As mentioned before, sport cycling is as popular now as it’s been for many decades. There is no indication that it is diminishing at all. Road cycling, gravel riding, bike packing and mountain biking are all very popular. The reason prices are down is those people who are active in the sport aren’t interested in old bikes and the performance compromises made when riding them. There are people who ride bikes and those who collect them and this is two separate markets and the vintage market is collapsing as collectors age out of the hobby.

Well, some of us old guys collect and ride them.


Touroica 2023

The problem I see is that the average age of the riders in that picture is probably around 65. Almost all of them are retired. We ride the bikes that we lusted over in our youth, so yes, that'll age out.

I can tell you that the perceived performance compromises can save you a lot of money for very little reduction in said performance.

At 70 years old I’ve become pretty set in my ways , actually it happened years ago. I like the way my old road bikes work . I ride many miles with only flat tires to be concerned about . The bikes are very reliable and fun to ride . I have friends who ride modern bikes and they spend quite a bit more on their bike than I do . We ride together , go the same places , and have the same level of enjoyment . I was having coffee with a very good friend who had his $8k carbon bike leaned against a wall next to my , uhm ….much cheaper 1975 Colnago Super . I had a few people comment on my bike and how cool it was . ‘ What year is your Colnago?” , “ That is in really good shape “ , “ I always wanted one of those!” Not one person commented on the $8k carbon bike! My friend was fine with that , in fact we laughed together about it.

I was browsing the old CR archives from about the time I signed up in 2004, back then one could read without an official membership, just could not post.
unfortunately a noticeable number are now gone. It has been 20 years. The way of things.

Adjusted for inflation, the original prices of the Colnago Super and the carbon bike would be pretty comparable, especially if the expensive electronic shifting setup the carbon bike is (presumably) equipped with is considered.

Certainly, in the hierarchy of bikes on the market, the Colnago would have occupied pretty much the same lofty place in 1975 that your friend's bike does now.

And, of course, the oohs and aahs would have been the same if you had a '75 Dodge Charger and he had some equivalent modern car.

That said, I'm similarly content with my older bikes. Although in my case, after 40-some years riding top-of-the-line steel bikes, I replaced the last few with aluminum bikes, which have been all I've ridden since about 2005.

Trakhak , I think you missed the point . I didn’t pay 1975 price for it . I bought it in 2020 and today , even given the condition, is obtainable for about $1200 or cheaper. This is what we are talking about , the price that you can get a high end Italian bike for that still performs the way it did when it was new for a fraction of the cost of a modern bike . The 1975 Dodge has retained value , vintage road bikes have not. Classic cars like a 1975 Ferrari would sell for a hefty sum , close to what a modern Ferrari would . Bicycles , except for very few , have plummeted in $$ value. Those of us that still ride them enjoy them for what they are but no one is going to spend $8k for a cherry 1975 Colnago Super , not even close!

This simply isn't true, as any inflation calculator will prove. Top-end bikes today are far, far more expensive relatively speaking than, say, top-end bikes from 1985.The price of top end bikes today have far outpaced the inflation rate.

True this: My Peugeot PX10 which was $160 in 1970 would be $1,300 in today's dollars. The Masi Gran Criterium, which was the bike I really wanted but couldn't afford, was $275 in 1970. That would be a bit over $2,200 today.



Brent

Another thing going away/gone is the more ornate written script. Obviously a left hander above.

In the Summer of 1972, Peugeot PX-10’s were just not in inventory at the shops in Southern California.

I found a Bertin C-37 that actually ticked off more of the boxes as described in Eugene Sloane’s book. $310. Plus tax, with an Elvezia spare, $336. and change.
A later problem was my height, I was 12 and 5’-7”… so a 59cm it was. Two years later I was only 1/2” taller and racing, the bike was too big and too long.
moved over to a 3cm smaller Lejeune CdM.
much better.

Decades later I found a sister to the Bertin in a 56, curious parts swaps, Campag brakes, SL pedals, Japanese mattress saddle and riser bars, 27” rims! Corrected and better than I recall. A bit lighter tubing, shorter top tube.
paid $200. But they just don’t show up.
the second bike was from the same import batch, back when shops were still importing direct.

There's that AND 5% sales tax!!!

Lynch's! (I think they shortened the name shortly after this date.) Wonderful shop with a solid reputation.
Good prices and stock there for high-end gear. I bought Clement Criteriums from them occasionally.
If you took that PX-10E, left it in the box, and held it all these years, it would likely fetch near $10k.
Of course, buying $160 of a blue chip stock back then would likely quadruple that $10k value. lol

You have a point.

Wilier Superleggera | Campagnolo Super Record 12s | Complete Bike 6.885 €

Old bikes are simply "old bikes" again when it comes to value.

I guess muscle cars and guitars are next?

I could not pass up $150 for a classic English frameset (my ideal size) that one does not see often. Late 60's is best I know, so far....