Advice needed -how to sell a cargo bike frame
 

Hello,

I need advice on how to go about selling a bike frame. I have a Surly Big Dummy size large frame that I want to sell. I bought it and was using it to haul kids but found that I am just not comfortable with the weight up that high in the back and what it does to slow speed maneuvering. I have decided to move to a Cetma frame (box in front bakfiets style) and have stripped the frame of components and am ready to sell it.

I posted it to craigslist, of course. Are there other places/methods that I should try to use to sell it? I figure that it is so specialized an item that appeals to a limited audience - but am a bit clueless on how to reach that audience as I am new to it myself.

Also, how do I figure out what shipping would cost and is there a right/wrong way to box a bike frame if (Lord help me) the frame should not sell to someone local?

Any thoughts/help would be welcome.

Ebay would be another spot to post that frame. You could probably source one or two bike boxes from a LBS to scab together to ship it in. I believe the major shipping carries have shipping estimators on their web sites where you can enter the package specifics to get an idea on shipping costs. If you aren't interested in shipping it you could always list it as "Local Pick-Up Only" on ebay. If you do ship it, make sure to at least wrap the parts of the frame in contact with the box in bubble or foam. When I ship bikes or frames I wrap the entire frame in foam to be safe. You LBS probably has the plastic fork and dropout braces that new bikes ship with to give away to asking patrons. These prevent the fork and rear triangle from being crushed together.

If only the frame was a bit smaller... I'll either be buying an xtracycle to put on my KHS TR 101 or a utility frame like the Big Dummy for the purpose of transporting kids.

You could just pay a couple extra bucks and have the UPS store do the packing that way if there is damage you're covered.

Just to wrap up: I listed it to craigslist. I got nothing for a little while then figured out how to "refresh" the listing so it appears at the top of findings again. Then when I kept it refreshed I got a few bites on it all at once. Sold it locally for full asking price - $675 with fork frame, xtracycle rack parts and bags. That money is now sitting in a different cargo bike in the garage.

Thanks for the advice. Cheers.