"I wish I hadn't sold that bike"

[Lots of steel bikes]

This is a very common sentiment expressed in the retro forum. I need to make some room so may have to let a couple of bikes go. Any tips on avoiding the regret of selling a bike? Perhaps it's unavoidable.

[Torana68]

I regret selling a really really nice 3 star MS to another collector only to find he stripped the bsa bits, binned the wheels and sold the bare frame, I sold it at a low price, I thought he would look after it. Never again, everything/anything will be at market value (with the occasional exception of people I know better). If it doesnt sell at market/fair price its back to the shed . Id say do not sell if its something nice/something you like and you have room, forget sentimental value its worth nothing to anyone else. Dont get into the position where you have lots of stuff you dont really want in the first place, restrict yourself to something! be it brand or type or age.

[koen]

I have many and find them hard to sell sometimes but remember...its a bike. The world will not mourn its loss. Its just more consumer stuff we have too much of.

[Lots of steel bikes]

I regret selling a really really nice 3 star MS to another collector only to find he stripped the bsa bits, binned the wheels and sold the bare frame, I sold it at a low price, I thought he would look after it.

Ouch! You must have been gutted.

[munga]

still got that ugly multicoloured frame, Mr Lots'o'?
(you know the one)

[LG]

No major regrets with bikes, I find the issue of when to sell odd non-matching parts more a problem. I've come to realise, if the frame doesn't fit or is too unfomfortable to ride, no matter how nice it is, better to move it on and fine one that's right.

I have the opposite regret - those I wish I had bought but didn't . My main interest is Tassie made racing bikes, quality frames don't appear too often in my size, but I missed one recently I know I'll regret for a while.

[munga]

yes, that conundrum of whether to sell some orphan bits or build a complete groupset..

i've sold a few frames i wish i hadn't, and bought a few i wish i hadn't, but overall, i'm happy with my lot. these days if it fits me, i keep it. if it doesn't fit me, move along.

[singlespeedscott]

these days if it fits me, i keep it. if it doesn't fit me, move along.

Thats the key for me. If it fits keep it. No point in keeping a frame if its to small or to large for you to ride. Whats the point of owning a bike that you cant ride? A bit like vintage BMX collectors

I've sold a few over the years but the 3 I really regret selling the most are a lugless Malvern Star 5 star, a Shogun Alpine GT and a frame made by John Abeni. All were 24" frames which at the time I thought was to large for me but now know are a perfect size for the style of riding that I do

At least I have still got photo's of the frames

[gabrielle260]

I agree about the fit thing.
The only bike I regret selling is a Giant Cadex Carbon MTB. Do you remember the yellow and black ones? It fitted me well and rolled beautifully! It was a perfect commuter back in the days I lived in Richmond and worked at Tullamarine. Gee, I loved that bike!
Andrew

[Lots of steel bikes]

still got that ugly multicoloured frame, Mr Lots'o'?
(you know the one)

Yep still got that magnificent piece of Australian cycling history.

[munga]

so ugly. you should sell it to me cheaply, because it's soooo ugly.

[freshpatents]

The key thing is that the bikes you keep fit you properly and ride "well". After that I try and keep the ones I really like, not just the "it's a nice bike" ones, but the ones in great condition that when I ride them I come home and think "that's a really nice bike".
Doesn't solve my problem or yours though when the shed is full of really nice bikes...

[Lots of steel bikes]

so ugly. you should sell it to me cheaply, because it's soooo ugly.

You've hurt it's feelings. It's beautiful. Just a frame and fork now though.
[/quote]

[scratchman]

had a nice hand painted and striped Bates track frame, wasn't using it as I still had my old
track bike, sold it, regretted it ever since, guy who bought it assured me he was going to complete
it and ride it.
eventually another Bates turned up, not a track frame, but handpainted, and great to ride.
I think it's all about being able to use them, not just look at, although we all drool over the
bikes that turn up on the net.

[LugNut]

I once cancelled an eBay listing for my Ricardo Elite after a particularly enjoyable ride. Gone now, I still see it from time to time chained up outside a share house in Carlton. Not too fussed about it.

