Those are some nice clean bikes!

Cheap mountain bikes that were cranked out by the thousands aren't worth much to anybody, but high end bikes can still command high prices. Have you shopped for a Bridgestone MB-1 or Zip lately?

I think this is a poor example...all Bridgestones end up over priced because of the Rivendel/Cult of Grant thing. RB-1's go higher than any comparable Japanese bike...XO-1s are insanely priced too. The MB-1s aren't priced that way because they're high end MTBs, they're priced that way because they're Bridgestones.

I wouldn't call the Specialized Stump Jumper a cheap bike, though it was cranked out.

I used Bridgestone as an example because I have shopped for them and bought one. They're not the only ones that sell for good money.

They sell higher than comparable high end MTBs because they're Bridgestones...just like the rest of their lines. If you peeled the Bridgestone label off and wrote Ritchey or Gary Fisher it would go down $100.

My oldest son rides a cherry 1983 Stumpjumper Sport. Its probably too nice at his age, but I found it at a great price. While he won't use it exclusively for trail riding, it is a great heavy duty bike.

My youngest son rides an MB-1. Another lucky CL find, I only had to drive to Brainerd, Mn for that one. Again, bargain priced.

I won't say how much I paid for these, as it was laughably low.

This is not the norm though. Quite often they are so over-priced, its a joke.

While they are great bikes, I know I would never pay the going ebay rates.

As for an XO-1, I regrettably sold a "cherry condition" 1993 construction pumpkin orange model for four digits a little over a year ago.

Should have held onto that one, as it was a great all-around ride.

Not mine linked here, but identical.

http://randalputnam.wordpress.com/20...dgestone-xo-1/

The fact is, Bridgestones are not the only MTB's that sell for good money.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...y-80s-Ibis-MTB

^ I am beginning to thing that this must be a market-specific phenomenon - With a little diligence, I can buy they very best MTB's around here for VERY low prices.

(It seems that many people around here just do not differentiate them from Xmart Huffy's.)

Yes, the Bridgestones, Ritcheys, and a couple of others bring a premium, just about everything else is a really good deal for the end user (no collectable premium).

Where I am those are big. I think a motor costs about 150-200 dollars (depending on 49 or 80cc) available online, http://www.bicycle-engines.com/compl...ine-p-336.html, or on my local CL http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/bik/1842358400.html. The bikes are selling for 200-500 dollars, and are on a lot of old MTBs or Cruisers.

This is not an offer to sell, so it should comply with board requirements. If not, I can delete the post.

If any of you have a good quality, light weight, non-suspension mountain bike frame for sale, I might be interested. I want one that does not use cantilevered brakes. I need horizontal drop outs or an eccentric bottom bracket. I have a 34" step over height on my road bike, so I need a medium-large frame (I'm not sure how mountain bikes are sized, perhaps an 18" frame?).

I have an old Stumpjumper that I use as a commuter bike, and I really like it, but I bought it as a rider with no plan to sell it. I don't know if I'd be able to sell it for much more than the $90 I paid for it. I did recently sell a 15 year old rigid Cannondale M400 for $140, and the buyer didn't try to bargain me down at all. That's probably about the most I'd ask for a typical older rigid mountain bike.

+1 you cannot break the century mark just 50 miles north :)

Good like finding a lightweight MTB without canti (or V) brakes.

Yes, I've noticed. I "like" luck. :)

I once asked if I would be called "Drew" for removing the cantilever bosses from a good quality frame. I'd also like to know if th eframe would be structurally compromised by removing them (grinding off welded bosses). No one has answered. <-- off topic question.

Try the fixie forum :)

Niche bikes dont count as they are not representative of the overall market.

Flipping hybrids and mtn bikes is a quick way to use up your time and make you very little money.

Good point.

I see the same bikes over and over again on the local CL.

Predictably, they start at about $200, and skid all the way down to $75.

They make excellent cabin bikes though, so the boys and I have been known to pick up a bike or two at these bargain prices for others to use up north.

Also, they make excellent donor bikes for Xtracycles, which are fairly popular here.

This is getting off topic a bit; maybe you should start a new thread, but I'm wondering about the brakes. Do you just not care for the looks of cantis? Admittedly they're a bit clunky and the setup can be a minor PITA, but they offer great stopping power and loads of clearance for fenders, big tires, etc.

LOL!

I thought so. That's why I asked, although I already knew the answer.

Honestly, I have a real visceral aversion to even the thought of grinding off the cantilever bosses.

I'm going to stop pursuing this discussion in this thread, as it is off-topic.

Our bike coop gets good money for old rigid mountain bikes, mostly set up as commuters. They use a pricing formula based on frame material, rims etc.

I was up there yesterday and they were commenting to a retail customer how sad they will be when the supply of those bikes dries up. That was part of conversation about how all of the low end department store bikes have cheap shocks on them and that most of the LBS offerings (hybrid/mnt) have cheap shocks too.

I think early Schwinn MTBs did not use canti brakes but that was the early 80's. if you can find a Sierra, mesa or supreme you'll be in business.

I disagree with this. Sure I think a bit of it is the cult status but at the same time an RB-1 has geometry that is not similar to other Japanese bikes. So while you can find a similarly spec'd Japanese bike I feel that the ride is very different. And while MB-1's tend to sell high used they were also $1600 bikes in the early 80's so $500 used if it's in good shape is not all that bad. They had great equipment on them.

Its got to be a name brand that is VERY recognizable, not require any parts and be around $20 pick up price. Ohh yeah...NO index thumb shifters...Man I have taken a beating on gummed up thumb shifters.

It sad because some of the older mountains make great campus or path bikes but there is so many $50 bikes on the market that it is hard to unload a good 4130 with Deore for more then $100. I have a M400 C-Dale I rode the hell out of two years ago. I keep it around as my utility bike and to ride with the kids. I have a 950 Trek I'm throwing slicks on for the wife and teen ager for the trainer and MUP. I picked up a neearly perfect Trek 830 aluminum frame for $40. Needed a tube. Wife loves it. Just no market for them as a flip.

+1 Well put. I have a big enough backlog of road bikes to rehab. Working on MTBs just consumes time, and nets very little. Much better off putting time into road bikes.

+1 There are a couple of niche bike exceptions. But it is rare to find one of them.


There are a lot of issues with rehabbing MTBs. First, there is minimal return for your time. That should be enough to stop the concept right there, except in some hot urban markets. Secondly, many MTB parts are different sizes than road bikes: cranks are usually small triples, shifters are different, bars, stems, wheels, tires,, tubes, brakes, and levers. OK, road bikes use a variety of parts, but road bikes move.

As long as I can find road bikes to work on, I am going to drop MTBs and hybrids. I picked up seven road bikes in the last week, and already had about 15 in the rehab queue, so it will be a while before I run out. I'll ease out the remaining MTBs in the market, some will probably go to the co-op, some to my favorite thrift store. I'm looking forward to getting some space around here!!