***I’m on vacation. I’m not here. You’re not reading this. There is no post. This blog is merely a figment of your imagination until after Labo(u)r Day(e).***
As perhaps the foremost economist in the cycling world (without the PistaDex and the CKHCI you’d all still be on the bartering system) I am highly attuned to even the most subtle market shifts, and further to yesterday’s post I figured it was worth looking into whether astute investors should be looking to enter the glued-together aluminum-and-crabon bicycle marketplace.
Now, to be sure, if you’re going to get in on this you’ve got to have a high risk tolerance, as in the short term speculation is liable to cause prices to grow increasingly detached from their fundamentals–much like galvanic corrosion can cause those crabon tubes to detach themselves from their crabon lugs. Nevertheless, now that new instruments are commanding such a premium, vintage offerings present an attractive value proposition. (“Value proposition” is pretentous for “value.”) So it’s worth taking a look at what’s available.
For example, checking Classic Cycle’s current listings, you can go for an American bike with a French name that’s arguably as close as a road bike could possibly come to a muscle car:
[Photo: Classic Cycle]
Or a French bike named after a soft drink that looks positively whippet-like:
[Photo: Classic Cycle]
Incidentally, the Mavic drivetrain component marketplace alone is worthy of its own analysis.
Then there’s this on a popular Internet auction site:
I don’t know or endorse this particular seller, but at a glance the price almost seems worth it for the Dura Ace parts alone. I also don’t know or endorse whatever this pug is doing with its hind quarters:
Perhaps it plans to slice its leavings like so much bologna on those bladed spokes:
In any case, it’s worth noting you could own all three of these bikes for about what a new custom-glued artisanal alu-crabon frameset costs. That said, we expect considerable volatility in this space in the near future, so be sure that this aligns with your investment goals. If you’d like to know more, schedule a call with our experts–though please note that our chief “expert” recently declined a substantial offer for his Specialized Rock Combo from an overseas collector, which could prove to have been unwise inasmuch as both the gravel market and the vintage mountain bike market have arguably peaked. He came very close to accepting, but what can he say, he just likes the bike too much.
Speaking of gravel, I see that Gravel Nationals is coming:
And that tire selection is the new wine tasting:
Tasting the gravel works, but I just lick my tires instead.