As an avid Xbiker, and lover of Xbikes and steel frames that have wide clearances and vast utility…of course I'm naturally going to be attracted to Crust bikes.
They're objectively cool, great paint jobs, cool selection of frames that all have good uses, and their retail prices are actually pretty solid.
My issue is their 2nd hand/used market values. I constantly see them in the 2k and even 3k or 4k price ranges. I get that they are desired bikes and framesets but even Rivendells aren't that expensive used. Only a couple Riv models float above that 3k used mark. But almost all Crust bikes I see are almost always above 3k.
Am I missing something? They're manufactured in Taiwan made with chromoly steel….
While other framesets such as Waterford/Gunnar, which are all handmade in the U.S. by craftsmen who are well known, and made from Reynolds 853 can barely sell for over a 1000 bucks.
I'm not throwing shade at Crust….I mean I want one. Specifically the lightning bolt model…but holy cow is their used market inflated to the moon right now.
Any thoughts guys? I'd love to discuss.
by Uncooleli
27 Comments
Yes let’s hear some debating… I have a scapegoat frame set I have been needing to post for sometime now! Not sure how to price it
Buy American, like Paul Components!
Branding, effective marketing, and comparatively limited production runs.
Most Crusts on the used market are going to tend to be much higher-end builds than most Rivendells, and they’re very likely to also be newer than any Waterford/Gunnar given the fate of Waterford. Also, the Waterfords and Gunnars I tend to see listed are often pretty unsuited for the type of builds folks like these days (ie. bigger tires, disc brakes, etc), which is going to limit the market for them substantially.
Beyond that, Crust bikes are also quite sought-after and tend to release frames in somewhat limited runs.
I honestly think it’s because Crust attracts more non-cyclists than other brands and they tend to pay their shops top dollar for labor + parts and are trying their best to get their money back out of them. Most would be best to part them out and/or take the hit on the labor they (over)paid.
Your not going to buy anything from Waterford or Gunnar. They closed shop.
Rivendells are… meant for a very specific sort of riding. Geo is upright, slavish dedication to rim brakes, outlandishly long chainstays… their demographic is tiny. If you’re riding a flat path in sandals at 10mph, they’re great. That’s not most of us.
I think Crust struck the right balance of vintage details and modern capability. They’ve also been really good about figuring out how to market themselves to the Xbike crowd. I used to be a big fan of the brand Rawland who did a more no nonsense version of what Crust did, but they happened too early and don’t have as much personality
Crust is just the trendy brand right now. I mean, even Surly was the “it” brand ~15 years ago but kind of stagnated as the market shifted
Crust is the new Surly!
Ignoring the fact that the frame is made in Taiwan and the materials used is simple chromoly, they have features that very few commercial frame designers have. Clearance for large 650b tires without the use of disc brakes and on top of that one inch steerers. I can’t argue that their more common designs are questionable in price but for example, the single speed lightning bolt is pretty unique. Good look finding another 650b, cantilever braked, with 120mm rear spacing and horizontal dropouts. Like the only other one is bassi Bloomfield that’s basically the same price. I have a regular chromoly bike, a reynolds 531, Tange prestige, and a reynolds 725. And guess what, I can’t tell the difference between any of them. The thing that really affects ride quality is usually wheels, saddle, handlebars, and geometry/fit. And if weight really mattered, I wouldn’t be riding a heavy ass brooks saddle on a steel frame. So just pick the bike that has all the features you want and the one you think looks cool.
It’s mostly hype.
Obviously it will depend greatly on how the bike is spec’d but there’s no world in which, on their merits alone should they command more than the brands you’ve mentioned, or hell, even brands like Ritchey.
But the market will bear what it will bear. There’s too many great bike makers out there to get worried about it.
For the record, I think they do interesting things, and I don’t dislike crust one bit, but have yet to meet a crust owner that hasn’t had some weird sense of superiority.
I think the resale value scale gets tipped here because a lot of these “resales” are bikes that have barely been ridden. I see crusts (and other bike like them) that just look like new builds asking super high numbers.
I agree with one commenter earlier regarding bigger tires etc.. hence I will never sell my Waterford 1900 adventure cycle.
I do think the tire size thing can get a bit silly in part because the idea behind a lot of the popular frame sets is the “do it all bike” that you can carry whatever you want, wherever you want, more or less, but most people who have these bikes have more than one bike. It’s the “if you could only keep one” argument combined with n+1.
