# How much for a bike used by the top pro's?



## Cyclopathic (21 Aug 2012)

I raised the question in another thread but it fell off the page. Someone did say it was meaningless because they get their stuff free but that misses the point. So roughly speaking, what would a top pros bike cost new, give or take a few quid?
I see that Sky sell off their last seasons bikes for about 3.5 grand minus wheels and pedals so I'd guess at about 4.5 for a whole bike second hand. Is that more or less than it would set you back if bought from new.
Apologies for the incredibly naive sounding question.


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## gb155 (21 Aug 2012)

£12k


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## jdtate101 (21 Aug 2012)

I'd say that's very good value if you consider that each bike is Dura-Ace Di2 and will probably have an SRM power meter on it. OK it's seen a bit of action, but they rotate the bike round as each rider has 3 or 4 assigned to them (plus at least 2 TT bikes), so it shouldn't have done excessive milage. It has also been maintained (and parts replaced) by the industries top mechanics.

As long as it's not been crashed, its a bargain.


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## byegad (21 Aug 2012)

£20k for a Team GB track bike.


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## Cyclopathic (21 Aug 2012)

jdtate101 said:


> I'd say that's very good value if you consider that each bike is Dura-Ace Di2 and will probably have an SRM power meter on it. OK it's seen a bit of action, but they rotate the bike round as each rider has 3 or 4 assigned to them (plus at least 2 TT bikes), so it shouldn't have done excessive milage. It has also been maintained (and parts replaced) by the industries top mechanics.
> 
> As long as it's not been crashed, its a bargain.


So presumably 4.5 grand is less than they would retail for and does represent good value if you can get your hands on one. I expect that other teams also flog off their last seasons rides as well. It represents free money to them if they get all their stuff provided by the sponsor albeit not much ib the grand scheme of things.
Still though roughly how much would top pros road bikes retail at?


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## Cyclopathic (21 Aug 2012)

byegad said:


> £20k for a Team GB track bike.


Presumably just the basic machine there. Lights, mudguards, spokey dokeys all extra no doubt.


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## byegad (21 Aug 2012)

Cyclopathic said:


> Presumably just the basic machine there. Lights, mudguards, spokey dokeys all extra no doubt.


You forgot brakes and gears!


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## PaulB (21 Aug 2012)

byegad said:


> You forgot brakes and gears!


..and bell.


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## fossyant (21 Aug 2012)

If you look about, you can probably pick up a pro spec (but not pro used) bike for about the same price - there are quite a few folk who will drop £8k on a bike, hardly ride it and sell it for a song some months later.

Or you could go and buy a brand new Canyon road bike for less than £4k - that's a pro road bike, just the same as used by the pro's. The 2012 model is on sale at about £3400 at present (£1200 wheels, £2000 groupset - you do the maths) as the 2013 model is coming out shortly.


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## Cyclopathic (21 Aug 2012)

Wow, it's true then...Less really is more.


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## Cyclopathic (21 Aug 2012)

gb155 said:


> £12k


Cheers, I totally did not see your post there. Goodnes me, 12 thousand pounds, oh my.


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## Smokin Joe (21 Aug 2012)

jdtate101 said:


> I'd say that's very good value if you consider that each bike is Dura-Ace Di2 and will probably have an SRM power meter on it. OK it's seen a bit of action, but they rotate the bike round as each rider has 3 or 4 assigned to them (plus at least 2 TT bikes), so it shouldn't have done excessive milage. It has also been maintained (and parts replaced) by the industries top mechanics.
> 
> _*As long as it's not been crashed, its a bargain.*_


If it's been used in pro racing. it's been crashed.

Many times.


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## Crankarm (21 Aug 2012)

Would getting an Ex-Pro bike mean you ride any faster? Probably not.


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## just jim (21 Aug 2012)

Smokin Joe said:


> If it's been used in pro racing. it's been crashed.
> 
> Many times.


Yeh but Joe, it's been crashed _professionally_.


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## Pedrosanchezo (21 Aug 2012)

I was quite under the impression that pro riders were loaned bikes, not given bikes. Certainly not so they could go on and sell them after. That would be quite an enterprise in itself. 
I imagine they would be returned after their seasons use. Very used too.


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## raindog (21 Aug 2012)

It's the teams, not the riders, that sell all the stuff off at the end of the season. Trouble is, it usually goes to close contacts. I've got a mate who knows a guy who's close to several DSes - he's got one of Johan Museeuw's old bikes among others. And very nice it is too.


