I want to Swap my bicycle

[tigermad]

Hi guys. I bought a bike last year and have decided I want a bike with suspension now. Are there any second hand bike shops in Beds, Herts, Bucks that will either do some kind of swap deal or will buy mine off me?

Thanks

 

[nheather]

What bike is it? By which I mean, is it a famous brand or a generic? What sort of quality or original price £100, £300, £600, £1000 etc. it will make a difference on how/where to sell it.

Many bike shops offer part exchange - that may well be the easiest.

In my experience bikes lose a lot when resold.

You will probably get more if you can find a private seller.

Also on budgets. You may already be aware, but a decent full suspension will cost you a lot more than a decent hardtail. And the cheap generics you see with all the bells and whistles for knock down price are junk - heavy and weak frames (amongst other things).


Cheers,

Nigel

 

[tigermad]

What bike is it? By which I mean, is it a famous brand or a generic? What sort of quality or original price £100, £300, £600, £1000 etc. it will make a difference on how/where to sell it.

Many bike shops offer part exchange - that may well be the easiest.

In my experience bikes lose a lot when resold.

You will probably get more if you can find a private seller.

Cheers,

Nigel

Hi Nigel

It's a womens specialized sirrus sport. Paid about £450 last year if I remember. Don't want to pay more than £500 for a new one. Was looking at the vodoo hoodo for a replacement. Seems to get reviews but can only get them in halfords.

 

[loz]

Well the advert that is displayed when I visit this thread is from Evans Cycles

"Trade in your old banger for up to £100 off a new bike".

The power of google ads I guess

 

[tigermad]

Well the advert that is displayed when I visit this thread is from Evans Cycles

"Trade in your old banger for up to £100 off a new bike".

The power of google ads I guess

Thanks loz but my bike should be worth about £300 hopefully.

 

[nheather]

Well the advert that is displayed when I visit this thread is from Evans Cycles

"Trade in your old banger for up to £100 off a new bike".

The power of google ads I guess

I suspect she would want more than £100 for it though.


Don't know the Specialized women's bikes well but I have a Specialized Rockhopper which is a hardtail MTB and from the price I suspect they are of similar quality and equipment level. But if I wanted a full suspension equivalent of my Rockhopper I wouldn't be surprised to have to shell out near £1000.

For a full suspension for the same price as my Rockhopper, I would expect a significant drop in component quality.

Selling bikes second hand for a decent price is difficult. Everyone wants a bargain. Stick it in Friday Ad and you get people who don't understand why you are trying to sell a basic hardtail for £250 when they can get a brand new full supension with disk brakes from Tesco for £99.99.

Firms like Specialized sell like football shirts - they change the colour scheme every year so people can tell whether you have the latest model. If like me you are not bothered then you can usually buy last year's colour scheme brand new at a significant reduction. So if you bought the latest brand new you are hit twice, once because it can be bought brand new for heaper and once because it is second hand.

I imagine you would be looking at £200-£300 if you can fight the right buyer.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[tigermad]

Just front and seat post would be fine. Like the rock hopper actually.

 

[nheather]

Just front and seat post would be fine. Like the rock hopper actually.

Oh right, just front suspension. Should do fine ith £500.

Pity you may be a little late. Specialized tend to sell off their last year's models between October and March at decent discounts - maybe £150 off and usually the only difference is the colour scheme. May still be sone around - worth checking this weekend - or do you need to sell the current one first before you can buy.

Just had a look at the Sirrus on the Specialized site. Looks like a Hybrid. May I ask why you want a Suspension bike - is it that you want to cycle off road or because you think it will be more comfortable.

If it is for road work you will find a MTB harding going. The wider knobbly tyres offer greater road resistance. They are usually heavier. And you find that some of the work you put in cause the suspension to compress so in terms of moving forward that is wasted energy.

In a couple of months time I'm going to be looking at a hybrid or road bike to go alongside my MTB.

What makes your bike a woman's? On my quick skim through the site it looks unisex to me. What frame size is it?

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[solidamber]

If you paid £450 a bike shop would be unlikely to give you more than £100

 

[nheather]

If you paid £450 a bike shop would be unlikely to give you more than £100

Depends on what you were buying, but for another £500 purchase I probably agree with you.

They don't really want the hassle/risk and have to make a profit on it themselves.

Best selling privately, but difficult because you have got to find a buyer that wants that make/model, in that frame size and preferably local.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[RBZ5416]

There's always the classifieds here. And if you buy used then that should offset the loss on your purchase.

Although it may be feasible to replace the fixed forks on your bike.

 

[loz]

Thanks loz but my bike should be worth about £300 hopefully.

I suspect she would want more than £100 for it though.

Of course, I was just highlighting the ad.

 

[clc.sheff]

If you like the bike bar not having suspension then maybe just get some suspension forks and get them fitted. £200 all in should get the job done which will probably be less than you loose selling the bike second hand. £300 may be a little high for a second hand price.

 

[tigermad]

Thanks for all the replies. I can feel every bit of the road on my bike since the conditions of most roads are pretty poor. I go into woodland sometimes and my bike just doesn't seem brilliant for slightly rocky areas or areas with branches coming the through the ground. I am not a very confident cyclist and don't feel very secure on it really. Maybe it's just me.

 

[RBZ5416]

I'd suggest both dropping Specialized a message & asking for a recommendation for a bike shop on the cycling thread. Tell them what you want from your bike & see what they advise. Maybe some bigger tyres with lower pressure when off-road would help.

Just beware the road-bike gang who will insist you should get something that weighs the same as a feather & has tyres & a saddle with the same profile as a razor blade...

 

[tigermad]

Thanks everyone. Think I will have to wait a whole to do anything. I am being made redundant on Tuesday. If I get a job quickly I will buy a new bike

 

[tigermad]

Ok. I'm officially an idiot the bike is a vita not a sirrus that would explain why I couldn't find a ladies version! Doh

 

[nheather]

Ok. I'm officially an idiot the bike is a vita not a sirrus that would explain why I couldn't find a ladies version! Doh

That makes sense, would have probably been too small for me any way.

Cheers,

Nigel