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2021 Bike Market is looking like 2020

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2021 Bike Market is looking like 2020

Old 03-20-21, 06:08 PM
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2021 Bike Market is looking like 2020

Anyone else watching the bike market this year and notice things are starting to pick up? I saved a ton of bikes on FB marketplace from last fall that I thought were too expensive but wanted to watch in case they came down to my price and they sat there all winter. Suddenly, about a week ago they all listed as sold as if spring had sprung for used bikes.

Going with the flow, I listed some old bikes that have been sitting in the garage unused or just needed more work then I was willing to invest in and my phone exploded with interest. Admittedly, I low balled the prices because I didn't think there would be an interest but the market clearly spoke and there's an interest!
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Old 03-20-21, 06:30 PM
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As soon as weather turns, bikes tend to start selling.
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Old 03-20-21, 08:27 PM
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I'm seeing listings picking up as well, some bikes I have been interested in that are priced a little high are moving now where they would have sat a few months ago.
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Old 03-20-21, 09:33 PM
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We sure won't be seeing the C&V bike boom we had a few years ago, when young riders really got into the then retro bike craze, any time soon.
The young kids are now more into Tik Tok posting and shuffle dancing....
We C&V luddites are just mostly too cheap and picky to generate another boom........

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Old 03-21-21, 05:34 AM
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Watching also as I have a few bikes I should list,, yet I'm looking to buy a touring or titanium bike , and I already have a decent touring bike 😔
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Old 03-21-21, 07:29 AM
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In my area it has been odd. There are still some over-priced bikes listed that will set for a while. Some of them I recognize as bikes I would have bought months ago but were priced too high and now listed by new owners at two to three times the price. Then about three times last week bikes I would have bought even though I didn't want them went so fast because they were listed for ten to twenty bucks.
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Old 03-21-21, 07:30 AM
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I'm wondering how many bikes are going to be back on the market after the plague? I'm gathering a lot of bikes came down from the rafters and got "serviced" at bike shops. When folks can go back to the gym, are they going to keep riding?
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Old 03-21-21, 07:54 AM
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I don’t try to guess the market of bike resales. There are still deals out there but not many higher end Campy equipped bikes at the $300 range like a few years ago. I bought most of my collection in the last six or seven years and paid less than three hundred for most. All Columbus or Reynolds tubing with Campagnolo NR and I don’t think I could replace them now for anywhere near that . The most I paid for any bike was my most recent bought right here on BF was my 1975 Colnago Super. I bought it in November and feel I got a reasonable deal. The seller was very nice to deal with even though he had to box it and prepare it for traveling across country .
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Old 03-21-21, 08:34 AM
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I think it all boils do to is the parts supply chain, if the new bikes can not get the parts fast enough the used market will be strong.
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Old 03-21-21, 08:40 AM
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Originally Posted by bark_eater
I'm wondering how many bikes are going to be back on the market after the plague? I'm gathering a lot of bikes came down from the rafters and got "serviced" at bike shops. When folks can go back to the gym, are they going to keep riding?
There will be a huge purge after the dust settles. Already seeing it with spin bikes. Everybody picked up a hobby because of the restrictions, so we will see art supplies, tools, sports equipment, sewing machines - you name it.
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Old 03-21-21, 02:02 PM
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Or people will simply store them in their garage/ basement and forget about them for 10-20 years
#sad
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Old 03-21-21, 04:25 PM
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I couldn’t hazard a guess for another few weeks, about the time we start seeing garage sales. Shoot, I may even sell one or two this spring.
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Old 03-22-21, 03:23 PM
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I have noticed a similar thing where I live, bikes I am watching and waiting for prices to go lower on just end up selling.
Newer model mountain bikes are especially crazy, used ones are selling for almost as much as full retail.
The other side of that is I have sold quite a few bikes much more easily this year.
There are still deals to be had, you just have to act faster on them and pay what the seller is asking before someone else does. ​​​​​
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Old 03-22-21, 06:01 PM
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Originally Posted by kfro12
I have noticed a similar thing where I live, bikes I am watching and waiting for prices to go lower on just end up selling.
Newer model mountain bikes are especially crazy, used ones are selling for almost as much as full retail.
The other side of that is I have sold quite a few bikes much more easily this year.
There are still deals to be had, you just have to act faster on them and pay what the seller is asking before someone else does. ​​​​​
That's the tough part if you are really in the market to buy is setting up your notifications so that you are informed instantly it goes to market so you can respond right away. Another key thing which I learned from selling some old unused bikes recently that magic words like, I will send you an e-transfer to secure the deal or will be over within the half hour are game changers for me.

