My Bleriot resale value diminished because been hit by a car yet no damage?

[Michael]

Mine got hit, but no damage to the frame or components other than just a scratch on the shifter lever and a broken bottle cage. Bent rim, but spokes and rim have been replaced now.

 

I think my right leg and the rear rack to the brunt of the blow. It was a slow moving accident. Like a snow plow pushing snow out of the way. Except it was a car pushing me.

 

It was checked very carefully by I think three mechanics who said everything is A-ok and the frame is in alignment.

 

I would definitely let the potential buyer know all this if I ever sold, because I think that is fair to inform them truthfully of the bike's history.

 

But does the fact that it got hit be a car diminish its value even though no damage?

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

Value of these things is a matter of agreement between the buyer and seller, and there's no way to know up front if, or how much, the value of your bike will be affected by the car crash. Even without the car crash, the "value" of a used Bleriot falls in a wide range. My strategy when selling a used bike, regardless of its history, is to start at an overly optimistic (high) price and then gradually reduce the price over time or when it seems like a price reduction will solidify a tentative sale.

[eflayer]

i am all for a high level of honesty. i would not take your approach if i was trying to sell that bike. if there are no signs of damage and it has been thorougly checked out by highly trained professionals, then you should be good to go. why get in your own way by discussing history that is not apparently relevant to the conversation at hand. now if the frame had a dent or bent fork, of course you would need to explain. hope my opinion does not scare others from buying my stuff :).

[Michael]

You do have a good point eflayer. If the bike is fine, then why bother mentioning it, since there were no consequences of the crash and the bike is the same as when I first got it.

 

However, on the remote chance the buyer called me up a month later saying that there was a crack developing the frame somewhere and asking me if the frame had previously been crashed or had an impact, I would feel like I would have to crawl under a rock and hide myself. Ha ha.

 

I can just hear the "Oooooh...noooow you tell me.". (skulk, skulk).

 

On the other hand...he would have had the bike for a month and....

 

But seriously, I would just feel more comfortable with full disclosure.

 

[James Warren]

On Dec 22, 2012, at 8:14 AM, Michael wrote:

 

But seriously, I would just feel more comfortable with full disclosure.

 

A couple hundred bucks is worth that. I like the full honesty approach. It will also help you know if the person you are selling to is knowledgable. Selling to someone who understands your description of the event and the toughness of steel is also more likely to be someone who appreciates what the bike is worth.

[Michael]

If I would have been hit on my other bike (aluminum with carbon fork) I would never have ridden it again. I would not have trusted the integrity of the fork after an accident.

 

I am happy that the steel frame held up so well. 

 

[John L]

I agree that honesty is the right thing here. It's easy for me to
say, because my wife wouldn't let me buy another bike anyways, but it
wouldn't be a big factor for me. If you've got time to wait for an
offer, you should be able to find a buyer at a mutually agreeable
price.

John

On Dec 22, 10:15 am, Michael <john11.2...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Mine got hit, but no damage to the frame or components other than just a
> scratch on the shifter lever and a broken bottle cage. Bent rim, but spokes
> and rim have been replaced now.
>
> I think my right leg and the rear rack to the brunt of the blow. It was a
> slow moving accident. Like a snow plow pushing snow out of the way. Except
> it was a car pushing me.
>
> It was checked very carefully by I think three mechanics who said
> everything is A-ok and the frame is in alignment.
>
> I would definitely let the potential buyer know all this if I ever sold,
> because I think that is fair to inform them truthfully of the bike's
> history.
>

> *But does the fact that it got hit be a car diminish its value even though
> no damage?*

[IanA]

Doesn't sound like the frame sustained any more trauma than a low speed spill.  If the rear triangle wasn't pushed out of alignment, it sounds like the wheel acted as a crumple zone and absorbed most of the initial impact.  

[Michael]

OK, so, school me.

 

What could I fairly ask for the complete bike?

 

The entire bike has ~2500 miles on it including what the original owner put on it, except for whatever is notated as new:

 

Frame:

Bleriot 55cm frame. I am second owner.

