jadmt

early to mid 90's trek 850. We bought it new sometime in the early to mid 90's it is a small frame wife is 5'3" made in the USA trutemper. all original but seat and tires. any value at all?

TugaDude

Assuming everything works, sure there's value in it. It will be far better than a new, comparable department store bike. It has better components and will be lighter.

That bike is just screaming to be someone's "rails to trails" bike. The small size won't matter to most women.

jadmt

yes everything works great shifts smooth and brakes are responsive. My wife just bought a new Cannondale quick CX3 so I don't see this seeing much use anymore. Is $150 in the ballpark or is that too much? thanks

HelpSingularity 

In this day and age a good, solid and name brand bike, IMHO should be worth $150 all day long. Everybody knows and respects the old steel framed Treks. And since you're from a college town start advertising the bike a couple of weeks before school starts. Even if it is a little bit on the small side that bike is perfect for a shorter college student.

TugaDude

Agree $150 is reasonable

Clang

This is the 1997 model.

jadmt

thanks that makes sense. I couldn't remember for sure. I knew we bought it new shortly after one of my kids were born, one was born in 1993 the other in 1996. ). I was think it probably was the first one, but you know the memory is the first to go lol. we have photos of pulling them in a trailer with it. I would run and my wife would follow along with them in the trailer..once we thought it would be fun to let my oldest one take photos along the way so we gave her one of those disposable cameras and when we got the photos back every single one was of the back of my wife's butt/seat area lol.

daywood 

That bike is a really good foundation for nearly endless possibilities as a fun second bike. I guess there are people out there who are happy riding one bike, but I don’t understand them. 😀

jadmt

I would definitely keep it if it were bigger. it is the 13" so pretty limited use. my wife is 60 yoa and having a play bike does not appeal to her anymore .

jadmt

I guess college kids don't want bikes like this anymore.. I am down to $110 and not a single offer. I thought it would sell when I dropped it to $125.

wrk101

I continually see good mid tier vintage MTBs in the $50 to $100 range. I even see some of the better stuff at $100.


Be sure to check your "competition" (other sellers in your price range). Bike size should be a plus in a college town, I would have expected it to sell at the $125 mark.

Great pictures and a good ad matter too, as well as proximity to buyers. A lot of buyers won't drive 10 miles. To overcome that hurdle, I offer to meet at a convenient location in my ad ("can meet at the university union, or whatever).

I checked your ad. It could use better pictures, neutral background not in direct sun, all pictures outdoors. Since you are on C/L, up to 12 pictures are free, I'd use them all.

If someone in the family works in town, offer to meet there in a central location.


I did a quick look at the competition, there are some good bikes at low prices in Missoula right now. Great pictures could differentiate yours!

StarBiker

$100 max, put it on CL, and top post every 48 hours.....if multiple cities are nearby put it on those CL's and do the same.

It can take patience to sell bikes. I have had a couple nice bikes that were hard to sell, and I found it surprising.

I use to pass on these Treks when I saw them back in my regular bike score days, they always seemed kind of frumpy for lack of a better term. Of course I never saw any really good vintage mountain bikes, Hybrid Bikes compared to the really nice Roadies I could find with the exception of that 91' 750 I sold foolishly.

It took me four months of top posting on Balto, and DC CL to sell that 750 for $175 in 2010. So it can be a slog. (Duh, I should have kept it!)

jadmt

both fb and cl. crazy thing is I sold a huffy woman's bike cruiser for more than that and only saved the buyer around $50 over what they could buy it new at walmart for. I had several responses to that ad and both listed at the same time and same places.

StarBiker

Bright sunshine, and dark shade pics are lousy. And pics of the components, close up of the frame.........

fishboat

It's worth $150 all day long, the problem is Missoula isn't much of a biking market...at least relative to others. I'm in the Milwaukee area..your bike would sell fast in this region. At $110..that's a good deal for someone. A college kid would probably trash it over time. I hope it finds a good home. Rather than give it away at a really low price, you might hold on to it until spring. It should sell then I'd think.

jadmt

I ended up selling it for $110. Someone got a great bike for their money and they said there was going to be a really happy 11 year old.

bikemig 

Go figure. I've been looking for a small vintage MTB/hybrid locally for a while without much luck in the $100 -$150price range. I am seeing a lot of larger quality MTBs in that price range. The market has I think slowed down from its pandemic high.

Nirosha