What's a fair price for this bike?

I'm planning on getting my wife a new bike and if we do we'll be
selling her old one. It's a 2002 model C40 Raleigh comfort bike. It has
a Shimano drivetrain with the 7 spd twist shifters and 700cc wheels.
It's in absolutely perfect shape, probably less than a hundred miles on
it. The tires look like new and still have the little rubber tips
sticking out on the sides. We paid a little over $400 for it new.
Anyone have any idea what it's worth?

Smokey

On 22 Sep 2006 22:57:06 -0700, Smokey wrote:

I'm planning on getting my wife a new bike and if we do we'll be
selling her old one. It's a 2002 model C40 Raleigh comfort bike.

The term reminds me of "comfort food" - I always imagine very fat
people licking comfort bikes to cheer themselves up when nasty
little children point at them.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

On 22 Sep 2006 22:57:06 -0700, "Smokey"
wrote:

I'm planning on getting my wife a new bike and if we do we'll be
selling her old one. It's a 2002 model C40 Raleigh comfort bike. It has
a Shimano drivetrain with the 7 spd twist shifters and 700cc wheels.
It's in absolutely perfect shape, probably less than a hundred miles on
it. The tires look like new and still have the little rubber tips
sticking out on the sides. We paid a little over $400 for it new.
Anyone have any idea what it's worth?

Smokey

Dear Smokey,

A friend of mine often remarks that a summer spent working in a pawn
shop will give you a much clearer idea of what things are really
worth.

But eBay is quicker. Here's a Raleigh 2002 7-speed. The starting price
is $50 plus $60 shipping, but it has no bids yet:

http://tinyurl.com/fn4b2

If you have an eBay account, you can do a similar search for completed
listings--no recent sales for raleigh 7-speeds.

While you may think of it as a $400 bicycle in perfect condition, most
buyers will look at it and see a 4-year-old used 7-speed bike. The
local bike shops, thrift stores, pawn shops, and landfills are full of
them.

If no one offers you whatever price you're hoping for, consider
keeping it as a spare bike for visiting friends and relatives.

Or keep it for the pair of spare tires and tubes--possibly other parts
would fit a new bike.

Or you could give it to your wife, since it's in perfect condition and
probably quite pleasant to ride.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

On 22 Sep 2006 22:57:06 -0700, "Smokey"
wrote:

I'm planning on getting my wife a new bike and if we do we'll be
selling her old one. It's a 2002 model C40 Raleigh comfort bike. It has
a Shimano drivetrain with the 7 spd twist shifters and 700cc wheels.
It's in absolutely perfect shape, probably less than a hundred miles on
it. The tires look like new and still have the little rubber tips
sticking out on the sides. We paid a little over $400 for it new.
Anyone have any idea what it's worth?

Smokey

I had one for a beater for four years and it was a pretty good bike.
I'm thinking Craig's list for $150 ask and take $75-$100. Ebay is more
of a pain because packing the bike for shipping takes a little more
savy than most items. That said, a C40 with scrapes and scratches
closed on the 20th for $93.35:

http://tinyurl.com/rbgej

And a nicer C200 brought $142.50:

http://tinyurl.com/lsvkj

Clean it up and take some good photos and include some close ups of
the rear derailleur, crankset, tires showing the moulding whiskers or
a link to these pictures, preferable both link and pictures, in the
listing. Write vivid description. Don't call it a 7 speed, call it a
21 speed.

On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 22:57:06 -0700, Smokey wrote:

I'm planning on getting my wife a new bike and if we do we'll be
selling her old one. It's a 2002 model C40 Raleigh comfort bike. It has
a Shimano drivetrain with the 7 spd twist shifters and 700cc wheels.
It's in absolutely perfect shape, probably less than a hundred miles on
it. The tires look like new and still have the little rubber tips
sticking out on the sides. We paid a little over $400 for it new.
Anyone have any idea what it's worth?

Don't think of the used-bike market like the used-car market. It's closer
to the used-furniture market, where the bedroom suite you paid $3000 for
goes for $100 in a garage sale. The only exceptions are high-end bikes,
which this is not.

I second the motion to keep the bike for occasional use. I never sell
bikes; I still use the first "good" bike I ever owned, a 1969 Frejus, as a
rainy-day commuter.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Accept risk. Accept responsibility. Put a lawyer out of
_`\(,_ | business.
(_)/ (_) |

"Smokey" wrote in message
ups.com...
I'm planning on getting my wife a new bike and if we do we'll be
selling her old one. It's a 2002 model C40 Raleigh comfort bike. It has
a Shimano drivetrain with the 7 spd twist shifters and 700cc wheels.
It's in absolutely perfect shape, probably less than a hundred miles on
it. The tires look like new and still have the little rubber tips
sticking out on the sides. We paid a little over $400 for it new.
Anyone have any idea what it's worth?

Smokey

I would think around $50 - $75.

David L. Johnson wrote:
On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 22:57:06 -0700, Smokey wrote:


I'm planning on getting my wife a new bike and if we do we'll be
selling her old one. It's a 2002 model C40 Raleigh comfort bike. It has
a Shimano drivetrain with the 7 spd twist shifters and 700cc wheels.
It's in absolutely perfect shape, probably less than a hundred miles on
it. The tires look like new and still have the little rubber tips
sticking out on the sides. We paid a little over $400 for it new.
Anyone have any idea what it's worth?


Don't think of the used-bike market like the used-car market. It's closer
to the used-furniture market, where the bedroom suite you paid $3000 for
goes for $100 in a garage sale.

Depends on where you live and how well your buyer knows furniture. My
roommate had a nice leather sofa that she paid $2400 for and she got
$1100 for it. Not great but better than the 3% you're talking about.

Greg

--
"All my time I spent in heaven
Revelries of dance and wine
Waking to the sound of laughter
Up I'd rise and kiss the sky" - The Mekons