Paint 8 out of 10 ( I would say, though original owner called it a 9).

Some scraped off paint  and denting where original owner had Pletcher double leg stand on it. Only couple other dings that were covered by owner with matching paint. I removed the stand upon getting the bike.

Frame is in algnment.

 

 Build:

Ultegra cranks (double, compact).

Ultegra Derailers

Shimano 10 speed cassette

Dura Ace DT levers on Shimano bar end pods. Friction on left. Fric/SIS on right.

Shimano brake levers (new)

Nitto Noodle (new)

Technomic stem

Shimano 600 headset

Brooks bartape (new, minor scuffs)

Brooks B17 Standard (new minor wear).

Nitto 65 seatpost.

Paul Racer centerpull brakes.

Twin Hollow/Deore front wheel

Synergy rear wheel Deore, with new rim and spokes.

Rumpkins.

No clue what the BB is.

 

[Jim Mather]

On Sat, Dec 22, 2012 at 4:20 PM, Michael <john1...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> OK, so, school me.
>

Search the Riv group, the BOB group, the 650B group, the Bleriot
Owners Group, and completed Ebay listings for Bleriot listings. Then,
take an educated guess. If it doesn't sell, you priced it too high.

Give a man a price and he can sell a bike; teach a man to price and he
can sell bikes forever.

[Joe Bernard]

I would price it a couple hundred above what you paid, and expect to sell for a couple hundred under. I'm sure you'd like to recoup your investment in new components, but, in my experience, the market doesn't account for them.

 

I'm on the fence about noting the car incident. Any bike in regular use will eventually have a tip-over of some sort. Your contact with the car sounds more like a slow-speed tumble than what most folks picture as "wreck with car". But it's up to you.

 

Joe Bernard

Vallejo, CA.

[Michael]

Yeah, I didn't get smacked, just knocked down.

I was travelling on the main thoroughfare westbound in a traffic circle and the lady, after stopping in her on-ramp, accellerated into the circle for about maybe 30 feet, and then hit me.

I hit the hood, and then the ground. Her bumper/left wheel was coming towards my shoulder/head area, and I was just thinking "Please don't run me over.".

Thankfully, she stopped.

 

I almost immediately stood up, picked up the bike, and a cop was already parked in the circle with lights on and already out of his car walking over to me.

This is the part that puzzles me. I may have still been laying on the ground when I first saw him. I just can't see how he got there so fast and was already walking towards me when I got up.

 

I was laying on the ground at about the 2 o'clock position of the circle. He was parked at about 10 o'clock, facing 2 o'clock.

 

I mean, he would have had to been entering the circle, looking at her hit me at the exact time it happened in order to cut a hard left going opposite traffic in the circle, slam his brakes, flip on the lights and jump out.

 

[Steve Palincsar]

Unless a lot more time passed than you think...

[Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery]

Put it on eBay and let the market decide. Not now, though. The holidays are a lousy time to sell bikes, IME. By the end of January, when spring fever sets in, you can get a better price.

[Michael]

Well, I just wanted to be sure that my Bleriot wasn't like worthless on the Riv-market now because it was in an accident.

 

Because, if that was the case...let the lug tracing begin!!! (shaking up paint pen noises). She's a keeper!

[IanA]

The chances that you accurately remember the sequence of events are very low.  Even though you weren't hurt, it's almost certain that you experienced shock.  I was once hit and couldn't work out why the house I'd been passing at the time had moved to the opposite side of the road.

[IanA]

Stenciling the lugs could well diminish its value.  And talking at length on the Internet about it being hit by a car would be another way to diminish its value!  Seriously though, I don't think it could have been damaged.  I had a bike that was hit hard from behind by a car and the rear triangle was well out afterwards.  The bike fared better than me - I needed stitches and was hurting all over.  No cracks ever appeared on the frame and I put almost another 10,000 miles on that bike afterwards. It was Colombus SLX steel BTW.

[IanA]

"I put almost another 10,000 miles on that bike afterwards" - after having the rear triangle realigned, that is.