How tos »
Selling a used mountain bike
I’m in the process of selling one of my bikes and the whole thing is a chore that I never enjoy. Since mountain bikes are a lot like cars and trucks — they lose fifty percent of their value when they leave the show room — you rarely get what you think the bike is worth when you are looking to unload. Combine your dashed expectations with the glut of e-mails from people who write in hacker-speak, ridiculous low ball offers, and less interest than what you were expecting and you’re all set for a harrowing experience.
You can do a number of things that will make selling your well-loved, used mountain bike less of a painful experience and more of a ‘challenge’:
- Be honest. There’s nothing that kills a potential sale more quickly than dishonesty. If you let people know exactly what they’re getting, chances are good they’ll appreciate your candour and be more comfortable dealing with you.
- Lower your expectations. All of those people out there don’t realize how much enjoyment your bike gave you and they’re not usually going to pay a premium price for your gear — regardless of how much you love the bike.
- Post ads with classified services. There are a tonne of classified systems available for selling used gear. Check them out and choose the ones that meet your needs.
- Be flexible. If you want to move your used gear, expect to receive less than your asking price. While it’s easy to bump said items up by twenty percent, chances are good that there will be less interest in it.
- Be patient. There’s lots of used gear out there. In my neck of the woods, it’s not uncommon to see classified ads that have a hundred or more bikes available for purchase.
- Keep your bike in great shape. If you are going to be riding your bike while you’re trying to sell it, be sure to keep it in prime shape. Clean it. Maintain it. Replace broken or damaged parts right away.
- Don’t sell your bike in the off season. If you want to generate real interest try to sell your bike in mid-season when more people are actually riding, especially the ‘fair weather’ riders who enjoy the sport but don’t enjoy riding in rain, mud, or snow. Also, these people are more likely to be in the used bike market.
- Look at consignment stores. Consignment stores usually take a fixed percentage of the final sale value for your bike. The benefit of this system is that you don’t need to do anything more than bring your bike in — the consignment shop will do the rest and let you know once your bike has sold.
While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it should help you out when you do decide to unload that cherished oldie that (hopefully) has given you many hours of enjoyment.
Update (8 December 2005): My bike has finally sold. I ended up parting it out and came up with about what I expected I’d get back when I started this ordeal. Luckily, I was able to be patient, hold on for the right price, and ride it out until I found a buyer.