Rolla

So I've got a fairly valuable bike that's been collecting dust for a year. I'm not one to keep things around if I'm not using them, and I don't usually invest much emotional energy into inanimate things. But I have a lot of history with this bike, and every time I go to take pictures or write up an ad to sell it, I end up bailing on the idea and decide to hang on to it. I have other bikes that fill its purpose better, and I hate redundancy, but I still can't seem to let this one go. Not yet, anyway.

Anyone else ever have am under-used sentimental favorite? Did you ever sell it? What got you off the fence?

Retro Grouch 

I had some bikes that I had a sentimental attachment to. I couldn't stand the thought of haggling with some yahoo over the value of a piece of my life. Ultimately I donated mine to a group who provided them for refugees who needed them for transportation.

Branko D

That's just so wholesome and a great idea👍

ofajen

I have a nice road frame I got a bit over 40 years ago. It was my only bike for 15 years and my only road bike for another 25 years or so.

In the last few years it has been replaced by a much cheaper, less refined Schwinn frame which has several key features that make it better for my current trail riding: 1) it has much higher BB to eliminate pedal strike issues on the trails and 2) it’s an old, cheap, rusty, beat up frame that I feel better about abusing in bad conditions.

I don’t picture haggling with someone for a few bucks for an old road frame, so I figure I’ll give it away at some point, but with that much history I’m just not in a hurry.

Otto

leob1

In early 1980 I bought my first 'good' bike, a Centurion Super Elite, for $400.00. it was a '79 left over, and just happened to be my size. Most folks I knew were stunned that I spent $400 on a bike. Back then that was a lot for a bike. I had cars that cost less. I rode that thing for years. Took it from NJ to CA and back.
It's still hanging in the garage with the rest of the stable. I'll never sell it.

TiHabanero

My first race bike has been sitting on the wall in my office for many years. It has been all over the world with me and is very valuable to my heart. I also have my brother's first and only race bike hanging on the same wall. Both bikes are important pieces of my life and have story after story inside their tubes. Both of them will go to my son when I die as he requested them.
Only this summer did I reconnect with my first race bike with an updated parts package. I did this because I was unable to get a titanium frame built in a reasonable amount of time, and boy am I glad the ti frame didn't work out. That old frame is perfectly balanced and rides very nicely. It is my daily rider now.

On the other hand the bike that brought my wife and I together was sold off after 10 years of storage. She stopped riding after giving birth to our children and had zero interest in keeping it. Just recently she expressed that we should have kept the bike so it could be displayed. Hindsight is so darned perfect at times!

gringomojado

Keep it!

gm

70sSanO

Even though it is an inanimate object, there are memories attached to the object.

It may not even be the haggling than it is getting the bike into the right person’s hands. Even though it is just a bike and has no soul, there has to be a desire that the next owner will cherish it and one day be in the same position that you currently are.

And the other side is the fear that it will end up out in the rain and just rust away.

If there is any sentimental value, hang onto it until you find the right person to sell, or give, it to.

John

rsbob 

I too still have my first race bike, vintage 1988. Don’t have the heart to get rid of her since she and I shared some of the most significant cycling events in our history. Can’t even imagine how many miles and smiles we shared. Will be keeping her until the end. Not logical, purely emotional, but I can live with that. Regret selling my first car and won’t make the same mistake.

veloz

I have a Schwinn High Sierra that I bought new in ‘87. Rode it through several national parks and backroad tours. Can’t bring myself to sell it.

10 Wheels

Hang it on your living room wall.

Kapusta

There are a few frames that have been special to me due to good memories, but it has never stopped me from selling them if I know I have no more use for them.

Jmpierce

Mine is an '82 Trek 710. Not one of those high end road bikes but a solid frame with Sport Touring geometry.


I bought the frame new in '83 and road it with a mix of parts for the first few years. For some reason I decided it needed to have Dura Ace components. Its been repainted twice, stolen once. I've added some braze-ons and finally upgraded to mostly all Dura Ace components. The year I turned 50 I rode in 6 centuries from May to October.

