Any suggestions on how to negotiate price for a new TREK 7.5 FX that cost close to 920$?. All dealers stick on to MSRP and don't reduce the price. Any freebies that is reasonable to expect when we spend 1000$ on a cycle? Is online buying possible? I understand service issues when we buy online, but I am an engineer and I plan to do services myself.

Thanks

It seems nearly a universal standard that you get a free water bottle holder. If you negotiate you can sometimes get a water bottle with the stores logo. Other than that seems pretty hit or miss. Sometimes stores will deal, but usually with accessories or on last years model.

Our LBS will match the spring prices offered at the spring expo--in my case, a big Milwaukee shop that puts on the expo has somewhat lower prices than my LBS. It's probably too late for that but if you're in no hurry...

There won't be a ton of markup on a $1k bike. It's not like haggling for that new Chev Silverado. You'll likely get the bottle & cage, and/or 10% all accessories with the bike purchase. Time to get the pump, tubes, levers, rack, bag(s), etc.

I know this sounds hard to believe but there's not a huge profit margin even from a 1K bike. I remember back in high school a $119.00 dollar bicycle had a profit margin of about $1.30!!! I suspect it's less than that today but people think a local bike shop makes more but it's probably less.

Last week a customer walked into the LBS I frequnt and said he wanted to buy a full size hybrid. You're not going to believe this but he told the owner he would buy the hybrid only if he received a BMX for FREE as part of the purchase!

The LBS doesn't have much wiggly room on new bikes, but has a higher percentage on parts.

So if an LBS made $1.30 off that $119 bike... he'd have to sell roughly 90 bikes a week to make $100? That sounds grossly inaccurate...

unless were talking about the LBS back in 1884. How much did penny farthings cost back in the day?

Agree with every here. Don't feel like you're getting cheated by the price. Take the free accessory and move on. Just don't buy the extended warranties like under body sprays, nitrogen filled tires, or clear coat sealers. (wait- am I talking about bikes or cars here?)

I suspect that is this is net profit and not gross profit, even at that, it's still very low for a net margin at just over 1 percent.

In my experience, there can be a vast difference between shops. Call around.

In one local shop (Zion Cyclery) they're very friendly. When I bought my Simple City, they threw in a few accessories that were less than $5. All other accessories, they marked down by 10%. Then, they installed the accessories right in front of me. They also spent an hour talking to me before the purchase. Their price was just a bit below retail, but I feel like I did really well. It was completely worth the 40 minute drive out there.

In another local shop, (George Garner in Libertyville) that is in a richer neighborhood, they charged full retail, but marked down accessories by 10%. They threw in the first cage, but would not throw in a second one or anything else. They were not as friendly, but still pretty helpful. Just not as good of an experience. I'll go back for my "free adjustment" in a couple more weeks, but that's all the business they're getting from me.

In my most local shop (B & G Cyclery in Round Lake Beach) they don't really have anything but Trek and the woman who is usually behind the counter is abrupt, arrogant, and completly unwilling to budge on prices of used bikes. The guy who owns the shop is her husband, I think. He is super-nice, super helpful, and a good mechanic too. So I'm torn here. They don't have a lot that I want, their prices are high, and the main clerk is a *****. I wish the owner would get her in line so I could shop there more often. I wanted to buy a 9 year old used recumbent from them. It was in good shape overall, just needed a tune-up. They were asking $350 for it. I looked on ebay, and the same model was going for $300 pretty consistently. I asked to have it for $300 out the door, and the woman got really mean. "NO! We already marked it down from $600, and they are $800 new, we're not marking it down any more." (I checked, the company, Bike E is out of business) I walked away shaking my head. Recumbents don't exactly fly off the shelves around here, much less used ones from out-of-business companies.

You might see if you can buy a 2009 model and save a few hundred dollars (I just did a few weeks ago... a Trek 7.5 FX). If you don't want last years model then I'd suggest you buy it at your local bike shop, where you're planning on taking it for repairs, etc. Think of the extra money you're paying (or lack of discount) as your way of supporting your local bike shop.

Just as a FYI, Trek forbids online bike sales. Most others are the sam way. They want the bike assembled by a dealer.

and Find a dealer that sells at MAP versus MSRP. That $920 FX is then about $850. But you'r also looking at the height of the bike sales season, so deals aren't usually as good.

I think some manufacturers require dealers not to negotiate (or limit the amount) on the price of the bicycle. The idea is to avoid the "cut throat" competition that might put local places out of business. Put another way, why would a local shop want to sell bikes that some other place (eg, internet only) can sell much cheaper?

if you are near a major city, i recommend craigslist.

you mentioned you are an engineer, so am I. we can figure out if a bike has been structurally damaged. I bought my 08 Felt F1X (retail $1500) for $450 because it wasnt shifting right and the spoiled kid that sold it to me just bought a new road bike (about $3k) and didnt want to hassle with it. it took me 2 minutes to tweak the front derailure and its running like new. A benifit of living in Orange County, CA. A couple million rich farts with awesome equipment that go out and buy new stuff every year.

be picky and patient though. by definintion the asking price is too high! alot of people have an emotional attachment to their bikes and want top dollar, bring reality with you. the price can only come down!

oh, yeah, thanks to craigslist i also scored about 260$ worth of brand new topeak equipment (MTX rack, bag, and allay race 2.1 saddle) for $110. I want to support my LBS, but i got student loans, man!

Not much wiggle room on the bike. But the LBS I deal with gives a discount and free installation on any parts or accessories bought in the first 30 days.

Some good bike shops will also throw in free service, whether it's limited or lifetime. I get free tune ups for life, for example. In my opinion, that's reason enough to pay full retail for a bike!

Trek has MAP and MSRP. MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) is the floor a Trek dealer can go to in advertising sales or tagged markdowns. Once next years models come out it no longer applies,

You can't really expect an LBS to pricematch ebay. Even on used bikes. An LBS has to think about overhead (salaies, rent, utilities) to cover.

I got some lubricant for the chain instead of a water bottle holder when I got my bike. I would just ask for something cheap to see if it can be included.

Total BS my friend ... the margin on high end bikes is approximately 40%

Best tool there is...CASH!

Go to a LBS that has the bike on the floor, bring cash and make sure you get a fitting. The bike shop Village cycle in Chicago sold me a Trek 520 for $200 less than MSR (It was on sale) and they gave me a hundred bucks of extra stuff, a custom fitting session and two free tune ups. I didn’t have to barter with these people at all, although I did ask if I could swap "this for that" and they had no problems doing so. I've spent around $1500 in that shop and don't regret a dime.
As a side note, my riding group likes to stop there when we do rides in the city. The guys in the shop will hold our bikes as we go eat lunch. We do buy stuff when we stop there. I think it's not getting a bad shop to bargan, but finding a good shop to give my money too.
Mike

One of the few shop specific warranty's that make sense for commuters. My LBS has 5 year free tuneups, flats, labour deal for $ 59.99. When you ride 6000-8000 miles per year its a no brainer to get the warranty even if you do most of the maintenance work your self.

Obviously they want you back in on a regular basis to buy accessories and drool over your next bike. But the shop is on alternative route 2 of my commute so it takes little or no effort to get a great tuneup on the way home. Course you have to like the LBS staff work.

Not sure why I put this here - oh yeah - I guess I was getting a what is a good deal - A good deal is getting the bike you want, and having it stay in similar condition, for the life of the bike. Otherwise it wont matter what price you paid. So make you sure, you, or your LBS, or buddy, is willing and able to service the bike. Far more important the saving $100 bucks on a $1000 bike.

I believe that, in the US, a handgun is often found useful