You CAN find your dream fixie bike online for cheap.
I did. Here’s how.
You can find practically any type of bike using this method, really.
It will take a bit of effort and more patience than buying new at a shop, but it’s all worthwhile when you score your dream ride for cheap. A bit of luck helps, too.
If you don’t mind putting in a bit of work and being patient, this method can work for anyone.
The only caveat is that you might have to be flexible. You might get the frame you like, but have to swap in other components. Alternatively, the bike might not be in mint condition.
That’s to be expected when buying from a private seller. Luckily, the fixie community is both tight-knit and full of people who LOVE their bikes. That means their bikes are usually in pretty great condition.
Finding Your Dream Bike Can Take A Bit of Effort
You could get lucky and find your bike straight away, but in most cases you may have to wait a while whether you buy it from a private seller or online retailer. It takes due diligence.
Also understand that rarer bikes will be tougher to find. If a bike is rare, an online retailer most likely won’t carry it or it will be out of stock. You might find it on eBay or another reseller, but it’s harder to get it for cheap.
At least usually it is. I used this method to buy my dream bike – a Bianchi Pista Concept 2003 Track Bike – for probably a quarter of its value. It wasn’t just the frame, either. The components are top notch.
My Story
If you know anything about fixed gear track frames or were interested in fixie culture back in the early 2010s, you’ll have heard of the Pista Concept. It had street cred. It was all over San Francisco and New York. And then Bianchi stopped making it.
I had the good fortune of finding it anyway and getting a great deal on it. The catch was that I waited years. It wasn’t brand new, either.
That’s not to say it took me years to find it. Since I started using this method it took me a few months to find the deal.
During that time, I had seen other Bianchi Pista bikes but didn’t feel the deals where right.
The Method
My method is simple. Find a private seller online in your area then negotiate a deal. “How?” you ask?
Counterintuitively, I didn’t use Kijiji, Ebay, or any other classified websites.
I used bike community and classified groups on social media. Facebook, more specifically. Classified sites are good too, but the more efficient way to find a bike this way is on social media.
What To Do
Scope out local groups that are relevant to the type of bike you’re looking for. In this case, a Fixie.
Join the classified/community groups in your area, then simply check them periodically.
Some are closed groups, but getting approved is easy. Usually you just answer a couple of questions that confirm you live in the area the groups services.
If you’re a frequent social media user, even better.
You can take a more passive approach and just check out bikes for sale when they come up in your news feed. The more you look at and engage with posts from those groups, the more Facebook’s algorithm will put more in front of you.
Let’s look at the groups a little more in-depth.
Facebook Marketplace
You can try bunz, but I recommend Facebook groups. These are a GOLDMINE of amazing bikes, often fairly price and sometimes cheap. I’m a member of 3. I bought my dream bike from one of these groups.
Here are some examples of the groups I joined: Toronto Fixed Gear Classifieds, Toronto Road/CX Classifieds, Toronto Bicycle Classifieds, and more.
You’ll often see posts by people selling bikes. Some are brand new, others are a few years old, some are in great conditions, others aren’t. You’ll have to do your due diligence to find the bike that’s right for you.
Sometimes you might have to pass on a bike you want and hope for a better deal later.
Not every deal is amazing, but sometimes you’ll get lucky. When you do, getting a good deal is just as satisfying as getting a new bike.
Be persistent, and you’re likely to succeed.
Why Look For Your Dream Bike On Facebook?
It’s easier to get a good deal on Facebook than on eBay or on a classified website.
One reason Facebook groups are such a great resource is that people selling the bikes are bike lovers themselves. These are community groups. Community members are more likely to give other people in their community than people selling anonymously online.
They want their baby to go into good hands.
I once bought a Jamis Satellite road bike from someone I met online. He was so happy that the bike was going to good, caring hands that he gave me a discount. The seller didn’t want me to buy the bike just to flip it for a profit.
Plus, thieves know these groups are a tight knit community, so the likelihood the fixie bike you want is stolen is relatively low.
Lower Prices & Negotiation
You’re less likely to get a great deal from a retailer since they have overhead. They have to make a profit to cover it.
Private sellers, on the other hand, recognize that they have less bargaining power. They know that even a bike that is brand new or used a few times it won’t sell for full price.
Negotiation is also an option. It doesn’t always have to be just haggling on price. You could ask them to throw in another component or ask them if they will “part out” – or sell the parts individually.
Other Places To Find Your Dream Bike For Cheap Online
There are a few more conventional ways to find great bikes for cheap.
- Online Retailers. Resellers and online retailers often have sales. Occasionally, they have amazing sales. This is a good option if you’re looking for a more recent bike.
- Online Classified Advertising Services. In my part of the world, the online classifieds are mainly Kijiji and Craigslist.
- Flash Sales in Your Area. Once a year there are flyers all over my city about a weekend bike sale. Beware though, you might encounter stolen items.
- eBay. So it’s nowhere near as possible as it was in the 2000’s, but ebay still has an active community.
In A Rush To Buy A Fixie?
Not sure if you can be patient? Want to try a cheap fixie before you buy your dream bike?
Check out our article about 5 cheap fixies you can buy online right now to get a great deal right away.
Or, check out our 6KU Fixie Review.
If none of those bikes suit you, you can also find a number of quality cheap fixies online on Amazon.
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