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## Pedrosanchezo (21 Aug 2012)

I always knew i had friends in the wrong places.


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## black'n'yellow (21 Aug 2012)

Cyclopathic said:


> So roughly speaking, what would a top pros bike cost new, give or take a few quid?


 
Pick a pro team bike, ID the kit and do the maths. It won't tell you anything much though, other than the fact that they usually ride top-end kit...


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## fossyant (21 Aug 2012)

Cyclopathic said:


> Cheers, I totally did not see your post there. Goodnes me, 12 thousand pounds, oh my.


 
Very Easily:-

Dogma 2 Frame £4k
Wheels £3k (made by lightweight or Zipp say)
Campag Super Record EPS £3.5k
Finishing Kit £1k

£11.5k


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## Cyclopathic (21 Aug 2012)

black'n'yellow said:


> Pick a pro team bike, ID the kit and do the maths. It won't tell you anything much though, other than the fact that they usually ride top-end kit...


I know. I'm just being lazy and wondered if anyone knew roughly off the top of their head as it were and it turns out they do. True I am no wiser but it was just idle curiosity. I imagine every significant component on such machines costs well in excess of what I can pay for an entire bike. Maybe I could afford the handlebar tape or a brake block unless they are some sort of materail developed for the space program.


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## jdtate101 (21 Aug 2012)

I was quite tempted by Stannards Graal 54cm in Rainforest Green at £3K, but I think the wife would divorce me if I got another bike !!!


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## Cyclopathic (21 Aug 2012)

Crankarm said:


> Would getting an Ex-Pro bike mean you ride any faster? Probably not.


Aha, then why do the professionals use them then?


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## black'n'yellow (21 Aug 2012)

Cyclopathic said:


> I imagine every significant component on such machines costs well in excess of what I can pay for an entire bike. Maybe I could afford the handlebar tape or a brake block unless they are some sort of materail developed for the space program.


 
99% of all the kit used is 'off the shelf' stuff which you or I could buy in any LBS. The UCI, in their wisdom, makes sure of that...


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## Cyclopathic (21 Aug 2012)

black'n'yellow said:


> 99% of all the kit used is 'off the shelf' stuff which you or I could buy in any LBS. The UCI, in their wisdom, makes sure of that...


Well in that case perhaps I could afford some very top of the line brake blocks although I still have a sneaky feeling I'd still balk at the price. Not that I need brakes. I've taken to using bmw smidsys to scrub excess (all) speed at junctions.


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## asterix (21 Aug 2012)

gb155 said:


> £12k


 

That's 12x what my van is worth. On a good day. It might well be faster too, if Bradley was on it.


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## Crankarm (21 Aug 2012)

Cyclopathic said:


> Aha, then why do the professionals use them then?


 
Are you for real! Do you want a response????!!!

I am sure Cav/Wiggo/Cooke/Armitstead or any Pro rider could trounce you if they were riding a Halfords Appollo with a basket and you were riding a Pro road bike  .


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## Mr Haematocrit (21 Aug 2012)

jdtate101 said:


> I'd say that's very good value if you consider that each bike is Dura-Ace Di2 and will probably have an SRM power meter on it. OK it's seen a bit of action, but they rotate the bike round as each rider has 3 or 4 assigned to them (plus at least 2 TT bikes), so it shouldn't have done excessive milage. It has also been maintained (and parts replaced) by the industries top mechanics.
> As long as it's not been crashed, its a bargain.


 
The ex-Sky bikes do not come with power meters, osymetric chain rings or ceramic bearings. They take all the really really nice bits off them. 
They are simply second hand Dogmas which have a had a hard life with occasionally different bars and stem, depending upon if its a race bike or training bike


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## Get In The Van (21 Aug 2012)

Crankarm said:


> Are you for real! Do you want a response????!!!
> 
> I am sure Cav/Wiggo/Cooke/Armitstead or any Pro rider could trounce you if they were riding a Halfords Appollo with a basket and you were riding a Pro road bike  .


I think they would trounce me riding a unicycle, possibly even a fastish jog would do the trick as well!


