Selling bike – split or sell whole?

I’ve got an full suspension carbon bike to move on, best to sell it whole or split down to component level?

Not necessarily looking to maximise return, just a quick sale and an easy life. I could use the parts on my new build, and I think that would be the most cost effective option for me but would I be able to sell frame/shock/forks easily enough or do folks shy away from such things.

Not really familiar with this MTB world. Thanks for any advice.

For a quick sale and easy life then sell as a whole bike.  Selling 10 different items for prices that are hard to gauge is never going to be easier even if you do end up get a few pounds more.

Larger market by splitting it but more hassle.

At the moment prob more money by splitting it too.

Whole bikes are quite hard to sell. They are also quite hard to post. If you have a use for some of the parts I’d definitely split. The frame will sell ok, unless it’s something old/obsolete and you can box it up and post it which will massively increase your market. I’ve just been through similar. Bike hung around for ages, parts flew out.

It depends what it is? I recently sold an YT Izzo for a very good price as a whole bike as they are popular. It yielded more than the sum of its parts. But that might not apply to another bike.

If the bits are valuable/desirable on their own (ebay sold listings), splitting is almost always better in terms of a return, but if it’s got a lot of own brand or tier 3 (GX/SLX) or below parts, it might make more sense to sell as a whole.

I tried to sell a 26″ wheel orange five recently… Impossible as a full bike to get even a sniff of interest, not even a half price offer…

Split the bike, frame/forks/wheels went within a couple of weeks, groupset has just sold after 6 months or so (apparently the demand for 10spd x0/x9 drivetrains isn’t very big)…

Although I’m left with bars, post, seat etc… I still managed to get my original asking price for all the bits sold separately.

What Daffy said.

Worth a punt as a full bike first anyway maybe, as we’re heading into riding season.

I’ve never had great success selling whole bikes but it doesnt mean it’s not worth trying first before splitting if you have the parts and the time. I had a heap of used parts along with plenty of PSA-acquired bits, so build up the frame I’ve replaced with the spares: no luck whatsoever. Going to split it to sell after the weekend.

I tend to list the whole bike for sale and then list the wheels and frame separatley at the same time and see what sells first

Compelete bikes tend to take longer to sell but you dont have the hassle of stripping down and posting parts everywhere and have more chance of something going missing/wrong, plus you end up with odd parts left over

Backing up what’s been said and having sold loads of complete and split bikes it’s almost always more profitable to split (but you can end up with boxes full of parts that aren’t worth the hassle of selling).

Easiest is to sell complete but atm expect to get much less than you think it’s worth if you want it gone quickly.

In the past I have done both.  Most bikes are sold as parts as often I am moving stuff to a different frame, but kids bikes tend to sell as completes. But the current kid bike I am selling had 2 enquiries when I listed it as a rolling chassis, but now relisted as a complete and no interest. Will have to strip it down again.

I’d strip it, I usually end up selling frame, wheels, forks, and anything of value like brakes if they’re decent, drivetrain if not worn, etc.  Ebay, facebook or the classifieds depending on how big I reckon the market might be for it. Older or niche stuff does better on facebook or classifieds as it can sit there until someone who wants it finds it. Ebay works best if it’s something that you know for sure several people will be searching for every week.  Most of the time that gets more than the complete bike price just from those parts, I know if I’m bidding on something I’m toting up the value of the bits I don’t have spare, i.e. those few big ticket bits, so I guess others do the same.

Smaller parts I tend to transfer to the next bike as pedals, grips, bars, saddles are all personal preferences.

Drivetrains I tend to transfer as part worn stuff is never worth as much as it’s remaining life, a 50% worn GX cassette is basically valueless, but is “worth” £50.

Misc small parts end up in the spares bin and if that overflows they either get given away in the cycling club.

Thanks all. I’ll split it, but probably use most of the parts on my new build.

I’ve had a lot of time wasters and insulting offers on full bikes, stripped it down and made about £100 more, all parts were decent, sought after and in good condition, some even new which never gets appreciated when selling a full bike.

I’ve just sold a bike on eBay for more than I thought I’d get for it, even if I stripped and sold as parts and it was only listed for 10 days. I did have a bike box laying around so was able to offer shipping which opened up the market which can only help.

It depends how arsed you can be. If you sell it complete you only have the stress of dealing with the idiots once. If you split it you multiple the idiots