Selling bikes?

[GLC1968]

I get the feeling the average Craigslist shopper is going to choke when they see the prices (even at half of retail they're waaaay more than a WalMart bike)..."who pays that much for a BIKE?"

You'd be surprized. I sold a Prius on craigslist and those don't go for chump-change.

When someone does a google search for Specialized Tricross,for example, craigslist postings come up, so you may not even end up selling it locally. We sold my husband's Trek Pilot to a guy in FL when we listed it in NC. It's always worth a shot and it's free!

[Pax]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone!

BTW - Did you let the potential buyer take a test spin? If so, how did you protect yourself from a ride away??

[zia]

As a buyer, I took my craiglist bike for a good, 30-minute test ride. I left my license, like I would at a bike shop.

[Pax]

As a buyer, I took my craiglist bike for a good, 30-minute test ride. I left my license, like I would at a bike shop.

Thanks for the tip!

[Bike Chick]

Pax, a lot of our cycling friends troll Craig's List looking for good bikes. I'm going to be selling my Trek WSD Pilot shortly and I think I will start there.

BTW, what size is your 1500?

[Pax]

BTW, what size is your 1500?

I'll have to double check the measurement, IIRC it's either a 51 or 54?? (my 7.5FX is a 20" and I have a 32" inseam)

[staceysue]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone!

BTW - Did you let the potential buyer take a test spin? If so, how did you protect yourself from a ride away??

Make them leave their car in your driveway!

[GLC1968]

Make them leave their car in your driveway!

Yep, that's what we did. Besides, we live in the boonies - if they were willing to trade a car AND bike all the way back to town...then they can have the bike!

[out_spokin']

+1 to the suggestions to try free on CL, and don't worry about the timing. Set the price, know ahead of time if you'd accept a lower offer, and give it a shot. Sure, there are folks who wouldn't spend more than $50 on a bike looking at CL, but they aren't your buyer pool. I've bought & sold bikes & parts on CL with great results, and always try there first. Ebay does bring the better exposure, but the fees have gotten crazy, and the timing can really matter. (pre-holiday OK, spring great, try listing on a Sunday night!)

Oh, and here's a great little piece on how to write a good ad. I can understand crappy info on the wally world bikes, but can't believe how many folks try to sell an expensive bike without a size, component info, and/or pictures.

http://www.usedbicycleguide.com/Tips...ycle%20Ad.html

If you get to the home page on that site there's great advice for buyers that might help you as a seller as well. http://www.usedbicycleguide.com/index.html.

Good luck!