Selling: Complete Bike or Split?

jesper98

Hi, just wondering which is the best way to sell a bike: complete or split? Which will give me the best return? I have a Giant Reign 1 (2009 Bronze in colour) in very good condition - anybody know how much I can expect for it? I originally paid £1,750.
Cheers!!

cat_with_no_tail

You'll get more by splitting......

IF........

you can sell all the parts.

You may well end up selling frame, forks, wheels and shifters, then being stuck with a load of other bits for a while.

You'll probably get a faster (but lower) return selling whole.

It's worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it, look on ebay and classifieds for an idea.

Remember.... RRP is completely irrelevant when selling 2nd hand goods. Listing the RRP of stuff in your ad just makes you look like a douche.

Chunkers1980

Bikes aren't like cars, they don't have a odometer to help judge.

Based on it being brown, I'm going to say 4 Jaffa Cakes.

jesper98

Splitting seems the way to go - thanks!! Granted, it looks brown online but it's actually a metallic bronze which is quite distinctive. When I bought it I too thought it was brown and was pleasantly surprised. Totally agree about not putting the RRP on any advert - everybody knows that the street value is always less. However, 4 Jaffa cakes is a very tempting offer

97th choice

Having failed to sell a complete bike I'm leaning towards splitting. I'm fairly sure I can make more that way but the only thing stopping me is the hassle. Although selling the fork, wheels and frame then keeping the rest for parts is tempting.

warpcow

97th choice wrote:

selling the fork, wheels and frame then keeping the rest for parts is tempting.

This is what I've just done. Just letting the major parts go relatively cheaply I've made what similar full builds go for, and I still have a box of spares/parts for a future build.

Giraffoto

I'd be interested to know what bits you'd end up with - I recently cleared out my spares drawers (on realizing that I'd never used anything in them for a couple of years) onto eBay and the only thing that failed to sell was a couple of shims. Maybe the cassette and chain won't go, but I can't think what else . . .

warpcow

I listed stuff individually (not on here), so only sold the parts I advertised.

Giraffoto

Now I come to think of it, I'm sure someone has written on this site that they can buy a bike and get the price back by selling everything except the frame - so a good way to get a new frame, especially if it's one that doesn't get sold separately

The Rookie

SS did that, I also do similar, my Wifes bike for example was funded by selling the bits off the donor bike I bought and didn't use, so her bike with new frame, headset and forks was put on the trails for £73.

Most bits off a bike will sell eventually, although I just got a nice frame cheap and intend to put it together as a whole bike using bits I have left around!