curdog

I think I've already decided, but thought I'd get the forum's opinion. I mentioned a few weeks before about riding a Indy Fab and thinking of ordering a Steel Crown Jewel. Today my LbS offered to sell me the bike which I had tried out. This bike is not the Crown Jewel, but rather the Steel Lightweight.
The bike is 3 years old and has a few battle scars from previous racing, but appears totally sound. The drive train is Campy Chorus except for the brakes which are Zero Gravity. It has Edge carbon wheels. He is asking $4500. The way I figure it is that if I built the bike myself similar to the current build it would price out a little north of $6000. That being said, $4500 seems a little high for a three year old bike.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

stapfam

Seems high to me aswell. For that price it would have to be in A.1 Condition and be a bit younger.

I would have a very close look at the bike. Is it the "Ultimate" in what you want? Are all the components what you would choose if you were doing a build- and are they all in top condition. Battle scars from racing are not the same as scratches received by normal use and storage with the other bikes you have. Are the scars from slight incidents or heavy falls?

But you are the one that "Wants" the bike. The shop just wants to sell it. Get the price down- by an appreciable amount providing it still comes up to your expectations after a good look again.

BikeWNC

What size do you ride? If you are tall, I have a Ti CJ I want to sell. It doesn't have Edge wheels or ZG brakes but it won't cost as much either.

NOS88

I think the real magic of the Indy Fab is that they are experts at building the bike that matches you and your riding goals/style. I paid a pretty penny for my CJ Ti, but would be a bit reluctant to spend $4500 for a used one not built for me.

BikeWNC

I agree. I'll probably end up selling mine for half that. But it still has to match the rider. I had the frame built for my weight, etc. so someone 50# heavier should pass.

NealH

I like the Ti Crown Jewel, as it is the defining IF offering in my opinion, and always has been. And living in Nags Head is all the more reason to buy Ti. When you start focusing on top shelf bikes, go ahead and get the one you really want even if it cost more. Look for the "good buys" as a second bike. Those Ti CJ's age so gracefully, and they laugh off the water and salt.

Terex

Big changes at Indy Fab. People coming and going. Fab moving locations. BTW, $4500 for a 3 yr. old bike with "battle scars" doesn't sound like any kind of a deal. Zero Grav brakes are a weight weenie fav, but performance my not be on par with new Campy/Shimano. With custom, you can get a brilliant paint job if you know how to spec it and any geometry tweaks you may need.

There are deals to be had for lots of great bikes between $4.5-6K.

NOS88

Change has been the hallmark of Indy Fab since it started. People have come, stayed for a bit and moved on. The move to NH, has the potential to strengthen the company. As in all things time will tell. One thing I do know is that this pain in the arse winter has put their production schedule behind. So, if your ordered a bike, you can anticipate it being just a few days longer in coming. That is, if the winter relents a bit and they don't lose anymore time.

Back to the original post: Seems that the consensus is that this is something you should be very careful about and perhaps shop around a bit more.

jppe

If you don't get what you really want you'll always be looking over your shoulder at other top shelf bikes thinking that one day you'll buy one. Save yourself the interim dollars and get the frame and components you really want. You'll save money overall. You can add the higher end wheels later on if needed.

The Zero Gravity brakes aren't that bad, but they certainly don't perform as well as Shimano's DuraAce or Campy's Super Record. I have a pair on my climbing bike to save a few grams and if it's raining forget about doing much braking going downhill. But you should not have that much of a problem our your way with the hills!

BengeBoy 

My rough rule of thumb is that a moderately used, custom-made complete steel or Ti bike ought to cost right around the price of a brand new custom frameset.

A brand-new Indy Fab frame + fork is around $2,200. In my opinion, that's what the bike you've described is worth, give or take a few hundred dollars. Just to clarify, I'm saying a used "complete" bike is usually obtainable for the price of a new frameset *only.*

In fact, last fall I was going back and forth w/a local guy here in Seattle who had an Indy Fab my size -- about 5 years old -- for $1600 (complete bike). Frame was in great shape -- some of the components were great; some were tired. In other words, typical for a nicely cared for custom bike w/some miles on it. I've seen others in that price range as well.

$4500 for a 3-year-old Indy Fab with "battle scars" from "racing" is way overpriced, IMHO.

BikeWNC

It all depends on the market and the buyer. Matching a custom frame to someone is perhaps trickier than some stock more common brands. I'd probably be satisfied with $2500 for my complete Ti bike but even then it takes the right buyer. For a steel bike I wouldn't spend very much but that reflects more my bias than anything else.

sauerwald

Another one who agrees - I am a big believer in custom steel frames (I own 2), but the value to ME is far less when it fits someone ELSE perfectly.

Another consideration - I have no idea how you ride, but it sounds like the IF bike you are looking at is set up for racing - is that your thing?, if you are going to be using the bike for weekend rides along the coast, it's probably not the right bike, even if it is a perfect fit.

curdog

This is basically what I believed. To clarify, the frame and fork on this model is a little over 3000. The seller is obviously putting a substantial value on the wheels, but the way I ride, the wheels are really of limited value to me, and in fact, would not be on a build which I did.
I've decided not to go with the purchase. It's a bit of a leap for me to pay 4500 for a scratched up 3 year old bike. I'll go for a custom build later.
Thanks for everyone's comments.