Selling Bikes…what a chore!

How are folks finding the market and ability to sell 2nd hand bikes?

Last year I bought a used Genesis Croix De Fer frame (the white Reynolds 725 variety) with the intention of building it up to explore. Alas, it was built up, ridden once for 25 miles, and is now gathering dust in the garage.

52 cm Reynolds 725 frame.
New:
Wheels (Giepiemme), tyres, Surly Disc Trucker forks, chainrings, chain, Deore rear mech, cassette (wider range than original), Sonder Lover Mud Bomber bars, bar-tape, brake pads, carbon post, rack + a used Thomson stem.

I stuck it on FB Classifieds, Gumtree, etc. A few tyre-kickers, one in particular we agreed to meet half way between mine and theirs – 1.5hrs drive – only to get a text as I was driving to say they did not want to proceed. Grrr.

I think the asking price of £400 is reasonable, but is it?

Try a stealth ad on the main forum, rather than using the classifieds.

For bikes in that price range, stick it on ebay, you’ll get what the market dictates it’s worth, less fees.

I’d agree, selling bikes is the devils work. I’d happily do a PCP deal on a bike to avoid the hassle and dealing with bawbags.

Tom,

Serious question with context to allow folks to properly consider before responding.

I guess different folks have different ideas about what is basically dicking others about.

That said, I will try classifieds on here too…

I’ve sold quite a few bikes and bike parts on Ebay, usually without hassle with the exception of a Bianchi Via Nirone that Mrs Gti “volunteered” me to sell on behalf of a work colleague. I packed it carefully and sent it off and the next day received a furious email from the buyer. TNT had driven a sharp object right through the carton and wrecked the frame and the buyer’s wife had signed for the package “in good condition” despite it being crushed and having a big hole through it. I won’t bother you with the epic battle to get back some of the cost of repair from TNT but I did succeed in the end to get 50% back.

Lol, good job you mentioned the wider range cassette and that it had new brake pads, we might have struggled with what you were getting at otherwise.

Pics would probably help get your point across too, you know, for context.

Tom,

Thanks for your words of wisdom and constructive comments. Much appreciated.

ebay, 99p start, be willing to post.

ebay, 99p start, be willing to post.

This

Think I’m going to have to go the eBay route with the Wife’s frame. Had a few bites, but no one’s bought it yet. I think it’s quite well priced too!

So many people always after steel hardtails, just need someone small to want one lol.

I sell most of my bike stuff through eBay still.
Ive tried Facebook classifieds but always get initial interest but then they don’t follow up.
I think it’s because they aren’t paying upfront as they are with eBay so tend to get less serious buyers.
Facebook is good for buying cheaper bikes though. People have less idea of their worth or feel it’s less hassle than eBay so tend to let them go cheaper.

I sell complete bikes on eBay but collection only as I cannot be bothered to package up a complete bike. I lose out because of no postage but they have always sold. Sold one last weekend in fact that was up for about 3 weeks and went for £20 under the Buy It Now price I put on it.

Same rule for everything, if something isn’t selling it is priced too high.

So many people always after steel hardtails

Don’t assume that because that’s the case on here, that it’s true, not really representative of the real world this place!.

ebay, 99p start, be willing to post.

Yes and no. You’ll get the market price sort of, but only whatever it is for a 10 day period. You miss loads of potential buyers and could very well end up giving it away. For large items I prefer fixed price listing with the option to accept offers.

Just sold my DH bike took about 2 months. All the FB group buyers were utter time wasters. Never drive to meet someone for a sale unless you already have the cash. Stick it on eBay for what you want and accept offers. 99p starts are also a waste of time. Paisley Freight will deliver a bike for £25. Free bike box from LBS if you have one you use.
That Tom bloke seems quite interested or has a lot of spare time on his hands.

OP’s bike sounds pretty dull (I mean, I’m sure it’s lovely but there’s no elements that are really going to excite anyone and Gipiemme/Deore is pretty boggo stuff) so £400 might be a bit optimistic…

That Tom bloke seems quite interested or has a lot of spare time on his hands.

One of these is true.

99p starts are also a waste of time

Nonsense.

You’re not going to accept 99p for your bike are you? Unless yours are really rubbish of course.

