I’m in the market for a decent but cheap road bike for use on a direct drive trainer, and prices are still ridiculous. 2015/2016 bikes which were £900 new are still going for £400 or more. And then the under £200 range is full of utter junk that “has hardly been ridden” ie has spent the last 3 years in a shed rusting away with zero maintenance…

Not looked at mtb prices but I’m guessing the same. Are the prices likely to come down when winter hits I wonder? Maybe there’ll be a glut of 1 year old bikes on the market from those who bought over lockdown and never actually used them?

No idea, but actually, I think used prices are lower now than they were back in the Spring, certainly for MTBs. I’d thought I could potentially sell my 29er steel HT for around £1200, but reckon I’d probably only get £900 for it now … not enough to allow me to upgrade to a used FS trail bike.

Yeah, they’ve already dropped a bit. Maybe just the time of year but I’ve seen quite a few parts and bikes that seem reasonably priced compared to peak lockdown

Hope not 😀 I’ve been thinking of sticking some fresh pads in my old and now no longer needed cove stiffee and getting it on gumtree.
Save servicing the forks, wheels and brakes.

Just acquired a 6yr old full carbon road bike with 11spd 105 + upgraded and Mavic wheels for £410 on ebay.
It’s only done 3000km from new, and mint condition.
To me that’s a decent price.

It’s only done 3000km from new

I’ve got a bridge you cam buy 1 careful owner.

Seems to be a lot of fixed priced listings on ebay that aren’t selling, guess people holding out for spring prices.

Auctions seem to be selling for less

I’ve got a bridge you cam buy 1 careful owner

Ha, yes, I was vaguely suspicious of the claim. But the bike computer fitted was showing just over 3k, and the overall condition would bear it out. i.e. still on original brake pads, which are barely worn.

Bloke was/is a triathlete, and this was his second bike.

I think they will drop a bit but not back to 2019 levels. There are still the high shipping costs which severely affect imports of sub £1000 bikes. It’s only the availability of new and lower demand that’s affecting the price atm. I’ve seen a few un-used lockdown purchases but there would need to be a lot of them to force down the price and I can’t see there being loads more new bikes in the next 6 months to compete with that.

I sold my Vagabond within hours back in the Spring for a fair price, but currently have a nice nearly new HT for sale, again fair price, with little interest, so do suspect it’s calming down on good quality kit. The £300 market is still going mental !

Demand must be dropping by now. The initial demand was because it was one of the few things you could do in lockdown to get out of the house. That demand continued longer that I thought it would no doubt helped by long wait times for new bikes but it has to end as some point, i.e. when everyone that wants a used bike has one and supply has to get better, i.e. a lot of people who rode in lockdown probably haven’t touched their bike since and will sell over winter.

I think they will start to, but maybe not in earnest until spring next year.

There was clearly a lot of purchasing happening in the pandemic, now people can do their old activities and the weather is starting to change / evenings get shorter, etc. then the usage will drop off. Some might cash in but I think some will fall into the ‘wait until spring and see if I take it up again; or ‘wait till spring and see if prices increase as others take it up

But if the number of enquiries about rehoming your dog is anything to go by, the bike ownership bubble will be deflating at some point.

I’ve seen some absolute bargains recently. None in my size so far. Mates got a £600 jump bike for £89! I’m seen quite a few new bikes listed where the seller has either never used it or has lost job and needs cash.

£400 for a £900 bike that is 5 years old doesn’t sound too bad to me if it’s been looked after. I’d be worried if depreciation was much more than that. Especially as tech hadn’t changed that much at the lower end.

@theotherjonv sidetrack, but where are you seeing dog rehoming? I’m about to cave on the “can we get a puppy?!”

sidetrack, but where are you seeing dog rehoming? I’m about to cave on the “can we get a puppy?!”

Thread called dog ownerhsip on the chat forum has a link to BBC article in it

Demand must be dropping by now.

Thing is it’s not entirely demand driven, demand pushes price up but perception keeps them up. Once people have in their heads “my old bike is worth £££” it takes a long time to change that mind set because no one wants to be the one who sold to cheap unless they have to sell.

2015/2016 bikes which were £900 new are still going for £400 or more.

Is less than 1/2 price really that terrible? I mean if they were £800 now I’d be inclined to agree it’s a bubble that won’t last but 12% year on year loss isn’t exactly over inflated.

Is less than 1/2 price really that terrible? I mean if they were £800 now I’d be inclined to agree it’s a bubble that won’t last but 12% year on year loss isn’t exactly over inflated.

Back in 2019, pre-covid I sold my 2018, 1 year old, rrp £1850 vitus escarpe FS bike, for £900.

My old space chicken, bought for £1400, 18 months, later sold for £950 but they were £1800 brand new at the time. That was in Oct 2020 so right at the peak of demand for bikes.

So, yeah something still at around 50% of it’s original rrp after 6 years does seem a bit too much! 😬

The other issue is that there’s such a gulf in quality between the £sub 200 and the £400+ price bracket, there really is some utter junk out there being pedalled for much more than it’s worth.

Clearly less peoole are cycling. But a few things might keep prices.

1. If no one has any new bikes that keeps used prices higher

2. If new bikes cost more then old bikes will cost more. It doesn’t really matter what the bike cost new 4 years ago it’s what bike cost now that matters. More so road where things change more slowly

3. Have we actually now got more cyclists in the country. I know people who didn’t ride pre lock down that are still getting out 3 times per week. Are they mow joining the N+1 brigade

Just an example:

2014 bike, 7 years old. £950 rrp.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Felt-Z85-54cm-Road-Bike-Lightweight-Aluminium-Carbon-Forks-Excellent-condition-/203593080276?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Sold for £500.

