trade in or not?

i was offered $400 trade-in for my old bike from my LBS -- i have an hour to make the decision whether to take it or not (i did have 2 weeks to make my mind up but i still cant, hence this last minute post to y'all!)

the trade-in offer is very fair-- $400 would be very useful from a creditcard point of view-- but would i do better to keep my 'old' bike as a second backup bike for bad weather, if my new bike is in for repair or whatever, or if a friend wants to try riding etc. or should i just take the money, cos it is better than the old bike sitting pretty much unused?

i am worrying i will really regret getting rid of my old bike, despite the $400 being VERY useful right now--

i have an hour to decide - please help with any insights!!!

batsheva

Do you like your old bike? If so, keep it. You couldn't replace it for that. And it's nice to keep a back up bike.

CA

Isn't the old bike a Cannondale Synapse full carbon or do I have you confused? I would think you might have luck fetching more than $400 off Craigslist if you are patient and really need the money. I know the economy is awful (and I have a friend in Orlando telling me how bad it is there) but $400 seems low-ball for that bike (if I am right) compared to taking the time to sell myself. For example I recently (december) sold my aluminum KHS Flight for $440, it had Tiagra. Granted it had only 400 miles and a computer and that was asking I thought they would go lower but see you can get more if you need money. Took two weeks to sell, of course Austin's economy is slightly healthier than the rest of the nation but it isn't great. I would keep a Carbon as back up but not a true "beater". And I regret selling my first roadie (in 2006 I sold a steel Fuji) even though I know I would ride it very little, when my C-dale has a 3 day shop appointment and the sun is so high I kick myself for not having another roadie!

it is a 105 equipped alloy Cannondale Synapse, not carbon-- I am an RN, so God willing, my job should be fine-- and the tradein offer is approximately one work shift of pay...

Then $400 is on par with what I got for alloy off C-list. You might regret it but I only do ever so often. I more regret that my Fuji could have held a rack and my carbon bike can't. But honestly when I bought my carbon bike I had remorse over the price tag and liked the $400 my old bike fetched. I would lean towards trading in but yes, you may sometimes wish for another bike. It is a pain of a catch-22.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by batsheva

it is a 105 equipped alloy Cannondale Synapse, not carbon-- I am an RN, so God willing, my job should be fine-- and the tradein offer is approximately one work shift of pay...

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The ideal number of bikes to have is one more than you already have, and one less than the number where Sweet Thing says he'll leave you if you buy another derned bike.

Tom
(usually quoting that from the perspective of the other gender :rolleyes: )

I really regret not keeping my old bike as a backup/rain bike. I think if you can afford to keep it, do. You can always sell it if you get in a pinch. I think the reason the LBS might be willing to take as a trade in is the market for used bikes is up. You won't have any problem selling it on your own if you need to.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ttaylor508

I really regret not keeping my old bike as a backup/rain bike. I think if you can afford to keep it, do. You can always sell it if you get in a pinch. I think the reason the LBS might be willing to take as a trade in is the market for used bikes is up. You won't have any problem selling it on your own if you need to.

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Ditto. I would love to have a rain/trainer bike (that's not my commuter).

if you don't need that $$ right now I'd say keep the bike. You like it and you already know it's useful. It's not going to lose value like a 2007 Ford Focus will.

Agree w/ the last post. You lose most of the value on a bike during the first few months of when its new...Its not going to go down as quickly now.

However, if you have a storage issue (like me) then don't hesitate to make room in the stable....It depends what kind of a rider you are. If like me you'd rather be dead than out riding in the rain (and your climate goes along w/ you on that!) then get rid of it. Its not worth the space to keep something for "someday"...

I regret selling my Dolce when my dh bought me my Ruby.

I would have used it on the trainer and on the nasty winter roads especially when the snow is melting and there is a lot of salt residue. I don't do too much riding outdoors in the winter, only on the weekends depending on sun and wind.

~ JoAnn

the concensus seems to be 'keep it unless you are desperate'... so i've kept my cannondale baby... maybe i will sell it one day-- but think i am ok with keeping it for now.. i can always sell in the future, but wouldnt be able to get my baby back if i traded in--

all your advice was great for my last minute decision - thank you!!

batsheva

At least in the DC area, a 105 equipped cannondale would sell on craigslist for more than $400.

Good call. I regret selling my Fuji, not that I think I would use it often but I wish I hadn't. I don't regret selling my KHS that didn't fit but the Fuji did. WSD bikes seem to fly off Craigslist here, so if it is WSD (judging that you went to a Ruby I would guess it is) then you should be able to sell yourself. I sold my KHS for asking price in one week. My Fuji, asking price in less than a month. ;)

I think you made the right choice.

I would have kept any one of the bikes I've traded in (or sold to buy a different bike) if they had fit me. Lucky for my wallet - I was getting a new bike precisely because the old ones didn't fit right.