08 Giant Trinity

[masi rider]

Anybody have any thoughts on the Giant Trinity? I am looking at one for sale. It is new, but a left over, it is a 2008 model. The shop is swaping the FD from a 105 to Ultegra 6700(same as RD). It has Dura ace shifters. They say originally it was $2000, but have it on sale for $1600.
Thanks,
mike

 

[alfeng]

Anybody have any thoughts on the Giant Trinity? I am looking at one for sale. It is new, but a left over, it is a 2008 model. The shop is swaping the FD from a 105 to Ultegra 6700(same as RD). It has Dura ace shifters. They say originally it was $2000, but have it on sale for $1600.

FWIW/IMO. I think that $1600 is too much for a 2008 NOS bike which retailed for $2000 ...

By my reckoning, you should be able to buy a 2010 bike which retails for $2000 in about a month's time for about $1600 because current inventory essentially becomes NOS because shops need to clear current inventory in order to make room for next year's bikes which will typically be available in September/October ...

I would anticipate that a 2009 should probably be 30% off of retail at the beginning of July ...

And, a 2008 should be about 40% off of retail in another month's time ...

That's probably as much of a discount which you could expect.

BTW. If you look at the 2008 Dura Ace shifters which are on the GIANT Trinity that you are considering and the current Dura Ace shifters, you will see that they are very different ...

SOME people say the newer Shimano shifters are not as smooth (?) as the old Shimano shifters because of the extra bend that the cable needs to make. I don't know how much of a difference there truly is or if it is a princess-and-the-pea observation.

The other 2008 crankset/brakes/etc. are different, too, than the more recent Shimano components.

So, I would be inclined toward waiting until JULY 1st when most shops should/will have their 2010 bikes on sale for about 20% off of the MSRP if their inventory isn't already on sale. If the particular shop with the particular bike won't reduce the price further, then I think you should possibly look for a shop that has a(nother) bike you want/considered which is appropriately discounted.

BUT, you are the one who will have to decide why you may want that particular bike (Is the sales clerk steering you toward it? Were you looking at something else before you walked into the LBS? etc.) ...

I'm not sure that you can do better, but I think you can (particularly, if you choose-and-get a bike with Campagnolo shifters!).

 

[Froze]

I agree with Alfeng; In fact I think if you went back to the LBS and made them an offer of $1200 CASH, not credit, along with buying some accessories you'll need with it, I bet they would take the offer just to clear their floor of this older unit because it's taking up floor space that they could use to put a newer model there. OR, offer them $1500 and they include about $300 worth of accessories you need to ride the bike with. (preselect the accessories BEFORE you start negotiating so you know exactly what you want). Then you offer them one of the offers I mentioned above you want first, if they refuse come back with the second offer. If they still decline walk out and wait till July then come back and do the same offers again. If they think your emotionally into the bike they won't budge on the price, but if they sense your sort of disconnected and don't really care one way or the other then they might take one of the offers.