Can we talk about the money we spend on bikes?

[yoothgeye]

I pretty frequently lurk in the Fresh Finds board to see what's rolling in. I've noticed that many people are tight lipped about what they pay for bikes and I can completely understand this. Some people are embarrassed about what they've spent, some people are happy with what they spent but afraid of hearing someone else tell them they paid too much, some people want to flip the bike and don't want to let on to their profit, and others just don't talk about money (mommy and daddy taught them well).

I've never had a problem disclosing my bike expeditures because most of the junk I get has been free. I've been back into bikes since last summer and have accumulated 30+ bikes and hardly spent any money. I still wonder though when I bike rolls into Fresh Finds how much it was (some prices are discussed) so if I get to where I can buy I know what to spend. Granted, that's an individual thing too and you pay what you think something is worth to you, but I don't wanna be put through the ringer because I get over excited about a bike.

So what are your bike price rules?

For me, at this current time if it's not free, it's not mine. Just for parts I'd pay up to $30 for any bike with a working coaster wheelset on it just for the wheels or to ride. I get parts as cheap as possible online (usually Amazon with free shipping) even if it means not supporting the LBK, but they don't stock and they order online too! haha If I'm in a hurry I will spend retail at the shop or even Wally World for little stuff.

I bought a Mongoose Cachet with some Christmas money ($150) and had it shipped to store so I could put it together (still in the box now) just because I wanted a cheap fixed gear to play with, but that purchase was unusual only because the money was gift money and you usually treat yourself with money like that.

So what do you spend on a bike on a normal basis? Do you have a bike fund? Let's talk money!

 

[Rat Rod]

I'm pretty fickle with this hobby so I typically don't spend more than what I can turn around and sell the bike for if I need to.

With that being said, my bike purchases have ranged from free all the way up to $650.

Some bikes just warrant a higher purchase price due to model and scarcity.

 

[twomorestrokes]

This is actually a great subject for this forum, one that I've been thinking about lately. I'm into returned-to-original vintage Schwinns and I'll admit I have more money into the bikes I've built than I could sell them for. They are nice bikes though.

I also like neglected, rusty and put-together-with-spare-parts bikes that may have different color components, and customs. I think that is what rat rod bikes are all about. I lose sight of that frequently, as I'm certain a lot of other folks do. If you're not careful, you can have as much $$$ into a completed clunker as you would in a rebuilt or restored classic.

That being said, my latest clunker is my favorite bike of the lot and the most fun to ride. So far, I like to have one of each version of bikes. Gotta stop that trend. :?

My 2 Mark II Jags:

My 2 "62 Typhoons:

 

[jwm]

Like everyone else I appreciate a good deal. Nonetheless, sometimes a bike or a part hits that GOTTA' HAVE IT NO MATTER WHAT nerve, and then I can get reckless. Last year I was looking for a rider, and I was hoping to find a Schwinn Heavy Duti. I spotted one on the 'bay that happened to have a pair of truss bars, AND the correct rack for my '61 Jaguar MKIV bolted on. Before I could think twice I put up a maximum bid of $400. After I cooled down a little I said to myself, "What were you thinkin' John?" Luckily, the other bidders backed out and I got it for $260. *whew*

JWM

 

[yoothgeye]

I know now from this forum and some research that if the right bike came up local I would drop some fast cash on it for the flip, but I'm really not about selling bikes, I like to tinker and ride. My fear is I would spend a couple hundred on something to flip for a couple more and then end up riding it myself.

My mom bought me a $20 Next mountain bike at a yard sale and called me excited about getting a bike, she actually just bought it when she heard the medical condition this guys sons have (she's a nurse) and she just wanted to help. I gave that bike to a friend without a bike who was looking to save up $100 for a Walmart bike. I gave away a USA made Roadmaster mountain bike that was given to me, it was complete and again went to someone who didn't have a bike to ride with his son. A guy came to the house seeing all my junk wanting parts, I ended up giving him a fork, stem, and handlebar, then he wanted a Ross MTB I had recently gotten, he offered me his road bike +$50 for it and I took it, he gave me $20 and his bike and didn't have the rest and I let him take it. Said he'd be back with the $30, haven't seen him since. I know where he lives, but I'm not calling out the dogs for $30 on a bike that was given to me, plus I have his road bike. haha

My limit of spending is very much set by my wife, but bike money is different, if I sell parts or a bike, that money can go back towards bikes, regardless of price. I just have a hard time letting go of them, it's like I must have one of each, BMX, Cruiser, motorized, MTB, road/racer, fixed. Now I'm wanting one of each odd-balls, I built a tall bike, now I want a long bike (like the Long Hauler), I have a trike, but want to jump on a tandem. You can only ride one at a time (maybe two) but I have more bikes than sense.

