tai1fob

hi All,
Some of you may have seen my post asking buying used 10 year old superbike or a brand new aluminum bike with Tiagra/105, and I am now in the process of finding the right inventory at my local shop.

To my surprise, the inventory level for bikes like Trek Domane AL4/5, Canyon Endurance, Cannondale Synapse 105 are all extremely low at shops within reasonable distance, almost feels like trying to buy a car during the height of the pandemic.

Btw, I am in the PNW/Seattle area, so does the inventory have to do with seasonality? are riders in warmer regions facing the same inventory issues?

OR, shops are trying to get rid of old inventory, and waiting for new model for the year to come in? so it's just a bad timing for me to be shopping at this time of the year?

OR, the cycling business still facing the same supply chain issues started with the pandemic?

lastly, I am quiet surprised at the "lack" of used bikes to buy on marketplace like facebook and craigslist, I thought many people got into biking during the pandemics, and many stopped riding and started to dump their bikes online, but that's just not the case for me in my region.

Not really trying to get a definitive answer of any kind, I am just very curious at the dynamic of cycling business, especially from what I read in news report doesn't really line up with what I am seeing in the marketplace.

I'd like to heard thoughts from seasoned riders! cheers!

veganbikes

We are in winter now so they probably haven't gotten the spring/summer stock yet however they can likely order you something. I wouldn't hold out for Tiagra, 105 sure but not so much Tiagra. You could easily test ride a bike in the correct size with different components and order what you are looking for. Or you can always upgrade a little and enjoy a nicer bike.

One Wheel

Not sure if this answers the question, I didn't watch the video but I remembered the thumbnail when I read your post:

bargainguy

If you know the approximate size, model & year of any particular bike you're looking for, I suggest making your needs known by posting a WTB: ad somewhere. It could be here, FB, CL, etc.

It's a different way of achieving the same goal - getting a relatively late model bike for a reasonable price, especially if they are in short supply in your area.

Sometimes just asking the question "got one of these?" is enough to trigger someone into selling you one.

squirtdad

Tiagra and 105 are not entry level...there are mid level

here is the current offering hierarchy

• DURA-ACE
• ULTEGRA
• SHIMANO 105
• TIAGRA
• SORA
• CLARIS

Camilo

Are you only looking at those brands? Why not Jamis, Felt, etc. etc?

PDKL45

Commonly, the next year's bike models are released in Summer-Fall (so 2024 models were released in mid-late 2023)

It depends on your local market. In some places, quite a bit of new inventory is commonly still available in February, obviously depending on the year.

Quite the opposite. Manufacturers, distributors and retailers are crammed full of inventory in many places. Near me, one of the main retailers imported a single 2024 model, while they're crammed full of 2022-2023 stock, that's selling sluggishly, even with a good discount. I think it really depends on where you are.

Same here. The market never saw the wild spike it saw in other places, though. And I hear people talking about the used market in the US and other places, but then others don't see it either.

Have you looked at a Giant? The AR1 should be 105, shouldn't it? Kona have also been doing some jaw dropping deals in recent times, like a buy one get one free MTB deal etc. I'd look at their bikes as a Libre or Rove would make for a good all rounder with the right tires.

mschwett 

I see lots of sizes of allez’ with 105 (sprint comp) and tiagra (sport) available at lots of shops…

Jughed

You left out the Trek Emonda ALR 5 from your search...

Something I've noticed lately on the cycling YouTube channels - they are pushing the Aluminum bikes hard. Seems like every reviewer has a video of a Emonda/Allez comparison - and the words carbon killer pop up from time to time. The bike industry is pushing this market a bit right now.

I generally like this guys opinion on things - he did a review of the Emonda...

mstateglfr 

Watched a few minutes of the video.
A $1200 Claris drivetrain bike is absurd. I understand what inflation is. I understand the cited internal and external factors that have influenced pricing within the cycling market over the last 8 years(down, then up, then down - in general).
And in the end, a $1200 Claris drivetrain bike is absurd.


