Trade-ins demystified: what your old bike is worth.

Your old bike is worth something. Maybe not as much as you think, and maybe more than the garage sale down the street offered you — but it’s worth something, and we’ll tell you exactly what and why, to your face, without making you feel bad about it. Here’s how trade-ins work at LoBall, broken down by the three options we offer.

Option one: cash

Cash is the simplest and the lowest number. When we buy a bike outright for cash, we’re taking on all the risk — that it sells, that it sells quickly, that nothing breaks during our inspection that we didn’t anticipate. So cash offers are typically 20–35% of what we expect to sell the bike for. If we think your bike will move for $200 on our floor, we’ll offer you $40–$70 cash. That sounds low, and it is, relative to the sale price — but the money is in your hand today, with no waiting, no uncertainty, no checking back in six weeks to see if it moved.

Option two: store credit

Store credit is a better deal if you’re planning to spend it here, which is probably why you’re trading in a bike in the first place. Store credit runs 40–60% of our expected sale price — so that same $200 bike gets you $80–$120 in credit. You can use it on another bike, on parts, on service, on Lifetime Lube, on anything we carry. Credit doesn’t expire. We write it down, we remember, and if you’re not sure what you want yet you can sit on it.

“People sometimes feel weird about store credit, like it’s a consolation prize. It’s not — it’s the best deal we can offer on your end. The only reason to take cash instead is if you genuinely need the cash.”
— Dan

Option three: consignment

Consignment means we sell it for you and take a cut when it sells. Here’s what that looks like:

1. We agree on a sale price together, based on condition and the current market
2. The bike lives in our shop and we do all the selling
3. When it sells, you get 70% of the sale price and we keep 30%
4. If it doesn’t sell within 60 days, we renegotiate or you take it back — your call

Consignment makes the most sense for nicer bikes — anything we’d price over $300 — where the 70% cut is meaningfully better than a cash or credit offer. It requires you to be patient and okay with uncertainty, but the upside is real.

What actually affects value

• Condition of the drivetrain (worn chains and cassettes cost money to replace)
• Frame integrity — cracks, bends, or corrosion are significant deductions
• Size — mid-range sizes (M/L on most frames) move faster in our market
• Brand and components — Shimano moves faster than no-name, but brand prestige matters less than component quality
• Tires — cracked or flat tires are a cost we factor in

Bring your bike by the shop and we’ll take a look and give you a number in person. No appointment needed, though if you’ve got something unusual or a full fleet to trade, call ahead at 520-365-0754 so we can make sure we have time to do it right.