I don't ride it much these days, it's geared much better these days than it was.

Vavida52

I was a little sentimental on selling my first road bike I have owned but I have sold it to upgrade to a new bike. I regret it to have sold it somehow.

CAT7RDR

Had a nice '87 Schwinn Le Tour in good condition at my brother's house for storage that I wanted to start riding again after several years.
Not a high end bike but steel framed and just fine for my purposes.

He gave it away without telling me assuming I would not miss it.
I did.

JayKay3000

Everything is for sale and if the story or is good, the next owner might remember it and tell others. I can still remember the story of one of my bikes that I own and the reasons the seller sold it. In a way I've actually tried to use the bike more and keep it nice.

It's a bit of a sad thing to have an item just sitting around not being used when someone could be using it rather than defaulting to purchase something new. It's only an item. In about 6 months you'll have gotten over it and trust me. It's a relief when such objects are gone. You still have the memories. Life is a journey forward. You can't go back and you shouldn't dwell too much on the past.

fujidon

Here's my "too sentimental to sell" thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/general-c...ld-i-sell.html

So I understand your mixed emotions

Hasek

My Giant Rincon was the first bike I had that was better than a Huffy. I rode it a decent amount however the sentimental attachment with it comes from the tie in to my once in a lifetime mutt, Queen Sheba.

I got a Springer Dog Walker which attaches to the seat post and Sheba and I used to ride a lot. Of course we'd start out on little rides every spring, then we'd eventually get to where she was good to go for a ride to the ice cream store for cup of vanilla! All those rides with her mean so much to me... so very much. Even though the Rincon in itself doesn't have a sentimental attachment for me, it's what it ties to.

I'll never get rid of the Rincon. All the pooches that are or have been part of my life since Sheba went away have not taken to the Springer. Hopefully some day.

My thoughts on your situation Rolla, if space isn't an issue to keep the bike, hang onto it until if/when your certain you want to get rid of it.

Rolla

Yeah, I'm pretty good about letting things go, but this is a rare bike and is worth a good chunk of change. I would hate to sell it to a collector who also didn't ride it.

rsbob 

Some people change bikes like some people change underwear. I hold on to mine for decades. I also only have about 4 bikes while some people have entire collections. Not that I have a problem with underwear changers and collectors. To each their own.

Kapusta

Underwear collectors?

rsbob 

Well there was a guy in my dorm who had quite a collection from his female acquaintances. He did not wear them.

jaxgtr

I had 3 bikes and a frame I had been hanging on to just because..... I finally cut them lose this year as I knew they would be going to someone that was going to use them. 2 of them went to some friends of mine that had been slogging around on some really low end bikes that weighed ridiculous amounts because they were having a hard time finding something due to the shortage, these 2 bikes were really sporting nice components and rode really nice, and I cut them a awesome deal, hated to lose them, but I really was not riding them and now they are being ridden. I also ended up selling one of my wife's bike to one of the gents wife, she was super stoked to get a bike that was not 39 lbs.

The frame I had hanging on my garage wall for over 5 years, swearing I was going to do something with it and never did, sold it and they are very happy with it.

dmanders

In 1976 I bought my dream bike a new Masi Gran Criterium full Campy NR for $700. I rode that bike many miles with many memories. I had Brian Baylis repaint it (he told me he did the original paint too) and I restored it sometime early this century (2005?). I spent more on the repaint all told than I did on the bike originally, given that the frame required a minor repair. I put many more miles on it and then in 2014 I bought a Pinarello F8. I thought about selling the GC but simply could not part with it.

Then in 2019 I decided to sell the GC after not riding it for 5 years. I sold it a guy much younger than me and we were both thrilled with the deal. I don't regret selling it one bit.

TiHabanero

Theme of this thread is obvious. Sell if you think you can, don't sell it if you simply can't. What did we do before we had forums to help make decisions? lol