Value of used, converted bikes

[Bogmonster666]

I’m considering selling my e-bike, not really sure of what is a sensible and fair price? It’s a Cannondale mtb conversion (ok, it’s a mtb lookalike, not a proper mountain bike but good for towpaths etc) with a Woosh 48v TSDZ2 kit with Woosh bag battery (in a waterpbox, and only then in a trunk bag).

The kit is a couple of years old but still fully functional. I did have to replace the motor (with a unit Woosh supplied) as the hall switches crapped out and a bit too fiddly to replace the switches themselves. Battery is holding up very well and has been looked after.

I’m simply not using the bike anymore, was using it only for shopping and pub runs in the end but I’m a lot fitter now and retired so have little bother getting up the big hill near me on my analogue bike and could do with the space.

Bike has a few scuffs but functionally good including chain, cassette and chainring with little wear. The rack and unguarded have come off another bike so a bit tatty. The trunk bag has the battery box in it.

The cassette is a 11 to 34t and the chainring is a Shimano 34t chainring (not the original TSDZ2 chainring). I found this gives ample top speed but better hill climbing. 650b wheels.

What’s people’s thoughts on a fair price?

 

[Bogmonster666]

Photo didn’t attach 1st time… I have not put this in classifieds as at the moment I am thinking if it is worth trying to sell at all. My suspicion is that I won’t get much for the bike and may just keep as a spare / emergency bike…I guess the other option is to split the kit and sell bike and kit separately?

 

[matthewslack]

The advice often given here to newcomers is buy a good secondhand bike for peanuts on Facebook marketplace or ebay and add a kit. The number of peanuts is not often specified, but is usually less than 200.

The kit might be worth half the new price, and the battery only has value locally as there is no economical and legal way for a private citizen to post/courier it - dangerous goods rules.

Probably keep the bike, list the kit on an auction site where it might do better than my estimate, and local advertising channels for battery, again at probably half new price.

 

[guerney]

I do see conversions listed on ebay sometimes, but they're up for ages with wildly optimistic pricetags (at least a couple there now), considering the level of suspicion their batteries are regarded with by people like me, who assume it's been shagged to near death bigly abused ready for recycling, therefore factor the price of a brand new battery into any such potential purchase. If I intended to sell, I doubt my convertetd bike would be worth much, no matter how much I waxed lyrical about the battery on the listing. Sellers don't like to hear half original purchase price is fair, though IMHO generally it is.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/267340503505


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/396806775500


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/396806784513

 

[Bogmonster666]

I agree about the suspicion part! I would also be suspicious if I were on the other end. Ideally it would be collection so someone could take it for a proper long test ride. I was hoping in the £400 mark for the whole bike but looking at the Woosh site it looks like prices are coming down from what I paid or maybe it’s my old man memory. It’s £470 for the kit with bag battery. So half of that plus the bike and I guess the £400 complete isn’t too far off. I think I would try it at maybe £375. To be honest though, it might just be worth selling something else out of my garage to make some more space . Having recently acquired a proper mountain bike I can’t move for bikes. Looking at other stuff, what about a coke blacksmiths forge or a 6 ton fly press (bet Evri would love that), a massive leg vice or numerous other heavy and oversized stuff. I tend to lock the bikes to the fly press, if anyone can walk away with that I’m not going to argue with them.

Not been looking at new bikes, are e-bike prices coming down in general? TBH, I thought many (not Woosh) were somewhat overpriced but I know bike companies are struggling. As I understand it, shops can’t shift analogue mountain bikes at all. Everyone who want to drop 4 figures on a mtb expects a motor. Personally I’m happy with analogue on my MTB and the people I mountain bikes with are all analogue cyclists. You enjoy the downhill thrills if you have to work hard for them.

I think I have come to a conclusion, and Mrs BM has convinced me, it’s probably better just to keep the Cannondale carbuncle and actually use it a bit more. Tbh, it’s more useful to me in the winter when it’s nasty weather and I want to wrap up warm and just get from A to B. It’s a very functional bike but quite a dull bike.

 

[saneagle]

I agree about the suspicion part! I would also be suspicious if I were on the other end. Ideally it would be collection so someone could take it for a proper long test ride. I was hoping in the £400 mark for the whole bike but looking at the Woosh site it looks like prices are coming down from what I paid or maybe it’s my old man memory. It’s £470 for the kit with bag battery. So half of that plus the bike and I guess the £400 complete isn’t too far off. I think I would try it at maybe £375. To be honest though, it might just be worth selling something else out of my garage to make some more space . Having recently acquired a proper mountain bike I can’t move for bikes. Looking at other stuff, what about a coke blacksmiths forge or a 6 ton fly press (bet Evri would love that), a massive leg vice or numerous other heavy and oversized stuff. I tend to lock the bikes to the fly press, if anyone can walk away with that I’m not going to argue with them.

Not been looking at new bikes, are e-bike prices coming down in general? TBH, I thought many (not Woosh) were somewhat overpriced but I know bike companies are struggling. As I understand it, shops can’t shift analogue mountain bikes at all. Everyone who want to drop 4 figures on a mtb expects a motor. Personally I’m happy with analogue on my MTB and the people I mountain bikes with are all analogue cyclists. You enjoy the downhill thrills if you have to work hard for them.

