Stacey34

I came across a Revive Giant for sale close to me. They are asking $300 for it. All the info that I’ve been given is that it is an 8 speed. I can get it for $275, does that seem like too much for a bike that I may have trouble getting parts for if needed? Seeing how they are no longer made.
I have a plain ol’ Walmart bike but this one really caught my eye but I just can’t decide whether it’s worth getting for that price.
Thank you for any help that you can give me.

VegasTriker

It is really a crank forward bike rather than a real recumbent. The MSRP in 2007 was $900 so $300 is quite a bit for this bike. That doesn't stop people from asking outrageous prices for them. There is one on CL in the LA area with an asking price of $450. That's nuts.

A long time ago I had a BikeE AT which is a recumbent but similar in style to the Revive. It was comfortable but not very efficient and I never could get used to the steering on it. Most of the parts you would replace are standard bike parts but some like the rear hub would be costly enough that it wouldn't be worth replacing. That's exactly what happened with my BikeE when the rear hub broke. Not worth fixing and that was back in 2003 when the bike was still fairly new.

You can still read some of the old reviews made when the bike was still in production here: https://www.roadbikereview.com/produ...nt/revive.html. The weight and limited gearing are definite downsides to this bike.

Stacey34

Thank you so much for replying!
I am 54 yrs young and am very much a casual rider, flat ground all around me. I need to drop some weight and I only have a 2 mile commute to work, one way, and thought this would be nice to ride on sunny days. It would be beneficial health wise and fuel wise. Win win!
I love the look of it and have read a lot of favorable reviews, I just feel that it is overpriced. Since I am not familiar with it tho I felt it best to get others opinions.
I think I will just let them know that if they drop the price to let me know and I’ll keep looking.
Thanks again!

Lucillle

I have a Revive and were I to sell I'd likely ask the same as I paid, around $325. While the OP makes a good point about parts, this is a comfortable ride that looks nice and seems to hold its value. There are two on Ebay now for $350 each and that is the price I most often see although I've seen them listed from $250-$700.

If I were the OP I'd spend a day test riding various bikes including the Revive and others, and that might provide enough to make a more informed choice. If it is nothing special, don't pay a lot. If the comfort is detectably more than other rides, consider that.

Retro Grouch 

A bike is worth whatever a seller and a buyer can agree on. If you think that $275 "feels" high, offer $200. Whatever number they counter back with, offer to split the difference. That's what that bike's worth. Tell them that money in their hand is worth more than an unused bike taking up space in the garage.

If they stick firm at $275, you'll be no worse off than you are now.

Lucillle

Exactly!

Leisesturm

What you paid minus 50% is a time honored starting point for the pricing of used merchandise. To me what's nuts is Giant pricing the Revive at $900 retail.

Leisesturm

That's an oversimplification. Many things have an intrinsic value that can be (and is) determined by objective valuation. There is at least one "Blue Book" for brand name bicycles that I know of operating online.

Edit: https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/Sear...83&model=55825

VegasTriker

I thought I must have misread the MSRP because the Bicycle Blue Book is the source I used for the $900 MSRP and the year that came up was the 2007 model. If you want an idea how useless BBB is, how about finding two different listings for the same bike and same year. https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/Sear...83&model=55825 and https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/Sear...83&model=55826 Not only different MSRPs but slightly different suggested values. If it really was an MSRP of $700 then $300 is too high.


A lot of other factors come into play when I decide if a price is reasonable.

You do not get a warranty with a used bike. If something breaks soon after you buy it it's your dime for the repair.

How old is the bike? This one could be anywhere from 12 to 15 years old. By that time a bike can require some expensive going over especially if you do not do your own repairs. Tires and brake pads are likely needing replacement if more than a couple years old. By 15 years the lubrication may have congealed meaning it should be disassembled and all bearings re-greased. If the bike was used in a wet area, rust in cables and housing are another area to consider.

I bought bikes that were a decade or more old but expected to get them at a price where replacing wear parts and parts that deteriorate even with no use (like brake pads) aren't going to make the purchase a really bad deal.

Leisesturm

They aren't the same bike. Well kind of. Looks like your earlier search found a different model (DX) Revive with an internal gear hub and other upmarket trim.

Retro Grouch 

Nope. The Blue Book is the over simplification. Here's why: No matter what the Blue Book or whatever other "objective valuation" method you are using, you still have to find a buyer who agrees.

Lucillle

There aren't a lot of these around. If you were for instance to find a beautiful antique Ford pickup in a garage somewhere, likely it would sell for many times its original price. A seller would laugh in your face if you started talking about battery replacement costs. That is not to say your perspective is wrong, it is not, if you are looking for transportation only.

VegasTriker

You might be surprised at how often decent bikes show up at reasonable prices and sometimes free. About two weeks ago I picked up a Trek Singletrack 930 bicycle (MTB) at the curb. My neighbor put it out for the trash along with two helmets and 2 spare tires. It sat there for a couple of days before I stopped to look at it. I guess he just got tired of it. His next door neighbor saw him put it out on garbage day so I knew it wasn't just left by the owner's son who used to ride it occasionally. It will need new tires and brake pads but that is it. I always lubricate bearings and adjust brakes and shifters. I dated it to 1993 with the date codes on the Shimano cranks. It will make a decent bike for one of the bigger kids in my Scout Troop for cycling merit badge next year.

