Does anyone buy bikes at RRP?
Discussion
I've only ever bought one bike at a bike's or shop's '"RRP" and to be fair that was a pretty cheap Whyte from local bike shop.
I notice some 2018 MTBs are about still in odd sizes, some mine, at 50% off, like with RRP of £5500, and with only minor colour changes or the odd component to the 2019 model, it does seem tempting. So occurs that bikes may be a bit like DFS sofas, ie no one buys them unless on sale!
So, say off a £5k RRP bike, current model, what sort of price do people actually buy them for? Is the 50% off a last years one as good as it may seem?
I notice some 2018 MTBs are about still in odd sizes, some mine, at 50% off, like with RRP of £5500, and with only minor colour changes or the odd component to the 2019 model, it does seem tempting. So occurs that bikes may be a bit like DFS sofas, ie no one buys them unless on sale!
So, say off a £5k RRP bike, current model, what sort of price do people actually buy them for? Is the 50% off a last years one as good as it may seem?
I bought my road bike at RRP. £2,300 for a Trek Emonda SL 6 at the beginning of the "season" when no discounts were being offered. But there was a damned good deal on free (through a points scheme) accessories and spares. So i kitted myself out with pedals, shoes, helmet, lights, cadence sensor, etc for pretty much just the price of the bicycle.
Then, from the same shop, I bought my Giant Anthem MTB for £900, when 'RRP' was £1500 simply because it was one of the last two in the shop from the previous model year, and one of only two in my size available in the UK. Shop reluctantly price-matched the only other one on the 'net, but quite rightly pointed to the "no Podium Points on sale bikes" sign when it came to asking for some gizzits to go with it.
Some bikes will sell out long before the manufacturer/importer permits discounting. Others will be available at the end of the season with decent discounts. It depends on who blinks first in the shop/customer staring contest, and whether you are willing to risk losing out on your chosen bike in the quest for a discount. The Emonda I had to have, after a test ride, and an errant driver's insurer was paying anyway, ultimately. The Giant I was only looking at because it was discounted, as it was out of budget at full price.
Then, from the same shop, I bought my Giant Anthem MTB for £900, when 'RRP' was £1500 simply because it was one of the last two in the shop from the previous model year, and one of only two in my size available in the UK. Shop reluctantly price-matched the only other one on the 'net, but quite rightly pointed to the "no Podium Points on sale bikes" sign when it came to asking for some gizzits to go with it.
Some bikes will sell out long before the manufacturer/importer permits discounting. Others will be available at the end of the season with decent discounts. It depends on who blinks first in the shop/customer staring contest, and whether you are willing to risk losing out on your chosen bike in the quest for a discount. The Emonda I had to have, after a test ride, and an errant driver's insurer was paying anyway, ultimately. The Giant I was only looking at because it was discounted, as it was out of budget at full price.
With so many options for buying around these days, you'd be mad to walk into a shop and pay what the sticker said.
Cash will always get a discount. Not in the shop you're in? Go to a different shop.
Most online places will pricematch.
I bought a Trek Fuel a couple of years ago (from Evans) - they knocked 20% off and included a set of magnesium DMR V8's and some Lock-on grips (separate cost 120gbp)
This year I saved nearly 2k gbp on a 2019 Bianchi buying it from Swizerland. I ordered it in Oct 2018 and it arrived in Feb 2019. I benefit from no VAT here but even including 20% VAT, it was 500gbp below the lowest price I could find in the UK.
Cash will always get a discount. Not in the shop you're in? Go to a different shop.
Most online places will pricematch.
I bought a Trek Fuel a couple of years ago (from Evans) - they knocked 20% off and included a set of magnesium DMR V8's and some Lock-on grips (separate cost 120gbp)
This year I saved nearly 2k gbp on a 2019 Bianchi buying it from Swizerland. I ordered it in Oct 2018 and it arrived in Feb 2019. I benefit from no VAT here but even including 20% VAT, it was 500gbp below the lowest price I could find in the UK.
Yes I just paid £999 list on a Cube in a shop local to me, was on cycle to work scheme so didnt really ask for a bargain . TBH I had no time or patience to negotiate , so just paid it and picked it up a week later. They were keen at one point to give me the one on the shop floor, I would have asked for some money off if they did, Cubes dont really seem discounted anywhere.
I bought another bike that lists @ £900 before for £700 new from a local shop, but I was paying cash and knew that they had it in storage a bit so I was in a strong postion
I bought a brand new Wilier off ebay (unwanted gift) for £350 that had never been ridden, when that listed at £1000, I rode it for 2 years (6000 miles) and then sold it for £300! . I also bought a £2k Wilier off ebay that had been ridden for one month for £500, still got this one now
Sometimes I love a bargain other times I just pay the going rate to get it quick with no hassles. For the bargain Ebay bikes Ive bought Ive had to travel up and down the country for ( I factored petrol into cost) , I dont have time to do this anymore.
