Bike cost depreciation anyone?

[Grant Fondo]

Just saw this....
https://budgetbicyclectr.com/1995-cannondale-m500-mountain-bicycle-20.html
Exact same bike I bought in 1995, and still my trusty off-road steed. I bought it for the equivalent of $650 brand new.

Anyone got any good tales of bikes you have bought that are worth a good chunk today of what you paid back then?

 

[Sharky]

The bike I am riding on my avatar photo. I bought the frame, 2nd hand in 1968 for £8.

Sold it eventually to a club mate about 8 years ago for £50.

 

[Drago]

My Alpinestars was, IIRC, about £350 in 1996, a nice double butted cromo frame.

Its not mint, but it's tidy, complete, and apart from the seat and tyres its completely original, with it's STX-RC gruppo intact and in very tidy condition. I could probably sell it on Retrobikes for £100. In real terms thats pretty cheap for a quarter century of reliable all weather, all terrain shenanigans.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The bike I am riding on my avatar photo. I bought the frame, 2nd hand in 1968 for £8.

Sold it eventually to a club mate about 8 years ago for £50.

So lost a fair chunk of value

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The bike I am riding on my avatar photo. I bought the frame, 2nd hand in 1968 for £8.

Sold it eventually to a club mate about 8 years ago for £50.

You still took a hit in real terms. £8 in 1968 is now £148. £50 in 2013 is now £60.
The bike cost you £2 a year to own for the time you owned it. Extravagant.

 

[Brandane]

You still took a hit in real terms. £8 in 1968 is now £148. £50 in 2013 is now £60.
The bike cost you £2 a year to own for the time you owned it. Extravagant.

Probably less of a hit than putting the £8 in a savings account in 1968, though. Even more true at the pathetic rates of interest today, in comparison to the real world inflation rates. If there is still anyone out there with a few spare £££, invest in bikes!

 

[MichaelW2]

What is the depreciation on quality kids bikes (Islabikes) and Brommies?

 

[MichaelW2]

You still took a hit in real terms. £8 in 1968 is now £148. £50 in 2013 is now £60.
The bike cost you £2 a year to own for the time you owned it. Extravagant.

The cost of ownership for a durable everyday bike that lasts 20 years is peanuts minus chicken feed no matter what you paid when new.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The cost of ownership for a durable everyday bike that lasts 20 years is peanuts minus chicken feed no matter what you paid when new.

Its like buying cars. If you buy new and replace often you really get screwed. If you buy new and run into the ground the economics aren't so painful. If you buy relatively new but secondhand at the start then run into the ground, you get the best outcome of the lot.
@Sharky's frame might have cost £20 new back in '68 so it was still a canny purchase.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

If there is still anyone out there with a few spare £££, invest in bikes!

In spring 2019, I bought a very clean, very little used, Raleigh Pioneer for £25 to pass on to someone I drink with. When I picked it up, it was really immaculate under a bit of storage dust.
The intended recipient is a monster who wrecks things so I decided it was too good to pass on, as it would have just been abused. In the current market, in such nice condition, I could probably get £100 for it if I tried given I'm in London and it's ideal as a daily commuter. On the other hand the wheels and all the unworn drivetrain mechanicals are probably worth more to me to keep as future wear & tear replacements on my other Pioneer.

 

[AuroraSaab]

No, but I've got 3 unopened Pokemon tins that were £2 each at HMV and go on ebay for £150 now 😀

 

[Grant Fondo]

No, but I've got 3 unopened Pokemon tins that were £2 each at HMV and go on ebay for £150 now 😀

Thats good going
Another bike one that springs to mind is the original Cannondale Synapse Ultegra I paid £1850 new, got £1650 for it four years later ... maybe that was a time when dealers gave crazy discounts to shift stock? Dread to think what 2021 model costs

 

[Tenkaykev]

A friend bought a Brommie CHPT3 in 2019, he paid £1950 for it. The lockdown saw him struggling financially and he was forced to sell it a couple of months ago and got £4000.

 

[Kajjal]

I am doing this the wrong at round, my Orange C16r mountain bike cost £840 in 1996 and still ride it off road to this day in the country it has retired to. 25 years later probably about worth £150 but definitely got my money’s worth out of it.

 

[AuroraSaab]

I am doing this the wrong at round, my Orange C16r mountain bike cost £840 in 1996 and still ride it off road to this day in the country it has retired to. 25 years later probably about worth £150 but definitely got my money’s worth out of it.

That's a good point. You could theoretically make a huge loss on a bike, but if you've used it a lot and loved every minute on it it was worth every penny.