philpeugeot 

Hi peeps,
I've got this used 19" 520 disc frame from either 2016 or 2017 that has been stripped of virtually all its parts thanks to thieves; I probably shouldn't have left my bike outside. I don't have any money to build it up again and would like to sell the frame to buy something older but complete. If I were to sell, how much would it be worth? I'm hoping to use that money to build up my old Bike Friday NWT.

ironwood

How much is anything worth? Whatever people are willing to pay for it. There is a market for some bikes, but a frame by itself would be of most interest to someone who wrecked his or her frame, but has the components.

By the way , did you collect any insurance for your loss?

seeker333

If it's not rusted too badly, you may get ~$100-200 for selling the frameset on eBay, minus the 13% eBay+Paypal fees. Make sure you understand shipping cost and effect on your net. Know that it is difficult to gyp buyers on eBay, as eBay will generally take the buyer's side in the event of a dispute, so it is in your best interest to fully disclose item condition with text and high res images, otherwise seller may end up with no payment and no item. If frameset is in excellent condition (which seems unlikely since kept outdoors in Portland for four years) you may get more from a local buyer who can inspect it firsthand.

Selling a frameset is more difficult than selling a complete bike. Probably <10% of bicyclists are willing to accept the uncertain economic risk of building a bike from a frameset - also they can't "test ride" a frameset. Also some buyers may assume that a frameset is a stripped down stolen bike.

bikemig 

I'd put it on craigslist for a $100 and see if anyone is interested. No fees on CL and once you sell it, it's gone.

DropBarFan

I would also try Craigslist but would list it for $200 or even $250. Trek is a well-known quality brand & the frame is still fairly new, disc brake mounts are a big plus. List it too cheap & folks might assume it's in bad condition, they usually expect to bargain anyway. I've always sold bikes (or a frame) locally--buyers like to see it first & some of them are surprisingly motivated.

robow

Is the frame really sized as a 19" ? Just curious, would have thought likely metric, say a 48 cm. If it is that small, you'll have more difficulty selling vs. a more common size.

hokiefyd 

This is a slight tangent, but I find it interesting that thieves stripped your bike of parts vs. just taking the whole thing. Was the frame itself locked to something, so they decided to take the wheels, saddle, and then unbolt handlebars and derailleurs?

Russ Roth

This is incredibly common in large cities. Someone U-locks the frame to a tree or large post and come back to a frame with maybe post and forks. I've seen them with the handlebars and the shifters and brake levers stripped off which just seems like extra work.

Wilfred Laurier

seatposts and shift levers and handlebars don’t have serial numbers, as well as not often being locked with the rest of the bike, so there is less risk of carrying them around after stealing. Thieves can either flip the untraceable parts for a few bucks, or if they are more organized crime than desperate crackhead, build them up onto a less-hot frame and sell the bike.

hokiefyd 

I was thinking theft like this is more or less an opportunistic event (a take-it-while-you-walk-along sort of thing) and wouldn't think they'd spend the time with tools to actually remove components. I get taking a seatpost and saddle -- those really are easy to remove in a matter of seconds...but the other components...wow!

indyfabz

See it all the time in Philly. It usually happens over a period of time. I have even seen stripped bikes that are within sight of a police station. The city now has a program where the locks of stripped bikes are cut and the carcasses disposed of. They take up rack space and are an eyesore.

Wilfred Laurier

About 20 years ago a customer at the shop where I worked had his (unlocked) bike stolen from in front of the shop. It happened only a minute or two after the customer came in, so a few of us took bikes to go looking for the missing bike. I found a trio of young people in a field stripping the bike about a km away. They had been running a 'used bike parts' scam at their school, had all the necessary tools, and had the bike about 50% of the way down to a bare frame in ~15 minutes.

indyfabz

Here you go. Outside tony Whole Foods no less. Although it's possible the owner lost the key and stripped it himself.

DropBarFan

Sad, not as if the thieves would get much for a few old parts.