I off loaded 3 old mountain bikes that were just sitting around or too old to bother fixing up and I listed them on FB marketplace at a really good price and my phone would explode all day. Lots of riff raff to filter out but the guys who wanted to e-transfer the money got first dibbs.
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Old 03-22-21, 06:21 PM
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An interesting thing to note that might be driving demand on the secondary market is that big box retail BSOs have all jumped up in price significantly (like $30-$60). That could make buying used lots more attractive.
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Old 03-23-21, 12:57 AM
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I remain confident that bikes over 63cm will be as hard to sell as ever (while not commanding a premium, of course), just as they've always been. I'm building up a much smaller bike right now, for kicks. It's a lot newer, but will have some older stuff on it that still looks natural enough. I'll see how that sells.
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Old 03-23-21, 06:40 AM
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Originally Posted by RiddleOfSteel
I remain confident that bikes over 63cm will be as hard to sell as ever (while not commanding a premium, of course), just as they've always been. I'm building up a much smaller bike right now, for kicks. It's a lot newer, but will have some older stuff on it that still looks natural enough. I'll see how that sells.
Big bikes and women's bikes are always on the market and don't move quick. I've seen some really nice, high end women's bikes that won't sell for half the price of the men's equivalent. i wish my wife was into riding C&V cause I would have an amazing bike for her!
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Old 03-23-21, 07:40 AM
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Originally Posted by gthomson
Big bikes and women's bikes are always on the market and don't move quick. I've seen some really nice, high end women's bikes that won't sell for half the price of the men's equivalent. i wish my wife was into riding C&V cause I would have an amazing bike for her!
Large frame bikes dont seem to sell for any less on ebay or list for less on the multiple regional CL sites I search. Maybe the take longer to sell?...I havent seen a wide study to show this. Maybe sellers end up taking less?...I havent seen a wide study to show this.
What is readily available, listing price, sure doesnt seem different overall compared to the typical 54-58cm frame sizes.
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Old 03-23-21, 07:48 AM
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Maybe '21 is like '20. Maybe it starts like '20 but then demand slows down. Maybe it starts like '20 and increases in demand.
Who knows. Trying to predict new retail demand and used 2nd market demand is like trying to guess at a game like 'odds or evens'. You have a 50-50 chance of being right and if you get it right, then you think you know something special when it was just a correct guess.


Maybe demand will fall and there will be a flood of used bikes into the secondary market. If so, then OK then. I dont understand why people make fun of those who eventually sell their recreational equipment in a relatively short time after having purchased it. Perhaps they tried cycling and found that it sucks. Perhaps they liked cycling, but it didnt fit into their schedule/routine. Perhaps they liked cycling, but like something else even more. Perhaps they liked cycling and bought an even more expensive bike and are now selling the cheaper one.
Even if someone buys a $2000 bike, happily uses it for a season, and sells it for $1100- why is that seen as a bad thing? So many posters on this forum(and elsewhere) regard that person as a fool for having bought the mid-priced bike and laugh at how they will be able to buy nice bikes for cheap in a year or two when 'everything' hits the used market.
Its really an odd mentality.
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Old 03-23-21, 11:33 AM
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Fewer attractive bikes at attractive prices now compared to last year. I think folks in the past would get rid of a bike because they hadn't ridden it in years and that provided a steady supply of nice bikes at good prices. Everybody that still has an old bike has ridden it recently and they are not about to get rid of it for awhile. Slim pickens this year.
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Old 03-23-21, 07:39 PM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Large frame bikes dont seem to sell for any less on ebay or list for less on the multiple regional CL sites I search. Maybe the take longer to sell?...I havent seen a wide study to show this. Maybe sellers end up taking less?...I havent seen a wide study to show this.
What is readily available, listing price, sure doesnt seem different overall compared to the typical 54-58cm frame sizes.
Just from experience of trolling Craiglist, Kijjii (a Candian thing) and Facebook marketplace, every day from March to October my analysis was XL bikes did not sell as fast as medium to large bikes did but didn't necessarily sell at a lower price but took longer to sell, as you mentioned. In regards to women's bikes with a step through frame, and small to XS frame these bikes were on the market for a much longer time than bikes which would be considered an average frame size (medium to large) and would eventually drop in price.
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Old 03-23-21, 07:52 PM
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The step thru's that I had last year sold very quickly as did the one I have sold this year. In my experience restored vintage road bikes seem to take longer. I think most folks are looking for step thru's, hybrids and MTBs right now at under $150. They want to barter on their keyboard and most will just hand you the cash and throw the bike in their vehicle without even spinning the wheels. I think that is unfortunate. I usually tell them that I won't barter until they've ridden the bike.
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Old 03-23-21, 08:39 PM
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Originally Posted by r0ckh0und
The step thru's that I had last year sold very quickly as did the one I have sold this year. In my experience restored vintage road bikes seem to take longer. I think most folks are looking for step thru's, hybrids and MTBs right now at under $150. They want to barter on their keyboard and most will just hand you the cash and throw the bike in their vehicle without even spinning the wheels. I think that is unfortunate. I usually tell them that I won't barter until they've ridden the bike.
Searching for suitable giveaways for the incentive thing has gotten harder...making my need to paint horde more pressing.

Prices have definitely jumped for bikes I got in the fall-winter for $30-40. And self financing makes me try to stretch it.

Time to paint!
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Old 03-23-21, 08:52 PM
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I dunno, I've received a ton of free bikes here in the massachusetts. Some to keep, like the lovely Specialized Expedition with the stuck stem, and some as a high-end flip, like a neat Jamis Allegro in highlighter green that I found down the street. I have to pay the ever-increasing rent somehow, after all.
I think there's a lot of turnover in temporary residents right now. Everybody who rents wants to be someplace other than where they're stuck. Some people who own, too! Moving can be a morale boost during an otherwise crummy year. Start fresh and leave bad memories behind, hopefully. During people's big moves, they tend to abandon stuff, including bikes.

That said, I bet I will have no trouble getting bikes to move, if I list them right. People have been buying all manner of stuff lately. I have sold recumbent trike parts and typewriters this spring that would have been impossible to shift last year. Maybe it's related to the alignment of the planets.
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