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## oldroadman (21 Aug 2012)

Earlier comment about the Canyon, pro-spec at £3.5 retail. I don't think so....they might look the same, but dig a little deeper and all the clever bits that those lovely team machanics can get hold of are there. A frame suitable for pro use might retail at £3k, maybe. If anyone in the pro peloton is riding a £3.5 retail bike, they need a better agent to get them into a team with more money!


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## black'n'yellow (21 Aug 2012)

oldroadman said:


> A frame suitable for pro use might retail at £3k, maybe.


 
Saxobank were all on production S-Works SL3s a couple of years ago - a £2k (retail) frame - Contador won the TdF on one of them. Some frames cost less, some are more...


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## Cyclopathic (22 Aug 2012)

Crankarm said:


> Are you for real! Do you want a response????!!!
> 
> I am sure Cav/Wiggo/Cooke/Armitstead or any Pro rider could trounce you if they were riding a Halfords Appollo with a basket and you were riding a Pro road bike  .


No. No response is necessary. The comment was meant very much tongue in cheek, hence the emoticon. A child of five could probably trounce me on a bike with stabalisers and I've never claimed or implied otherwise. My apologies if I have ruffled your feathers.


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## Crankarm (22 Aug 2012)

Cyclopathic said:


> No. No response is necessary. The comment was meant very much tongue in cheek, hence the emoticon. A child of five could probably trounce me on a bike with stabalisers and I've never claimed or implied otherwise. My apologies if I have ruffled your feathers.


 
No problem.


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## User16625 (22 Aug 2012)

byegad said:


> £20k for a Team GB track bike.


 
I can go a whole lot faster for much less. Here are some bikes that cost much less:
Hayabusa
R6/R1
GSXR series
ZZR1400

I dont think they would be allowed in many cycle races but for personal use you will be flying along. My question is this. How is it that racing cycles can cost £10k or more which is basic in design yet you can get an 180mph+motorcycle for the same cost which is complex in design? Makes me think the manufacturers are using stratospheric mark up on their products.


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## Mr Haematocrit (22 Aug 2012)

black'n'yellow said:


> Saxobank were all on production S-Works SL3s a couple of years ago - a £2k (retail) frame - Contador won the TdF on one of them...


 
I thought Contador won the TdF on clenbuterol


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## Smokin Joe (22 Aug 2012)

RideLikeTheStig said:


> I can go a whole lot faster for much less. Here are some bikes that cost much less:
> Hayabusa
> R6/R1
> GSXR series
> ...


Economy of scale. All those bikes are assembled in vast numbers on fast moving production lines which are automated as much as is practical. As high performance as they may be they are the Ribbles of the motorcycle world.

To get a proper motorcycle/cycle comparison you have to compare professional racing bikes with professional racing motorcycles, and they cost about a quarter of a million quid apiece. Cutting edge technology and small production numbers don't come cheap, whatever field they're in.


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## oldroadman (22 Aug 2012)

Smokin Joe said:


> Economy of scale. All those bikes are assembled in vast numbers on fast moving production lines which are automated as much as is practical. As high performance as they may be they are the Ribbles of the motorcycle world.
> 
> To get a proper motorcycle/cycle comparison you have to compare professional racing bikes with professional racing motorcycles, and they cost about a quarter of a million quid apiece. Cutting edge technology and small production numbers don't come cheap, whatever field they're in.


 
Exactly. Hand lay-up of carbon is labour and skill intensive. And if anyone believes that riders have standard off the peg frames....only if they are standard size off the peg riders. Maybe.
Almost always geometry is custom, just as a starting point, then the sprinters want a bit of reinforcment, climbers a light as possible set up, all of which as a paying customer can be ordered (as per UCI regulations). If you are prepared to wait a long time and have deep pockets!
In days past it was common to see frames labelled "XXXXX" which had never been near a factory named on the downtube, simply built to spec. by a bespoke builder somewhere and sprayed with the appropriate colours and transfers.


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## 86TDFWinner (23 Aug 2012)

PaulB said:


> ..and bell.



And horn, tassles & basket.


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## raindog (23 Aug 2012)

oldroadman said:


> Exactly. Hand lay-up of carbon is labour and skill intensive. And if anyone believes that riders have standard off the peg frames....only if they are standard size off the peg riders. Maybe.


The top teams maybe, but the smaller teams use standard frames. There's no way they're having hand built carbon frames for every rider. Maybe team leaders or star riders, but the rest get what they're given.


