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How cheap is your "nice" bike (or, how cheap are you?)?

2K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  footballcat 
#1 ·
My newest free issue of Bicycling came and there was an article about how $1K wheelsets were now the middle of the road, and how $2.6K carbon bikes were an "affordable" option to "Grand Tour" bikes. I certainly spend too much money on some things (like rent), but I don't have the option of spending that kind of money on bikes. So in honor of those of us who can't drop 1K on mid-line wheels, I start this thread. Post your bike, what it cost you (gifts do not count!), and if you're inclined, how you did it. Note: I know some of you live in hovels but have Orcas/Vxrs/Pegs, etc. hanging off your Park PRS-15. You can start the "how cheap is your rent" thread.

My Serotta-built Paramount Ti. Mix of Ultegra and Record. Total cost: $735.

Bought the bike used with full Record 9. I prefer STI so I sold off some bits. Bought an Ultegra bike on Ebay for cheap, swapped some parts and sold off the rest. Could not be happier with it.
 
#2 ·
Great thread idea. My current "nice" bike is an Orbea Zona with Ultegra 9-speed, Mavic Cosmos wheels, and a decent mix of other parts. I found it on ebay, but it failed to meet its opening bid. I negotiated a price with the seller that left me with under $800 in it after I sold some extras that he threw in.

This replaced my Bianchi EL/OS with full Record that was stolen out of my garage last summer. That one just happened to roll into the shop where I was working several years ago. The owner wanted to sell it on consignment. I bought it on the spot for under a grand.
 
#3 ·
I do quite a bit with my hobby for quite a lot less money than most folks. I'm trying to pay down years of credit card bills, so biking purchases are either limited or non-existent. My one bike is a 2005 felt f65, bought on sale for $1200.00 when it was new. I'm very proud of it, with it's carbon bits and Full Ultegra 10 grouppo, including the brake calipers which were no originally on the bike, but I negotiated in.

I did break the carbon fork on it last month when I broke my collarbone hitting a dog, but replaced it under the pretense that the dog's owners' insurance would restore me financially. I bought a Ritchey Pro Carbon fork at a local shop, and had them install it.
 
#4 ·
Spent more than I could afford, but worth it...

I have a singlespeed I made from a thrift shop Trek, probably cost $50 total, and it's as much fun as anything I own.
As for "real" bikes, my two main roadies weren't cheap, but they were good value: An Atlantis built mostly with parts I had on hand back when Grant sold frame and fork for $950; and a Rambouillet w/105 components Rivendell was using as a demo. I was there when they rolled it out to the retail store with a $1000 price tag and grabbed it before it stopped moving.
The Rambo is as I bought except with a B-17 added, total less than $1100. The Atlantis probably has $1500 or $1600 in it, and I can't imagine better bikes for my purposes. I ride with a couple of big-bucks guys (my rural area got subdivided for million-dollar homes a few years ago, so I have rich neighbors). They can spend literally as much as they want on their bikes, and we're all within an inch of the same height, so we've swapped occasionally. I wouldn't trade either of mine for any of their $4000+ setups.
 
#5 ·
Got this Carrera (Focus and Nemo tubes) frame off eBay for $500 and transferred the parts off my 2002 Lemond zurich. thats the reason for the yellow tape. the Lemond had been another eBay find and the groupset campy centaur was bought off eBay for $650+/-, wheels, fir rims/double butted spokes and chorus hubs were another eBay find $150. tape has been changed to another splash color. the zurich will be sold this summer.
 
#7 ·
JTS628 said:
My Serotta-built Paramount Ti. Mix of Ultegra and Record. Total cost: $735.
Looks like my size, more or less. I'll give you $800, cash money. :D

This is a wonderful idea for a thread. When the cycling community talks about $1000 Treks and Giants and Specializeds and whatnot being "entry-level" bikes, it arguably does a disservice to those who'd like to get into cycling but see the high initial cost as an obstacle. And this is compounded when that same cycling community says, "Oh, it's going to be even worse than that ... you need a helmet, and the clothes, and before long you'll want to upgrade the rear der" -- and on and on and on.

Getting a bike that fits, and then making its pedals go 'round ... that's really all that it's supposed to be about, isn't it?
 
#9 ·
Allez Rouge said:
When the cycling community talks about $1000 Treks and Giants and Specializeds and whatnot being "entry-level" bikes, it arguably does a disservice to those who'd like to get into cycling but see the high initial cost as an obstacle.
Could not agree more. I sort of cringe when I see the "entry level" bike articles in bike rags. When did the floor start at 15 hunge? I've owned a ton of bike over the years, most of which fit anyone's idea of "nice" and have never been into ANY of them for 1500.
 
#13 ·
I bought my first roadbike for €400 and started replacing everything I didn't like, so I ended up with a €1500 bike...
 
#14 · (Edited)
About $300--still to good for me

I bought an early 1980's Shogun with Tange Champion tubing, nice lugged frame, very few miles for about $120, added some slightly used Phil Hubs for $100, a wide range frewheel, a Brooks saddle and some new spokes. The bike is better than I need--I still have the mentality that ridng my Schwinn Continental in 1975 was about as good as it gets, everything else is fluff. I also have a cheapo under $300 Single speed built from a 1973 Gitane Tour de France. I'm tempted to go farther downscale and not ride anythig worth more than $100--$60 for a Brooks B17 and $40 for a bike from Goodwill.
 
#16 ·
Well

I'm in the process of building this merckx.......total cost will be about 980 bucks.....

got the frameset for 350...picked up a nice alloy used DA 9 speed gruppo for 350, a set of cxp33's laced to DA hubs for 150, seat was free, seatpost 10 bucks, and then bars are ordered and coming in for about 40 bucks, add in about 30 for new cables/housing, and VOILA.... here's some pics of the frame...



I also picked up this Soma for about 225 frame...moved over parts from my specialized, and added some others....total cost including gruppo from older bike, was under 1200....


 
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