Bikes off Ebay good value?

[blackhead]

After seriously thinking of buying a £250 Chain Reaction Briza 2.0
from Chain reaction cycles, I've also had a look at Ebay. Some of the
guys here say you can get a great bike from Ebay, but do you really
save much?

The Briza 2.0 has the following spec and cost £350 in 2007 but now
costs £250:

Frame: B1 6061
Forks: Alloy
Front Der: Shimano 2200
Rear Der: Shimano 2200
Shifters: Shimano 2200
Brake Levers: Shimano
Brakes: Tektro
Crankset: Solid triple
BB: TH 7420
Handlebar: B1 Race Alloy
Stem: B1 Race Alloy
Seatpost: B1 Race Alloy
Saddle: B1 Cr Mo
Chain: KMC
Cassette: Sunrace
Wheels: Stainless ball bearing with alloy rims
Tyres: CST CZAR


While on Ebay, there's a Bianchi Gold Race 600 Bike with a current bid
of £195 for the following spec:

22inch frame
FIR NET 2000 32 spoke black 700c rims with silver sidewall
Miche Silver Hubs
Bianchi chrome spokes
Miche QR skewers and levers
Vittoria Rubino Intrepid 700c tyres
ITM Racing super 330 Atomica 44 bars
VP stem
Campagnolo XENON Hoods
Campagnolo XENON shifters
Campagnolo XENON triple front mech
Campagnolo XENON 9 speed rear mech
Miche 9 speed Cassette
Bianchi cranks
Bianchi triple chainset
Bianchi brakes
Bianchi CR-MO double butted fork (Dark Blue)
Bianchi 7000series alloy hand made Reparto Corse frame (Dark blue/Aqua
blue).
San Marco ODS saddle
Bianchi seat post
Bianchi seat collar
Bianchi Bottom bracket
VP headset

What would be a good price to pay for this from Ebay if it's second
hand but hardly used and bought just a few years ago brand new?

Cheers.

 

[Brian G]

blackhead wrote:
> After seriously thinking of buying a £250 Chain Reaction Briza 2.0
> from Chain reaction cycles, I've also had a look at Ebay. Some of the
> guys here say you can get a great bike from Ebay, but do you really
> save much?

<Snip details>


> While on Ebay, there's a Bianchi Gold Race 600 Bike with a current bid
> of £195 for the following spec:

>
> What would be a good price to pay for this from Ebay if it's second
> hand but hardly used and bought just a few years ago brand new?

Google for current Bianchi bikes, establish the current price of a
similar machine (i.e., Campag Xenon, etc.) and then decide whether
you're prepared to pay half that much, one third, or whatever, then
stick to that.

--
Brian G
www.wetwo.co.uk

 

[blackhead]

On 15 Apr, 14:34, Brian G <[email protected]> wrote:
> blackhead wrote:
> > After seriously thinking of buying a £250 Chain Reaction Briza 2.0
> > from Chain reaction cycles, I've also had a look at Ebay. Some of the
> > guys here say you can get a great bike from Ebay, but do you really
> > save much?
>
> <Snip details>
>
> > While on Ebay, there's a Bianchi Gold Race 600 Bike with a current bid
> > of £195 for the following spec:
>
> > What would be a good price to pay for this from Ebay if it's second
> > hand but hardly used and bought just a few years ago brand new?
>
> Google for current Bianchi bikes, establish the current price of a
> similar machine (i.e., Campag Xenon, etc.) and then decide whether
> you're prepared to pay half that much, one third, or whatever, then
> stick to that.

In the end it went for £286:

<http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220222266524>

Someone in April 2003 in this very newsgroup said you could pick up a
Bianchi 600 for £400, so is £286 really a good price in 2008?

There doesn't seem to be any information on it from the main dealers,
only people selling them second hand.

> --
> Brian Gwww.wetwo.co.uk

 

[vernon]

"blackhead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
On 15 Apr, 14:34, Brian G <[email protected]> wrote:
> blackhead wrote:
> > After seriously thinking of buying a £250 Chain Reaction Briza 2.0
> > from Chain reaction cycles, I've also had a look at Ebay. Some of the
> > guys here say you can get a great bike from Ebay, but do you really
> > save much?
>
> <Snip details>
>
> > While on Ebay, there's a Bianchi Gold Race 600 Bike with a current bid
> > of £195 for the following spec:
>
> > What would be a good price to pay for this from Ebay if it's second
> > hand but hardly used and bought just a few years ago brand new?
>
> Google for current Bianchi bikes, establish the current price of a
> similar machine (i.e., Campag Xenon, etc.) and then decide whether
> you're prepared to pay half that much, one third, or whatever, then
> stick to that.

In the end it went for £286:

<http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220222266524>

Someone in April 2003 in this very newsgroup said you could pick up a
Bianchi 600 for £400, so is £286 really a good price in 2008?

There doesn't seem to be any information on it from the main dealers,
only people selling them second hand.

it's impossible to set price boundaries by looking at what sells on Ebay.
There the price is determined not by the intrinsic value of the goods but by
the number of people bidding for the item who also sorely want to own it.
I've sold identical NIB (new in box) model aeroplane engines on Ebay. One
went for just less than RRP one went for considerably more. I'm not going
to turn away fools' money ......

Look long enough and you'll find a wide variation in price.

You've got good value if you believe you've got the goodies at a price that
makes you happy. Asking others does little to solve your problem as opinions
will vary as much as the winning bid prices.