I think I have come to a conclusion, and Mrs BM has convinced me, it’s probably better just to keep the Cannondale carbuncle and actually use it a bit more. Tbh, it’s more useful to me in the winter when it’s nasty weather and I want to wrap up warm and just get from A to B. It’s a very functional bike but quite a dull bike.

I think £500 would be a fair price for that.

 

[matthewslack]

That's quite a garage!

Mid-drive market is seeing better spec for the same money, and quite frequent last year's model big discounts with the advantage of full warranty.

Not too much over £2K for hardtail with Bosch PerformanceLine or better and 625Wh battery.

 

[thelarkbox]

If you dont NEED the funds, give the bike to a family member, friend, neighbour who could use it and will appreciate it.


you wont make any ££ but you could score lots of 'brownie points' with folk who matter.

No one will value the bike the same as you pre sale.

And when considering a 2nd use machine/conversion, i had to assume the battery was dead or dying so would factor that into my offers/bids..

 

[soundwave]

put the batt on the frame then pizza box will fit and put it on face book market place

 

[saneagle]

put the batt on the frame then pizza box will fit and put it on face book market place

Good point, well presented. I'd give you a medal, but no point because you don't have a chest to put it on.

Here's what I'd do. Get a downtube battery for it. Wrap gaffa tape around the battery and frame until you can't see the battery. Change the rack for one with a big platform on it, big enough to take a box approximately 500mm cube. Download the OSF for it and set current and speed to maximum, then park it near your largest local hotel with a for sale sign on the bike. To make sure you have the right hotel, look around to see that there are plenty of ebikes coming and going with large blue boxes on the back. If you don't see any, try the next largest local hotel until you have success. It should sell pretty quick if it doesn't get nicked first.

 

[Bogmonster666]

Being a retiree on health grounds but unable to access a pension yet, beer tokens are always useful. None of my family would be interested in a bike, and all the friends I have who cycle are very much not e-bikers. Most of them are very serious about long distance cycling or mountain biking.

I may give it a punt somewhere but if it does not sell at a sensible price not a big deal.

I’m sure many of you have more bikes than me
but I can still only ride one at a time.



I only use the Trek hybrid for everyday cycling and the MTB for fun. The folder also needs to go…

 

[Bogmonster666]

Just an update, tried to list some random e-bike components, brake levers, crank arms etc on fleebay and you are no longer allowed to do so as a private seller. I don’t necessarily think restrictions are a bad thing in general. BTW, used e-bike batteries are supposed to be totally prohibited, period. Even if I was going to sell the bike, fleebay is clearly not the place.

 

[matthewslack]

Is that because they are ebike rather than bike? Many components are used on both, so listing without the e would not be misleading.

 

[Bogmonster666]

Is that because they are ebike rather than bike? Many components are used on both, so listing without the e would not be misleading.

It is, e.g cutoff brake levers and Bafang crank arms.

 

[Bogmonster666]

Well, I have sold the folding bike, think it is going to a good home. That was collected this morning.

On the e bike, going to have a test of sorts with a power meter that I bought ages ago and never hooked up. Will be interesting to see how many Wh the battery really gives? I’ve never run the battery to LV cutoff and tbh it starts getting unpleasant to ride before that point.

 

[Bogmonster666]

Ok, I have a result of sorts. I set out a bit late in the day loaded up with an enormous pannier with a boxed laptop to post. Started with a full charge. Dropped my parcels off after 4 miles and dumped the panniers after 25 miles as I looped past my house. At about 33 miles the battery was at 48v having given 255Wh. I was deliberately letting the motor do a fair amount of work and cycling slower to stay under cutoff longer as the main objective was to measure Wh. Onwards..at about 36 miles I had a fair climb and the motor was noticeably weaker - a bit of range anxiety set in and I put in a bit more human effort. Turns out I needn’t have worried. I was back home around the 40 mile mark and decided to try a few small but steep hills. Whilst slower than when fresh, got up the hills without breaking a sweat. I gave up on the experiment at ~46.5 miles as I wanted some grub. The battery at rest was 45.79v. It had given 341.4Wh. The lowest it had sagged was 44.31v. The maximum output was 582W. Total elevation was 3126 ft. I stayed on assist level 2 for the duration.

The battery is supposed to notionally be 10Ah I think so at 48v that’s 480Wh. Of course you will never get that on an e-bike in practice due to sag. I achieved 341 Wh before I gave up and I was still going up some steep climbs. My guess is I would have maybe got another ~50Wh, possibly more on flatter roads. The actual distance covered is slightly irrelevant as that’s down to the bike, speed, rider, hills etc. if I’d put a bit more effort in myself 60 miles is easily achievable. 40 mile is comfortable with me being lazy.

My fitness has improved since I get the kit and it’s subjective, but I don’t think the battery has degraded much at all. I was planning on killing the battery at 40 miles today but the battery beat me in the end - well it beat my tummy.

 

[matthewslack]

A 2kW mains panel heater is a suitable load for a 36 or 48V battery if you want to run it lower and see the full capacity. You have to monitor it if you don't trust the LVC, and as with all electrical experiments, a fuse in the circuit is good practice.