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## Cyclopathic (23 Aug 2012)

RideLikeTheStig said:


> I can go a whole lot faster for much less. Here are some bikes that cost much less:
> Hayabusa
> R6/R1
> GSXR series
> ...


I think it's simply a way of deliniating or defining their different ranges. I think it's ordered along lines of quality but possibly not proportional. The profit margin on a £5,000 component is , I suspect much greater than on a £5 one. The excessive price is to let you know you've got the best in their range not necessarily to reflect the price they made it for.
As with a lot of things that I just think might be the case, there is every chance that I am talking out of my hat. It is all conjecture and has no basis in fact. Please do not repeat these opinions to anyone without this strict disclaimer as it could lead to embarrassment.


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## Mr Haematocrit (23 Aug 2012)

oldroadman said:


> And if anyone believes that riders have standard off the peg frames...*Almost always geometry is custom*.


 
When Cav won the world championship and green jersey in TdF on a Specialized Mclaren Venge his bike used completely standard geometry. Although custom geometry is used in pro cycling It is equally not uncommon to find bikes used by the pro's which have standard geometry.


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## black'n'yellow (23 Aug 2012)

as above, it might have been the case when frames were steel and made by men with brazing torches, but the price of CNC moulds and autoclaves puts that beyond economic reach for most...


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## Dave 123 (23 Aug 2012)

Pedrosanchezo said:


> I was quite under the impression that pro riders were loaned bikes, not given bikes. Certainly not so they could go on and sell them after. That would be quite an enterprise in itself.
> I imagine they would be returned after their seasons use. Very used too.


 


In the world of whitewater kayaking the team sponsored paddlers place adverts on a forum a bit like this one. They read something like this....

For sale- 3 month old Pyranaha Everest. Done one 2 week trip to Nepal- Usual wear and scrapes £450 ono
They will have a signature on their profile saying that they are Team Pyranha. Paddlers aren't reimbursed like peddlers, but free is free and they sell them on....


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## black'n'yellow (23 Aug 2012)

Team bikes are usually team property. If an individual rider sells a team bike, it is because the team has ok'd it....


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## Pedrosanchezo (23 Aug 2012)

Dave 123 said:


> In the world of whitewater kayaking the team sponsored paddlers place adverts on a forum a bit like this one. They read something like this....
> 
> For sale- 3 month old Pyranaha Everest. Done one 2 week trip to Nepal- Usual wear and scrapes £450 ono
> They will have a signature on their profile saying that they are Team Pyranha. Paddlers aren't reimbursed like peddlers, but free is free and they sell them on....


Sounds great if you are into Kayaking. I remain under the impression that the teams are given the bikes by the sponsors. So the team probably then owns that bike and does with as see's fit. Someone above mentioned that knowing a member of team staff or a rider might help with the acquiring of said used pro bike. I am guessing that means most of us are sh*t out of luck. 
Might start playing the lottery again.


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## Mr Haematocrit (23 Aug 2012)

Pedrosanchezo said:


> Someone above mentioned that knowing a member of team staff or a rider might help with the acquiring of said used pro bike. I am guessing that means most of us are sh*t out of luck


 
Sky procycling sell their dogmas to the general public, I can give you details if you want them. You pay about 3.5 to 4k for a frame and fork set complete with Di2
Highroad also used to sell their bikes to people with sufficiant funds, its not uncommon for teams to sell old bikes on and you most certainly do not need to know a member of staff of rider.


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## Mr Haematocrit (23 Aug 2012)

Im lost as to why people have a desire for a team bike, the reality is generally not what you believe. For example when you buy a 2011 team Sky bike you are not getting a mint frameset, you are getting something which has been riden hard, crashed, dropped and abused. Team riders have no financial outlay on the bike as such they do not care for it. 
Your not getting wheels or the ceramic bearings, power meters, osymetric ring gears all the good suff is replaced with the standard gear at best. If the bike was a training bikeyou may not even get a dedra stem and bars issued to the team at that time it could simply be the standard equipment.
The bikes recieve comments from all who see them, usually relating to the condition of them.
Sure they are maintained well, but they equally look like shoot. Your buying a tool which was used to do a job, not a much loved bit of italian exotica.


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## Pedrosanchezo (23 Aug 2012)

Well i am buggered either way as i don't have 3.5-4k to spend on a bike. If i spent that kind of money on a bike i would be as well making the couch as comfy as possible for the foreseeable future


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