Sell your mountain bike right

The brand MTB is too precious for you to conquer rough downhill rides on it. Road bikes are your thing and the longing for the bike park was just a phase. You wanted to show off your dream mountain bike on your next active vacation and now you don't have the money to travel. Or your MTB is always in the way. There are many reasons for selling your used bike. Often remains the shyness to advertise the MTB on the Internet. Even to estimate how much money you can ask is difficult. The fear of legal consequences when selling due to overlooked defects exists. Thus, the value of the used hardtail or Fully falls, while it crowds the garage or room. At the same time, the bicycle market is booming. Since some models are quickly out of stock, your used MTB can become a sought-after item. A few pieces of information are important if you want to turn your used bike into cash. Here you can learn everything about how to sell your mountain bike easily and fairly.

1. this is how much your used mountain bike is worth

An inventory of your MTB is useful before you sell it on. This way you can determine a fair price. Otherwise, you may pass on your bike as a bargain or potential buyers may stay away due to unrealistic price expectations. To determine the current market value of your MTB, take a look at its general condition. Larger rust spots can reduce the price. 

Look for cracks, bends or dents in the frame and handlebars. Welds are particularly susceptible to cracks, for example in the area of the head tube on the suspension fork. It makes a difference what material your frame is made of. Steel and aluminum can bend. A carbon frame does not bend, but gets fine cracks before it breaks. In principle, all materials are very robust. Still, do some soul-searching and think about crashes you've had with your bike. If you are unsure about cracks in the carbon frame, consult a professional to be on the safe side before selling. 

Check that the brakes are in working order. Look at the wear of the rims. You should also take a look at the drive including chain, crank and sprocket. Take a test ride and shift through all gears. Listen carefully to hear if anything clanks. Keep an eye on the tires. Do they still have tread, are there cracks? Also check the sides of the tires for cracks. They occur when the MTB is standing for a long time or incorrect tire pressure. Look for whether the wheels have a so-called eight, they should run round. A particularly high wear can also have the suspension of the Fully. This includes the rear shock and the suspension fork. They are usually very robust, but they should still be checked. 

The above points provide a lot of information about the condition of your bike. Also check whether any parts are loose or missing. Prospective buyers usually want an MTB that is fit to ride. In addition to indispensable components such as the brake or the chain, the saddle and pedals should also be bolted. This makes your MTB particularly attractive to seekers. If it is an e-bike, check the battery and motor. At specialist dealers, the battery capacity can be determined. This allows you to stand out from other sellers. E-mountain bikes are sold with a checkbook. If the maintenance intervals were kept, this is a big plus. Think about whether you have independently added or replaced spare parts that change the original condition.

In general, you don't have to be an expert to have an eye for worn and deteriorated parts. Be honest and consider how you would feel about the mountain bike if it were offered for sale. If the MTB has hardly been used, the condition can be described as new. For this it must also have been stored under a roof, protected from cold and wet. If it was well taken care of and stood dry under, it may be in good condition despite frequent use. In addition to the general condition of the used bike, other factors play a role. Prices can vary depending on the type of MTB. 

Is it a trekking bike, hardtail, all-mountain bike, city bike, e-mtb, or enduro? Time and again, it can be observed, especially in cities, that certain types are becoming a trend. Additionally interesting for the price determination is the brand. High-priced manufacturers such as Specialized record less depreciation on used bikes than no name producers. Established brands like Trek, Haibike, Bulls or Cannondale also remain more stable in value. High-quality components such as those from Rockshox, Sram and Shimano have a price-increasing effect. The same applies to high-quality motors for e-mountain bikes, such as those from Bosch. 

How many years old is the model you are offering for private sale? Models from the current season that are already out of stock when new can be sold at a higher price. A high demand regulates the value strongly upwards. Also relevant is how many kilometers have been covered with the MTB. Even if you once spent a lot of money on your new bike, there can be a significant loss in value. Sometimes 50% of the new price is paid for a used bike, even if it is in good condition, but still several years old. More than 85% of the new price is usually unrealistic, even with high-quality components and well-known manufacturers. How much your bike is worth after three, five or ten years, can hardly be answered in general terms. Too many factors have to be considered. For example, an old bike with technical defects can still be traded as a collector's item at horrendous prices.