I bought another bike that lists @ £900 before for £700 new from a local shop, but I was paying cash and knew that they had it in storage a bit so I was in a strong postion
I bought a brand new Wilier off ebay (unwanted gift) for £350 that had never been ridden, when that listed at £1000, I rode it for 2 years (6000 miles) and then sold it for £300! . I also bought a £2k Wilier off ebay that had been ridden for one month for £500, still got this one now
Sometimes I love a bargain other times I just pay the going rate to get it quick with no hassles. For the bargain Ebay bikes Ive bought Ive had to travel up and down the country for ( I factored petrol into cost) , I dont have time to do this anymore.
I find the whole RRP thing in the bike world a bit fake.. It is like shopping at TK Max, suggesting a huge saving on RRP, when the reality is rather different..
My Intense had an RRP of £5,300, I secured it for just under £3,000. Most of the high-end bikes will naturally find their market price and purchasing last years model is generally sensible. As has been said, all they have done is changed the colour and changed out some components for their latest bike, the cynical side of me thinks the new components are saving them on build costs which are not any better..
G
My Intense had an RRP of £5,300, I secured it for just under £3,000. Most of the high-end bikes will naturally find their market price and purchasing last years model is generally sensible. As has been said, all they have done is changed the colour and changed out some components for their latest bike, the cynical side of me thinks the new components are saving them on build costs which are not any better..
G
I've been looking at a new (gravel) bike recently. One LBS hinted at a discount but my local Cannondale dealer is a really small affair and didn't have my size to try. However I did find an online dealer that do upgrades on the wheels. What do you the bike experts think of the upgraded wheel deals? One example is a set of DT Swiss c1800 wheels for £75.
https://epic-cycles.co.uk/cannondale-topstone
Another alternative would be to blow my budget and get something like a Kinesis Tripster built up but presumably there wouldn't be any wiggle room on the price?
I was going to get a sonder Camino and Alpkit offered to honour an (pre-brexit) old price if I ordered that day but I bottled it and have been looking at bikes nearly every day which is starting to do my head in!
https://epic-cycles.co.uk/cannondale-topstone
Another alternative would be to blow my budget and get something like a Kinesis Tripster built up but presumably there wouldn't be any wiggle room on the price?
I was going to get a sonder Camino and Alpkit offered to honour an (pre-brexit) old price if I ordered that day but I bottled it and have been looking at bikes nearly every day which is starting to do my head in!
Gio G said:
As has been said, all they have done is changed the colour and changed out some components for their latest bike
Depends on specific examples I guess, if you're looking at certain bikes its worth finding out when they had major changes (or in some cases complete redesigns).Edited by GravelBen on Tuesday 12th March 23:27
Most people pay RRP for most bikes. This is a fact.
Some models will have no discounting because they are the hottest thing going and availability is low. Some people want the latest. Others don’t care and only want a bargain, so they buy the bikes that didn’t sell so well and then boast on the internet about how clever they are for getting a deal.
Some models will have no discounting because they are the hottest thing going and availability is low. Some people want the latest. Others don’t care and only want a bargain, so they buy the bikes that didn’t sell so well and then boast on the internet about how clever they are for getting a deal.
Crippo said:
Most people pay RRP for most bikes. This is a fact.
Some models will have no discounting because they are the hottest thing going and availability is low. Some people want the latest. Others don’t care and only want a bargain, so they buy the bikes that didn’t sell so well and then boast on the internet about how clever they are for getting a deal.
Sometimes, though, buying "last year's" model at a discount is very clever indeed. As manufacturers fight to remain competitive in a particular price point, they often cut corners on new model year bikes. This can mean that by buying an "old" one, you get a full groupset and better wheels, for instance, than on the "new" one. And you pay less for it too. I'd say that's pretty sensible.Some models will have no discounting because they are the hottest thing going and availability is low. Some people want the latest. Others don’t care and only want a bargain, so they buy the bikes that didn’t sell so well and then boast on the internet about how clever they are for getting a deal.
On the other hand, winning magazine review 'Bike Of The Year' awards can really drive sales of a model, meaning the manufacturer comes up short on the number of frames they built, and selling out, leaving no chance of new bike discounting, and little chance of a second-hand bargain in the short term because residual will be high as the bikes are at the top of peoples' ebay searches, etc, due to high awareness of the brand/model. It can be wise then to look at bikes that placed highly in award categories but didn't end up winning, or bikes from smaller, less well known brands.
I've done it both ways, and ultimately, so long as you are happy that you got value for your money, and love the bike you bought, then I think saving a few hundred pounds won't matter to you. Especially if it means you got your bike 8 months earlier and rode it extensively through summer, instead of buying a discounted bike at the end of the season and smugly gloating about your savings while it's tucked up unridden, and you ride an old winter bike through atrocious weather or you end up clamping the new one into a turbo trainer...
I go for last years model myself. This time last year I managed to get a Cube GTC Attain Race with carbon frame and fork, full Ultegra 6800 apart from the brakes. It was a return that Rutland Cycles had from a customer because it had a couple of scratches (barely noticeable white marks on the stem and top-tube). As such, it was £1,600 reduced to £999 and then reduced to £900 because it was a return, plus they had £50 off for spending over £500 and £40 cashback from Topcashback, so all in it was just over £800.
