Witterings

I have other hobbies where it's generally accepted that a second hand value for a 2 /3 year old item is about 50 / 60% depending on how it's been looked after / condition, is there a general rule of thumb for bikes ... I'm guessing it wouldn't be that dissimilar unless it's unusual / collectors items?

Dave Mayer

Yeah: that's about right. The bike loses 30% of resale value the moment is goes out the shop door, and is worth 50% of retail 3 years later.

Keep in mind that nobody pays full retail; you can buy essentially the same bike stuff direct from Asia for half the price of first-world country retail. This is partially due to retail and wholesaler mark-ups, but also due to first-world pricing fixing/enforcement by the big bike makers and component manufacturers. So US residents pay more than residents in say E. Europe, for no other reason than they can.

Another factor: bike chains last 2-3,000 miles no matter how you take care of them. Most bike owners, even of high-end gear blissfully ignore servicing requirements, until the chain and then the entire drivetrain is prematurely and hopelessly worn out. Assume that your average 3-year old bike need a new chain, cassette and chainrings: a $250 bill, plus labor.

Brocephus

Best Rule Of Thumb? It depends.
If you're the seller, you cite the original MSRP and the over-optimistic prices on ebay.
If you're the buyer........... then it's Bicycle Blue Book !!

Witterings

Cheers for that and useful info re servicing / chain as well .... I bought my 29er - 2nd hand and have just about done 1,000 miles on it ... maybe I should get the chain checked out at least!

I think it's funny that SO MANY of the bikes advertised on e-bay have only been ridden between 10 to 50 miles or ... "Only Ridden Twice" ...if one of those rides is John O Groats to Lands End and the other a round the world tour that's quite some riding ... but it was only 2

dedhed

Varies with condition and location.

darthraven0

I know right, I have had my bike for less than a month and have close to 200 miles on it. Every time I see that I think hmm BS move on.

JonathanGennick 

I take a pessimistic view of used pricing. Be wary of worn drive trains, lack of frame warranties, older geometries, older suspension design, lack of availability of suspension parts, older tech in general. OTOH, it is helpful to compare what you are buying used against what it would cost to buy the equivalent bike at new prices. Also watch for sellers who are overly optimistic about the value of any upgrades they've done over the years. Most sellers over-value their upgrades.

fietsbob

If you live in a high bike using town , the value of a used bike is higher ,
so Portland is where you sell your bikes ,,
at least that's how it works around here.

cost of most things is higher there..






..

Happy Feet

I would argue that. Not the cost, but the need. I enjoy rebuilding bikes from the 80's and often find drive trains in excellent condition. It's not the age but the use. Most 2-3 year old bikes don't even have 2-3000 miles on them to wear out the first chain.

hillyman

I made the mistake of looking up bluebook on my 2015 Trek 520. Just frigging sad. But I guess great for those buying one. Didn't even bother looking up my Montague. Guess I'll keep my bikes until their being sold in an estate sale.

MRT2

That sounds about right, but a lot depends on what country you live in and even what your local market for bikes is.

7up

Dave Mayer

Good point. The market for used bikes is highly location-specific. Left-leaning jurisdictions such as Portland, Vancouver and Shakytown feature the highest used-bike prices on the planet. Stuff you couldn't give away on the Plains goes for big $$. I always wondered if there was a business model in shipping large lots of discarded bikes from say Kansas City and landing them in Portland.


Another consideration: used mountain bikes with suspension are a very high-risk purchase. Most of these bikes I see at our local Co-op have seized or blown suspension forks, due to the internals wearing out, or blown cartridges and seals, or they got filled with water and are now corroded-up tight.

exmechanic89

Rule of thumb: it's currently a buyer's market. Great for buyers, not-so-great for sellers.

79SchwinnWS

I bought a almost new 2017 Giant Contend 1,rode maybe 10 miles,it was 7 months old,the bike sold for over $800 and I got it for $450,there are deals to be had.

Patriot1