Ever noticed how tough it is to sell your mountain bike second-hand? You spend R60 000 or more on a decent bike, and a year or two later you’re lucky if someone offers you half of that. Most buyers want to pay next to nothing, and the shops? They won’t even consider a trade-in.
It feels like bike dealerships could boost sales if they accepted trade-ins or created a certified pre-owned program. But they don’t—probably because they also struggle to sell second-hand bikes. So now, you’re stuck with a great bike, well looked after, but no one wants to pay what it’s worth.
Then you get one or two companies that buy used bikes—but they offer you up to 60% less than what you’re asking. That stings.
So it raises the question:
Is mountain biking only for people who can afford to buy new bikes every year and take a massive financial knock when selling the old ones?
In South Africa, where the economy’s tight and many riders save up for years to get a good setup, it just doesn’t make sense. Yet, the second-hand market feels broken.