If this bike were at a garage sale in the same condition and someone asked $150 for it I would look and then go away but if the price had been around $50 I would have bought it. It's way better than anything you could buy at a mass merchandiser. It weighs under 30 pounds even with the Ringle suspension stem that was added later. It helps if you can just look at a bike and judge the quality from the components and bike weight. Good bikes have better grade components and always weigh less. I saw one at a garage sale today. It had full suspension and crappy components. It might make a good substitute for a weight set but I'd never ride it or buy it for the kids.

gjc2

A couple of years ago I bought a Revive off Craigslist for $350, it was the DX model with a seven speed internal hub. It had been barely ridden, it was like new, it just need to be cleaned and adjusted. However I didn't like it. I listed it on eBay and it brought $450. Then the buyer paid for shipping (from NY to CA) and to have a local bike shop package it. The buyer paid the bike shop directly for the packaging and the shipper for the transportation, so I don't know how much that all costs. His total cost was probably $650 for a bike that cost about $1,000 new. He really wanted it and was willing to pay for the right bike.

unikid

Giant Revives (and Bike-E) are very polarizing bikes. For certain people they are their favorite bikes. Others hate them. Yet both continue to fetch decent prices above the blue book. I see online a number of folks have done e-conversions on both types. So that will likely keep the interest (and price) of these bikes going for the foreseeable future. I personally would love to have a chance to try either bike to understand what the hoopla is about them.

andychrist

Isn’t the Revive dual suspension? That alone is pretty rare in a ‘bent and certainly adds value.

But it is still a pretty heavy bike with limited gearing, which is why I never bought one.

Though as the OP lives where it is flat, those are kinda non-issues.

gjc2

Why I didn’t like my Giant Revive DX bicycle.

It was very heavy, probably 40 pounds, maybe more. That unto itself wouldn’t have been an issue if not for the fact that the bike can’t be mounted to a bicycle repair stand or a bike rack for transport or even turned upside down, balanced on the seat and handlebars for servicing. Add to that the fact that mine was the DX model with internal “roller” brakes, seven speed internal hub and fully enclosed chain. My bike didn’t have quick release hubs, again that alone isn’t too much of a problem; however with the roller brakes it’s necessary to disconnect the brake cable to remove the front wheel. The rear wheel is even more of an issue, the manual states that the owner can’t remove the rear wheel, the bicycle has to go to a bike shop for something as simple as fixing a flat rear tire. In reality I could remove the rear wheel but it was a bit of a process, requiring figuring out a way to support the bike, removing a cover from around the rear cog, removing the chain guard, disconnecting chain tensioning devises, disconnecting both the brake and the shift cables, etc. then putting it all back together and adjusting everything. Certainly not a job one can do on the side of the road.

Mine did come with “Slime” infused inner tubes and I never did have a flat; however I’m sure I would have, eventually.

If you’re interested in a Revive I would recommend a model that uses a conventional freewheel/derailleur set up and normal “V” brakes.

They say the Revive is the most comfortable bicycle you can ride, I don’t doubt it.

BlazingPedals

$275 doesn't seem outrageous to me. Sure it's old but at some point the bike stops depreciating if it runs at all.

teach72

I have inherited a 2007 Revive Giant bicycle blue and white. It has never been riden and kept in a Garage. I have all paperwork, manuals, and receipts from the purchase. I have no clue how much I should sell for. It is a loaded bike with a shift internal shift hub and cycling computer. Any help would be great. I don't ride bikes and neither did my dad. I think he bought just because it was cool t the time.

unikid

Does it look like this? https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/valu...product/96445/

I've seen people listing these in our local Craigslist asking anywhere from $250-450. Not sure what they end up selling for. Probably something closer to the Bluebook value listed above.

However if yours is literally in brand new condition, and you write a compelling ad with nice pictures, you might be able to get a decent price for it.

Unfortunately as others above have mentioned, although the DX models look very cool and futuristic they are quite heavy and hard to work on or upgrade due to everything being deliberately hidden (e.g. the chain) or internal (the hubs and brakes).

gjc2

You may be surprised how much it brings. I listed mine on eBay as local pick up only. The buyer arranged for cross country transportation himself if I would just deliver the bike to a local bike shop. I don’t know how much the bike shop charged to box it for shipping or how much the shipping cost, but it had to be a couple hundred.

VegasTriker

It's worth what someone will pay for it when you put it up for sale. It's a crank-forward bike, not technically not a recumbent, and since it is 14 years old probably should have a new set of tires for the safety of the new owner (at his cost). Even though it is brand new and little used it is long out-of-production and comes with no warranty. It might be hard to find any OEM replacement parts if they break. You are competing with two-wheeled recumbents that aren't the hottest part of the recumbent market right now.
I looked to see what people are asking for this bike here: https://www.americanlisted.com/all_s.../giant+revive/ I think a lot of the people listing this bike are dreamers. It reminds me of my old BikeE AT. Heavy, inefficient, and not suitable for someone who wishes to ride a decent distance. Mine got replaced by a better recumbent after a few months. Surprisingly there are people actually looking for one of these as evidenced by someone who posted this on Bentridereonline in February - "Looking for a Giant Revive in the Albuquerque area."

teach72

Thanks yall. I will take a picture of it when I get home and list it on ebay. Worth the shot.

JGaerlan

Been looking too at craigslist for Revive. Bet 200 and $300 is fair for a good clean bike. If you want to change parts easily, look at the derailleur version. Internal multi speed hubs are expensive and hard to service. THe Revive design is a good city commuter or shopping bike. If I were to get one, I would install a wide range cassette in the back like an 11 42. Purchased Chinese branded 1x parts group from ALiexpress and they work really well.

Craigslist is a good source for recumbents. Just got a Rans stratus XL in fair condition for $300. Some minor cleanup and tuning and it is good to go.