I have a Giant Anthem, 2011 full carbon frame, 32s, full XT inc Wheels, really nice bike, really quick. But I don’t really use it and I could spend the money on some stuff I do use.

It’s not a very fashionable bike, no 27.5, no 1 x 11, no dropper etc, but it’s a very fast bike that weighs nothing and handles better than any 100mm bike should, so it must be worth something still surely?

I’ve been out of the selling and buying game for a few years and realise that the move to 27.5 has massively hit the resale of 26″ bikes and parts, has anyone any thoughts on whether I should sell the bike whole (and where?) or whether I’d be better off taking it to bits and selling it that way?

Cheers

Try selling the whole bike for the components value on the buy/sell sections on facebook and forums like stw. Give it a reasonable (to you time) and accept any offer upto 10% less than youe asking. If it doesnt sell then reduce the price by 10% – ebay fees are 20%ish so a 10% loss privately is better than selling on ebay.
As a last resort :-
ebay it as an aution with your orginal full bike price. Include an in depth discription give as much info as possible (bad as well as the good).

Splitting it will sell it quicker but is a lot more hassle, won’t get you much more money (5% ish) and you may get left with bits that don’t sell.

I’ve just split a bike to sell,couldn’t be arsed with the whole finding a bike box or people coming around my house at stupid times.
I like stripping bikes and cleaning components spotless so it’s a hobby with paying benefits for me,for others it’s hassle.

Thanks, I don’t mind stripping the bike, but have plenty of other more important things to be doing with my time. Not in a huge rush to sell, so might as well list it in a few places before going down that route.

How bad is the market for 26″ stuff now? Any guesses as to what someone would pay for the bike? The RRP was £4750 or something daft, I bought it second hand with about 100 miles on it for £2k and it now has maybe 500 miles on it max, probably less. On the one hand, old tech etc, on the other it’ll make lots of racers a bit faster than they are for not much cash. £1000-1200?

I’m in the same boat with my 12 alu version. I have gone down the strip route, as I robbed the drive train and brakes for another bike.

What size is it?

26inch wheeled bikes, are they selling at the moment? Went down the eBay route for my blur ltc, not a sniff.
Going to split and hope sensible people want wheels/forks etc to maintain their own 26inch bike.

I’d try to keep it whole – just because there’s so little demand for 26″ XC bits.

I’d say it’s worth less than you’re hoping (no offence).
Especially when this is almost the same price but has a warranty and current wheel size
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b4s183p5506/GIANT-ANTHEM-27-5-2-2014

I reckon any 26″ struggles when s/h for much over £1k, so advertise for £1200 and accept ‘bargaining’.

Also, if it’s a straight-steerer that will also impact value.

What size is it though?

It’s a Medium, so at least it has that going for it!

Just checked, it’s a tapered steerer and the RRP was £3,950, it’s this bike here:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain-bikes/product/review-giant-anthem-x-advanced-sl1-10-39485/

Appreciate that you can buy new from Pauls cheaply, but if you want to race XC competitively you wouldn’t buy that one would you, you’d buy mine as it’s around 20% lighter. It might be a wrong’un, but it is a much faster bike.

Mine also makes loud bangs when you change gear because of the massive downtube, which is cool.

If you’re racing XC competitively, you wouldn’t buy a 26er. Lightweight 26″ bikes have been hit the hardest of all – I’m afraid you’re just going to have to accept a loss. No way that will sell for £1200, sorry.

I offered my last bike up as a choice of whole, rolling chassis or frame and fork to make sure I shifted the main parts, components could have easily been refused on other bikes and I would have been quite happy to have kept the brakes. Went as a whole bike, priced realistically, including postage, no haggling.

I’m clinging to the hope that you can’t buy a faster FS bike for a grand, surely any 29er or whatever sized bike is going to be slower by virtue of being heavier and more crap at that price?

Anyway, if you’re right I’ll have to weigh up what price it’s not worth selling at and see whether that means I end up keeping it. Wouldn’t be the end of the world I suppose.

Generally I’d list it complete at a price you want but be prepared for lower offers. If you get decent offers for substantial parts- wheels, forks, frame probably- then it’s worth getting into splitting quickly. And if there’s no interest in the full build then split entirely.

But I’m afraid that looks like a perfect storm of devalued parts- racy frame that few people will want to race on, qr forks, wheels that are imperceptibly smaller than new wheels… I went through the same bollocks when I split up my soda, parts that were worth £250, £300 each I had to sell for £100, £150 🙁

Is there anything on it you want to keep? That helps too, value to you for unfashionable parts is almost always more than the resale.

The longer you keep it the less it will be worth.

Sell now, you may well get £1k. As you say it’s a medium and the Anthem is a proven and popular bike.

eBay might be a good bet, to reach buyers who don;t spend all their time on STW or Pinkbike and don’t care about wheel size.

Ps, someone in classifieds is looking for a medium 26er anthem frame

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anthem-or-epic-26-frame

I’ve sold old 26 stuff far easier than newer 29 stuff this last week or so, just be realistic about the price

Split, clean all the bits, take good photos, give them a proper write up with all the specs and condition and stick them on E bay at 99p with no reserve.

That will get you market value.

The value for the frame may not be much – my 2 year old immaculate Merida 96 carbon team frame went for £350 – painful but it’s money not a frame sitting doing nothing.

what did you decide to do in the end?

I’m going to list it in a few places and see if I get anywhere, if I don’t I’ll consider selling it in bits. Just going to see how things go and hope for the best.

I’ve looked into splitting before and it never really makes sense to me. Sure, if you manage to sell everything for a decent price it might work out, but I always consider used drivetrain stuff like cassette, cranks/rings, chain and usually mechs to be pretty much worthless unless sold as part of a full build. Sell-able if it’s in as-new condition, but then why are you selling it?