One of my kids got a 2019 Trek Domane AL 2, which is an aluminum frame carbon fork bike with a Claris drivetrain and rim brakes. It was $850msrp and purchased in the late winter for $680. If you take the $850msrp, thats $1025msrp in current years. The Specialized Allez has a Claris option with rim brakes for...$1000. That is more of a value than the $1200 disc brake model shown in the video.
Its criminal to claim some cheap tektro mechanical disc brakes justify a price tag that is $200(20%) higher than the rim brake model.
Funny enough...
All the Specialized site shows all the $1000 rim brake models are out of stock- https://www.specialized.com/us/en/al...=322262-199476
All the $1400 Sora rim brake sizes and colors are out of stock- https://www.specialized.com/us/en/al...=322287-199475


Tough to sell and buy bikes when they dont exist.
Personally, I would look at quality options from the remaining 7 of the largest 10 bike brands to see what they offer in my size and price range. It is well documented that for a couple years when inventory was limited due to multiple factors, the large bike brands prioritized making more expensive bikes available for purchase. It makes sense from a business perspective- if there is high demand and you are limited in capacity, focus on making your higher margin products available to maximize revenue.

Iride01 

What's your price point for a entry level bike? If you want a Trek Domane, $999 gets you a Claris 8 speed group and $1449 gets you a Sora 9 speed group. Both are entry level.

The shop should be able to order them for you if that size isn't out of stock. Any Domane that the shop has in your size will be the same fit as the Domane you order in that size. Saddle on the entry level bike won't likely be the same as the saddle on the mid to high tier Domane's. So from that aspect it might feel a little different.

ScottCommutes

Part of your problem is the "local bike shop" model. Car dealers can find the car you want at another dealer and have it shipped to them. Libraries can find the book you want at another library and have it shipped over. Even competing florists will lend each other flowers.

Bike shops, to their detriment, don't work together like this. The bike you want almost certainly exists in new and various degrees of used, but nobody really knows how, when, or where to make a deal.

Business opportunity right there.

Iride01 

Frames don't make a entry level bike. Frames of a model from low to upper mid tier models are usually the same frame. The very upper tier bikes might be the newest generation of that frame.

It's the components that make it a entry level bike. Tiagra and 105 is not really entry level. However before everything went crazy, you could get bikes with them at a almost entry level price.

Wildwood 

Can't answer the question of bike shop inventory, but the Seattle CL has 2200 listings. Over 500 for this past weekend alone. Surely something on the local used market must fit your needs.

Size and price range? Is color important?

Polaris OBark

As I mentioned in your other thread, if you want best bang for the buck, the AL5 with 105 at about $2K is it. My daughter has this, and for her needs, it is outstanding.

squirtdad

no idea of size or budget but here is a sample 105 equipped bikes from seattle craigslist (bikes filter 105 returned 60)

https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/b...721095885.html

https://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/b...721267140.html

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/b...716707308.html

https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/b...712786404.html

https://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/b...713125657.html

PDKL45

OP, have you considered Decathlon? IIRC, they're in California, but will ship. A lot of UK guys like the RC520:

Adventure Awaits (decathlon.com)

There's also a really cool Gravel version of the RC520:

Adventure Awaits (decathlon.com)

Wildwood 

Online 'discount' stores offer aluminum framed road bikes with those groupsets you desire.

I refrain from a link as I have not purchased thru any of them.

I use BikeForums' resources and members for best value results. Repeatedly. Quite a few members around the Sound.

SoSmellyAir

OP appears to be looking for aluminum bikes having an endurance frame geometry.

McFlyRides

I also think a tiarga 105 aluminum bike should be cheaper and more widely available. The Cannondale Optima 1 was a good example.

that’s not strictly speaking entry level, but it’s entry level to performance/enthusiast level with decent weight and good shifting.

Herzlos

I have that bike and it's great especially at that price point. Decathlon have replaced it over here with a 2x10 Microshift instead for the same price point but they still seem to have stock of 105 left.

surak

If you want a Synapse w/ Tiagra, you can pick one up from REI.
https://www.rei.com/product/208188/c...apse-al-2-bike

mr,grumpy 

I think that the predictions of the folks predicting a “flood” of unused pandemic-bikes onto the market may have been a little optimistic. Bicycles neither have enough value nor take up enough space to get “dumped”. Besides, getting rid of a fairly recently aquired bicycle smacks of personal failure. Past history shows us that the typical used bike is 10-20 years old. We won’t see those sweet, sweet pandemic-bikes until 2030 at least.