Used Ebay several times in the past with varied success but these days I use Pinkbike classifieds, takes a little longer than E bay but fewer Kn*bheads wanting stuff for nothing.

You’re not going to accept 99p for your bike are you? Unless yours are really rubbish of course.

Don’t be silly.

Whereas i have a pair of Schwalbe Nobby Nic Pacstar folding 650b tyres in the classifieds and on ebay with no interest even though they have done 100 miles max, obviously this is not a steath ad ;-)

The price seems pretty reasonable compared to the others out there, depending on condition obviously. Might be worth perusing the eBay sold listings, see what similar ones went for. CdFs don’t seem to hang around long. Older geometry complicates things though – you can’t compare to the ones in shops now.
It seems you have to take a pretty big hit for no postage, unless it is something rare/desirable. The white/black cdf colours are a bit meh compared to some of the other colours they released.

Tom and Phil should be done with it and get a room ;)

One person’s custom build won’t be to the taste of another? If I was buying second hand, then I’d probably be buying just for the frame as I have my own preferences so far as stems/bars/wheels etc. In fact, when I buy new, I often change the wheels, the bars, the stem, the saddle….

It may be the done thing for gravel type bikes, but a Deore rear mech on a road/gravel orientated bike? Is that with road shifters or mtb shifters? Have I missed what groupset and what brakes?

Unless things match I sometimes see it as someone trying to offload all the bits they couldn’t sell for much individually but are going to try and make something as part of a full bike. You might be better (and its easier to package) to sell the frame and some of the bits separately. I’d guess the frame, wheels and some road shifters would sell for £300+ alone…??

eBay and PinkBike have always worked for me and I’m a serial swapper. Gumtree if you want to get involved with / troll scammers and chancers. It’s quite good fun at times. With eBay and PinkBike just be prepared for the fact that your bike isn’t worth what you’d like it to be worth .

? If I was buying second hand, then I’d probably be buying just for the frame as I have my own preferences so far as stems/bars/wheels etc. I

I can’t be the only one who looks at second hand bikes, makes grand plans for swapping odd bits in and out and figured out that it would be cheaper to just buy a new frameset?

To the OP, the Surly forks are nice but I wonder if they don’t actually drop the price, given that they arent original. I’ve heard that custom paint jobs kill the value of decent bikes, even if they are really nice and expensive. Same thing maybe?

You’re not going to accept 99p for your bike are you?

Irrelevant question as it wont sell for 99p
The point is lots of people think it might do just that!
Consequently you get far more interest in your item.
People get excited about bidding on stuff but there is no excitement in just staring at a high buy-it-now price.
Once people bid – even at 99p then they are invested in the auction then and will watch it until the end – possibly get carried away.
I always do this and the price goes way higher than equivalent item buy-it-now prices
Only reason not to is if your item is so niche that only 1 or 2 people might be interested in a 10 day window. For bikes that his to be pretty damn niche.

Stuck the bike on Gumtree again today…

A few enquiries, including one who wants my postcode for courier collection, paypal address and wants to do this quickly due to their work schedule and being in Ireland. For some reason, I suspect this may not be a genuine buyer….would this be a cynical thought??

TBH, if someone was about to embark on a notable charity ride, where they needed such a bike, then I’d probably donate it.

TBH, if someone was about to embark on a notable charity ride, where they needed such a bike, then I’d probably donate it

Tom has time on his hands. I think I see a perfect solution here….

I have always bought & sold on pinkbike, works well for me. The op’s bike looks like a roadbike though after I googled it, I assume there must be a comparable website to pinkbike for this sort of thing.

Really I’m all excited at buying at bike for 99p oh sod it it’s now £500 I’ll have it anyway.
Anyway BBQ is on and mines already sold.

Tom has time on his hands. I think I see a perfect solution

Sadly, my foot isn’t yet fixed enough to pedal. 15 months and counting….

So apart from Pinkbike and the classifieds here, where’s the best place to put a decent bike up for sale?

Have put mine up (size XL Vitus escarpe, in case anyone was wondering… ;) ) but I’d really like to get it gone within a week – may or may not have anything to do with the current 15% sale on the YT carbon bikes… *whistles*