Granted I don’t know what the road bike price market was like pre lockdown but that seems inflated to me. Is there a minimum value a tiagra/105 equipped bike goes for, regardless of age/condition?

So actually that one was £89 less than new

https://www.leisureoutlet.com/the-winter-sale/bikes/road/29186-felt-z85-road-bike-

I think Tiagra road bikes are anout a grand new? So that one does seem pricey

£400 for a £900 bike that is 5 years old doesn’t sound too bad to me if it’s been looked after.

Yeah, that doesn’t seem too bad to me at all.

Yeah around £1000 for a tiagra, alloy frame, rim braked Road bike, ribble r872 is £1100 for instance.

I’m basically trying to keep my zwift set up I’m building to £1k. £550 for the Elite Direto X (which is already £50 cheaper… Grrrr), £160 for an apple TV 4k, leaves around £300 for the bike.

Maybe I’m completely out of touch on the cheaper end of the market 2nd hand values. Another issue is sizing, there’s loads of medium bikes around, seems everyone is 5ft 8in 😁 but I need a L at minimum and ideally an XL bike. Which further lessens the availability.

I’m just hoping that the noobs who snapped up all the high spec, enduro, gnarpoons realise they’ve made a horrible mistake and flood the market when they need some Xmas money.

I’ll be ready to pounce

I’m basically trying to keep my zwift set up I’m building to £1k. £550 for the Elite Direto X (which is already £50 cheaper… Grrrr), £160 for an apple TV 4k, leaves around £300 for the bike.

Spend a bit less on the ATV (should be able to get a second hand non-4k one for <£80), and a bit more on the bike.

Spend a bit less on the ATV (should be able to get a second hand non-4k one for <£80), and a bit more on the bike.

Tbh even though I’d like to keep it to 1k, I’ll probably end up spending more – I’ll be using it for 3hrs per week minimum over winter which is more than I’ve done on both my other bikes combined this year, so worth the cost I think.

Plus I have a nice shiny new 55″ OLED to use with it, can’t be slumming it with 1080p 😁

@ta11pau1 PM me your number, might be able to help you out. 6′ 4″ tall with an inside leg of 34″, plus work on Medway Industrial Estate.
Nigel

Ha e you tried face ache marketplace? It’s hit and miss but usually bargains out there.

@ta11pau1 PM me your number, might be able to help you out. 6′ 4″ tall with an inside leg of 34″, plus work on Medway Industrial Estate.
Nigel

Will drop you a pm, cheers 👍

Ha e you tried face ache marketplace? It’s hit and miss but usually bargains out there.

Yeah I’m checking there and gumtree as well as ebay. That’s a lot of crap to wade through on Facebook through to get to the gems!

I fancied a cheap full suspension bike for pottering around on local trails,too old to do jumps etc.I picked up a 2010 Specialized FSR XC for £350 off eBay.I was attracted by the claim that it had only done 200 miles!Laughs on cynical me because when I stripped it down everything was bright and shiny and there is not even heel scuff on the cranks.No way could you have got it for that last year.

Similarly I got a set of Fox Talas 32 forks for it for just over £200,they were going for shed loads more last year.Specialized are back in stock for Ground Controls so I could go tubeless on the original rims.

Facebook supplied an Orange Clockwork 2007 limited edition fully blinged up with Hope hubs on Mavic XC717,Hope BB,Chris King headset,full XT and carbon seat post for £500.

To me these are bargains and I am enjoying my cycling doing something different from endless road bike rides and for not much money.

It does seem to be settling down a bit. Well, some of the market is and these are selling. There are still a few chancers out there who want £200 more than the 2016 RRP as the bike is “heavily upgraded” with a new rear tyre and some new brake pads.

STW comes up trumps again. 😁👍

Cheers @integra for the bike, good deal and importantly, the right size! new chain ordered already! And the spare YT seat collar I had fits perfectly.

Excellent! Glad it’s gone to a good home, was nice to meet you.

As someone trying to sell a bike currently, its hard to price them, as a combination of inflated prices, supply issues, demand etc, its hard hard to know if you are asking too much.

I have a Status that has been used for 6 months, generally in great condition and i asking £600 less that i paid. Which in the current climate, seems reasonable…. but its hard to know if that is reasonable or i just perceive it to be as people are asking so much for bikes numerous years older.

I suspect the lack of interest i have received in it might give me the answers i am looking for… and i should drop the price?!

I have a Status that has been used for 6 months, generally in great condition and i asking £600 less that i paid.

I saw that in the classifieds. It’s exactly what I’m after as a stop gap bike but it’s too small. I’d have had it at that price if it was an S4 or 5.

I’m just hoping that the noobs who snapped up all the high spec, enduro, gnarpoons realise they’ve made a horrible mistake and flood the market when they need some Xmas money

Already seems to be a steady trickle of these bikes coming up for sale, and don’t seem to be getting snapped-up in quite the same way that similar bikes were a few months ago.

It’s calmed a lot already. I was trying to sell a bike over summer for what was a reasonable price in spring with no bites.

However parts are another thing. I split it by parts instead and flogged everything within a week for double what I had the whole bike up for.