Usedkit › Selling used bikes

Selling used bikes

A bike that doesn't fit is no bargain, so size comes first. Then the parts that wear, and the frame.

What buyers ask first

• Frame size, and the rider height it suits.
• Wheel size, frame material, groupset and brakes.
• Model year, and whether it's been serviced.
• Wear on the chain, cassette, tyres and brake pads.
• The frame: dents, cracks, rust or a bent rear dropout.

How to grade a used bike

• Like new: ridden little, no marks, wear parts as new.
• Excellent: light scuffs, wear parts with plenty of life left.
• Good: visible scratches and normal wear; rides well; some wear parts due soon.
• Fair: heavy wear or parts that need replacing now; say which.
• For parts: a damaged frame or fork, or more work needed than it's worth.

A frame crack or a dented carbon part puts any bike under For parts, however good the rest is.

What to photograph

• Both sides, square on, in daylight.
• The drivetrain, the brakes and the tyres up close.
• The frame size marking or a tape measure on the seat tube, and every mark you mention.

Pricing it

Price from recent sales of the same model and year, then adjust for condition and the parts that need replacing soon. A recent service, with the receipt, is worth mentioning: it's what buyers fear paying for.

Selling them in a web shop

Each used item is its own product, sold once. Two things make that work: a condition every buyer reads the same way, shown on the product and in the product list, and a way to keep the buyer who arrives after it sold.

Usedkit adds both to WooCommerce and Shopify: a condition card with the details buyers ask about, and a "notify me" on sold items that matches by model, so the next one reaches everyone who waited.

How do I measure the frame size?

Most makers print it on the frame. If not, measure the seat tube from the centre of the crank to the top of the tube and give both centimetres and the maker's size (S, M, L) if you know it.

Should I service a bike before selling?

A basic service (chain lubed, brakes and gears adjusted, tyres pumped) costs little and makes the test ride sell it. Bigger work is better listed than done.

Write the condition text for a used bike · A waitlist for sold items

Sell bikes without losing the next buyer

Usedkit is free during early access. On WooCommerce, the plugin from WordPress.org; on Shopify, the Shopify app (in review for the App Store; available soon).