That being said I’m dying over the wilde sugarfoot. I don’t need it at all and frankly can’t afford it but all the same I think about selling bikes off to purchase one.
Prices start sky-high, they’re good quality, and they’re desirable, so the used prices stay high. Sounds like a Surly would meet your needs (steel frame, wide tire clearances, tons of mounts, and would cost a lot less. Just a thought!
They’re pretty much AliExpress TQIQT frames. Probably made in the same factory.
Unless super unique, the groups I am in seem to show Crust bikes going used for the same as some other brands. You can pick up an Evasion for $6-700
Just get a classic frame with the exact same geometry and likely better craftsmanship. Not worth the price, IMO.
Yeah it’s pretty outrageous. Having said that, i own two of their bikes. A disc Lightning Bolt and a Bombora. i love both of them. I nabbed them used for with lower end spec’s for around 1500. To me, that seems on the lower end from what i’ve seen people trying to sell them in my area and the Bolt even came with a nice dynamo – neat! 🙂 I wouldn’t have wanted to pay more for an entry point to the brand, however i would probably buy them again knowing that i enjoy them and how they fit my riding style. sooo ymmv
Where are you seeing all the +$3k Crust bikes for sale? I looked through eBay for recently sold Crusts and nothing is over $3k.
Used Crust frames are usually pretty affordable, especially compared to retail prices. Used or assembled complete build are usually expensive because Crust are tied in with the hype of high end, boutique component manufacturers. Expensive components make expensive builds, and many people seem to build bikes that are too blingy to ride or too expensive to keep. There is a big step up in price between a used frame and a used bike, especially when it’s built with some of the most expensive parts available. This is prohibitive to buyers with lower budgets or who want to put together their own collection of components.
If they sell for 3k, that’s their used value. Overpriced for sure, but if it sells it sells. Rivs are way better bikes
Back when fixed gears were in their hay day, Cinelli was one of the IT brands. Whether it was the older Vigorelli’s or the newer Histograms, people wanted them. Ultimately at its peak, there were many brands doing the same thing for much cheaper( hell, State offered a complete track ready bike for the same price as a Cinelli frameset!) but the brand name persisted to this day.
Although Crust has some interesting frames out there that are doing unique things, its not game changing in a way that makes them a must have. Would it be cool to have a 26″ bike with a quill stem and discs? sure, but not enough to go out of my way to buy and build one. Now, I’m not saying that Crust is in the exact same boat, but to say its name carries weight would be an understatement. Admittedly, I do still dream of building up a Romanceur with some campy bits, but I can wait for the hipster tax to fade a bit.
Are they handmade in the States? They look cool, I don’t know much about them
It’s mostly hype. You’re right to be skeptical. In another 5-10 years, sellers will have a tough time getting close to $1,000 for a used Crust.
There are a lot more Waterford, Gunnar, and Rivendell frames out there for sale on the 2nd hand market. Crust is still very low volume.
We desperately need to bring back domestic bike manufacturing. Would happily pay Crust prices for a bike that’s made in American factories
Well for starters just the Crankset of the example image is worth $500 on the used market….
They are just way overly high end builds, without looking particularly “flashy”. I don’t quite get it, but I’m also much more of a “utility” cyclist than a talismanic one 😉
i’ve noticed a lot of people bought a frame, spent a ton of money on chris king and paul and fancy shit, then rode 200mi, didn’t like it, and are now trying to recoup the investment. it’s dumb. and this is from a guy that had three crust frames.
aside from that, some of their early frames were pretty limited and they sold legit prototypes pretty often. so, something like an OG light night bolt with brazed tubes and disc brakes or a prototype malocchio command an appropriate price.
their frame are dope and if you’re in need of something as niche as the provided, it fucks real gently. but resale for completes is lol territory. resale on bare frames is normal markdown.
I don’t really understand your argument as you are talking about complete bikes. Crust doesn’t really sell “completes”, they will occasionally build a bike and sell it online but these are one offs and not that frequent. Used prices will vary wildly depending on parts, a lot of Crust builds have higher end components that are obviously going to command higher dollar on the used market. Can’t fault Crust for this.
When you compare Crust frames to stuff like All-City it really wasn’t a huge jump in price. I don’t get the hate for the brand when it comes to cost.
Most Rivs actually come with pretty low spec relative to most of the Crusts I see. I own a Riv and a Crust Evasion and my parts and wheels are much nicer on my Evasion. You see pimped out Rivs now and again, but most of them are Deore or below spec.