Merc_22

Hello,

I was given an old bike by a housemate a couple of years ago and have just got it from the basement.
It looks to be a Gary Fisher Wahoo but I don't know which year.

Serial numbers are: GBI-1123

GN4Z8700

It needs to be reassembled and properly spruced up. I'm just wondering how much a refurbished one is likely to be worth, how much maximum I should be looking to pay for it to be fixed and whether a Gary Fisher Wahoo is in general considered to be a good brand?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Best wishes,

M

Rolla

Welcome!

The Wahoo was made from 1996 to 2010. It was an entry-level $500-ish bike (depending on the year) made of either chromoly or aluminum (depending on the year). It's not exceptional in any way, nor is it objectionable. Later models had disc brakes, and most had a suspension fork. But a +12-year-old suspension fork can be a liability, as parts have become obsolete.

Under the eBay "sold" listings, used prices range for $200 -$430. Personally, I wouldn't drop a lot of coin refurbishing one; other Fisher models are more worthy of restoration.

Iride01 

Not every old bike needs to be saved. Consider taking it to a scrap yard so it can be whatever it's supposed to be in it's next re-incarnation.

Welcome to BF!


If you have to do something, just do what it takes to get it running again. Most bike serial numbers don't tell you much. So if someone hasn't created a database you can easily find online, then it's probably just a number and maybe a plant location or maybe a month and year representation with it's place off the assembly line.

Merc_22

Thanks for your responses.
Yeah I see what you're saying that it might not be worth spending a lot on restoring it.

It's definitely seen much better days - it just feels a bit sad to not be able to rescue it but perhaps I can sell it for parts / spares.

Trying to work out what the different parts of the serial number mean was something I tried earlier. This is not something I'm going to try again in a hurry.

Rolla

Not be a downer, but the market for 12+-year-old entry level parts is pretty nonexistent. The bike might be good fodder for donating to a local bike co-op.

Iride01 

Yes it is sad, but if you take it to a scrap yard it'll get melted down and made into new. Re-cycled aluminum is much less impact on energy and pollution than is mining aluminum which also uses up a lot of water I think. Not sure where exactly re-cycled steel vs new steel from ore fits in that green carbon footprint thing.

So don't be sad unless you just put it in the trash where it will sit in a land fill. Maybe never to become anything.

You might look at selling the individual components on eBay or such. But if you look, everyone else is trying that too. And at ridiculously high prices that never sell. However a while back, I put some bike stuff out there at very low prices and it those didn't sell either. Maybe low prices make others suspicious! <grin>

KerryIrons

Is there a "recycle a bicycle" program in your area? Such projects, often run by bike clubs or community centers, take in old bikes and get them in running order to give to folks in need. Sometimes old bikes just get stripped for parts for other bikes, but at least some value is captured for a good cause.