Speaker 1: Everyone loves a shiny new bike, but unfortunately, sometimes, before you get
your new one, you have to focus on selling your old one first. It can be a bit stressful
when you go through a sale of your bike, especially if you've grown quite attached to it. In this
video, we're going to share with you some top tips on how to get the most cash for the
sale of your old bike. [music]
You have your eyes set on that shiny new bike and so do any prospective buyers. You don't
want to see any dirt or grime from the past month's riding, nor do you want to see that
horrid buildup of sweat from your turbo sessions. You want to give your bike a proper clean.
I'm talking cassette, you're taken the cassette off. Give that a real clean, crank set, outside
and inside, any little bits of dirt or dust that you might have overlooked on a quick
clean. That's all coming off. It's a big clean, folks.
Even if you've ridden your bike for a couple of days in a dry and it doesn't look like
it needs a clean, no, you're still giving it a clean because any prospective buyer is
really going to pay attention to your bike and examine it in detail. You don't want to
put anyone off by them seeing any kind of bits of dirt that might be hidden here behind
the brakes or those few stains just by the bottom bracket. It's going to need a deep
clean. [music]
Basically, the main aim of the game is just to make your bike look as presentable as possible,
as shiny as possible. Obviously, one tip to do that is to use a bike polish on your frame
after you've given it a clean, just to give it that last little bit of spic and span,
so it really pops in the photos and shows your bike off in the best light because ultimately,
that's what you want. You want to show your bike in the best possible way to any prospective
buyer. [music]
Next, folks, we're talking about pictures and a blurry photo, which is focusing on your
left shoe, isn't going to do anyone any favors. You want to approach this picture as if you're
submitting your bike to the Bike Vault, as if you're uploading on the GCN app. That means
all the rules. For those of you who may not know the rules, I'm going to run through them
quickly. You want your valves at six o'clock, crank arm at three o'clock. Biggie Smalls,
so chain on the big ring and littering at the back. I think that goes without saying,
that's not up for debate. Also, you want quite a clean background. I've
chosen this nice brick wall here. You don't want anything too busy, like a big landscape
shot with your bike in the distance, barely visible. You want people to focus on your
bike. That's what you're selling, after all. Also, you don't just want one photo, you want
an array of photos. Focus on the best parts of your bike, the upgrades that you might
have carried out, such as the Mavic wheel set, which would be going with this bike for
a certain link. I'm not selling it, just to get that one clarified in advance. Also, you
want to be honest with any potential buyers. You want to focus on damage, as well, and
be upfront about that. I think honesty is the best policy when it comes to sending your
bike and you don't want to mislead anyone at all.
[music] Here are a few examples for you. Look how
I've taken the handlebars a bit askew with in this one. It's a good photo, but it doesn't
quite look correct, does it? Now, look at this one. Handlebars properly lined up, you
can see the valves are in the correct position. Crank arm at three o'clock, Biggie Smalls.
Everything is just looking perfect in this one. Use this as your stock photo to go off
and then get your other smaller photos of the bits of detail that you don't want to
miss either. [music]
Folks, next stop now, bar tape. How can I put this? You wouldn't want to share your
sweaty towel down at the gym with someone else, would you? You wouldn't want to share
anyone else's sweaty towel, for that matter. The same goes for bar tape. You wouldn't want
to use someone's sweaty, old bar tape that they've been using on their indoor trainer
for the past year, would you? It's a bit grim, the thought of it. Do your bike a favor and
change your bar tape before you sell it. [music]
If you're selling your bike with any worn parts, that's not a problem, but just remember
to highlight this in the advert. You don't want to mislead people. If the parts are worn
beyond belief, it's going to affect the usability of the bike. Then, I definitely recommend
replacing them, if you can. Things such as lost cable ends or a new chain. Replace the
bearings, tighten the headset. You could do a new gear cable and brake cable, refitting
of the bike. All the things that are going to keep your bike in good working order.
[music] Look, those eagle-eyed amongst you may have
noticed I've got quite a lot of stack on my steerer tube here with quite a few spaces
above my stem. I did talk earlier about the Bike Vault and uploading a photo which would
be approved by the Bike Vault. I've left these spaces on for a reason and that's because
I want to highlight that when you're selling your bike onto a new owner, you don't want
to highlight the fact your bike's in a super aggressive position or in a really strict,
rigid position. You want to show that the position can be changed because the prospective
buyer isn't going to be the same exact height as you.
I've left these spaces on, just in case someone wants to change their position or raise their
stem and their handlebars, for instance. I don't want to chop all that off just for the
sale of the bike because that's limiting the position that anyone else can use. Equally,
don't advertise your bike with the saddle flying up in the air or your handlebars right
dropdown. Get in quite a neutral position, I think, and that'll show to people that the
bike can be ridden in a few different positions, and it's not stuck in the one position which
may not fit them. Just my advice. I know it wouldn't have made the Bike Vault, but it
might help sell your bike a bit better. [music]
Be upfront about your bike's history. Be honest, people, and also, share any contacts you might
have that regard the bike. It's a major selling point to any new owner of a bike if it comes
with a warranty and it's a definite bonus that will help you sell your bike.
[music] You could sell your bike with any spare parts
that you might have accumulated with it. Things such as a different seat post, which will
allow a different setback. You're not going to need it on your new bike because most parts
like this are designed for a specific bike. If you don't need it, then you may as well
sell it on with the bike that you're passing on to someone new. The same goes for any small
parts that might go with the bike. For instance, if you have an older model TT
bike that you're selling, those small parts, while they can be really hard to source sometimes,
for anyone who's looking to tweak their position in the future, spaces or risers for your pads
on the TT bars, they're really valuable. Make sure that you haven't thrown them away. Keep
them in a safe place. If you're thinking about maybe selling your bike in the future, you'll
have them with you, so they can all be as one package.
[music] If you do have any cracks in the frame, don't
give up hope, don't fear. There are many companies these days that can fix a carbon frame and
recarb it. Just look with a quick search online and you'll find plenty of companies that will
offer this service. Be upfront if you have fixed the frame in the past. You don't want
to mislead people and you don't want to allow them to think that it's a perfectly blemish-free
bike. Point out any carbon fixes that have been done to the frame on your advert and
be honest with people. [music]
Just remember, you don't have to sell your bike as a complete bike. If you have a really
good set of wheels that you love and you don't want to get rid of, but you're looking to
sell your frame and the components on it, don't forget that you could sell it separately.
You just sell it as a frameset with the components and you can keep your wheels for another time
or for your new bike. Also, if your wheels are so old that they're just going to drag
the price of your bike down or they're just going to maybe put some people off the sale,
it could be worth just not including them in the sale in the first place and just selling
your bike as is. [music]
Thanks for watching, everyone. I hope that's helped you in your secondhand bike sale. I
think it's great to sell bikes and to keep the bike love going in the community, keep
everyone on two wheels. Especially, you can get some great bargains out there on some
top-quality bikes that are a bit cheaper than if you'd had bought them straight away brand
new. Let me know in the comment section below, what is your favorite secondhand bike that
you ever managed to buy or you might've even ever seen online? I'll be really interested
to hear from you all in the comment section. Thanks a lot, everyone, and see you all soon.
Look, Pinarello, I promise, I was just using you as a prop. I'm not really going to sell
you. Just as an explainer to people. I know, but I won't do it again, I'm sorry. We're
together now. Together, I won't get rid of you.
[00:09:56] [END OF AUDIO]