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fair price?

pcrequest

Warming-Up
Mar 4, 2012
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I'm considering buying a friend of a friend's bike he's selling as part of a Sayonara sale. I'm visiting Tokyo for 2 more months and I want a used bike to get some riding in before I get back home, so I'll be selling it before I leave, and want to make sure I don't overpay.

Www.tokyobike.com - It is the "sport" model.

58000 JPY is if the bike is new. Seller is asking 38,000 (includes floor pump and cateye front and rear lights). It is 3 years old and he used it as a daily comuter. I inspected the bike the other day. Negatives: brake pads are nearly finished. Brake cables seem to stretch a lot. I'm used to better stopping power. Surface rust on every hex nut. Rust on chainring that looks like it won't come off. Marring on frame about 2 square inches total. Positives: I fit the bike. No play in any hub or bearings (steering, wheel hubs, bottom bracket). Wheels are true. Runs through gears fine.

Fair price? What do you think I could sell this for, in the same condition?

Thanks!
 
Seems like too much to me, espectially if you'll need to buy new pads and cables and spend some time sorting the brakes out. Knocking 1/3 off the price for a bike that was apparently stored outside and isn't really ready to ride doesn't seem to match the actual depreciation, even with the additon of a pump and lights.
 
Yeah too much. 38,000 is a starting point from which you deduct the cost of cables, brake pads, cogs and the cost to have them replaced. Auction on yahoo has similar for about 20,000。You would be very lucky to get the same for an old rusty bike. If he isn't a mate, go way lower on your offer. Remember it's a buyers market.
 
Sounds like it needs an overhaul:

Roughly:
1) Cable set - 3000 yen (brakes / derailers)
2) 9sp Chain - 1500 yen
3) Cleaning and Re-assembly / Tuning - 10,000 yen (if you do it properly)

The surface rust is not really an issue, but I would definitely make sure the frame is flushed and then treated with CRC or Boeshield.

Depreciation on geared city bikes is about 30-20-10-10-10 with bottom price on geared bike of about 3500 yen or so after 5yrs sitting in the elements. So - you are down to roughly 40% of the original purchase price (24,000 yen) plus needing the overhaul (14,500) which would equal 38,400 total.

On the upside - the Tokyobikes are simple, fit well smaller body because the 650c frame geometry, decent choice of entry level components. You can upgrade them ad infinitum and they have a certain je ne sais qua that makes them appealing in the same way as an Oakland Scrapper Bike. (ala Tim B).

On the downside - they are heavy, noodley and because they are 650c wheels, good luck finding a spare when you're outside of Tokyo! And even then, good luck! 650c Tires and tubes are just not that popular compared to 26" (most popular) or 700c (standard road bike)
 
Its a cheap crappy bike to start with - sorry for being so direct. Basically I would offer him 15,000 JPY for it (and that's being nice). Book off and other second hand shops will offer about 5,000 if that for it.

Basically you get what you are paying for.

Actually I would buy a entry level Giant from sports authority about the same price and you'll have a warranty - you'll get more back on it when you leave as well.
 
Yeah, what FarEast said.

Second hand bikes are worth fack all, even the rad expensive carbon ones, so to ask anything other than a peck on the cheek for something so crappy and low rate is a joke.

Basic rule of thumb when buying a second hand bike;

Take 12% off the RRP, then cut that in half, even if they have never ridden it. If they have ridden it, take off another 30% from that, and you are close to what you should pay.

They are basically asking you to pay for their dirty laundry to be cleaned, and you owe them nothing.

Harsh, but true.
 
No comment, I think others have said it all.

I'd just ask pcrequest to check back in here to provide closure.

John D.
 
Its a cheap crappy bike to start with - sorry for being so direct. Basically I would offer him 15,000 JPY for it (and that's being nice). Book off and other second hand shops will offer about 5,000 if that for it.

Basically you get what you are paying for.

Actually I would buy a entry level Giant from sports authority about the same price and you'll have a warranty - you'll get more back on it when you leave as well.

Again, what FarEast said. In similar shops last week I saw a Giant R3 for ... 34.500yen. Not worth to buy the used one mate, not worth it..
 
Great advice, all. I will let you know in about 2 weeks after I get back from a farm stay in Kyushu. I offered the seller 20000 in case he had a lower offer. He will try to sell for higher, for the time being.
 
Again 20,000 is way too high - you can walk in to any Asahi bike store and pick something up in the same bracket for new.
 
38,000 or 20,000 is madness.

Given the age of the bike and its use, you're doing the guy a favour taking it off his hands. It should be a gift or at most a nominal "beer" in the pub.
 
Also just for the record if he doesn't sell it he will need to pay the local ward office money to have it disposed of.

Most Sayonara Sales will list bikes like this for free.
 
38,000 or 20,000 is madness.

Given the age of the bike and its use, you're doing the guy a favour taking it off his hands. It should be a gift or at most a nominal "beer" in the pub.

Yeah, that is exactly what I said before.
 
38,000 or 20,000 is madness.

Given the age of the bike and its use, you're doing the guy a favour taking it off his hands. It should be a gift or at most a nominal "beer" in the pub.

Totally agree with this.

Most people pay the new price and years later they think of the bike as still "New" it isn't. I might buy him dinner at a decent ramen shop for the bike, but that is about it.
 
OK, you convinced me, I'll recind my 20,000 offer. I assume sport authority sells all new bikes. Honestly, it would be nice to not deal with any maintenance from the get go.
 
Yeah, three years old, and I'll bet the hubs have never been serviced, and I know from experience that the hubs on these bikes are not great, and when they go, basically you buy a new wheel, and the 650 wheels are not common so they are not cheap. I think you have made a wise choice.
 
OK, you convinced me, I'll recind my 20,000 offer. I assume sport authority sells all new bikes. Honestly, it would be nice to not deal with any maintenance from the get go.

Good, but just in case you do somehow get the bike, take care that you get its registration transferred over to you. (that little yellow sticker)

I'm not sure how this works, but for an informal sale, if the bike has been registered, there might be some minor paperwork that needs to be done so that you become the registered owner.

Just a thought...
 
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