I’ve wanted to buy a Softride Fast TT7 or Classic (the yellow one) and watched ebay the last three years for frame and fork prices to come down a few hundred dollars, but I’ve concluded its not to be. I think the end auction prices today (anywhere from 700-1100) are the same from three years ago OR maybe MORE for Softride frames which are getting older and older, even though the company no longer makes them.
I don’t think its a Vintage thing at all, these are people wanting to try a beam bike. Why some company can’t take over that bike line and do new ones, I don’t get it.
I have to agree, I sold a Rocket TT7 frame on ebay about 3 years ago and it sold for about 700 dollars. I decided that I wanted to get another softride recently and I can say that the frames are not selling for much lower. I did find a small yellow classic beam 650c in new condition with new ultegra on Craigslist for 600 which was a steal. I would recommend keeping an eye on ebay and craigslist, you might get lucky.
Check Craig’s list, that is where i got both my frames $500 for one, and a complete bike Classic Qualifier with hed3’s for $600. There is a download called craigspal free version lets you search all of craigslist at once
I have had my PowerWing for 12 years. Would not trade it for ANY bike on the market, PERIOD! It is a great ride and my legs & back are fresher for the run. Get one if you can, unless you are in my group!
Three years ago, I almost bought a TT7 with the classic beam, the yellow one with 700 wheels, Large. Guy wanted 700 for it and it came with a pretty new crank and some other components.
No way that goes for $700 now. No way. It would get 800 or more.
Someone had for sale a few weeks ago on ebay a Large, Silver Chrome FastTT7, frame and fork only. The real fast one with the rocket beam. He had a buy it now for thousand, three days out it was 600 or so and then someone just bought it for a grand.
not softride exactly but elite made the aria a few years ago and it uses the softride beam. i was lucky enough to find a dura-ace 9 speed model for $700 on fleabay two years ago. i call it “the couch” because it’s so comfy and if/when i do another ironman i’ll give serious consideration to riding this instead of my 650c race bike.
I sold my TT7 last Spring. I bought it new 3 years ago, and did 2 IM’s plus thousands of miles on it (but babied it, so still in great shape). And I sold it for more than I bought it for.
The guy who bought it from me parted it out, and made a few hundred more off of the pieces.
I did the same thing. I watched ebay all year for a Softride, either frame or complete bike. I found one in my size that was a complete bike for $700 buy it now. I hesitated, and someone bought it about 15 minutes after I looked at it. That was about as good a price as I’ve seen. I found a reputable shop, the owners of which hang out here, who used to sell Softrides. They had a few NOS still in the shop and I bought the Classic frame from them for what I thought was a good price. I switched over the components from my other tri bike (which were only two years old) and now have a nice Softride for a pretty good price. Mine is 650; the reason why I went with 650 is because I had two sets of 650 race wheels. I really like the Softride. I hope it holds up over the next few years; I’ll ride it as long as I can.
Like you, I wish they (or someone else) would start making them again. Fantastic bikes.
What i dont get is why softrides are getting so much respect, despite their well known reliability issues- but almost no one mentions the old zipp frames, which in my opinion are just as comfortable, and dont collapse under you after 100 miles…
(ive owned both btw, destroyed 2x softrides and then said screw it switched to zipp)
The reason for all the love might be because the total number of Softrides sold during ther approximate ten years in business was far greater than Zipp bikes, so there are more ex-customers and current owners of softrides vs zipp bikes. The difference in numbers is more due to price point and the number of dealers for softride and zipp. Back in the day I could not afford a Zipp but I could afford a Softride and if I could afford a Zipp I had no idea who the nearest dealer for a Zipp bike would be. So, I don’t think it is an indication of bias or better design. Zipp was too focused on wheels to take time to expand their bike market, which turned out to be a good business decision.
There are a lot of Zipps that are in great condition and rolling around today whereas there are Rockets that have failed in the field. Frankly, the Rocket was kind of a half baked design and hard to adjust. The classic beam is a lot more reliable. I have owned four softrides(3 classics and 1 rocket) and the classic style bike was rock solid for me.
Yes both my problems were with rockets. I never rode a classic beam, but maybe i would have liked them.
I agree that price points were very different back in the day (and total amount of production radically different) but what is odd to me is that hte price points have converged- zipps which were once $$$ now sell for $800 on ebay, same price as softrides…go figure.
I also agree that softride rocket beams were a total nightmare to adjust. That being said, zipp beams are hardly user friendly either…
The rocket I use as a race bike frame was $500 on Craigs, rest of bike was an ebay build
The Classic is a training bike came with a set of Hed3, paid $600, craigslist
Recent project is going to be a Softride Solo, going to be built for Crit / road as it is loosely legal according to a USA Cycling Official ( it will also help me to be able to race as my back is messed, and on the plus side will piss off most hardcore/ purist roadies) paid $200 with shipping on Ebay
I also have stocked an extra beam for each and rebuild kits.
Classic has a heavier weight rating then rocket, beams are more plentiful, slightly softer ride then rocket. “beam bag” is a plus for long rides
