally think about a new one, but this one has been so good and with the money I’ve spent, will probably run it for another couple of years and see where the tech is at the time
almost the same, though a 2020 Levo SL. Fox 38, AXS shifting and dropper, hardly used and new motor last summer. Bike has less than 1500 miles use in total and still on original chain etc. Cost £7500 and probable spent a total of 10k on it. Just not worth selling even though it only gets very light use these days.
I bought its road stablemate, a Creo SL at the same time, also £7500, sold it last week for £2500…. I hadn’t used it in a year so I reckoned taking the hit was best option. A proper bargain for the buyer, a lovely recently retired lady from Dundee, so good to see it getting used again.
I don’t sell bikes.
I keep them so long that they are worth nothing, so give them away or store them.
Keep them until they break.
Keep them to pass along to kids (who then break them).
My first MTB, I gave away to a local Youth cycling club, they had a fleet of "loan bikes". Admittedly mine was a fairly entry level thing but it had been extensively upgraded. However it was old enough that it was worthless from a cash point of view.
The bike was a 1994 model, I think I gave it away in late 90's / early 00's as by then I had at least one other, much better, MTB.
which I literally can’t give away for 50 quid.
Mmm indeed. However that is nothing to do with COVID or the used bike market. It is simply due to the strictures of the English language.
I've picked up an XXXXL Radio Helium race BMX for £250, apart from the frame literally everything on it is brand new and never ridden. Only thing is now I have 2 BMXs and apparently need to sell one.
The downside with rim brakes for me is the tyre clearance. I don’t think I could go back to 25mm tyres with my weight and 110psi.
Saying that I have a set of FFWD carbon 50mm very light very aero tubs I was considering building a bike around (I have an ultegra rim groupset) so I’m still tempted if anyone is getting rid of a fancy medium lightweight frame. It would be a summer bike to use on good roads- so wouldn’t get much use. Rim brake road bikes also look better.
Must be worth a quarter of the asking price, if that, in todays market!
This is the antonym to this topic, people advertising average bikes for nearly new selling prices. I'm on the look out for a steel Genesis DayOne at the moment, (where have all the medium frames gone? They're all either tiny or massive) and £450 seems to be the starting ask. Collection only too. £200 + postage is about what I'd pay for a fair condition one.
If anyone has one in 54 or 56cm in the north west or north midlands they'd be willing to part with, please PM me.
The market does seem really odd at the moment, some really good stuff going stupid cheap if you are in the right place at the right time.
There are also some people who still think we are in the middle of the pandemic and are trying to sell a 5 year old bike for 90% of RRP having done zero maintenance since buying it and not even washing it for the photos.
@13thfloormonk is that the Rourke cx that you had built?
Wash your mouth out! The Rourke is going from strength to strength, think I've got the contract points and position dialled for the sort of big days it's really designed for.
Splitting and selling the Kinesis CX1 that it replaced which was a great wee bike but needs various monies spent on it that I can't really afford.
The downside with rim brakes for me is the tyre clearance.
Agreed, and I guess I haven't checked tyre clearance of a lot of the bikes I'm seeing going cheap. My Basso has (true sized) 28mm GP5000s on it right now and I've got 30mm GP5000s waiting to go on, that's through a set of current generation Ultegra callipers.
I’m genuinely astonished that people have swallowed the kool-aid so badly to be giving away some of the rim brake road bikes and components I’m seeing right now
I would literally rather go running than ride a road bike with rim brakes and 25mm tyres again. Just crap in every way.
Also some great insight into the true cost of a posh ebike, and the frankly insane maintenance liability with motor reconditioning etc. (even if it's for precaution only). Have also noticed crazy asking prices on ebay for stuff, and they never seem to get reduced despite I assume zero interest and listing being there for months...
Just put my road bike up for sale. I'm thinking it might take quite a while, but thankfully an urgent sale isn't needed. I remember selling my Giant Reign back at the start of 2022 when the market was getting very full, and was surprised it went within a week or so. Not sure it'll be that easy this time around.
