0% Finance.
Why save, when you can have it now, and pay back the money you would be saving?

I have a very simple rule when it comes to finances. I wont borrow money for anything unless it will appreciate in value faster than the interest on the loan. So, for a bike, even 0% is out as it means that the day after I buy it I have a loan that is greater than the asset and I don’t like being in that position. As RD said, it’s about not knowing what the future might bring.

But each to their own. There are logical reasons to justify all sorts of things. That’s just a rule that’s always worked for me.

Ram-raiding is the cheapest way to acquire a new bike. Make sure you TWOC a large enough vehicle though.

Alternatively there is a thriving market in donor organs in some of the more seedy parts of the world.

From now on ill be being frame only on credit with a decent depsoit then a mix of new and second hand parts for the rest of the build.

Cash was always king for me, bargaining power etc. as stated, but my next purchase (from my long suffering LBS) will probably be 0%.
The money is in the bank already, but might as well stay there a little longer and farm a little interest.
The main difference is I have normally gone N+1, this time the spares bin has gone on ebay, one bike has sold and the current bike will be split, frame/forks/wheels sold and new ones procured. Puts a few quid back into the pot.

Cash, cycle to work, 0%.

Whatever it takes.

I save. Don’t have credit cards or small loans. Got a mortgage, wife, 2 kids and little disposable income so I either sell bits and bobs to fund other bits and bobs or just save a few dollars here and there and save until I can fund. And plan ahead. My 40th in Feb so I’m saving bits as the missus says I can buy a new bike.

From my own pocket! Lucky enough to have no unsecured debts so I have a decent dispoable income every month. That said I’m still quite tight and generally only buy second hand and after a length of time waiting for the right deal to come along. I also change bikes very infrequently.

Save and buy, latest bike was bought by saving for 26 years… yep really… admittedly that was an endowment policy for my 1st mortgage – I’d already paid off.
Never owned a credit card or had a loan of any sort (except mortgages).

I choose my bike ,then wait for someone on here to buy the same model.
After a short while I start a few threads questioning the reliability,aesthetics,performance and manliness of their choice,backed up with some made up horror stories and lies.
It’s only a matter of time before it appears in For Sale section at a huge discount 😉 😛 🙂

Cash at my LBS is frowned upon for anything over £50. They pay more in bank fees to process cash than card fees. It depends how honest the owner is with putting money through the books though.

0% credit card with a firm commitment to pay it off in a set time. Although I would only do that if I had the cash available in savings. No bike is worth the sleepless nights worrying about how it would be paid off if the worst case scenario happened.

It’s quite amusing listening to friends who will either max out a credit card “because it’s available” or the others who won’t do credit yet have eye-wateringly big mortgages.

For a long time its been picking up a second hand, (year or two old), decent frame & then picking up stuff second hand stuff over time.

Started down this route to build up a Five just after Xmas.
Got a few months in but they bought out the new Five, so I picked up a 2015 “old” model for a good deal, plus they had 0% on it.

If I’m honest, I don’t have the time/patience to be shopping for parts through the classifieds these days, so I convinced myself it would be easier to just buy a complete new one. 😉

My only new bike ever was a cyclescheme purchase.
All prior to that were eBay and an ex-demo.

But my ol’ man left me some money, so he’s bought my latest one. (Thanks Dad)
Still can’t bring myself to buy a new MTB though. My Yeti is just the job (that new one at £3K for the frame – effin ridicularse!).

how do you pay for the latest stuff?

Firstly, I generally don’t pay for the latest stuff!
With bikes (and lots of other things like phones etc.) I’m a few years behind the latest and greatest, I keep things for a long time, and I haunt the mid-range rather than the top end.
Usually I just save but my last bike was on 0% finance. I didn’t much like the idea and hesitated a bit before taking the plunge, but it meant being able to get the bike in the summer rather than the winter and get a few nice sunny rides in!

EDIT forgot I had one on cyclescheme a few years ago, but that was to replace a stolen commuter.