Hi All,
I've been browsing CL for a road bike and am kinda shocked at the prices people asked. 5, 6, 7, 10 years old bikes are priced at 80-90% of the retail price. I don't know much about older bikes. So, is this a reasonable price for a 20 year old bike?

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik/3296756600.html

Sfbay used bike prices tend to be higher I think. I've even seen ads where the seller is quoting significantly higher than retail because he upgraded the bike. Its still second hand!

Can't say I'm attracted to track bikes, but that seems really high. A new Bianchi will probably be cheaper.

No, it's not reasonable for such an old bike. Probably almost twice what it was new.

Nope. Way overpriced. Craigslist demands patience. I recently got two great buys, but that means checking it 4-5 times a day. Know your market, set a budget- and know what you want.

I agree most people on craigslist are asking for near new prices. But if your patient every now and again something good will come along at a good price. I think that parts tend to be priced better than whole bikes.

The other part that nobody gets is that great deals are up for a couple hours at most before the bike is sold and the seller removes the ad because they're tired of getting emailed. It's a little unfair to categorize all of craigslist when all you're seeing is the ads that didn't sell.

The price on that cannondale is ambitious, but not that unreasonable. For some reason, those bikes are very desired in the track/ssfg community. I guess not many people were buying track bikes in the early 90s.

The deals go super quick...the greatly overpriced can stay for a long time. I think a large part of it is that more people are getting into cycling, so there is a demand for bikes. And there are a lot of people on CL who bought a bike 8 years ago, then think it is basically worth the same amount they paid for it. I saw someone list an 8 year old Lemond Zurich for as much as I paid for one, last season's model, 7 years ago, new, from an LBS. There are also a few people just looking to rip people off. There are always those people and you just have to watch out for them. I know when I started using Craigslist, years ago, it was a bit more fringey and straight-forward. Now, it is mainstream and the first place many people go to for bikes, apartments, etc. As such, it attracts more of all sorts. More people watch it too...more people just looking to flip, etc. This is part of what makes it really hard to find/jump on those great deals quickly enough.

Lots of overpriced junk on CL around here. They put the word "vintage" in to try and fool people.

Try Ebay. You can select by zip code if you want to stick local and avoid shiping costs.

Ah a fellow bay area denizen! Yes our CL is bad.. like really really really bad pricewise.. but we also get some of the most amazing variety and choices of bikes as a trade off. I've only scored a few bikes off CL locally, definitely those rush now type deals. Ebay really isn't going to be much better usually but just keep hunting!

Thanks for all the replys. I thought I was going to be able to find a 2000'ish or so road bike for a hundred bucks. Am I out of my mind. I don't know a whole lot about older bikes.

One you'd buy for 100 and want to ride? In this area.. maybe but it's gonna be a fly by night deal, and probably stolen.

That's a decision that only you can make.

Sellers can ask any price they choose but, if nobody is willing to buy at that price, they're stuck with an unsold bike. I would never pay 80-90% of retail for a 20 year old bike.
Buyers may think the price is too high, but if they can't find a bike at a price that's acceptable to them, they're stuck with no bike.

Maybe your opinion is unrealistic for your market. Maybe not. If you find a bike you think you'd like, shoot the seller an offer that you're willing to pay. If you're too far apart he may be insulted and tell you to get lost but you won't have lost anything but time. If you can negotiate a price you're both willing to live with - that's the fair price for that bike.

I'm just wondering how many of those overpriced bikes sell. I agree with making an offer and see what price comes back. I inflate my prices some just so it can be negotiated. The add was flagged you had up. What were you looking at?

Sadly I know for a fact a lot of those bikes that should maybe at most be 2 bills do indeed go for the 4-5 price tag.

If the bikes can be sold for 4 or 5 hundred, they are worth 4 or 5 hundred to the buyers, no matter what you know for a fact.

Old inventory will be discounted if the seller is sick of looking at it sitting there.

Craig's list is just like a yard sale.. haggling over the final price,
is part of the game..

Allow me to rephrase that for you. Expect to pay 2-3 times what most of the country expects as reasonable asking prices. I am curious though as to why you're biting at me... do you know something about my areas demographics I don't? I'd love to know it if you do.

No biting, just a sensible response to your original post which didn't reference anyone's demographics and made no logical sense. Your clarified rephrasing now makes sense.
Bottom line: a bike is "worth" what buyers are willing to pay.

Yep. Worth. Honestly, and this is what I've seen, that's why I think, THINK, that when you ask people on forums what they'd spend for a bike on CL? You're not going to get any meaningful answers, aside from a resounding no.

THe reason? If you have a bike of HIGHER quality, then the concept of spending money on anything less makes no sense, and this is compounded if you got a good deal on your bike or built it yourself.

Eg. I got my first road bike, a Spec Allez from 05 with upgraded components (105) for under 600. For me, that's a great deal. I still look at CL daily and haven't seen anything of similar quality for the price.

Now with that said, any time anybody asks of my opinion for a bike, new or used, I'm hesitant to say yes, simply due to the fact that I have an idea that they can get a great deal if they wait as well.

But you also have the concept of, it's a bike, and it takes physical abuse. When you can get an "ok" bike that's 10+ years old with meh components vs spending a few hundred more for a newer bike with good components, it's a hard debate as to why to go with the former.

My 2 c.

Semantics I know, but I'm thinking "value" not "worth".

Agreed, semantics, but I believe all Craiglist and Ebay Buyers Sellers only make deals in $'s measured by "worth" to themselves.

Also agree that people in different geographic areas may place higher or lower value on the same item based on the needs of that area. Gears may provide more value to a cyclist in S.F. vice Chicago; fenders have more value to a cyclist in Seattle vice L.A.

Can you define the difference for me?

Yes, worth would be more in reference to what ILTB was talking about (IE what will be paid for the item is it's worth), whereas value usually stresses the importance of the item, IE to people who know about it. A good example, you can list a classic on ebay for a silly to most people price and it will go at that price, to that person it was obviously worth that amount, now list the same classic in this sites C&V sales, and the price will probably be much closer to it's actual value which often is quite a bit lower then the "worth" number.

and ITLB, sorry I snapped at you. I'm just used to people with an agenda trying to twist words.

Not to put words in your mouth but that sounds to me like:
Worth = what somebody else is willing to pay.
Value = what you are willing to pay.

Nope, cause to me most of what we're talking about is "worthless" .