On C2W, yes - smaller brand that doesn't discount unless they're trying to clear odd sizes of old stock.
Distributors have tightened up a lot in recent years, normally now it's a small batch that comes in after a new model year launch, then dealers put in orders for the next one. My mate last year waited about 4 months for his new bike. They don't want to be stuck with stock to shift at the end of the season.
I've had some great bargains over the years, my current MTB is a Cannondale Trigger that I got for about 60% off RRP from paulscycles but there's nothing like as many about now. Their discounted stock is mostly unpopular models in weird sizes - if you want what everyone else wants you're probably paying RRP.
Distributors have tightened up a lot in recent years, normally now it's a small batch that comes in after a new model year launch, then dealers put in orders for the next one. My mate last year waited about 4 months for his new bike. They don't want to be stuck with stock to shift at the end of the season.
I've had some great bargains over the years, my current MTB is a Cannondale Trigger that I got for about 60% off RRP from paulscycles but there's nothing like as many about now. Their discounted stock is mostly unpopular models in weird sizes - if you want what everyone else wants you're probably paying RRP.
sjg said:
On C2W, yes - smaller brand that doesn't discount unless they're trying to clear odd sizes of old stock.
Distributors have tightened up a lot in recent years, normally now it's a small batch that comes in after a new model year launch, then dealers put in orders for the next one. My mate last year waited about 4 months for his new bike. They don't want to be stuck with stock to shift at the end of the season.
I've had some great bargains over the years, my current MTB is a Cannondale Trigger that I got for about 60% off RRP from paulscycles but there's nothing like as many about now. Their discounted stock is mostly unpopular models in weird sizes - if you want what everyone else wants you're probably paying RRP.
Yes, since Pauls was sold to the investment group a couple of years ago, they seem to have far fewer discounts and hardly any Cannondale stuff compared to a couple of years back.Distributors have tightened up a lot in recent years, normally now it's a small batch that comes in after a new model year launch, then dealers put in orders for the next one. My mate last year waited about 4 months for his new bike. They don't want to be stuck with stock to shift at the end of the season.
I've had some great bargains over the years, my current MTB is a Cannondale Trigger that I got for about 60% off RRP from paulscycles but there's nothing like as many about now. Their discounted stock is mostly unpopular models in weird sizes - if you want what everyone else wants you're probably paying RRP.
2018 Trigger carbon 3 is less than £1900 at Rutland just now, and the Trigger 2 £2700 i think. Lot of bike for the money, although I still remind myself they have to be pedalled! Rutland seem to have the levels of discounted cannondale that Paul's used to, although i am sure it changes all the time.
keith2.2 said:
With so many options for buying around these days, you'd be mad to walk into a shop and pay what the sticker said.
Cash will always get a discount. Not in the shop you're in? Go to a different shop.
Most online places will pricematch.
I bought a Trek Fuel a couple of years ago (from Evans) - they knocked 20% off and included a set of magnesium DMR V8's and some Lock-on grips (separate cost 120gbp)
This year I saved nearly 2k gbp on a 2019 Bianchi buying it from Swizerland. I ordered it in Oct 2018 and it arrived in Feb 2019. I benefit from no VAT here but even including 20% VAT, it was 500gbp below the lowest price I could find in the UK.
How do you get on with the Bianchi being left hand drive in the UK...will it also affect the resale value much? Cash will always get a discount. Not in the shop you're in? Go to a different shop.
Most online places will pricematch.
I bought a Trek Fuel a couple of years ago (from Evans) - they knocked 20% off and included a set of magnesium DMR V8's and some Lock-on grips (separate cost 120gbp)
This year I saved nearly 2k gbp on a 2019 Bianchi buying it from Swizerland. I ordered it in Oct 2018 and it arrived in Feb 2019. I benefit from no VAT here but even including 20% VAT, it was 500gbp below the lowest price I could find in the UK.
Superleg48 said:
keith2.2 said:
With so many options for buying around these days, you'd be mad to walk into a shop and pay what the sticker said.
Cash will always get a discount. Not in the shop you're in? Go to a different shop.
Most online places will pricematch.
I bought a Trek Fuel a couple of years ago (from Evans) - they knocked 20% off and included a set of magnesium DMR V8's and some Lock-on grips (separate cost 120gbp)
This year I saved nearly 2k gbp on a 2019 Bianchi buying it from Swizerland. I ordered it in Oct 2018 and it arrived in Feb 2019. I benefit from no VAT here but even including 20% VAT, it was 500gbp below the lowest price I could find in the UK.
How do you get on with the Bianchi being left hand drive in the UK...will it also affect the resale value much? Cash will always get a discount. Not in the shop you're in? Go to a different shop.
Most online places will pricematch.
I bought a Trek Fuel a couple of years ago (from Evans) - they knocked 20% off and included a set of magnesium DMR V8's and some Lock-on grips (separate cost 120gbp)
This year I saved nearly 2k gbp on a 2019 Bianchi buying it from Swizerland. I ordered it in Oct 2018 and it arrived in Feb 2019. I benefit from no VAT here but even including 20% VAT, it was 500gbp below the lowest price I could find in the UK.
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