Bicycle Mechanics - Ok deal on 2008 Roubaix?

The owner of my LBS agreed to sell me a brand new 08 Roubaix Elite Triple for $1900. He said it's currently on closeout at specialized.

It's not the great deal I was hoping for, so how much can I expect to talk him down.

That's actually a pretty good deal, as long as you get the full warranty. Those frames are sweet!

Yea the frame is definitely nice. The owner let me test ride the sequoia, which has a similar geometry. Immediately, my back felt great! I may just get the roubaix frame (for $1000) and order a dura ace group to build up the bike myself.

The owner of my LBS agreed to sell me a brand new 08 Roubaix Elite Triple for $1900. He said it's currently on closeout at specialized.

It's not the great deal I was hoping for, so how much can I expect to talk him down.

You could ask him what his merchant fees are for a credit card and see if he will take that much off the bike if you pay cash.

You could ask him what his merchant fees are for a credit card and see if he will take that much off the bike if you pay cash.

Probably very high with the way things are going right now. If so, this will probably work.

Yea the frame is definitely nice. The owner let me test ride the sequoia, which has a similar geometry. Immediately, my back felt great! I may just get the roubaix frame (for $1000) and order a dura ace group to build up the bike myself.

Building it up will cost you much more.

Quick question, does he have to order the bike or is it one that is already in stock?

If he has to order it and get of the the "on sale" bikes then the deal he is offering you is pretty weak. If i remember correctly the original MSRP on that bike was about $1,950.

He could sell the bike for at least $100 less and still make a good margin on it.

You could ask him what his merchant fees are for a credit card and see if he will take that much off the bike if you pay cash.

Not an option for me as I don't have much cash. Great idea though!

Building it up will cost you much more.

Why is that?

I already have a good set of wheels that I can use on the new bike, and I can buy the dura ace group from PBK for about $1000.

If I find a good carbon frame and equip it with dura ace, I figure it will cost about $2500-$3000 which is still much less than a dura ace CF bike directly from specialized.

Building it up will cost you much more.
+1 It certainly will.

Quick question, does he have to order the bike or is it one that is already in stock?

If he has to order it and get of the the "on sale" bikes then the deal he is offering you is pretty weak. If i remember correctly the original MSRP on that bike was about $1,950.

He could sell the bike for at least $100 less and still make a good margin on it.

You are right, those were exactly his words. He said he can order these "on sale" from specialized and here is what the price will be.

I was looking at the MSRP on 2009 bikes, and I forgot to take in consideration these were 08. So yeah, $1900 is not a good price. Unfortunately my local LBS has already replaced most of the 08 bikes with 09, and any 08 I buy would have to be ordered.

Is the owner making a huge profit from me by doing this, or is he simply passing along the cost and making a "fair" profit? Do you think I can find a better deal on 08 specialized if I wait until next year?

Thank you for your inputs.

I would say even at $1,700 or $1,750 he would still be making a fair profit, especially considering the fact that he does not have to spend money stocking it and trying to sell it. Check other specialized dealers in your area to see if they can get you a better price. All i know is that 1900 is too expensive.

Btw, if you are considering an 09 make sure to double check the specs. Specialized did a lot of name swapping this year on some models.