Sell the whole bike or just the frameset?
 

Ah, Friday! Finally enough time to read and write without being rushed!

Time of the year to clean out the bike stable a bit. Just sold my Jamis carbon fiber frame this week. Bought the frame to build up and got it built up just enough to know that the geometry and fit weren't going to work for me. Bought a Specialized Roubaix frameset and, while that build isn't done yet, seems like it's going to be very nice indeed!

Now I've realized that after 3+ years and many good miles, it's time to sell my '04 LeMond Buenos Aires, too. The frame's just a bit small, just enough off for me to always be noticing. Question is, do I sell just the frameset or do I sell the whole bike? It's in great condition, and I love the carbon/steel blend, but other LeMonds of the same model & year, also in great condition, are only selling for about $800 on eBay for the complete bike. A frameset for the same model/year goes for about $350.00. And shipping a complete bike via UPS, even when taken apart for shipment, runs about $100.

I think I'm really answering my own question here, and I'll end up taking the parts off the LeMond, selling the frameset, then putting the parts on something like a Jamis Eclipse frame, if I can find one up for sale (Jamis doesn't make the Eclipse anymore).

Guess that unless you buy something like a Waterford, the resale value of even really good bikes isn't that great compared to the original price. Steep depreciation. Kind of a shame, but I guess that's just the way things work.

By just selling the frameset it keeps the price lower and brings more buyers into play-as you've figured out. I've found buying just a frameset is an excellent way to economically upgrade rides.......well maybe not economical but less expensive than purchasing the components and the frame......

Hadn't quite figured that out, more just sort of had an intuition. It's just a lot less hassle to sell a frameset than a whole bike. And for some reason or other I just want to avoid the feeling that someone out there is riding MY bike, even if they've paid me for it. If it were a bike I didn't care much for, it wouldn't matter, but it's my LeMond! Keeping the components will help toward a worthy reincarnation!

I've got to ask. What size is it?

I reckon 3 years and a good few miles and parts will have a good amount of wear in them. I would look at selling the whole bike- along with the worn parts. Start afresh with a brand new complete bike with bright new shiny bits on it.

57 cm

Bought it in February '04 at an LBS in a smallish town in Oregon when they were having their "tired of winter" sale (think rain, lots of rain). Faces of the guys who worked there lit up when they saw my interest in it, and not having a size 59 in stock to compare it to (and only just getting back into biking, so not having a fit in my head to compare it to), they inferred it was the right size for me. No blame here, but I learned my lesson about trying different sizes within a range before buying.

This coming from the man who has, what?, eight bikes in his stable, if I counted right when you posted your workshop photo a week or two ago. :)

I'm of the mind that today's parts can go longer and farther than others may think. When I took the class at UBI last summer, I checked the chain wear on my LeMond after about 3500 miles*, and the gauge still read 'good.' I tend to stick with Shimano Ultegra parts because of their reputation as workhorse components, rather than go with more finicky, top-of-the-line bits. I give a great deal of care to lubing and maintenance. Maybe I should change my moniker to, what?, BluecollarBiker? That would be okay by me.

*I have four bikes, so this is not my total yearly mileage!

Selling the frameset, keeping the parts and getting a new frameset is like getting a new bike. I've been moving some of the "quality" parts around for years and they don't seem to wear out.

Ahhhh--- Tcr And Boreas are the road bikes--Dale Tandem for fun offroad- Bianchi for serious off road and Kona Explosif for rebuild. Then there is the OCR taht will get sold and an Old Raleigh MTB for renovating for my Daughter. Then there is the MIXTE that I was given and looking for a good Home. and then--OK I admit defeat

Thing is that Like the OCR-- Parts are not bad and the bike is OK- but A complete bike is for sale. None of the parts will be suitable as spares for the good bikes. And to be honest- Who would be interested in a Used OCR frame. Now as a used bike- Plenty of people will be queing up for a good condition bike that is ready to go.

And you can only ride so many bikes at a time. (And if the OCR goes-Room for another?)

If it were me, I'd base my decision on having a clear plan for the parts. If I didn't have something specific in mind about how the parts were going to be used, I'd sell it as a whole bike. My shed is filled already with way too many parts I'll never use; all of them kept because I thought I'd find a use for them later. As a rough estimate I'd guess that only about 60 to 70% of the parts that I save ever see use again.

Reusing, recycling, not buying new . . . isn't that kind of unAmerican? :D

Wow, you go through bikes like some guys go through wives! (Not that I know any. Well, actually I do know one, but that's another story.)

Yes, I can see how no one would want to buy a vintage frame by itself. I will sell the parts I'm not going to re-use, such as the Ultegra 9-speed 12-21 cassette. The others I'll port to another bike, or something! Thing is, if I don't clear out another bike or two, the wife will be distraught, and I would much rather have her feeling traught than distraught.

There's always eBay, Craigslist, that sort of thing for selling things off. I have an early '70s Schwinn Varsity I bought at Goodwill for $3.99 just for the fun of going through it and getting it into riding condition again. Was going to sell it for a few bucks to a guy at the local recycling center (he saw it in the back of my rig one day when I was dropping off some stuff), but went back the other day and he's no longer working there! That's another prime candidate for getting out of the garage.

Yes the Chineese economy will go into recession!