650b Mountain bikes holding their value?

[SkipdiverJohn]

Problem is there are more people like me who just don't see the value in cycles, I think they are overpriced for what you get. For the £600 you want for your bike I can get a car or a motorbike which clearly has far more moving parts. I'm not saying it's not a good price or that it's worth what you are asking, I just don't see the value in them, the depreciation on a cycle just plummets & then goes down further.

Aside from the fact I don't like many modern bikes anyway, the reason I buy used is you can often pay just a few pennies in the pound of what an equivalent quality bike would cost today, adjusted for inflation. By the time someone drags them out of their garage after having sat there for 25 years, they are already fully depreciated down to virtually nothing. My two 531 framed machines I reckon only cost me about 5% of their new cost to buy, and still no more than 12-15% even after replacing the tyres & brake cables. I can have a whole shed full of vintage steel bikes of various types for the price of just one modern road bike or MTB, and all mine are easy to maintain with low consumable parts prices. No silly money 10/11 speed drivetrains, STI shifters, or proprietary carbon seatposts etc that will only fit one model of bike.

I ride a steel Cove Handjob xc off road which is often a couple of kilos lighter than the alloy MTBs which turn up at the dump..

I only grab modern hardtail or full-sus BSO junk to strip them of their wheels and any compatible drivetrain stuff. Any wheels bigger than 26" and the frames & forks go back in the skip! My most used hack MTB is an old Apollo though, a rigid 26" steel one, and it's not a bad bike in all honesty. I never spend a penny on it, and just gave it a bearing regrease.

My old 26er is OK for the flat and uphill, but scary as hell down (no suspension, steep angles and poop brakes).

A bit of fear is a good thing when riding a bike. it stops you getting too blasé and taking stupid risks. I'm very careful when descending a rough track on a MTB. I pick my route carefully and keep my speed down. I'm not interested in winning races and I don't enjoy falling off! Modern bikes encourage a kamikaze riding style where the rider just ploughs through everything and relies on the suspension to stay out of trouble. When they do come off, the speed will be much higher and more kinetic energy involved. If I'm going to take a tumble I want it to be at a low speed and I don't wear a load of MTB protective armour, just jeans & T shirt.

 

[Blue Hills]

or proprietary carbon seatposts etc that will only fit one model of bike.
Maybe I am behind the times skipdiver. Are there such things?

 

[fossyant]

I used my 26er on a bike tour and while it was great for exploring it was slow going on roads and obviously you get less of a view. Basically, I need about 6 different bikes or I'll never be happy! I'm kind off gagging to have a go on a 29er and see if I like it, 650b, less so.

I picked up a 29er FS XC bike for my missus recently - that's very light and quick, a fair amount lighter than my trail bike.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Problem is there are more people like me who just don't see the value in cycles, I think they are overpriced for what you get. For the £600 you want for your bike I can get a car or a motorbike which clearly has far more moving parts. I'm not saying it's not a good price or that it's worth what you are asking, I just don't see the value in them, the depreciation on a cycle just plummets & then goes down further.

I get your point, sort of.

People who buy at halfords dont biy bikes like mine.

As depreciation? A 50k merc will be 20 k in under 3 yrs
And your 600 quid car will cost more than that in one repair.. Clutch or dpf ect.

I sold my cube for 1200 and i was very happy with that as i paid 2500 in 2015 for it in a sale at Rutland cycles.
I got the marin about 40% off at 899 from Rutland too on xmas eve.
So if i get what i wa t ill be happy as will the recipient.

Its a fast moving market but i love changing cars bikes ect, i had 42 motorcycles lol.. I like a new ride..

 

[derrick]

If you are worried about depreciation you can't afford it. I buy bikes to ride,

 

[Deleted member 26715]

As depreciation? A 50k merc will be 20 k in under 3 yrs.

if you're daft enough to buy a £50K car then you deserve all you get

Edit:- When I say you're I didn't mean you personally

 

[Levo-Lon]

if you're daft enough to buy a £50K car then you deserve all you get

Edit:- When I say you're I didn't mean you personally

But if you earn 150k a year or 50k you tend to have what makes you happy

Ive only bought one brand new motorcycle, a 89 cbr600fk 7 months after i bought it i sold it for a cbr1000 FK..
I got knocked off the cbr and just sold it as a bad omen bike.. And the cbr 1000 was just pure sex..

I only bought second had bikes..
Cars ive had new ones every 2 - 3 yrs since 98, i had my fill of fixing bloody cars, warranty only now hence my kia sportwagon

 

[Drago]

Ah, the Cibber thousand, the gentleman's Express.

I'm glad our Kia is going. Not 3 years old and the blooming thing is so badly made it may as well be biodegradable. Britain's 10th best selling car, apparently - I feel sorry for them! And getting Kia to actually believe there's a problem is hard enough, never mind getting them to fix it. The faulty rear wheel bearing they said was "fine" is now rumbling like Eric Pickle's stomach mid morning, but I can't be bothered prodding them any more. If the wheel drops off that's Kia's problem, eejuts.

For my own part, I could buy a new Bentley, but I'm still relatively young anr sods law says I'd get hit by a meteorite tomorrow and need the money for more pressing matters. There must be a sweet spot where age vs risk meet, but I don't think I'm there yet.

I buy older cars for personal use, but because I buy carefully never have to spend any undue amount of time with the spanners. A mediocre euro hatch would be £300 a month new, and I've not yet owned a used car that cost me that much to repair in an entire year. That's a lot of money to spend on fun stuff.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

But if you earn 150k a year or 50k you tend to have what makes you happy

Agreed but I cannot think of a number that would make me happy after sending £50K+ on a car, just sold my VFR800 as it was just sat there in the garage doing nothing & that makes me unhappy & that was only £1500

 

[Levo-Lon]

Agreed but I cannot think of a number that would make me happy after sending £50K+ on a car, just sold my VFR800 as it was just sat there in the garage doing nothing & that makes me unhappy & that was only £1500

Sold my 98 model vfr 800 for 2700, it was a tidy up use and sell, i made money on it but not much, great bikes

 

[Rusty Nails]

I used my 26er on a bike tour and while it was great for exploring it was slow going on roads and obviously you get less of a view. Basically, I need about 6 different bikes or I'll never be happy! I'm kind off gagging to have a go on a 29er and see if I like it, 650b, less so.

How much more of a view can you get from 1.5" extra height?

 

[Drago]

Actually, a mere 3/4 of an inch, as the extra size is diameter, and only the radius sits below the axle.

If someone is getting a better view its not down to the wheel size.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Actually, a mere 3/4 of an inch,

Senior moment, think again, (29-26)/2=1.5 but what about tyre depth & pressure

 

[Drago]

Ah, sorry, I was thinking of 650B compared to 29. Definitely a senior moment.

Tyre depth and pressure isn't really unique to rim size on MTBs.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Tyre depth and pressure isn't really unique to rim size on MTBs.

What's the cross sectional on a bike tyre? car tyres have a /xx denoting the profile are all bike tyres square? So 2.25" wide would be 2.25" high?