Are steel bike prices rising?

[Joel93]

Iv just got back into cycling and ride aluminium, but iv recently bought a couple of steel bikes just for aesthetic reasons and the novelty of riding tube shifter. But when looking and learning about the steel era I can see a huge rise in prices for 531, columbus bikes.

[JakobW]

A couple of things at work here - bike prices have been going up over the past few years, and vintage prices have, at least for the good stuff, tracked up as well, with certain categories of NOS/mint gear outpacing the general increase (driven by the disposable income of middle-aged nostalgia?). The other thing is that in the past few months all kinds of bike sales have gone through the roof, and the supply/demand aspects have pushed prices up (e.g. an acquaintance who's a Brompton dealer has sold bikes and seen them appear on eBay the next day at a grand above RRP...).

[iandriver]

Prices of frames full stop seem to have gone up to me. Perhaps the weak pound is having an effect. Even Ribble are asking nearly 600 squids for a basic alloy frameset. https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-e ... rameset-1/

They used to do you whole allow bikes for that not so long ago.

[Marcus Aurelius]

The Weak pound, SARS-nCoV-2, supply and demand are all having an effect on pushing prices up at present. Next year it will be post Brexit, weak pound, SARS-nCoV-2, etc. It’s a good time to be selling, but not a good time to be buying.

[simonhill]

Not sure if OP is asking about new or old, but I love the term "steel era" .

Yes new frames have gone up, here's something I wrote earlier.

I bought an LHT frame in late 2016 for £360 (£400 less my 10% discount). As they are priced in US$s, I decided to buy ASAP from existing stock just after the Brexit vote when the pound tumbled. The new stock went up 20% to reflect the £/$ (£480). Looking at Spa, I see they have risen quite a bit more but with their discount not too bad (MSSP £550.00 OUR PRICE £475.00).

[Bmblbzzz]

In terms of steel v other materials, for the last ten years or so, steel has been trendy among a certain sector the cycling population who tend also to have larger (or to be more accurate, more easily openable) wallets.

[scottg]

Reading the forum here, you come to understand that modern stuff is rubbish,
fancy, not value for the money, or could be replaced by an expired smartphone.

Here in the colonies Taiwanese frame prices are up, also frames are specced to
a higher level than the old Surlies of early 00s.
Finishes are better, ED coating, paint, then powdered clear. More custom
Maxways instead of catalog models.

[alexnharvey]

Talking of maxway, has anyone seen the stainless steel bikes in their catalogue in the wild?

[mercalia]

Not sure if OP is asking about new or old, but I love the term "steel era" .

Yes new frames have gone up, here's something I wrote earlier.

I bought an LHT frame in late 2016 for £360 (£400 less my 10% discount). As they are priced in US$s, I decided to buy ASAP from existing stock just after the Brexit vote when the pound tumbled. The new stock went up 20% to reflect the £/$ (£480). Looking at Spa, I see they have risen quite a bit more but with their discount not too bad (MSSP £550.00 OUR PRICE £475.00).

I remember SPA had LHT frames not so long ago for about £320. I nearly got one. Maybe I should have now

[markjohnobrien]

Slightly different model, but this years Surly Disc Trucker is £750 at Spa: wince...

And have you seen the increase in Surly Ogre/Troll, etc and all Salsa frames in the last couple of years. Eye watering price increases with some now £800. Not a surprise as Surly and Salsa are owned by the same firm...

Spa have discounted Trolls and Ogres reduced from £800 to £680 and, to think, I could have bought either a few years ago for £350. Wish I had now.

[Cyril Haearn]

In terms of steel v other materials, for the last ten years or so, steel has been trendy among a certain sector the cycling population who tend also to have larger (or to be more accurate, more easily openable) wallets.

I think you mean they can 'thoyle' spending so much

[Grandad]

??

[Cyril Haearn]

'Thoyle' is a word used in Yorkshire
'I cannot thoyle it' means, 'I have money enough, but I cannot justify it'

Has been mentioned before on these fora

[Joel93]

Hi guys, I am talking of older steel bikes, they seem to be getting abit more of a following the whole hand built retro scene is up I guess. I'm 27 and kind of working my way backwards I suppose to steel frames and tube changers, they do appear to be rising in value and not as expensive as retro cool cars.

[Sweep]

Slightly different model, but this years Surly Disc Trucker is £750 at Spa: wince...

And have you seen the increase in Surly Ogre/Troll, etc and all Salsa frames in the last couple of years. Eye watering price increases with some now £800. Not a surprise as Surly and Salsa are owned by the same firm...

Spa have discounted Trolls and Ogres reduced from £800 to £680 and, to think, I could have bought either a few years ago for £350. Wish I had now.

Cripes.
Yes, I remember when the lht was seen as a practical economical no nonsense beast.
My pretty recent ridgeback expedition only cost me £700 or £750 all in.
I see that Spa's own frames are still decent prices though.
This suggests to me that we are seeing the marketing wonks trying to leverage the supposed earned mystique of their variety/shape of steel.
I did seriously consider a lht but in the end the flat near flat top bar put me off.