Is this bike a good choice/value

[Peter Salt]

Hi All,

I've managed to find a Giant TCR Advanced 2 from 2018 in my size (S) with some upgrades. I did some searching and know that the stock thing was deemed the road bike of the year by Bike Radar, so I figured it would be a good first road bike.

But I'm not sure if the asking price is a good value, especially taking into account the upgrades. The current owner installed:
- 'No Limited' Sprint 38 wheelset
- A 'Bontrager' Carbon seat (167g)

Apparently, it did a total of around 8000km (5000 miles). The asking price is circa £1500. Bike looks to be in a really good visual condition.

 

[vickster]

£1500 for a bike that's been so used and it was only £2k RRP new (does the seller have the receipt, they may not have even paid that, those the days when discounts could be had!)
What's the groupset (105?), have parts been refreshed recently, cassette, chain, chainrings, wheels serviced?
Upgrades don't really add value to a used bike, certainly not the amount they cost to buy. May just make the bike more sellable (although I'd personally reject a bike with deep carbon wheels from an aesthetic PoV )

 

[Kingfisher101]

No, About half that is nearer the mark. Check Ebay sold listings.

 

[vickster]

One of these is far better value, also with disc brakes (if available, looks like Jan for their carbon roadbikes)
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXPCDRIV22/planet-x-pro-carbon-disc-sram-rival-22-hrd-road-bike

 

[Peter Salt]

The RRP was actually £1500. You can still see it on the Giant website: https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/tcr-advanced-2-2018

Everything apart from the seat and wheels is stock, so yes it has a 105. The wheels aren't that deep ;-) I wouldn't consider a 60 but the 35-38 range I'm personally OK with.

I guess you could argue about the upgrades value. If I got a completely stock (used) bike for £750 and wanted a similar seat and wheels these would probably set me back another £750 so the £1500 doesn't sound completely outrageous? Or am I being silly?

 

[vickster]

The RRP was actually £1500. You can still see it on the Giant website: https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/tcr-advanced-2-2018

Everything apart from the seat and wheels is stock, so yes it has a 105. The wheels aren't that deep ;-) I wouldn't consider a 60 but the 35-38 range I'm personally OK with.

I guess you could argue about the upgrades value. If I got a completely stock (used) bike for £750 and wanted a similar seat and wheels these would probably set me back another £750 so the £1500 doesn't sound completely outrageous? Or am I being silly?

You're not getting the parts new though. Maybe they add £250. The seat might be completely wrong for you, I don't think a changed seat adds any value (maybe a Brooks if in perfect nick as they have resale value).

Offer a grand and see what he says if you think it's worth that to you? With rim brakes, it may well not hold its value well as disc brakes become more and more the norm on race bikes so don't overpay

 

[Peter Salt]

Sounds good, will try and haggle and see what happens. What I'm also taking into account is that small frames seem to be quite uncommon on the second-hand market and despite the miles the bike looks to be very well maintained. Also has a pair of Continental GPs and these are quite hard to come by, I think.

Might actually ask if he would sell the bike without the groupset as I'm talking with another guy about buying a 2017 Ultegra. A 2017 Ultegra would be better than a 2018 105, right?

 

[vickster]

Used tyres have minimal value. GP5000s are easy enough to buy at around £35 each.
There's minimal difference between 105 and Ultegra except snob value, a few grams and more expensive replacement parts. Why would someone selling a whole bike sell without the groupset

 

[fair weather cyclist]

The asking price is circa £1500.

Doesn't sound like a good deal to me.

 

[si_c]

Doesn't sound like an amazing deal. The wheelset is a 38mm full carbon wheelset though, from a Polish brand which at a cursory glance do seem to have reasonable reviews (although Mrs C would be the first to tell you my Polish is less than stellar), retail price for the wheels is £600ish so half that would be reasonable second hand.

I'd suggest a price around £1000 would be more in line with what I'd expect, 5000miles in 3 years isn't that much, certainly not likely to have been wet weather commuting, but at the sort of component age where things are likely to need replacing.

Edit to add: Ignore the saddle, I can almost guarantee you'll change it anyway, it's not a value worth considering.

 

[Peter Salt]

Why would someone selling a whole bike sell without the groupset

Guessing that's the kind of question that a newbie like me would come up with ;-)

I think that some of them are hard to get because of the shortages. I've seen used sold for the price of new.

 

[vickster]

Indeed on the saddle, if he won't reduce price enough with it, tell him to keep it (if he thinks it's of great value, or he likes it) and put another/the stock one on

 

[vickster]

Guessing that's the kind of question that a newbie like me would come up with ;-)

I think that some of them are hard to get because of the shortages. I've seen used sold for the price of new.

But as a seller of a bike, why would I go to the hassle of removing a groupset and decimating the value of said bike. There are equally shortages of decent whole bikes as you have found

 

[T4tomo]

Might actually ask if he would sell the bike without the groupset as I'm talking with another guy about buying a 2017 Ultegra. A 2017 Ultegra would be better than a 2018 105, right?

no material difference, and as pointed out a complete ball ache for seller. you could ask him to knock money off and sell it with no wheels or put the original wheels back on, ditto his poncy saddle chances are it wont suit your bum anyway. but chances are he has such an unrealistic view on its value, which is about £750 in stock issue form and maybe £1000 incl carbon wheels, that he won't agree.

 

[Cycleops]

A grand tops.
It's your first road bike and you're talking about upgrades already. You won't have any complaints over 105. At the risk of trotting out the famous hackneyed Eddie Merckx saying yet again ' Don't buy upgrades, ride up grades' . But it's a truth.
His fancy carbon seat might not even suit you so tell him to remove it and buy a replacement from Decathlon.