The odd truth about bikes is they’re
mostly the same. There are only a few
tube sets, only a few component manufacturers, only so many variations on
design. Most of what drives the price of
a bike is perception. You’ll often see
bike ads touting their group sets as a price point, but what does that all
mean? There are so many variables, so
many hierarchies. So, presented below
are what it would take for you to put together a full group set of the most
common marquee brands, when culled entirely from Ebay “buy it now”
options.
So,
some words. Don’t “buy it now” because
you can almost always get it cheaper by bidding. Also, I don’t think a full group is all that
desirable and am much more likely to mix and match to my own tastes and
value. I looked for items that were
ready to bolt onto your bike, and leaned to vintage, but group sets were not
assembled from the same year or incarnation just simply what it would take to
honestly say “full whatever” in a CL ad.
I priced Rear and Front* Deraillers, shifters and brake levers** (or
brifters where applicable,) brakes and cranks.
When someone puts up an exorbitantly priced bike heavily promoting the
group set subtract these figures to see what you’re really paying for the
frame. This represents a single day
looking on ebay so of course prices will vary but I’ll bet not by much,
shipping has been included. And like I
said, a SINGLE day on a whim on ebay so don’t ever let anyone say the word rare
to you about any of this stuff. *why
there is such a thing as tiered front derailleurs I will never know when a
cheapo microshift front mech works just as well as grand jubilee. **again, what the hell? Tektro makes my all time favorite most comfortable
levers and they’re dirt cheap, sub $20 new.
Campy Chorus – Can be yours for $530. The brifters wrack up the most at $185,
cranks second at $150, rear derailler could be had for $80, brakes $70, and
front $45. A whole group set package was
available for $600 including a bottom bracket.
Super Record - $812.
$350 for the cranks (and you’ll kick yourself in a minute if you buy
them), $165 brakes, $140 for rear, $80 front (seriously, madness) $40 levers,
$37 shifters. But a bargain $630 full
group was available.
Nuovo Record - $384.
Oddly enough the brakes were the scale tippers at $110, $100 cranks, $60
rear, $45 levers, $35 front, $34 levers. You could either spend $700 on a full
package with no cranks or $280 on one with no brakes or levers.
Athena - $357 $105 cranks, $80 brifters, $75 rear, $65
brakes, $32 front. $1000 for a new in
box group package.
Shimano. There’s lots
of trickery with shimano as people have a tendency to use names interchangeably
for the group sets that evolved into other groups. I only allowed parts that were branded as the
group I’m looking for:
105- $195. $47
cranks, $35 shifters, $35 rear, $33 brakes, $30 levers (golden arrow, no less),
$15 front (like it should be.)
600- $206 $60 cranks,
$48 brakes, $30 shifters (arabesque,) $30 rear, $22 levers, $16 front. Package deal available for $299.
Dura Ace- $278 $71 cranks, $60 rear, $60 shifter, $50 brakes,
$20 front, $17 lever. Package deal for
$485 for the impatient and imprudent.
Ultegra - $305 $150
brifters, $60 brakes, $40 rear, $35 cranks (sometimes it is cheaper to buy it
now,) $20 front. $220 package available
minus the cranks.
