Bike price

This grumpy old man is downsizing, housewise, and looking to clear out lots of stuff. One of the first things to go is my bike. Despite lots of good intentions it's hardly been ridden for the last half a dozen years, though it had a professional service and new tyres and tubes about two years ago.

Thing is I have absolutely no idea what it's worth.

It's a Raleigh Pioneer Endeavour with 18 gears, flat handlebars, the stem of which has some rubber suspension device built into it. The frame is regular shape 24ins in Reynolds 501 tubing and the colour scheme is metallic purple and silver. The wheels are alloy and in good nick. Very little paint damage at all, though the edges of some of the decals have lifted. We've worked back through our life history and reckon it's 27 years old, but it doesn't look its age apart from the silver ish plastic mud guards have gone weirdly mottled. I'll be selling it with a matching purple helmet and a handlebar bag with puncture kit etc.

So has anybody any idea what I should ask for it?

Secondhand bikes don't fetch much. I've got a Saracen 21speed of about same vintage in exceptional condition due to very infrequent use (also not ridden for about 6 or 7 years,  and I'd be lucky to get £20 for it.

I wanted to get rid of a couple of old bikes a few years ago so put them in the front garden with £25 stuck on the front, just wanted to get rid, they didnt stay long, similar to yours old but not used with newish tyres.
David

I agree with Paul.

When I wanted to get rid of ours I had to give them away.

I offered them to a local bike shop where I was on very good terms with the owner, offering him 50% of whatever he could sell them for.

He refused, saying they would only clutter up his shop for months because people would rather pay £100 for something that resembles a bike from Halfords, than £50 for one that cost 10 times that only a couple of years ago.

A local friend has sold her two bikes this weekend for about £30 each. She says it's a good time to sell as lots of people are looking to get bikes for their lockdown exercise sessions.

Seems like £20 to £30 is the going rate, I sold a Trek 820 recently, really nice mountain bike, old but hardly used and it went for £25.

We had 2 very servicable bikes that we could not get rid of either by putting them up for sale or on Freecycle. We took them to Halfords who, in Oxford anyway, are the depot for:

https://www.re-cycle.org/

who do up and ship bikes to Africa to be used by key workers there.  I don't know if they are active at the moment or where your local collection depot will be.

I like to think that somewhere there is a midwife or teacher making more use of my bike than I did.

Hi all , we got rid of 4 bikes in under an hour by putting on local facebook , people want them now for exercise during lockdown, stay safe .

[quote="gary humphries"]Hi all , we got rid of 4 bikes in under an hour by putting on local facebook , people want them now for exercise during lockdown, stay safe .[/quote]

I agree..this is now the time to sell. Bikes are becoming as popular as flour!

I was spurred on to dig our bikes out to give them the once over and maybe even risk going for a run. No chance, the tyres have gone as have the lining tapes and I'm not convinced about the inner tubes lasting very long. Did a quick check on the cost of replacement parts.............think I might be cheaper buying a couple of new bikes 

Askit wrote:I was spurred on to dig our bikes out to give them the once over and maybe even risk going for a run. No chance, the tyres have gone as have the lining tapes and I'm not convinced about the inner tubes lasting very long. Did a quick check on the cost of replacement parts.............think I might be cheaper buying a couple of new bikes 

Have you seen the price of new bikes Asky? Mind, I believe you can get a substantial discount via a government scheme.

steamdrivenandy wrote:

Askit wrote:I was spurred on to dig our bikes out to give them the once over and maybe even risk going for a run. No chance, the tyres have gone as have the lining tapes and I'm not convinced about the inner tubes lasting very long. Did a quick check on the cost of replacement parts.............think I might be cheaper buying a couple of new bikes 

Have you seen the price of new bikes Asky? Mind, I believe you can get a substantial discount via a government scheme.

I think I would have to go back to work to benefit from that scheme, been there, done that, got the hair shirt 

At least getting the stuff will pass a few more days trying to fit it all, then there's the time it will take to get someone who actually knows what they are doing fix it properly   I used to be able to dismantle a bike and put it back together again (working, that is) but sadly remembering how to fix a bike is not like remembering how to ride one.

Taking a bike apart and rebuilding is something I think I could still do. Working for Halfords for 13 years, many years ago, means I fixed hundreds of bikes from shoppers to choppers. I did toy with  the idea of buying scrap bikes and rebuilding to sell on and make a few bob but as you've found out, individual parts are very expensive and there would be no profit in it.

Well I got £35 for her and a bit of space in the garage.

Weirdly, after owning the thing for 27 years I've just watched a YouTube video about the Girvin stem, which my bike was fitted with from new. The guy who did the video wasn't impressed and I can't say that it's rather simple suspension system made any difference at all. Still it looked good.

Paulmold wrote:Taking a bike apart and rebuilding is something I think I could still do. Working for Halfords for 13 years, many years ago, means I fixed hundreds of bikes from shoppers to choppers. I did toy with  the idea of buying scrap bikes and rebuilding to sell on and make a few bob but as you've found out, individual parts are very expensive and there would be no profit in it.

I eventually got the last of the spares, ordered from Halfords on 12th May, yesterday. They promised next day availability so only 11 days over  . Paul, you might remember our bikes from when you were working at Halfords, Carrera Kraken and Carrera Vulcan. I surprised myself with how much of my knowledge of bike repair was still there. New tyres, mini service and a good clean-up and they are ready to roll. Next thing is to see if the old legs are up to it 

I finally retired my Kraken last year after 14 years of regular use. Fantastic bike for the money it cost at the time.

Dbvwt wrote:I finally retired my Kraken last year after 14 years of regular use. Fantastic bike for the money it cost at the time.

I've lost track of when I got it but it must be at least 25 years ago, it's still in good nick.

I left Halfords in 1983 when the only brands sold were Raleigh, Falcon, Claud Butler and Apollo (Halfords own brand). I don't think Carrera were around back then.
The government are issuing £50 vouchers to get old bikes roadworthy, perhaps we should form a company to take on this work.

Count me in Paul, I’ve currently got a waiting list of neighbours and friends who want me to give their bikes a quick check over.
Trouble is they don’t realise that after 20 years in the garage how bad a state they are actually in!

I had my bike (sold two weekends ago for £35) serviced at the cycle shop in Nantwich two years ago. Afterwards it really purred along. Sadly when they fitted new tyres and tubes the put on plain black tyres, rather than those with an orange band as originally fitted. I was surprised at how drab the bike looked with just that simple change.