2. get everything out of your ad

Before the MTB is put up for sale on a platform, such as Ebay classifieds or similar, it should be prepared in the best possible way. Loose parts can be reattached. Major repairs rarely have an appropriate price-increasing effect. The used bike should be cleaned in any case. However, you should not use a steam jet, which is usually used to clean cars. The high water pressure can damage the frame paint. With the garden hose, old sponges and some cleaning agent, every bike shines in new splendor. Photos in which the bike is well staged ensure more views of the ad. A neutral background and good exposure are essential for this. Lots of junk or a dark garage visible behind your bike will not invite ad views. Daylight photos against a white house wall are appealing. You want to avoid both overexposure and shadows. 

The images should be sharp. A tripod can help you with this. It is important that the MTB is completely visible on the side of one of the pictures. Especially good are pictures on which the components can be seen well. Wear parts that have already been checked during the inventory should also be photographed. Any defects can then be examined by interested parties. Here it is worthwhile to spend a few minutes more and produce qualitative photos. A few qualitative photos make more than a load of blurry shots. 

Include all the information you have about the used bike: Make, model, year of manufacture, frame height, condition, kilometers ridden, quirks, parts that have been replaced independently, details of components. If it is specifically a women's MTB, include it. If you sell your bike on the Internet, the test ride is often omitted for potential buyers. An exact description nevertheless gives security and can be decisive for the purchase impulse. Here, too, it is best to orientate yourself on what you yourself would find appealing. A confidently determined fixed price makes it possible to obtain a high purchase sum. Prices that are advertised on a negotiable basis are often pushed low. Have in mind how much you want to get at least for your MTB. 

Are you unsure about the price? Then start with a negotiable price and include some action buffer. That way you can compare interest and counter offers and get a good feel for a realistic price. The time of year can also help with the sale. Spring, before the season starts, is a better time to sell than fall, after the season is over. In spring, many people are full of energy and drive and thus willing to pay a lot of money for a promising MTB. Towards winter, other expenses are often waiting, the wallet is less likely to be opened for outdoor hobbies. Bikes that are trendy are also easier to sell at a profit. 

Work with words in your ad that will quickly direct searchers to your ad. If your MTB has significant defects, such as a bent frame after a fall, you can still make some money with it. If some components are in good condition, they can be sold individually. However, you're appealing to a small target audience here, people who like to tinker or who know bikes well. In addition, there is the work of dismantling the parts. In addition, buying used parts is rarely worthwhile if new spare parts are available and not too expensive. In supply shortages, you can be lucky and find buyers for the parts.

3. satisfaction on the seller and buyer side

The private sale of a used bicycle is a special situation. As a seller you want to get as much money as possible. At the same time, the buyer should be satisfied. Honesty is therefore indispensable. Often, potential buyers live too far from home to be able to take a test ride. Therefore, they must be able to rely on your information. Heavy wear of some parts can already make a bike uneconomical, as repair costs often turn out to be very high. Nevertheless, no professional assessment of your used MTB can be expected. 

Give details of quirks and defects that let you go to bed with a clear conscience. This will prevent subsequent discussions with the purchasers. The buyers should not be exposed to any risk due to a technical defect that was not specified. In addition, the buying party may be entitled to a material defect right if obvious defects were concealed and the mountain bike is not roadworthy. It is handled differently with the warranty period. In private sales, you usually do not have to give a warranty. Playing with your cards open makes for the least amount of work and happy people on both the seller and buyer side. In the end, it's all about having fun with your mountain bike, not making a high profit.

4. why your used mountain bike on buycycle.com sell ?

On the Internet there are various sites where you can offer your used mountain bike for sale. Ebay Classifieds is probably the best known platform. However, it is not specifically designed for selling bikes. This poses dangers in the buying process. One gives the personal data to strangers. A reversal in case of dissatisfaction with the goods is complicated. The buyer protection is not available or only in parts. Buycycle offers you advantages over other Internet marketplaces. Selling on our platform is fast, secure and easy. 

To create an ad, you only need to provide a few details about your bike. The components and a description of your MTB are automatically added based on the world's largest bike database. You will also receive a price suggestion based on the market value of the mountain bike for sale. However, a price can be determined individually on your own. There are no additional costs for the seller. Long chatting is not necessary, purchase requests can be confirmed with a mouse click. Material for shipping is provided by Buycycle and delivered to the seller. Then we pick up the packed bike through our partner shipping company and send it to the buy side. On other platforms, used bikes are often offered only for pickup to avoid the complicated shipping. Thereby the advertisement is interesting for few people who come from the vicinity of the seller. 

buycycle ships bikes all over Europe, increasing the chance of finding the right buyer for your MTB. As specialists for bikes, the buycycle team is there to help you with all your questions.