 

[user 135]

yep....i try to make this hobby pay for itself. What I pay for bikes doesn't really matter as long as I can get the money back out of them.....to buy more bikes. That said rarely spend over $100.

 

[Hooch]

too much yet not enough!
I just spent the most I ever have on one bike $150 but other times I have spent up to $600 for a large group of bikes
I try to keep my total cash outlay low of course but it can creep up there

 

[Road Master]

My price range to this point has been Zero to $350 for a single bike. I did buy a 5 bike lot of JC Higgins middleweights once for $250 - sold 3 complete and parted out two - more than doubled my money and kept a lot of parts including a Bendix 2 speed kickback wheelset with original Sears Allstate tires in great condition. I bought another 5 bike lot of ballooner bikes from the same seller for $500 - sold a boys Majestic and an original paint girls Admiral complete, parted out two and kept a CWC tanker and tons of parts still getting my money back plus. I buy parts bikes (bikes that are complete but I plan on parting out) in the $50 - $100 dollar range always making a profit plus keeping lots of parts.

Now here's the kicker - you often see build-off bikes or other custom bikes with what might be considered stiff prices. For RRBBO5 I spent very close to 1K on custom parts. I put the very best stuff I had on that bike and I'm not taking any labor into consideration. So now ask me how much I've spent on a bike. Before I built it I had no intentions of ever selling or dismantelling it, but what if I did want to sell it? How much could I reasonably ask for it? Obviously I'd be very fortunate to get out of it what I have in parts alone. The value of a bike is what someone is willing to pay for it. To me CWC-1 is priceless.

 

[Gold Street Customs]

My problem is I can't pass up a good deal, but on the same token I end up giving alot of stuff away to the local kids, just so I know they are outside getting theyre hands dirty and not stuck in front of the tv all day. how much do I spend ? as much as I can sell !

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Most of my bikes range from free to $100 :wink: I find good deals for the bikes I have :mrgreen:

 

[A.Messina]

I don't really have any type of rules when it comes to $$$$ & my bikes. I kind of work on a joy factor. I have Garbage Can Cruisers.....bikes I found in the trash & cleaned up for less than $50.They are rusty & ratty, but I love to ride em'. My custom cruiser has cost me $800.00. The best was an old Schwinn Cruiser I dug out of the trash, broke my heart, I just had to have it. So I cleaned it up, kept it for my winter bike. Cost me $40.00 to get it rideable. Then I put Ape hangers on it $35. Changed the seat, $40. New tires ( the old tires were dry rotted) $50. Schwinn NOS rear rack found on Ebay $50.....hey needed something to strap the beer to! WOW, COOL, A 2-SPEED KICK BACK HUB, GOTTA HAVE IT...$85. Can't use the the old rear hoop & spokes, so another $60. Now I have a nice new rear wheel with a crappy one on the front! Yup, new front hoop, hub & spokes, $80. Not content just yet, I add a Felt Abraham Linkage Springer fork $125. DANG IT! IT DON'T FIT........to get it to fit, it cost me a bottle of Kettle One Vodka to the dude at the bike shop with a honing tool & the knowledge not to mess it up $35. New 3 piece 9/16 Felt Crank Set $125. Another bottle of Kettle One Vodka for the dude at the bike shop who has the tools & knowledge to mount the crank & not mess it up,$35 & well worth it............ It was actually pretty cool to find a bike dude who will work magic for Vodka. So now my yanked out of the trash Schwinn cost me, $600. Wait.....all those mods & a crappy paint job, this will not do. So it's off to powder coating $225. Oh man is this gonna be sweet when it comes back from powder! But wait, I think it would be real cool with a Brooks B190 saddle $120. Now we're looking good.........except for those plastic/rubber cheesy looking pedals. I know.. the Vodka dude has a set of real cool Black Spade Pedals in his shop, I'll bring him another bottle of Kettle One $35, & get the pedals! "WOW DUDE.....THANKS FOR THE VODKA MAN, OH BY THE WAY THE PEDALS ARE $90." Grand total for a bike I dug out of the garbage (Once I put this build all back together) $1070. Oh hell I forgot a lock so nobody steals the bike I found in the garbage, a 22" Master Lock Street Cuff $40. That brings the total just over $1100. The Joy I'll get from riding a one of a kind custom cruiser & getting away from my crabby wife in the process.........PRICELESS!

