Originally Posted by urbanknight

I spent years as a shop mechanic and also flip bikes on occasion. So while your little anecdote is nice and all, you’re missing a few things.

Some people (like you) take good care of their bikes. Others leave them outside in the backyard to collect rust, which makes components stop working or at least work less. Low end bike owners are more likely to be the latter type.

Low end bikes are harder to adjust, even when brand new. That gives less room for wear and tweaks to make them become unserviceable.

But none of what you said disagrees with me. If the bike has been taken care of, it’s worth a good amount. If it has been neglected, it could be junk by now. This is not to say the components are junk from the factory, but they are lower quality and generally owned by less dedicated riders. I have owned such bikes and they ran fine, albeit with more careful maintenance.