All quiet on the Western Front

You sold a great set on here in January for £140 including the BB!

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/xtr-m950-chainset-and-bb.440717/


They weren’t perfect. I’d say above average and would have fetched £180-200 on eBay / FB. No idea if they sold here or for more elsewhere to be honest. I always price retrobike lower as it’s a community.

Retrobike isn’t the place for maximum prices. Very little sells here at high market prices. I post a few bits here now and then but most stuff changes hands to people I know or eBay if I want a lot for it / or it’s rare. M950 has overtaken M900 by far now for prices.

Trust me , I’ve had/got a lot of M950/2 and condition is everything. Nearly mint isn’t mint. Last M950 groupset I sold (for a lot) I could have sold 3 times as it was perfect.
 
The strip n flip brigade on RB must be crying a bit (you know who you are)

New stuff is cheaper 2nd hand too, theres a post covid glut of unwanted and very new/ modern bicycles and gear out there and bargains to be had - IF you can stand to suffer the absurd amount of standards required just to even fit a front wheel, let alone chose a BB
 
I have or have had most of the components I coveted back in the day, don't sell much because I don't want to have to buy it again.
The frames/bikes that I still want to own someday live in that highend/rare bracket (Bontrager Race Lite, WTB Phoenix, early San Andreas, any Brodie) that I can't really afford these days so will likely remain a dream.
The mid range stuff that I can afford gets bought more for something to do than any real want, then doesn't sell when I'm finished so gets added to the pile.
Is it possible that many people are in a similar situation so aren't buying or selling and just going off the whole thing?
 
I tend to buy a full bike as I want one part for a build and then sell the rest. Lately since low/mid stuff isn’t selling I’ve bought less full bikes as it’s not worth the hassle for one part as you get left with bits you don’t want and have to still deal with the “is this still available?” brigade.

The high end stuff which I have bought , I’ve ended up keeping mostly for future projects as it’s getting harder ti get nice bits. I didn’t used to think like that as I always built one bike at a time , sold what I didn’t need. Now I keep stuff as it’s getting difficult for quality bits.
 
That is the only way I'm going to get my bike built. 👍

More words;
That's how I do it, it is the only way I can afford stuff I want.

Yep if you are willing to travel and look at adverts it works.

However you do end up losing on some stuff too. Take the good with the bad.
 
Well you are on another level then I am, all I can get is within 25KM of my house.
I need to chuck it on my M500 E-Bike with a Bob Yak because I have no drivers license or car.

Not hating, I'd love to buy all the bikes I see on Marktplaats but I live in the "flat" part of Dutchland.
 
Yeh I do travel if it’s worth it. Try to keep it around 1 hour each way max but if it’s special I’ll go much more (8 hours round is most so far)
 
I'm still having fun with old bikes with a good handful to service & similar amount to build. Nothing high end but enjoyable fettling nonetheless followed by the satisfaction of riding them. I have most of the parts in to do them. Time is the killer for me. Or more accurately time management! As you can see from my signature I have a few. I was going to thin them out back end of last year - planned on selling a few as full bikes but a couple of attempts came to nowt due to the slump. New policy is to continue the builds, ride them & sometime in the next few years I'll reassess. The likelihood being many will be parted out & sold. I think I'd like to hit 70 with just 4 bikes left. Much more manageable for the family when I pop my clogs. Bikes aren't the only things I need to thin out over the next decade!
 
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