Should I sell?

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Appreciate this is more a buying part of the forum but felt this was the best place to post!

Long story short, I have a Scott Spark RC axs MTB that I very rarely use and have been contemplating selling it for a while. I appreciate I have to make the decision but wanted some opinions.

I ride on the road a lot and really wanted to get into mountain biking. The main issue is that the really tricky/gnarly stuff just gives me the yips and an occasional ride over canal towpaths or very gentle terrain just seems a waste of a rather capable machine.

I think if I was 10-15 years younger it wouldn't even be a question but the risk just seems to put me off now.

Bike is excellent condition, had it serviced in Jan and all the original parts (chain and tyres included) were all still good which highlights how little use it has had (probably 500km in 3 years).

Thoughts/opinions welcome!

 

[Tail End Charlie]

If you need the money, sell it.
If you don't need the money, keep it.
If you really don't need the money, sell it and give the money to charity.

 

[Baldy]

I'm afraid at the moment you can't give away second-hand bikes. I've been trying to sell a gravel bike for a while with no luck. I've got it for sale on this forum and half a dozen Facebook pages, as well as advertising it locally. It was around £1000 new, four years old and I'm only asking £350 but had no takers. Those Facebook pages are full of bikes for sale, mostly top notch bikes, but not one of the posts has any replies.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

If you want to get into mountain biking, ride it off road at your comfort level. You’ll enjoy it and likely get into rougher stuff as you get more proficient and comfortable. Enjoying it is what counts. We have people who come into our shop and buy road bikes with five digit price tags admitting to the fact that they can’t do the bike justice. We tell them it doesn’t matter as long as they enjoy the ride.

ride it and enjoy it.

 

[All uphill]

Can you adapt it to the riding you want to do?

Smoother tyres, narrower handlebars for example?

 

[wafter]

Interesting question.

Last year I sold my road bike as it'd seen zero use since I bought the gravel bike; which proved to be more versatile and always more appealing when I was contemplating heading out. I have no regrets..

Similarly to you I also have a little-used, perhaps impulse-purchased hardtail that's done maybe 200 miles in the 18 months I've owned it.

Before buying I consumed a lot of youtube content featuring various folks launching themselves down the side of mountains etc, however I've always been a cautious cyclist and knew I'd not be doing that.

Despite the low miles and initial misgivings I don't regret buying the bike as it's allowed me to cover ground that would otherwise be practically impossible on my other bikes; which is exactly why I bought it. While billed as a "hardcore hardtail" it does well just wafting over the tame trails and bridleways the gravel bike would find extremely uncomfortable.

While it's clearly the least-used and least practical of all the bikes I own (and hence would likely be the first out the door if push came to shove), that's the reality of MTBs for most of us and not necessarily a problem if circumstances allow.


I guess it boils down to your motives - you're clearly still using it, so it's not totally obsolete. What's precipitated the desire to move it on - storage space? Head space? Need for funds? Even though it's not getting a lot of use, do you have another bike suitable for the routes you use the MTB for, and if not would you miss riding them?

I think of all the different cycle permutations, MTBs have perhaps taken the biggest hit in terms of used value, so I'd certainly not be in a hurry to move it on if you can help it.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

If you want to get into mountain biking, ride it off road at your comfort level. You’ll enjoy it and likely get into rougher stuff as you get more proficient and comfortable. Enjoying it is what counts. We have people who come into our shop and buy road bikes with five digit price tags admitting to the fact that they can’t do the bike justice. We tell them it doesn’t matter as long as they enjoy the ride.

ride it and enjoy it.

I think that is a big part of it, feeling I could not justify it. You are right though, I don't have to be Nino Schurter, I should just enjoy the riding I do on it!

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Can you adapt it to the riding you want to do?

Smoother tyres, narrower handlebars for example?

Yes, I can definitely make some tweaks to make it more suitable for me. At the moment it is a bit of a monster truck with 2.4" tyres. Bit overkill for me!

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Interesting question.

Last year I sold my road bike as it'd seen zero use since I bought the gravel bike; which proved to be more versatile and always more appealing when I was contemplating heading out. I have no regrets..

Similarly to you I also have a little-used, perhaps impulse-purchased hardtail that's done maybe 200 miles in the 18 months I've owned it.

Before buying I consumed a lot of youtube content featuring various folks launching themselves down the side of mountains etc, however I've always been a cautious cyclist and knew I'd not be doing that.

Despite the low miles and initial misgivings I don't regret buying the bike as it's allowed me to cover ground that would otherwise be practically impossible on my other bikes; which is exactly why I bought it. While billed as a "hardcore hardtail" it does well just wafting over the tame trails and bridleways the gravel bike would find extremely uncomfortable.

While it's clearly the least-used and least practical of all the bikes I own (and hence would likely be the first out the door if push came to shove), that's the reality of MTBs for most of us and not necessarily a problem if circumstances allow.


I guess it boils down to your motives - you're clearly still using it, so it's not totally obsolete. What's precipitated the desire to move it on - storage space? Head space? Need for funds? Even though it's not getting a lot of use, do you have another bike suitable for the routes you use the MTB for, and if not would you miss riding them?

I think of all the different cycle permutations, MTBs have perhaps taken the biggest hit in terms of used value, so I'd certainly not be in a hurry to move it on if you can help it.

All good points, and you are right, I am in the nice position of not needing to sell, I think I just got into the mindset that as the bike was beyond my abilities it was an unjustifiable luxury to keep it.

I think I have been looking at it the wrong way, rather than focus on the bike and it's capabilities, I should focus on my riding and just enjoying the bike I have.

Decision made, I am keeping it!

 

[wafter]

All good points, and you are right, I am in the nice position of not needing to sell, I think I just got into the mindset that as the bike was beyond my abilities it was an unjustifiable luxury to keep it.

I think I have been looking at it the wrong way, rather than focus on the bike and it's capabilities, I should focus on my riding and just enjoying the bike I have.

Decision made, I am keeping it!

Good work!

End of the day if it does what you want it to performs a role that other's can't and you're not desperate for the space or money; where's the issue?

After a quick google I see it's billed as an XC bike and I'm sure you are indeed crossing the country; just not as fast as one might perhaps expect

 

[Profpointy]

I'm at the same point with my Brompton. Bought it whilst working away a lot as it would make the half hour walk each end a lot easier, I half-completed a load of upgrades then stopped working away so have never really ridden it in anger. Need to get it roadworthy again and flip it

I also need to finish the Shimergo upgrade to my Thorn tourer. I'd broke a bar end shifter and rather than simply replace it got the STI levers instead. Lost momentum after I got a fixie which I liked so much I rode it all the time.
I will keep the Thorn as likely moving to the lakes where I'll need the gears and the light off-roadish capabilities of the Thorn. Still need to finish fixing it though

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Good work!

End of the day if it does what you want it to performs a role that other's can't and you're not desperate for the space or money; where's the issue?

After a quick google I see it's billed as an XC bike and I'm sure you are indeed crossing the country; just not as fast as one might perhaps expect

Yeah, I am not going to be troubling Tom Pidcock any time soon 😂