I suspect there may be a few "well I have got it advertised but nobody wants to buy it darling" bikes for sale out there.
Or the high price askers aren't involved enough in the scene to know how much new bike prices have dropped in the sales.
I would literally rather go running than ride a road bike with rim brakes and 25mm tyres again. Just crap in every way.
You bought a crap bike? Fair enough.
If anyone is selling a nice posh frameset Basso or something exotic in medium for next to **** all I’d be interested.
I’m genuinely astonished that people have swallowed the kool-aid so badly to be giving away some of the rim brake road bikes and components I’m seeing right now
I'd be all over it if i had the space and money (not that i'd need much money!).
Unfortunately, most of the frames are in size massive or gargantuan.
I shouldn't have moved to a land of giants.
I might have to take a look at all these bargain rim brake road framesets. My rose is got to be getting on for 10 years old now, still really nice with 10speed force and zipp 404s, but fancy trying something different.
I too mostly just keep my bikes, kids are getting to the age where soon they will be able to inherit bits and bobs.
Just built up my old dmr sidekick with 9 speed and pike454's. Nothing wrong with, lots of fun still. Does weigh the same as the moon though
I’m genuinely astonished that people have swallowed the kool-aid so badly to be giving away some of the rim brake road bikes and components I’m seeing right now
I still have a (very rarely ridden) rim brake road bike, the problem is not that it's got rim brakes, it's that trying to get decent parts for it now is like trying to get blood out of a stone. Anything of that era has a retro tax attached to it and nice rim brake / QR wheelsets are increasingly hard to come by.
It's also pretty much worthless to try and sell it.
I have a Cannondale synapse in alloy with rim brakes and 25c tires.
It was my commuter for a while but has been down graded to a pub bike. Round town it's harsh but it's still ace on smooth country roads
I've though about selling it a few times. It might be worth £200 on a good day. I'll not be able to replace it with anything nice and light for £200, so I keep it and ride it occasionally
There's a 10 year old Velorbis city bike sat in my office that got ridden at uni by the lad about 3 times. Cost him a grand I doubt I could shift it for £200
A grand for that! ? He was ripped off when it was new. That's a fifty quid second hand bike for sure.
Prices have gone up since https://velorbis.eu/product/arrow-classic-gents-jet-black/
I've hit both sides in the last few years as I've been trying to find my perfect everyday bike and am also thinking about overhauling the whole squad.
Built my lovely Pace HT 2022/23 using plenty of bargain PSA's and ended up with a well spec'd bike for around £1600. Then everyone started selling HT's at half price and everyone decided they didn't like 650b. I've considered selling as part of the re-org but can't imagine it's worth much, even in mint condition so I'll probably just keep it.
Bought a Ragley Trig via C2W just as low stock hit. Sold it a couple of years later for less than half what I'd payed after tax discount but luckily missed the epic Ragley dump by months. Luckily I managed to buy a bargain Cube carbon HT that was heavily upgraded for the same price. Then sold it on again a year later for the same price!
My Stage 5 is also possibly on the chopping block as my current thinking is I want a big bike (160/70mm 29er FS) and an XC whippet (120mm carbon XC FS) but I'd hate to think what that's worth with Orange selling similar frames for cheap, cheap!
Unless I become rich all of a sudden I reckon I'll buy the XC bike but just keep hold of the Stage 5 and Pace until I make the jump to a big electric thing some time in the future.
@tthew I can't PM you for some reason.
I have a Medium Day One SS I've been meaning to put on eBay. I'm in Leeds. It's well used but well looked after. Switched to a IGH bike a couple of months ago for commuting on the hills round here. My price expectations are more inline with yours if you want to PM me.
I still have a (very rarely ridden) rim brake road bike, the problem is not that it’s got rim brakes, it’s that trying to get decent parts for it now is like trying to get blood out of a stone
Wheels are becoming increasingly difficult to find for rim braked, QR bikes.
