when is the best time to buy a bike?

[galactico]

hello all,
i'm paul and a new member of this forum.
this is my first post but i've been browsing the forum for several months and found it very helpful and informative.
i decided a short while back that i wanted to have a bash at road cycling. i didnt want to shell out too much cash in case it wasn't my cup of tea, so i bought a secondhand apollo tdf. it is in mint condition with sora kit and only set me back £85 so it was quite a bargain. i now have the bug and want to upgrade to something lighter with carbon forks(i read they absorb the bumps better) and possibly a little higher spec groupset. i quite like the specialized allez and think this bianchi looks lovely

i am wondering when is the best time to buy something like this. i assume the 2011 bikes will soon be available meaning bargains are to be had on this years models.
can anyone give me any advise as to when/if reductions will take place. i am happy to wait a little while for the right bike at the right price as mine does the job for now.

kindest regards

paul

 

[sundaram]

I don't think that bargaining would work very well with bicycles. This is because bicycles have not lost a bit of importance and they are still popular. therefore any time would be better to buy them.

 

[numbnuts]

Hi &
the time to buy is when you need too

 

[accountantpete]

You don't have to wait (if you have a grand saved up) My link

 

[galactico]

You don't have to wait (if you have a grand saved up) My link

thanks for that. their showroom is only 10 miles up the road from me. a grand is just a bit steep at the minute but i will certainly pop in for a look.

 

[Eddie]

Hi &
the time to buy is when you need too

I agree, there's nothing better than walking past a shop/browsing a website where you have just bought something and seeing that same thing for 25% cheaper.

2011 models are hitting shops around now so there are some deals around. The specialized allez and Sec are both available around the £450 mark which is a healthy £100 of normal selling price.

On a side note it's amazing how often bike shops quote brochure prices for things, I always thought that RRP was just a marketing tool designed to make the "actual" price look better.

 

[Banjo]

hello all,
i'm paul and a new member of this forum.
this is my first post but i've been browsing the forum for several months and found it very helpful and informative.
i decided a short while back that i wanted to have a bash at road cycling. i didnt want to shell out too much cash in case it wasn't my cup of tea, so i bought a secondhand apollo tdf. it is in mint condition with sora kit and only set me back £85 so it was quite a bargain. i now have the bug and want to upgrade to something lighter with carbon forks(i read they absorb the bumps better) and possibly a little higher spec groupset. i quite like the specialized allez and think this bianchi looks lovely

i am wondering when is the best time to buy something like this. i assume the 2011 bikes will soon be available meaning bargains are to be had on this years models.
can anyone give me any advise as to when/if reductions will take place. i am happy to wait a little while for the right bike at the right price as mine does the job for now.

kindest regards

paul

Welcome to the forums. There is definitely a bit of leeway on prices as the next years models arrive in the shops.Also if your paying cash or creditcard you will get a better price than by using some of the shops misleadingly labelled" interest free credit" arrangements.

Shop around and see what comes up. Personally i would prefer to pay a little bit more and get my bike from a local bike shop rather than delivered in a box from an internet company.I bought 2 bikes new in the last couple of years .One of them had a few issues that needeed sorting out which was easilly done after a chat with the manager, could have been a long drawn out process if it was from an internet company .

Good Luck

 

[Sittingduck]

Hi

If you have Sora specced bike atm, will you be looking to upgrade to a higher specced groupset or are you just looking for better forks/ frame?

Cheers
SD

 

[galactico]

Hi

If you have Sora specced bike atm, will you be looking to upgrade to a higher specced groupset or are you just looking for better forks/ frame?

Cheers
SD

i have seen the allez 18 with some tiagra spec and carbon forks for around 550. i have about 650 to spend at the moment but this will increase as each month goes by until i find something. i have not ridden anything other than my current bike and an old peugeot. is there a world of difference between riding these and a lighter frame with carbon forks and better gearing?
thanks

 

[Sittingduck]

Ah, I am sat right next to an allez sport as i type (my flat mates bike). It has a tiagra rear mech but the shifters and rest is pure sora. I suppose my thought was that if I was about to slash the cash and upgrade I would probably want to get a better specced groupset than my current one. Have you looked on the bikebuilder at Ribble? You may even be able to do the decent thing and go Campag if your budget is fattening as time passes

 

[Norm]

i am wondering when is the best time to buy something like this.

About 3:15, just before afternoon tea.

There a lot of reasons for getting a new bike, including different style, different purpose, even different geometry, but you don't say what you are actually looking for from a new ride. Faster? More comfortable? Greater carrying capacity? Or just shinier with a new paint scheme?

Whether it's worth waiting for the appearance of the 2011 models depends on the bike. Some manufacturers have had to downspec the new model in the past, because of the pounds valuation issues against the yen, amongst other currencies, and I think some of the 2009 spec bikes were better than their 2010 equivalents. If that happens again, you won't find any bargains as people want the better spec.

However, don't get too hung up on the spec lists, my Sora equipped bike has been, over about 700 miles, as pleasurable and as reliable as the one with Tiagra kit.

 

[galactico]

About 3:15, just before afternoon tea.

There a lot of reasons for getting a new bike, including different style, different purpose, even different geometry, but you don't say what you are actually looking for from a new ride. Faster? More comfortable? Greater carrying capacity? Or just shinier with a new paint scheme?

Whether it's worth waiting for the appearance of the 2011 models depends on the bike. Some manufacturers have had to downspec the new model in the past, because of the pounds valuation issues against the yen, amongst other currencies, and I think some of the 2009 spec bikes were better than their 2010 equivalents. If that happens again, you won't find any bargains as people want the better spec.

However, don't get too hung up on the spec lists, my Sora equipped bike has been, over about 700 miles, as pleasurable and as reliable as the one with Tiagra kit.

i am riding once a week to work at the moment (18miles each way) and would like something with a better fit, lighter(to help with the hills a bit) and faster to cut down the journey time. my current bike is a 54cm frame which fits lovely with height but the reach feels a little long for me. something with a different geometry would possibly feel more comfortable with the reach for longer rides. obviously a trip to my lbs will be needed to help with this.

 

[Norm]

Excellent, there's some a useful information there.

obviously a trip to my lbs will be needed to help with this.

This would be important but I can understand the desire to get as much info as possible before subjecting yourself to someone potentially only considering their end-of-month targets.

The reach could be sorted with a shorter stem, if it isn't that far wrong. I've played with the stem on one of mine, to make it higher rather than shorter, and it's a quick and easy thing to change which can be done pretty cheaply - it was free for me, I just flipped it from it's standard orientation.

Lighter wheels and tyres will make a difference on the hills, more so than reducing the weight of other components. The flip-side of reducing weight is that the ride gets harsher, as the bike deflects more when it hits imperfections.