As the weather gets colder and Christmas is behind us, I've started looking towards summer.
Starting to look at prospect of riding in the alps, we've done it before, and the biggest cost for us(cause a mate owns an apartment there) was bike hire, it also limited us on what days we could ride (i.e 3 days in a row)
We are thinking of driving down, so the others I ride with will be taking there bigger more alps style bikes, I'm bit of an xc fan boy and nothing I have in the garage that I would be happy riding there, not if I was going to enjoy it to its most.
Hire is around £250ish during the summer for 4/5 days(i forget) but it got me thinking, if I've got the capital, why not buy a cheapish (£500-700) second hand downhill bike and use it for the week then flog it when I am back, on a bike that cheap, unless I snap it, I'm unlikely to lose the value of the hire period- plus I can stick a few personal bits on it before hand so its not so "hirey" if you get me.
Has anybody done this? Is it a bad idea and am I likely to get stuck with a bike I can't shift when I get back. or worse will I fall in love with a bike I can't really justify keeping long term 😆
(Oh and any one know of any likely to sell something long travel FS'ie in about 4 months time? 😉 )
Did this last year, still not sold the bike, nor has it been ridden more than twice since i got back. It WILL be sold this spring though as the Alps isn't likely this year 🙁
Worth doing to get a better fit/ more personal ride if you like that kind of thing?
plenty of cheapish stuff going round, though the prices go up nearer alps season!!
northdownsouth: I assume its not £500-700, otherwise I might be having your arm off!
Yeah thats what I was thinking- getting used to it before hand would be a bonus- last time we plonked ourselves on these big full sus bikes which we'd never ridden, and I don't think I got up to speed until the last day-then it stormed and the lifts were closed 🙄
For that money you might be better off with a freeride bike than a full-on DH sled.
Kona Stinky, Specialized Big Hit (not too old) etc.
It's certainly an attractive alternative, if you were flying I guess less so, but with a van it seems a no brainer
It's a good plan.
I went slightly further and bought a Bionicon brand new this week for our trip...ooos.
my mate did it last year got one for around £400 don't think he ever sold it as we'll probably go this year as well.
Start looking round now it'll give you plenty of time to pick up a bargain.
you might be able to get a pitch for around £700 and easily sell it on when you return
Yeah was thinking of more of a Freeride bike than a full on DH rocket.
As cha****ng mentioned-Kona Stinky or Big Hit sounds ideal, I'm just going to keep plugging away on ebay and SDH, not much seems to appear on here (for obvious reasons)
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SPECIALIZED-BIG-HIT-MOUNTAIN-BIKE-/330675360373?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item4cfdc99275#ht_500wt_1287 ]Big Hit[/url]
Gutted I missed that!
I bought a DHI, rode it in the Alps and sold it for more when I got back. (we went early in the season, don't recommend trying this in September) Of course this won't work for everyone, and you have to factor in tyres, brake pads and maybe fork servicing before you go (unless you're really lucky) but then at least you're rocking a bike you're set up yourself, the right size with decent tyres on it.
If you're driving it's not even like you have to factor in the cost of transporting it.
Of course if you really like the bike you might end up not being able to sell it.
Buy! And buy it now whilst prices are really cheap.
I'll be selling my G-Spot frame closer to the time, but it's currently sat in many, many bits waiting for me to get around to buying and fitting new bearings.
Although I have not bought any second hand bikes a few of my mates have for this purpose and DH-ing and gone on to spend as much again fixing knackered fork, brakes and bearings 😥
I have my old bike awaiting it's overhaul but by the time I have finished I will probably have spent best part of £1k which I suppose is cheaper than the £2k to replace it, but at least I have it.
Still tempted to get something newer though, the old Dawg is 6yrs old now 🙁
Chatel here I come 😆
Where to look/ find all these "bargains" ?
[url= http://www.southerndownhill.com/forum/index.php ]Southern Downhill Forum[/url] is a good place for 2nd hand alps bikes - both downhill and more 'all mountain'.
You'll need to register to see the classifieds
Dave
eBay is also worth scouring, especially if you want something a bit leftfield.
If you decide you want something a bit nicer and properly fast... http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-intense-socom-frame-wti-spring-large-800 😉
I've done this, bought an old spesh Demo and 888's. Built it up with bits off my trail bike used it for 3 weeks come back and sold it via eBay for more money than i paid for it!
A few years back I took a hardtail and it cracked after 2 days, then hired a few bikes out there (Swizzerland), they were all well abused or VERY expensive for a decent one. Following year I bought a Patriot off a mates mate, changed a few bits to suit then sold it when I got back, didnt lose any money, just the hassle of splitting / posting.
I bought a bike for the alps, 2009 glory for £800 Would do this every time or renting one i will sell it this spring for £800, bike or a year for free 😉
I am alping this year and have bought a second hand bike as the own .v. rent maths made more sense to buy. £500 got me a SC Bullit.
Many of the crew I ride with have done the same thing in previous years - none have lost money on resale - & some still have the bike 'for next time' 😀
For a short trip to the Alps I'd much rather be on a bike I know than one I'd hired.
Very Promising stories chaps- looks like the way to go.
I just bought a 29er FS, so feeling a little poor atm! But give it two months and we'll be in the window cash wise!
Will keep monitoring all the channels mentioned.
Oh and IA, sadly not. That is very tasty though!
I got this for just over £600 "ex demo" - was more like new though!
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I added the dropper post, changed the wheels and forks, but still well under £1000 and not 2nd hand with worn gears or brakes
Want something leftfield? http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/gt-it1-downhill-bike.
mtbtomo- that would ideal. There are bargains to be had out there I reckon.
Tom- Would love that, but too pricey for me really-I'd love to ride one though!
Yep, I struck lucky. I just kept searching on ebay for bikes that perhaps aren't in manufacturer's current ranges or got ok reviews at the time but are not mega popular now. So I wasn't looking for Pitches or Orange Patriots - it was more like the Mongoose....Iron Horse also did a single pivot some while ago Yakuzzi(??), Norco Six, even Marin Quad 140's etc etc.
Winstanley's have the Sunn Kern LT for £1319 with Lyriks which was tempting me also. A fair bit more than what I paid but a bit lighter and better forks - mabe a bit more suitable for the UK and general riding but that wasn't the point.
What about something like this [url= http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p2600 ]Mongoose Pinn'r for £899[/url] or this [url= http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s1p1953 ]Kona Stinky for £949[/url]
Tomo...only small 15inchers left...a bit wee for me @ 6ft 🙄
I'm also 6ft/6'1" ish.
I've been watching a few items on the bay, and looking on gumtree(very careful, as I'm guessing some stuff is nicked), southern downhill etc and some stuff looks pretty good.
I'm a bit of scott fan boy if this still was available in a few months, I'd be severely tempted!
[url= http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/downhill-mountian-bike-scott-nitrous-10/95688430 ]Scott Nitrous[/url]