Originally Posted by
barnfind
I gave up on buying any bike with the sole intent to flip it for a profit after fixing it. People won't pay a dime more for a bike that's been all gone through and made perfect vs. any old rideable clunker. Around here used is used, it doesn't seem to matter whether it was high end, mid grade or entry level, they just want it cheap.
I can imagine that happening at bike stores, though I've never witnessed it myself. Last spring at the peak of the bike boom, I was working on one of my old road bikes and heading to the shop a fair bit and witnessed a lot of people bringing in these old box store clunkers for repairs. I'm sure the bike stores were cringing every day as people were lined up outside, wanting to get their old beaters that they hadn't ridden in years, fixed up and probably were shocked when they got the bill.
Now on the flip side, I find when I go into a bike shop which tries to make a living from selling new bikes to people and I bring in my 1980's road bike in great shape, they don't have the same enthusiasm that I have to replace a part of fix a cable. I get this sense of, "oh boy, some old guy with his old bike" look in their faces, ha ha.