Had to let my old Cannondale go a few weeks ago, since we moved to a apt. several years ago I had been keeping my trusty ST-600 in my Daughters garage and that was no longer a option so i found a friends son that needed transportation to work and the Bike was a perfect fit for him, I feel better that it's going to be used and needed once more just hard to let it go bought it new four years before i met my wife. https://www.bikeforums.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

A friend Died a couple weeks ago

I need to get around to selling a couple of my bikes too but you're right . . . all the memories of all the rides you've done on those old bikes makes it difficult to let go.

Meanwhile, over in my rational half, I know I'm never going to ride them (much) again, they're taking up space and could be converted into (some, but not much) cash. May get around to it tomorrow . . .

Rick / OCRR

My primary ride is still my trusty old 1990 st-400. I love that bike!

I gave my beloved Schwinn Fastback (aka Tanya) to my daughter to commute to work. That was as painless as it gets.

The bike I owned before that (lugged steel Bianchi Portofino) is likely going to be donated as a ghost bike. It's rusted silly. That one is hard, as I rode that bike well over 80,000 miles.

On the other hand, I'm pretty sure the Colnago a friend agreed to sell me is happy between my legs. She's getting out quite a bit.

I guess the point is that bikes are made to be ridden ... if you're not riding it ... it belongs with someone who can and will.

Someone asked me this weekend if I had any "old" bikes to sell. Not sure what he meant by old, but I said "nope, not selling any of my bikes". To quote @qpcmsame, "you'll have to pry them out of my cold hands", or something along those lines.

"They can take my bicycle from me when they pry it from my cold dead hands." Its paraphrased from an old bumper sticker I saw as a child, for firearms. The is not my personal position on those, just for bicycles.

Bill

Are you lucky?

You found the perfect recipient for a bike that, aside from sentimental issues, actually had negative utility to you. You weren't using it and it took up storage space.

I've got a couple of bikes like that. Actually, Mrs. Grouch and I differ regarding the actual number. My problem is that my sentimental attachment value for my unused bikes exceeds the monetary value that anybody else is willing to give me for them. The result is they continue to hang, unused, in my shop. When it comes time to give up the condo they'll be just another problem for my kids to resolve.

I like this ^ , a good reason to hang on to them (all) .... until someday in hopes that the kids will want them. So far no takers.
And in the mean time, I'll continue to ride them all now and again, some just a little more often than others.

Did the same here, my old R500T went to our daughter, when I got the CAAD 10, in 2012. She enjoys and appreciates having a nicer bicycle, and it gets used and cared for by someone I know and trust. No pains from that, at all.

Bill

They're just things, like cars and motorcycles. They hold no emotional attachment for me. I agree the best way to dispose of them is to find someone who wants and needs them, regardless of any financial exchange.

I own 4 portly mountain bikes (32.6 thru 40 pounds) and one lightweight Trek 2.1 road bike (21.4 pounds with 700 x 28 tires). Each bike has a different gearing range which tends to make one more proficient for a given route’s terrain. Additionally, I sometimes elect to use the bike with the most limited low gearing on a particularly hilly route to increase my cardio workout.

Two of my mountain bikes have a suspension (one’s a 29er hardtail, the other a 26er dual suspension), so they’re all useful in their own way which keeps me riding all 5 of them alternately. Those with the lowest gearing tend to be my longest distance bikes (i.e., my 200 and 250-mile mountain rides).

The 40-pound Mongoose dual suspension bike is my choice for my 7 and 13 mile grocery runs because its suspension soaks up the bad patches of roadway and makes bumpy railroad track crossings quite smooth, which is appreciated when carrying up to 52 pounds of groceries on my back via my 40-year-old U.S. Army duffle bag.

Biker395, 80,000 miles is an awesome mileage count let alone for a single bike. Way to go!

^^ +1
I've reduced to the 5 roadies I do not intend to sell. I even tried to give the new son-in-law the Ti bike, but his lack of enthusiasm made me think it's best in my stable, if only ridden a couple of times per month.

Yep - did the same thing. But I still hate to see it relegated to commuter. And I still can't help myself from making her pamper it.

Actually, you know, this is precisely how N+1 came to be.

J.

I have two bikes I need to let go of. First is my wife's mid/late 80's Nishiki she a week after purchase decided she really didn't like...it has at most 20 miles on it. That one's a no brainer. The second is my early 80's Fuji Grand Tourer I no longer ever ride, but am having sentimental issues giving up.

I'm telling ya,, Play Santa, Give The bikes you don't ride anymore to a poor kid, or rider.

You will feel great when you see them riding it away smiling

parting with an old well-loved vbicycle is like losing a very close friend.

I have a number of 1980s vintage MIELE bicycles (hence my handle) and I love every one of them. We've travelled great distances together and seen many interesting sights and sites. A couple of them that I don't ride that often are now wall art. One Columbus SL frame has Shimano 600 Arabesque on it.

The one bicycle I truly regret selling was my Velo Sport Team Issue (Bloor Cycles Racing Team used them) with a complete Shimano Dura Ace AX groupset including the handlebars, stem, seatpost and aero watter bottle. I'd love to get a bicycle just like it again.

Cheers

Very good advice. All I need now is to find a deserving/appreciative/good home and I'd be quite willing to part with my two unused.

Yes!