Originally Posted by
PoorInRichfield
For example, I'm still wondering why Shimano created the Ultegra R8000 group set when it's hardly a departure from the 6800 group
Anywho... your thoughts? Are bikes that are more than a few years old worthy of the scrap heap? Is buying a brand new bike a psychological gain or a good idea? Should we all buy a new bike every two years to keep up-to-date along with our iPhones and Android phones?
R7000 and R8000 front derailleurs are lightyears better than those long armed 6800 and 5800 designs. Having owned both, its a totally different game for setup and use(tire clearance?). But thats a minor issue as a 7000 FD can go on an otherwise 5800 bike.
If its true that bikes more than a few years old are crap, then my garage has been filled with crap since I got back into cycling 9 years ago. Ive had dozens of bikes that were all late 70s-early 90s and they were a blast to own and ride.
I have an 89 Tange 1 steel frame road bike with modern Tiagra set up on the trainer 5' from me for Zwift and it works great. Super comfortable and quality frame plus components.
All the old bikes I have kept have been updated with more modern drivetrains, but some have been 9sp which is hardly cutting edge and they perform as well as my 11sp Ultegra bikes.
No, older bikes and tech isnt worthy of just the scrap heap.
I do understand why buyers may not want to pay a premium for used though. If a 4 year old $1000 retail bike is being sold as 'nearly unused' for $900, I wouldnt be interested, even if it really has been sitting in a basement the whole time. For $100 more, just buy the newest version and get the warranty(as rare as thats needed). There is a point at which while something may be unused, it is still used and therefore is simply valued as less than what retail is worth.
Also, technology changes so much and trends change so much, than MTB and gravel are totally different from 4 years ago. The bikes from 4 years ago still work just fine, but there is appeal in having the newest trends and unless the price difference is great enough, the nearly new older bike may not have a lot of interest at a high price. If it doesnt have thru axles, there needs to be a significant price drop(even if QR disc works fine). If it has cable disc and the new model has hydraulic disc for only slightly more, then there may not be much appeal for the older bike. This doesnt even get into the MTB trends that disappeared like 27.5"(to an extent) and plus tires(to an extent).
A 7 year old MTB that is basically unused and cost $1500 new but has 26" wheels, cable disc brakes, QR drops, and a 70 degree head tube is not going to be valued very well by most if it is priced like it is new now.