Hey all,
I've got a friend looking at a couple different mountain bikes and I want to make sure that they are getting a fair deal.

2022 Trek Fuel EX 7 = $1,950 | New
2020 Trek Fuel EX 8 = $1,975 | Ridden three miles (all in town and all on paved roads)

A) Are both these fair prices?
B) Would one of them be a better deal?

I believe (at least from my limited research) both a Gen 5??

Thanks for your thoughts
-M

Probably depends on which has the best components

Were 2020 prices inflated due to Rona?

The 8 clearly has the better components (e.g., fork and drivetrain)

And, yes, all bike prices were hyperinflated do to the Rona.

The "3 miles all in town and paved roads" with a premium mountain bike seems like the bike version of "My Corvette may have 100k, but it's easy highway miles, I promise". People don't buy those bikes to ride on the local sidewalks. 3 miles on a bike takes about 10-15 minutes. A four-year old bike has only been ridden a few minutes?

Story on it is...someone thought they'd ride a bike with their kids during the height of the 'rona'. They bought the bike (while being incredibly out of shape), rode it for a few miles in town (around the neighborhood) and decided that they'd rather be fat and out of shape.

Not saying their story is b.s., but I do know people that have bought a truckload of cardio equipment (ellipticals, Peloton bikes) used them BARELY, and then the equipment turns into a clothes hanger.

stay away from trees

$2,000 for a bicycle doesn’t sound like a fair deal to me, at all. How does a bike cost that much?

2k is cheap for a bike these days, lol. I would go with the ex8, unless you plan on upgrading components Then go with the newer frame

They ain't Mountain Bikes but Heck buy these 2 Zizzo Folders and pack um in the trunk or back seat when you want to go for a ride. They're new still in the Box. $500 .

That's the normal to cheap for a quality bike

I believe y’all, but how? I bought a lightly used Trek 15 years ago, that I thought was pretty nice, for $300. Surely, the difference is not all inflation. Are the frames coated in gold?

frame is big part. newer Alloys and carbon are stronger and lighter then they where 15 years ago.
components is next. Disc brakes, rim materials etc

Back in 1984 while stationed in DC (Ft Myer VA) I had a Fuji Espree road bike that was about $300….chunk of change back then.

Seems like decent prices on both

Daughter took me to a shop in Colorado. 5k seemed to be the median. It's not a hobby I'm interested in but you gotta' appreciate how well built something has to be to go crashing down a mountain at speed with a 200 lb man on it and can do it over and over safely.

I got a new TREK bike last year at Bike Mart in Frisco, I got the Verve LowStep Hybrid for around $900

Got my wife a LIV Hybrid for around $1100

Hybrid means they are built for both street and some mountian biking.

I did see some hard core mountian bikes going for $5k and then didn't have pedals you had to pay extra

Not mountain bikes but here's some pricing information regarding bikes...

I sold this for $1500 +/- on eBay a couple year ago (mostly all original or originals included)



About a year before that I sold this one (started with an original paint and stickers frame and fork but nothing else) for about $600.



This one had a professional automotive paint job that would have cost $600-700 if it weren't donated. I had about $400 in parts and no labor since it was a raffle item that helped make thousands in ticket sales. Could have sold it for a grand.



Sold this one for about $500 a few years ago.



Built this for my wife so I still have it. As soon as she okays me to sell, I'll get $1500-1700 for it since money is worth less than when I sold the red one. (also original paint and stickers but built with upgrades)