Trek Domane eBike, new or used?? - concluded :).

[gzoom]

So I had job interview that went the way I had hoped .

It's a big step up in responsibility but sets up things nicely for the next role which I'll aim to apply for in a few years times. Meanwhile it means my work schedule will now be mainly out of our city centre site, which in rush hour traffic is 1hr+ commute via car, despite only been 6 miles away.

Have been using my Boardman eBike for the job and it works fine, but any excuse to consider adding to the bike collection....especially since am still 40, so it's a 40th+Xmas+job promotion present.

So the question. I want a Trek Domane eBike, nothing else. A brand new one has a different motor/battery to my Boardman and the 'cheapest' comes in at £8k. I think I can get cycle to work scheme to pay for it, so with a saving of 50%, still £4k but it costs what it costs.

https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/...mance-road-bikes/domane/domane-slr/c/B221-11/

As it happens there is an lightly used older version of Domane+ on eBay, in my size, my color choice and uses the same motor/battery as my Boardman - so interchangeable parts. The sellers has it up for £3.3k but I've got them down to £2.8k.

https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/...oad-bikes/domane/domane-lt/domane-lt/p/30916/

So which one would you choose? The price difference doesn't bother me that much, and it's more new vs old. I actually really like the Fazua motor in the Boardman and for the Domane I wouldn't be running the bike with panniers and mudguards etc .

However the new one is.....new?? It also has wireless gears vs mechanical Ultegra, but am unsure how long the wait is, the used one Is barely 20 miles away and I can literally pick it up today!!

New vs Used - which would you get?

 

[Slick]

How do you get a 50% saving on the cycle to work scheme?

Even if you pay the upper tax bracket, when all is said and done, your looking at a much smaller discount than that.

As for the choice, I would go knew if I could afford it.

I haven't hit the links, but I would be suspicious of a number of issues on ebay.

 

[Cycleops]

As @Slick says usual rule of thumb is new if you can afford it, used if you can’t or don’t want to pay full price and like a saving. Consider warranty too, especially with that leccy shifting .

 

[gzoom]

How do you get a 50% saving on the cycle to work scheme?

Even if you pay the upper tax bracket, when all is said and done, your looking at a much smaller discount than that.

As for the choice, I would go new if I could afford it.

The new role puts me into the old addtional tax bracket, but actually new tax rule changes means am already in additional tax bracket.

Affordability therefore luckily isn't an issue, so I think you are right I should just go for new. Hard to work out if Trek dealers actually have any stock of the new Domane eBike though.....

Having said I only want Trek, the Scott addict eRide seems to have plenty of stock and cheaper too. However this bike will have to deal with the C**P city roads, so need to check if the Scott can handle wide enough tires, the ISOFIX feature of the Domane is very attractive for comfort. Even on my current Boardman hybrid with 38mm tires the road conditions are bone shacking!

 

[Slick]

The new role puts me into the old addtional tax bracket, but actually new tax rule changes means am already in additional tax bracket.

Affordability therefore luckily isn't an issue, so I think you are right I should just go for new. Hard to work out if Trek dealers actually have any stock of the new Domane eBike though.....

Having said I only want Trek, the Scott addict eRide seems to have plenty of stock and cheaper too. However this bike will have to deal with the C**P city roads, so need to check if the Scott can handle wide enough tires, the ISOFIX feature of the Domane is very attractive for comfort. Even on my current Boardman hybrid with 38mm tires the road conditions are bone shacking!

Unfortunately, the 50% saving is still an overestimate when you factor everything in.
That said, if its what you want, it has to be worth waiting on.

Enjoy

 

[Brandane]

New is only new until you ride it away from the shop. As long as a used bike has been well looked after and meets the spec you are looking for, I see no problem.

Edit to add......
BUT - I might be wary of buying anything carbon that has been used by persons unknown. In case of crash damage to the frame which can be hard or even impossible to detect with the naked eye.

 

[Jameshow]

Never brought a new bike / car probably never will!
Definitely not a new house!!

 

[gzoom]

So it appears the decision was easier than I thought. Our organisations max limit on cycle to work scheme is 'only' £3k which barely buys a branded eRoad bike frameset.

Used it is .

 

[Slick]

So it appears the decision was easier than I thought. Our organisations max limit on cycle to work scheme is 'only' £3k which barely buys a branded eRoad bike frameset.

Used it is .

That's a shame, as I think the scheme goes up to your desired 5k limit.

Good second hand can be just as good.

 

[Slick]

Make sure you understand the scheme rules before you sign up, like the final payment to make it yours, also some shops will try to charge you a premium for using it.

 

[FishFright]

New, because you have no idea how the previous owner(s) have treated the battery.

 

[vickster]

I’d want a warranty buying at 3k+, you won’t get on a used bike

 

[Jenkins]

The good news is that you can use the cycle to work scheme on used bikes, but only with partner retailers

Can you get second hand bikes on the cycle to work scheme?​

Where a second hand or ex-demo bike comes from a Cyclescheme partner retailer and is supplied with a 12 month warranty, it is allowable to get a refurbished bike via Cyclescheme.
https://help.cyclescheme.co.uk/article/292-can-you-get-second-hand-bikes-on-the-cycle-to-work-scheme

If you have a spare £3K cash lying around and you trust the ebay seller to be honest in the description and to have maintained the bike & battery correctly then good luck.

 

[fossyant]

You are 40, it's 6 miles. Why e-bike - you'll be quicker with a normal bike

I do 10-13 miles each way and add 13 years to that with a past broken spine. Pre-busted spine I was doing the long route some days, 20 miles each way. And I'm currently doing that miles off road on a 90's MTB with panniers.

 

[Jenkins]

You are 40, it's 6 miles. Why e-bike - you'll be quicker with a normal bike

I do 10-13 miles each way and add 13 years to that with a past broken spine. Pre-busted spine I was doing the long route some days, 20 miles each way.

There is this point - I treated myself to a Ribble Al-e as a partial retiirement present and, due to its size & weight, I'm slower on the commute (25+ miles round trip) using it than all my other bikes apart from the Bootzipper 29er.

It does have the advantage of being the only one with a rack & panniers for load carrying and 40mm lightly knobbly tyres which have been great in the past couple of weeks. Then there's the treat of going up to level 2 assistance into strong headwinds