Once you start checking for the value of your bike, they'll give you three different figures for your bike's value:
- the original manufacturer's suggested retail price,
- the price you'd get if you sold it privately,
- the amount you could expect if you traded your bike with a dealer
The high cost of materials is given as one of the biggest factors that determine the cost of bikes. Most high-end brands use carbon fiber to make lighter bikes. The higher the quality of carbon, the more expensive it becomes to purchase or even source it.
Lots of time there is the question, do I buy a new bike or upgrade the one I have? The most important factors to consider is cost. Depending of the age of the existing bike, the newest bicycle do have advantages such as electronic shifting, disc brakes and more aero-dynamic designs. Upgrading the components on your current bike can be a cost-effective way to improve performance without spending a lot of money, while buying a new bike can be expensive, especially if you're looking for a high-end model.
In case you see the bicycle as an investment though do not expect a financial return directly from the bicycle as an object. It is an investment in personal quality of life return and partly balanced by saving the money you don't spend on a car. This means that the bicycle might have a big emotional investment and therefore sometimes it might be better to hang on to the bicycle.