I was offered an old Mercxx frame last year, it was owned by a former pro. It didn't fit.

---

--------------------------------------------------------------------

I've seen pro's bikes offered on ebay. Don't see why they should be worth any more than any other bike/frame of the same, although it would be cool to own one of Lance's TDF winners.

I know Zabel is reputed to hang on to a lot of his bikes and has a huge collection.......

Anyone else hear them say that Phonak's TT bikes are $25k? I thought UCI rules said they had to be sold to the public, and I have never seen a BMC TT bike for sale. They aren't even on BMC's website.

Here is some of it:

http://www.theprosstuff.com/

---

Jim

**Note above poster works for a retailer selling bikes and related gear*

I know a guy that bought a Phonak previously ridden by Alex Zulle. Sometimes he use it in our local triathlons.

It's nice to have a former pro racing bike, but I agree that it's "just" a BMC bike.

---

_______________________________
The "Pocket Hercules" - jgrat

Technique sets the upper limit to where your fitness will take you...

"Anyone else hear them say that Phonak's TT bikes are $25k? "

Yup. The announcer said so during the team TT. Must be the limited production costs. You could buy four P3C's for that price.

I remember reading that in Europe, the ProTour teams will trickle their frames down to their Jr. and development teams each time they upgrade.

T

---

"The mind can calculate, but the spirit yearns, and the heart knows what the heart knows."

i'm also kind of curious to know the price of the TIME TT bikes.

---

------------------------------------------------------------------
"The aspect of sport that you learn is that you have your good times and your bad times, but you share it with great people." - George Gregan

Regarding the BMC TT bikes being sold, I wrote the company to inquire. This was their reply:

Thank you for your interest in BMC bicycles, and in particular for your enquiry regarding the BMC Time Machine as was used at the TdF by the Phonak Team and also at the Olympics to win the Time Trial gold medal by Tyler Hamilton.

Originally this frame was designed only for use by the Phonak team, but we have had sufficient interest that we are looking into the possibility of offering the frameset and / or bike complete. This will not be a cheap bicycle / Frame to buy, and because of the front fork/ handlebar setup, you would need to be fitted out by the experts here in Switzerland (the company's name is ERGOMOTION www.esp-ergomotion.com) that we worked with in conjunction with Phonak Cycling Team. This is so that we can build the mould tor the handlebar stem an fork (this is all one piece).

We hope to offer a price and availability before end of this year.

Thanks again for your interest.

Sincerely,

Nicole Vögeli

BMC Trading AG

I bought a bike from one of the local pro teams off Craigs List a few years back. I got a great deal on it. Manager of the team sold it to me. Said it was just sitting in his garage and the team needed the cash.

---

------------------------------------------------------------

"He broke into the long easy lope, and went on, hour after hour, never at loss for the tangled way, heading straight home through strange country with a certitude of direction that put man and his magnetic needle to shame."

-Call of the Wild

My road bike was used by a former pro.

In fact it used to be the on the home page of feltracing.com along with its former owner riding it.

I love that bike. I don't see myself getting rid of it for a long time. It's also kind of neat with all of the sponsor stickers and different fork vs. the stock bike.

Yeah, I got it on Ebay for $2,000. A real steal as far as I am concerned.

ebay it seems,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=98084&item=7166664581&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I wonder how this guy aims to verify that this was Roberto's bike......

---

-----
"I do my best to slay" - Matt Pike

That used to be a rule, but was widely and completely ignored.

Styrrell

My boyfriend got one on ebay..........kj

---

---------------------------------------
Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

I remember seeing Ekimov's 02 TT bike on the road here in Dallas. Trek had re-issued it to the local Trek team who rides under the Richardson Bikemart banner. Kinda cool seein his name painted on the top tube knowing that bike had been used in France.

Sometimes auctioned on ebay (a friend supposedly had a Cipo C'dale), sometimes given to the team's Div one or under 23 teams (like minor leagues), historical bikes are kept by the manufacturer (i.e. winning major races like Paris Robaix, TdF, etc.), and even occasionallykept or sold by the rider themselves.

---

Call me Big Dick

You have to have a connection - don't trust e-bay for a bike. GF picked up Georg Totchnig's Pinarello - it was around 2K including shipping from Belgium (don't ask how it got there) and had a full 10sp campy record set up.

That bike on Ebay may well be a former Postal Team race/training bike but I think you used to be able to order that exact frameset (including the boss for a race number) from Trek (via LBS Trek Dealer). Typically Postal/Team Disco embosses the frame with the riders name to avoid confusion over who rides what so seeing as that frame does not have Heras name on the top tube near the juntion to the seat tube, who knows as the sticker could have been removed when Heras left the team.

---

¯\_(ツ)_/¯