I’m genuinely astonished that people have swallowed the kool-aid so badly to be giving away some of the rim brake road bikes and components I’m seeing right now
I'm guessing that plenty of owners of those bikes don't need Kool Aid to make the calculation of how much the bike is worth and how much it will cost to replace worn out parts against the cost of a new, modern spec'd bike.
Wheels are becoming increasingly difficult to find for rim braked, QR bikes.
Thankfully hubs, spokes and rims aren't, yet.
I have 2 mtbs that haven't been used in years. One, a heavily upgraded 2015 trance in good nick with mattocs, carbon wheels, hope brakes, fox dropper etc. Only offers have been from scammers, and one bloke offering me 200 quid.
My other, a lovely yeti asrc also appears to be worth buttons.
At start of year I put up a fully hydro ultegra disk roadie for sale for 300 quid. Didn't sell that either.
On the flip side I had numerous offers for a sworks tarmac frameset recently, despite me not even thinking it was particularly competitively priced! So expensive fashionable stuff does tend to still sell
I'd rather keep stuff than just give it away for peanuts tbh.
Wheels are becoming increasingly difficult to find for rim braked, QR bikes.
I see plenty for sale on FB marketplace 2nd hand for very good prices (£200 for lightly used carbon wheels with 25mm new tyres fitted) Tubular versions seem real cheap as no one really wants them anymore
The first disc road bikes came with 100mm & 135mm QR disc wheels, then came along 100mm & 135mm disc wheels with thru axles using 15mm on the front and 12mm on the rear, these wheels are getting harder to find!
@tthew I can’t PM you for some reason.
I have a Medium Day One SS I’ve been meaning to put on eBay. I’m in Leeds. It’s well used but well looked after. Switched to a IGH bike a couple of months ago for commuting on the hills round here. My price expectations are more inline with yours if you want to PM me.
I might PM you about that too.
Actually @snownrock I cant even work out how to find the messaging system, never mind how to send a PM. Is it a paid member only thing now?
Anyway, I'd be interested if @tthew isn't.
I've got a rigid single speed inbred. Bought when they were the latest thing on here. In fairness I used it loads for winter night rides. I had it refurbed a few years back but a move in job and doing some Zwift racing means that I ride less outdoors after work now in winter.
It's decent enough. I'm considering splitting it as I'd probably get nearly as much for the brakes, pipedream fork (29er) and hope pro 2 hubs as I will the complete bike.
Not wanting to post it limits my market. It's in the classifieds and I'm based in Newcastle if anyone wants a niche pink bike for £200. It's gathering dust which is a real shame.
Haven't second hand bikes always been worth buttons?
Covid was an aberration but I can't recall a golden time before that.
My Transition Klunker isn't selling for £250 against another at £400 on eBay, a stealth ad on here might work......if not I'll hang it from the rafters in the workshop.
I've come out on the right side of the market this week, son No.1 needed a road bike with a double on it so we could sort out the frankly bonkers U14 / Youth B gearing for him - FWIF 6.45m gain so 48/16 or 46/15 on 25mm tyres - as it's not achievable on a single ring like the younger age groups are due to having no low gears for climbing if he actually rode it somewhere other than a closed circuit.
Also with the added factor of him being an average sized 12yr old at a smidge under 5'2" it was time to look for XS road bikes in good condition that don't weigh a ton; we happened upon a very nice Ridley Helium SLA with 5700 105 (2x11) and some decent (enough) qr wheels with RS400 hubs for just over £300, which is nice.
I look at things like this and thing "mmmmmm" I don't know how much he's dropped on this, but it looks a bargain to me.
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/3676113/
That Santa Cruz is in great condition but I don't think it's a bargain as no one wants short travel 650b. Orange 4's sell for peanuts compared to their 29ers or longer travel bikes.
Who's in the market for a short travel, small wheeled bike in large?
What's wrong with 130mm and 27.5 - ohh that's nice, but probably would have to get rid of the NX.
There is a Colnago V1-r 'ferrari' edition on ebay for less than £700 (as new) - these were mad money frames.
I got a bird AM9 with Lyriks and DT swiss wheels for £800 a couple of weeks back!