 

[yoothgeye]

Alright, who has an "I'd never ever spend more than $??? on ANY bike" rule?

Any does anybody have the same rule with an exception for a special bike, and just how high does that exception go?

Personally, at this point I have all the bikes I want, but I could do $100-$150 on a vintage rusty solid balloon tire/tank bike (yeah right), but I can't think of ANY bike that would break that barrier for me.

I'd really love one of those Coker 36" tire bikes, maybe $200.

 

[yoothgeye]

I guess alot of this thought (of mine) comes from my buyers remorse in 1998. I had some inherited money in the bank, a dream of mountain biking the rest of my life, and the desire to have the best bike on campus for the rest of my senior year. I Spent $1000 even ($1070 after taxes) on a 1998 Gary Fisher Joshua X0 (negotiated price because the '99s were on the floor and got a set of platforms swapped on instead of clips).

A grand for a bike? What was I thinking?

Never again.

 

[npence]

I started this hobby 2 years ago with a schwinn corvette and $200 in the bank started buying and selling bikes like it was going out of style now i have a great collection of bikes. I dont have a top dollar I would spend on a bike because I look back and see what I started this hobby with. I know it is sad to say but I normally look at a bike and value the parts it has and spend half of what i think I can Part it out for. or if I know it is a keeper I spend what I think the bike itself would be worth. Here are my keeper bikes so far That in a way I basically got for free. and as you see I dont keep any rat rod bikes because they are always worth more in parts then whole.

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[yoothgeye]

I completely understand those of you who buy and sell, I have nothing against it, but the thing is, you have to have the market for it. Where I live... no market. Things either don't sell at all or because of all the haggling, fussing, and lowballing, it's not worth the effort.

I have a a Schwinn BFK in green that was given to me found in a ditch. Cleaned up real good in a night, and it's a neat bike. I planned to keep it at first, it is fun to ride, but that banana seat hurts my thighs and cool as it looks, it's only good for a ride up the street, not worth the space it takes up. I see on other craigslists were people can get $200 for these, but I'm not sure I could get $50 cash here. Hey, it's $50 more than I'd had, but for that I'd rather keep it then to think someone could drive it into a better market and make money off of me. haha

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

Without a 'stash' of parts onhand, my bicycles start out as inspirations, progress to design drawings and research, then piece mealing them into fruition. It takes me a loooong time to build a bike like this, and adds expense. For example I added up the $$$ I had in my Huffy Fatbelly Bobber bike, it was almost $400, I would be LUCKY to get $200 for it, but I've learned a lot about parts purchasing along the way..
I too, have a list of 'one of's, a euro-style chopper, a resto-custom full-fendered, tanked, accessorized crusier, a raw 'toss around' rat, a 'vintage-inspired' motorized, a grocery-getter trike and maybe one for the wife. :roll:

But for now, it's the 'method for my madness'.

Cheers!
Dr. T

 

[nick_ish]

For a bike id have to put cash into <50
but for a bike i can ride away and enjoy for years? Id happly empty the bank

 

[scrumblero]

I usually post the price I paid and what I'm selling for, unless I am trying to save face,..

 

[BrunneCustoms]

I too find a lot of freebies. My issue comes down to parts. I need parts to make them run better or I need parts for a build I'm working on. I just bought a CCM mountain bike in mint condition with front and rear shocks etc... the only problem with the bike was a split tube. I could have fixed it and then sold it for more than I bought it for but once I saw the wheels I knew I needed them for one of my current builds. The rest of the bike sits there in near mint condition but will never be used like it was built again. I know this because I see a new build in it already. I have to wait though until I finish off the builds I have and make some room. There are some frames that will go to a bike shop recycle place the city my parents live in. As well as some other parts. Then again I may do something with them later...
I would spend money on a bike I really want if I found one I really want. To be honest I think I would rather spend big money on a one of a kind build you find on this site. Custom built the way I like or just a really interesting and unique bike someone else has done. I think everyone on this site probably has one in their stable that I would spend good money on. But then again I'm broke so I have to build my own...

 

[thirstee]

A topic I find interesting as well. For those who missed this one.
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=33983