The one thing I do regret to this day is not buying this Nishiki that was listed on the marketplace here in June 2012...I agonised over it for days but decided that it would be too much of a hassle to move a bike interstate, plus I had less than 10 posts at that time and didn't have the space for it. I really feel like I missed out on my soul bike, I have extremely long legs, and the odd size (62cm seat tube and 56cm T-T) would have fitted me perfectly, and probably nobody else! I still re visit the post from time to time, and contacted the seller about 6 months after the listing, but he told me that it was long gone.


IMG_0802 by assman 1, on Flickr

[TTar]

The one thing I do regret to this day is not buying this Nishiki that was listed on the marketplace here in June 2012... the odd size (62cm seat tube and 56cm T-T) would have fitted me perfectly, and probably nobody else! I still re visit the post from time to time, and contacted the seller about 6 months after the listing, but he told me that it was long gone.


IMG_0802 by assman 1, on Flickr

Is that a production model Nishiki? It's one wacky frame that one; an upwards sloping top tube... towards the rear! A head tube length that beggars belief (where do you find a fork/headset to suit?). Look how low the bottle cage is, your arms would have to be longer than your legs to reach that and you'd have to be a contortionist to ride with your hands on the bottom of the drops. Only the chain stays and forks look "right".

It would be interesting to know we're it ended up. Maybe a pro basketballer?

[LugNut]

Seller said it was a Nishiki, I didn't see anything to prove or disprove but it does look like a Nishiki Cresta or something similar. Anyway, it's a quality 'sport touring' frame with Cantis, Probably Japanese made - That's enough to fit the dream bike category for me. I think the slope in the TT is due to the slope of the backyard, the front wheel sits a good few cm lower than the rear on the ground. As for the head tube length, long reach to the bottle cage (and downtube shifters), welcome to the world of having a 93cm inseam.

[Lots of steel bikes]

It would be interesting to know we're it ended up. Maybe a pro basketballer?

Like this.

[singlespeedscott]

[quote="TTar
Like this.

He makes those wheels look like 24" cruiser wheels

[familyguy]

Anything I've ever sold I've regretted, in varying ranges from 'just a little bit' to 'I'm never going to see another one of those'.

Jim

[jonbays]

I miss them all but you can't ride that many bikes and the wife was getting awfully dirty about the lack of space in the garage, shed and garden shed. The ones I remember that were nice were my Carlton Criterium, Carlton Sirocco, Raleigh Sprite, Raleigh Pro Race, Motobecane jubilee sport, Peugeot Avoriaz, Peugeot PS10 and an old weird Lambert.

A few I gave away to family friends but the worst part was most went to bad homes with people buying them for peanuts off ebay who clearly weren't going to treat them right.

Worse still I didn't make any money (lost it in fact) so could afford to do up all the bikes I kept.

[Lots of steel bikes]

As for the head tube length, long reach to the bottle cage (and downtube shifters), welcome to the world of having a 93cm inseam.

Hey Lugnut, I also have a 93cm inseam.
This bike fits me well. 61 seat tube 56 top tube 19.5 head tube and 70mm stem, saddle all the way back.

[ldrcycles]

I've been trying to think of the bikes I wish I hadn't sold since this thread went up, but I've done too good a job at blocking out the memories . I can remember saying to my wife "I'll really miss that bike" after one was picked up by it's new owner but I can't remember what bike it was.

On a happier note, I stripped my Tarini Prima to sell the groupset and frame, the group went no worries but the frame wouldn't even get $100. There was no way I would let it go for less than that so eventually rebuilt it and remembered how much I loved it. Not going to let her go now .

[Mountcyclo]

I did'nt sell but stupidly threw out my 1985 vintage Apollo mountain bicycle which had sad in the shed quietly deterioating unused for many years.

Worst thing I ever did as now have moved to an area where a bicycle would be very useful. Indeed now nearly 30 years later it would be something of a relic of days past.

[minhyy]

this was my first road bike, just over a year ago when I knew nothing about bicycles. It was sold 6 months later to a taller acquaintance in Perth when my Pug became a presence in my life haha. I don't particularly miss it, but it did invoke my interest in cycling



I still don't know anything about this bike except that it was possibly built by a Swift Cycles in NSW some time in the late 60s and it ran SunTour Spirit/Honor, Sugino cranks and Ukai rims.