My Transition Klunker isn’t selling for £250 against another at £400 on eBay, a stealth ad on here might work……if not I’ll hang it from the rafters in the workshop.
So it's yours? I've got it on my watchlist as I used to really want one. Not sure what I'd do with it though.
I'm also watching a Kona Bike Hotrod on marketplace which is even more ridiculous. It's 7 feet long, I'm not sure I can sacrifice the space.
That Santa Cruz is in great condition but I don’t think it’s a bargain as no one wants short travel 650b. Orange 4’s sell for peanuts compared to their 29ers or longer travel bikes.
Who’s in the market for a short travel, small wheeled bike in large?
Close - Me. Got growing kids. But need it in XS or small.
Plenty of 27.5 kit in my stock control system.
I missed a really tidy nice upgraded Marin Rift Zone for 650 the other week. As we move through winter I think prices will fall but there's a lot of people asking crazy prices as they bought in lockdown and think they deserve some money back.
FWIW, I sold a model car on ebay at the weekend. Listed at 40, then 30, then 25. Got bid up to 38. [shrug].
What’s wrong with 130mm and 27.5 – ohh that’s nice, but probably would have to get rid of the NX.
Absolutely nothing at all, it’ll be ace fun but the market for them is tiny so prices are low.
Close – Me. Got growing kids. But need it in XS or small.
Exactly, s or xs would be fine, the big ones less so.
@thepodge give me a nudge in a few days on this thread if you don't hear anything
I bought a Trek Madone 9 in 2017/18 and upgraded it a di2 groupset and carbon wheels from day 1, think I paid around £4k at the time. It's got rim brakes but I don't ride it in the wet/winter so I don't really miss disc brakes (although they would be nice).
To buy a similar bike now it would cost considerably more, I don't even think it would be in the same league as the Madone for a similar price.
Second hand value of the Madone isn't great, no one is looking for rim brake bikes these days! I'm occasionally tempted to get a new road bike but I'll keep the Madone for another couple of years if I can.
I recently sold a Cannondale SL4 MTB with 26" wheels (I think it was a 2012ish bike) for £200, I paid about £500 when it was new and I don't think I did too bad getting £200 for a 12 year old bike!
Not stuck with anything but I'd maybe have a reshuffle if I thought I could get a bit more for one or two of them. Focus Jam2, Bird AM9 & Cotic BFe Max all serve a similar sort of riding, albeit one is power assisted; I'd probably swap the Bfe for a Chisel FS frameset or build.
Interesting everyone saying that there are road bike bargains out there...
Earlier this year I was after a good condition road bike that I could just jump on and ride with little maintenance. Was really looking for discs and was thinking I'd get an unused COVID special for £750 🙂
Well, my expectations shifted fast. Downwards. There was nothing less than £1,500 with discs.
The best I could do in a size 56 (L or M/L) was a carbon Planet X from a good few years back (2015?) with rim brakes, Ultegra 11 speed and silly short cranks (167.5).
Bike is fine, but finishing kit is basic and tyres were grim, even though they were unused. That set me back £450.
I was finding lots of old bikes that had been worked hard and were advertised at well over £750, even though they looked done in.
Would be interested to see if anyone can find a finished bike with rim brakes and good condition for much less than £500.
There are low(er) prices but IME that reflects the fact the groupset is worn, the paint is peeling and it will be due a headset, BB and probably new wheel(s).
Not sure that counts as a bargain. But happy to be proved wrong as I might change the Planet X for the right alternative.
AIBU
Facebook Marketplace is your best bet, i see lots of nice rim brake road bikes going for around £500, of course they are going to have some wear and need a little spending on them but they did cost over 2k when new
This is a quick serch i did im my area
I agree there are some shonky bikes out there.
However, it can be a matter of timing and moving quickly. I bought my Vagabond a year ago - chap said that he had someone else due 15 minutes after me, and sure enough as I paid him someone else arrived...
I bought a Vagabond (£1300-£2000 RRP) with 35 miles use and a single chip in the fork leg for £500.
Agreed with FB as a source:
and