Is there still a market for used 26" mountain bikes?

Mod’s – this is NOT an advert, it’s a genuine question.

I have a 2012 Giant Anthem X1 which I no longer need/use. Is it worth advertising or are 26″ bikes obsolete and going for forty quid?

Yes, they are only going for £40. I might offer £45 if it’s the right size 😉

Take a look at eBay and decide for yourself.

Truth is, with the pace the MTB world moves at your 5 year old bike is now considered pretty old, even without the wheel size issue, but it’s far from worthless.

There are thankfully new riders taking it up all the time, youngsters trying to ride on pocket money, Dads and Mums trying to upgrade without steeling food from their baby’s mouths and every other kind of rider who wants VFM, not the latest carbon wonderride so as long as it works and it’s serviceable – someone will buy it.

Yep, here.

What size?

I was riding my 26″ Anthem at the weekend, thinking it was a bloody good bike even though people are now trying to tells us it cant be.

I did however wonder if any gullable people who had fallen for the marketing had any nice 120mm forks that are now useless that I could take off their hands.

I’ve got a 26 inch stumpjumper evo expert and it is more bike than I will ever need.
I will only change it when parts become hard to get.

It will only devalue more the longer you leave it so sell it or just watch it gather dust

Struggling to sell my bling frame from 2007.

Depends on the bike and price.

I’m keeping half and eye out for a ‘new’ FS bike. So on the one hand yes I’m looking at 26″ Anthems, on the other I know what they’re worth. I’d buy one, but partially because they’re a bargain compared to 27.5″ versions.

It depends on the bike I think – I didn’t really struggle to sell my 2011 Pitch Pro, but it’s a well-known bike, the geometry was still pretty current, it was well-spec’d (dropper, wide bars, 1×10, Lyriks), and a Medium.

Buy my Heihei!

Must be a market some where as the two we had stolen last summer dissapeared very quickly. We have always found that splitting has produced better results and more money but it is an ache.

Our eldest has recently moved out and wanted a bike to get out on a night and keep fit. Finished up giving her my 2013 Stumpjumper Expert carbon rather than split it to sell, I think it was worth more than we would have got due to wheel size. Did remove the LB carbons from it and stuck some Rovals on from the back of the garage.
No problems at all in selling them.

Yes, & if someone has a small 26″ FS frame in good nick, I’m interested.

People like me (26″ tandem, & 2 26″ steel HTs) will soon be buying them for spares.

Yes, & if someone has a small 26″ FS frame in good nick, I’m interested.

Damn, mine’s 19″

10 Benson and a packet of Frazzles?

XS ones are always of interest for building faux 29ers for 9 year olds.

Dibs if there are any btw 😀

Also interested in this…I have a 2009 Anthem that I should really sell..
XT 10 speed
SID RCT3 2012
Fox Float CTD
Arch EX/Hope pro 2 evo

Sold a very nice but well-used 2013 Five for £1,200 about 6 months ago, so I’d say yes there is still a market. Oranges do hold their value particularly well though.

I thought I would have been lucky to get £1000 for Stumpjumper I gave Katie, just seen the add for one pop up.

@ FunkyDunc

2012/13 120mm dual air 26″ reba’s – 120mm, uncut steerer……..

Paid £225 for an excellent condition 26″ wheeled Anthem frame just before Xmas – Mrs dickyboy is very happy with the resulting build, just need to get round to advertising the hardtail ti frame I donated the parts from 😉

Yup the last fwo Soul frames I bid on went for £185 and 245. I only have 26 bikes and never once have I thought I need different sized wheels. I still watch the classifieds for 26 kit

BTW I am on the lookout for 26 120mm straight steerer and 160/170mm straight or tapered

OP just shared a 2012 Soul ad with a mate who said he would prefer fs so yes there is a market

@moly your frame is 10 years old, I suspect thats a bigger issue than wheel size

20 Benson and a stack of Razzles?

If 26″ is dying on it’s arse, 26″ wheelsets aren’t. I paid £160 for a set of Pro2/Flow with LUST High Rollers 6 years ago.

They seem to go for that still WITHOUT tyres.

So, if anyone has any they don’t want, I’ll pay scrap prices for then.

I just bought a 2nd hand 26″ mojo off eBay. Rides very nicely and I’ll happily keep buying 2nd hand 26″ stuff

Very much a buyers market, I have a 2007 Anthem which has now trickled down to the Mrs as I’d get so little for it

See this thread OP

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/i-want-a-26-orange-5-am-i-mad

Maybe £100 is not enough for my nice bling wheels I’m selling?

EDIT shameless aren’t I?

I built up a 2012 Anthem a couple of years ago and I love it. Recently had an urge for something new though, ive tried some 27.5s, stumpjumper, Aeris, Trek Fuel. All great bikes with better spec and geo, but I can honestly say I didnt find the ride they offer a vast (couple of K)improvement an my trusty steed.
Its lead me to think I need to look down the 29er route for the difference Im looking for, or just be happy with what I have.
I wouldn’t get rid of my Anthem though, it would be a kept as an everyday/winter bike I wouldnt need to worry about too much.

I have been trying to sell a set of very good 26″ wheels for months at £120 posted and no takers at all. I know that if I pulled the spokes off and threw away the rims then the Hope hubs alone would sell for the asking price without a problem

I’m holding on to my 26″ Simple, in a few years it’ll be worth a bit when everything goes retro again…

(it’s worth far more to me than what I could sell it for)

Had a half hearted attempt at selling my 2013 Commencal Meta but decided it was worth more to me in spares (for my other 2 26″ bikes).

I’m searching for a full sus frame of the 26″ variety so yes there is still a market. 16″ or thereabouts for a 5’8″ rider please….

I’m still looking for an xs / 14″ mountain bike with 26″ wheels (or 27.5″ at a push ) for my wife.

There’ll always be a market for 26″ just maybe not at the top end prices. A bigger problem i.m.o. will be 1-1/8″ head tubes; decent forks with 1-1/8″ straight steerer are becoming hard to find.

Of course, you could buy my Kona and the matching fork….

I’m going to get banned aren’t I?

The other half is now thinking of selling her Pitch (small/16″, RP2, Blackbox Revs, Reverb) and within half an hour of a speculative advert going up on eBay we had 68 hits, several watchers and an offer not too far off what she’s looking for, so I’d say it definitely depends on what it is and where you advertise. #notastealthadverthonest

I’m pretty sure my 1996 Kilauea has been going up in value recently due to the “retro” bike thing. It does annoy me calling it retro as I still ride it and have had it from new! Titanium has gone up in value at the very least, so my Hope ti hub and USE seatpost are definitely worth more than they were, even if just for the materials 🙂