When it is time to clear some space in the garage or you are looking forward to updating your bike, we often have the consideration to seeking for a good chance to selling used bike to some extent. However, selling a used bike doesn’t have to be an urgent and hassle. You should consider more details, such as the DO and DONT’s. You also need some specific selling techniques. Moreover, you should think about where to sell your used bike. We could choose to sell our bikes to our friends who need or sell to the local bike shop. But there is another solution—selling your used bike on line. Here are some tips to make the process as simple as possible.
1. Be realistic about what your bike is worth
People often set the unreasonable and ridiculous price for their used bikes. Sometimes, people think that they recently replaced the chain so they want to sell their used bike higher. However, it doesn’t change the reality that your bike is old. You are never ever going to get a thousand dollars for that bike. On the contrary, you need to take into consideration the age of your bike as well as the condition of the frame and other components. If your bike is more than 5 years old and has actually been used like a mountain bike, you’re not going to get very much for it. It is a little bit frustrating that your beloved bike is worth a few hundred bucks, just accept that or give it to someone who wants to get into the sport. For a rough measurement of your bike, you can go to the Bicycle Blue Book. At the same time, eBay is also available and you can check what similar bikes are selling for.
selling your used bike
2. Get your bike
You and your bike probably had a bunch of great rides together. It never let you down and you two have so many memories. Nobody cares because you have an emotional with your bike doesn’t mean that anyone else will. From a buyer’s perspective, emotional value is irrelevant. It won’t be your bike very soon and it will make new memories with someone else. In this condition, you can’t set a high price for your used bike. It is related to the first point, and you should be practical to your used bike.
3. Be honest about the condition of your bike
Whatever you do, honesty is the most important thing in our lives so be correct about the condition of your bike and its components. It will be better for you if the buyer sees the bikes personally. In addition, the eBay gives the buyers a lot of power. If there is any dispute, the eBay will more likely stand on the side with buyers, and you could compensate money and will lose the ground seriously. When you are ready to get your bike to sell, you should go over it carefully. First, you should check all the welds and pay more attention to the area around the bottom bracket. Then, you should take the rear wheel off and check around the chain stays and seat stays. If you want to sell a carbon fiber frame, it is very important to check these high-stress areas. However, if you find any cracks, don’t sell it. You should do the right thing and throw the frame.
4. Take lots of photos
The best way to show the condition of your bike is taking lots of photos. You can use the smartphone’s camera as long as you have good light. Then, you should look at the pictures before you post them because nobody wants to see a blurry picture. Find a good place, and you should be sure to highlight any areas where there are scratches and give the simple explanation to any damaged areas. There is a useful tip: using a shallow depth of field is a good technique for showing the components, such as Fork, Shock, Wheels and tires Cockpit (bars, grips, stem, saddle, and post), Brakes and levers, Shifters, Derailleurs, Cranks. Remember, the more expensive the bike, the more necessary the photos. You can bribe any photographer friends to help your shoot the high-quality photos.
5. Give as much as detail as possible in your post
Alright, when you have prepared the photo, and you have inspected all the components, it is time to write a description of your bike. There are loads of ways to go about writing a description, such as from the facts to the humorous style. It depends on you. A specific description with detailed photos will give a lot of potential questions from buyers. Whatever way you take, you should make sure that it includes at least the following information, such as the brand, year, size, price, and condition of the frame, a list of components along with their condition, any maintenance recently performed and any maintenance currently needed.
6. Caveat vendor
You should be careful, which means “buyers beware”. When you decide to sell your old bike, you should be smart about it, especially if you’re meeting someone face to face. Your home is not a good place to do the deal. Instead, you should choose a public place or a police station parking lot to make the transaction. Recently, there are a lot of fake buyers. The seller shows up to meet the buyer and ends up getting robbed. In addition, you can’t allow anyone to test ride the bike unless you’ve got the cash in your hand. They may just keep “test riding” your bike on the road. If you get a weird call or an email at 2am, saying that they want to come and check the bike right now, you should trust your instincts and decline or just ignore them.
Selling anything online can be a complicated process, but it does not have to be so painful. What you should do is to set a reasonable price, be truthful about the condition, take great photos, post things online, and wait for the cash to come. I hope you can have a good selling process and update your new bike. Good luck.
Tips you required to know for selling your used bike on line
Posted by tan xiao yan on