Hello,

I'm in the market for a 2 or 3 year old entry level road bike and I can't find any of the recommended models from 2012-2014 for sale. Like NONE. What is the reason that it's so hard to find these bikes?

Because you want to buy something 2-3 years old?

Most shops put bikes on clearance before they get that old to get them off the showroom floor. Most people keep bikes for longer than 2-3 years so they don't turn up on the used market until usually 5-10 years once stuff has gone through a product cycle or two.

Expand your search zone? Craigslist will let you search nearby and not-so nearby areas. Ebay will let you search the world over. I highly doubt that no one is selling a similar bike to the one you want anywhere.

You can also post a wanted ad on Ebay, Craiglist, and/or this website.

where are you looking?

I can definitely expand my search zone, but I have checked out ebay and craigslist for my area and haven't had much luck.

Try the big retail sites like Performance, Competitive Cyclist, etc.?

Put your location in your profile. It might get you more helpful replies going forward.

If you are patient, I'd bet one shows up on Craigslist soon. In the Atlanta area I see bikes on there all the time that are a couple of years old. The sellers sometimes say they rode them once. Those are the best kind to find. They usually lose their @$$ when selling them which is good for you.

Road it once = 1000-5000 miles
A few hundred miles = 10k+ miels

What are you looking for? Where?

What are the "recommended models"? Are you sure you're aren't ignoring some good bikes just because it wasn't on the top of someone else's list?

Also, are you racing, requiring cutting edge technology, or just a casual rider that likes something nice?

I see a lot more used 9s and 10s bikes for sale than 11s. Also more cantis than disc brake road/cross bikes.

My guess is that with the technology shifts, people buy and hold onto the "new" models, while dumping the "old" models.

One option, of course, would be to build your dream bike up from a mix of new and used parts.

They come up, just be patient.

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

To answer a few questions I'm from Bozeman, Montana.

CliffordK -- I am really just looking for a bike that I can take out for the afternoon and feel comfortable on. I'm probably at most going to be riding 60-70 miles in a day but on average 20-30. I'm very much a newb and don't know what to be looking for, every time I see a bike for sale I look it up to increase my bike vocabulary. I generally use those lists as a starting point, but I just found it interesting that those years "best of" models were really hard to find.

Have you tried pinkbike.com?

Montana

Maybe not quite as easy to find a used bike there as Atlanta.

Forget those best of lists IMHO. As long as you stay with a reasonable recent bike from one of the major brands, you should be fine. This of course assuming bike is right size and good condition. Cant say I recommend it for a first bike, but if you have an average, meaning average proportions for your height, then using one of the online fit calculators, then buying from Bikes Direct might be worth considering. Again, dont rec for a first bike, but might be workable with a freinds help, or enough homework.

Height charts are completely appropriate for sizing bikes if you don't know what you're looking for in geometry.

You just need to set aside some money for stems.

Leg length and torso length are inversely proportional. That means if you're long in one dimension you're short in the other. If you deviate from the norm, you have to compromise a bit in both directions, but a frame sized accoring to height is a good middle ground and starting point. Them problem is that people are completely resistant to buying new stems, trying out new stems, and deviating from what they consider a conventional stem length, positive rise stems, etc. They're convinced they have to test ride a bike with the stock stem (and bars, and spacers) and it has to be a perfect set-up in showroom floor condition.

Stand-over sizers and top-tube sizers want one dimension to be perfect, and do all the adjustment to the other dimension.

Thanks again everyone!

mpath -- no I haven't tried pinbike.com yet but I'll check it out this afternoon.

2lo8 -- I'll definitely look into different stems.

I found a couple of bikes yesterday that may have promise, but it's definitely slim pickings on craigslist around here. I basically searched the whole state in about an hour's time.

What is your price range? and what are the bikes that people recommended to you?
Road bikes are pretty awesome but what is good and what is not, is highly subjective.
Most entry level bikes from Fuji to Trek to GT to Cannondale are all good bikes. They typically come equipped with the same equipment as others bikes in their price range. For example, a Giant with Sora is roughly in the same range as a Trek with Sora. If you know what size bike you want than you can always look at the retail sellers. Fuji's from Performance are great buys depending on your price range.
Anyway, give us your price range and the bikes that you are looking at, as well as your size and I bet that you will get some excellent recomendations on this board.

Hi Shuffleman! -- My price range is really low as I am a poor college student. I don't think I could really pay more than 400 for a bike at the moment which I realize is on the super low end of things. I was looking at a used 2011 Trek 1.2 someone in town is selling for 300 dollars, as well as a trek 400 not sure what year that I found on craigslist. I'm basically in the market for anything that will work for 30 mile daily rides plus the occasional 60-70 mile ride. I figure in my price range I'm really only looking at older bikes. Also I'm 6'2" and weigh 155 lbs if that helps at all! Thanks for all the replies everyone, I've been blown away by all the support coming from you all!!

Trek 1.2 is a good bike and that's a decent price.

Are you limiting age to three years because you're thinking about cars? Bikes don't go obsolete, and a well made, well cared for bike lasts a lifetime. I own nine bikes (yes, I'm crazy), and they range in age from 12 to 54 years. Mostly, I ride bikes built in the 1970s.

Locally we have a FB group that specifically for bike stuff for sale, but you live in Montana. Do you even have Facebook in Montana yet?

PepeM -- I Haven't heard back from the seller, I'm worried I might have missed the boat on that one.

noglider -- I'm happy with any aged bike, as I go back in time, it gets harder for me to know what to look for.

RPK79 -- who's a facebook?

I've been waiting for an opportunity like this all my life...