Is £4k too much for a second hand bike?

w00dster

Its your money, you will know the quality of the bike and the components better than the people on here.
Personally I would. I was even looking at one today, the one I was looking at was an ex demo so from a bikeshop, originally for sale at over £9k and now reduced to £4k. Ultra light (just over 4kgs) - but wasn't my size otherwise I would have had it.

DeVlaeminck

R5s used to crack, I knew two lads personally that had it happen to, assuming Cervelo have fixed that problem then I suppose given the inflated cost if bikes now 50% of RRP is fair.

ryan_w-2

w00dster wrote:

Its your money, you will know the quality of the bike and the components better than the people on here.
Personally I would. I was even looking at one today, the one I was looking at was an ex demo so from a bikeshop, originally for sale at over £9k and now reduced to £4k. Ultra light (just over 4kgs) - but wasn't my size otherwise I would have had it.

Behave

benjamess

FitzM wrote:

He's an N+1, sadly I am too. He has other great bikes. too The R5 has covered hardly any miles since he bought it, so he wants to sell it. He's a decent bloke, I'm not going to use thumbscrews to see if he has a 'motive'. It's the bike that's of interest to me not his reasons for selling it.

he seems to want to sell a bike.....surely he's an N-1? :roll:

mfin

FitzM wrote:

mfin wrote:

IF the guy is selling it as he fancies a change or is buying a new model, after using it for 200 miles, we can safely say what the guy is.

C'mon OP, why is he selling it?

He's an N+1, sadly I am too. He has other great bikes. too The R5 has covered hardly any miles since he bought it, so he wants to sell it. He's a decent bloke, I'm not going to use thumbscrews to see if he has a 'motive'. It's the bike that's of interest to me not his reasons for selling it.

Well your mate sounds like he has money to burn and is a bit dim, who would waste all that money on a bike effectively to have not ridden it whatsoever? I know the word I'd use. If he's then going to buy another once this has gone he's even more dim. I know money is nothing to some people though.

It sounds more and more like it would be good to buy it though, some people will say the frame has been superseded, but that is neither here nor there. If your LBS says they'd help with any warranty claim, then it sounds like a much better buy than a new R3 you mentioned. You can always sell the wheels by the sounds of it if you don't want them and buy some new ones that are great but putting more money back in your pocket.

Anyway, you should be able to work all this out for yourself, it's not rocket science is it.

w00dster

Ryan, its the Emonda SLR 10 with SRAM Red 22, Tune Wheels etc. Claimed weight is 4.65kgs, guys in the shop were saying its lighter than that. Its an ex demo bike used by Trek to show how light the top of the range Emonda was, used for trade shows etc.

brit66

The question I'd be asking myself would be: 'would I genuinely be enjoying myself more on a 4k bike, as opposed to say a 1.5k bike'? Is it the buying process and the bling, or the simple joy of riding that gives you pleasure?

The most expensive bike I've ever bought was 2k, but it never gave me any more satisfaction when riding it than my other bike which was half that price.

That said, buy whatever you want and what satisfies your cycling urges, it's just that for me these uber expensive bikes are not worth the money.

cougie

If you have a partner you can always ask them. There's going to be a definite answer for you.

chippyk

w00dster wrote:

Ryan, its the Emonda SLR 10 with SRAM Red 22, Tune Wheels etc. Claimed weight is 4.65kgs, guys in the shop were saying its lighter than that. Its an ex demo bike used by Trek to show how light the top of the range Emonda was, used for trade shows etc.

Just over 4kg? It's closer to 5kg

964cup

I've paid this kind of money for second-hand bikes more than once (and mostly for Cervelos as it happens). As always, buy the seller, not the bike. The R5 is a £3600 frameset, so £4k for a decent build sounds OK to me, although I paid less than that for my R5Ca (admittedly without wheels). I'm about to buy my third R5 (unless I buy an Emonda SLR instead); you won't regret the purchase.

cougie

As an aside with the UCI limit being 6.8,kg how would they make that"4kg" bike up to weight ?

w00dster

They wouldn't race on the 4kg bike. Its the same frame but it has different finishing products.
I have the normal Emonda SLR which is approx 6.6kgs with pedals and bottle cage. The difference is in the saddle (Tune saddle looks painful), SRAM Red 22 groupset, Tune Tubular Wheels with silly light Quick Releases and the frame has vapour thin paint. I've got a couple of friends who also have the SLR and they have gotten the weight down to sub 6kgs.

Pretty sure the Emonda SLR the pro's ride is 6kgs but when they add the SRM Powermeter's and the computer then the weight goes up, also stories of weights having to be added inside seat tubes as well.

The 2017 Emonda SLR is even lighter than the previous version. Not by a great deal but still its lighter.

w00dster

ChippyK have you been in to see the bike?
Trek claimed weight is 4.65kgs, speaking to the guys in the shop it was a fair bit lighter than that. I had no reason to ask them to pop it on the scales to show me.
The tubular wheels aren't set up so this will add some of the weight back.

FitzM

cougie wrote:

If you have a partner you can always ask them. There's going to be a definite answer for you.

Wow does that still happens in today's 'modern' households!! :shock:

fenix

I go with the 'always buy the same bike colour so nobody can tell its new'. Works for me.

pblakeney

Fenix wrote:

I go with the 'always buy the same bike colour so nobody can tell its new'. Works for me.

Only buy "bits". The only parts as when new on my bike are the frame and forks.
One reason for buying the best frame you can afford.