What is a used bike worth in Switzerland?

Three things account for most of the difference: the drivetrain, the wheels, and — on an e-bike — the battery.

What really pushes the price up or down

The drivetrain

A worn chain, cassette or chainrings can lead to repair costs. Ask for a quote for the exact model before deducting them from the price: they are not a fixed proportion of the bike's value.

The test takes ten seconds: pull the chain forward at the big chainring. If it lifts away by more than two or three millimetres, it has reached the end of its life — and if it has, so has the cassette.

The wheels

A buckled wheel can be put right; a rim hollowed out by brake pads cannot. On a bike with disc brakes, look instead at the thickness of the discs and the noise they make when braking.

The battery, on an e-bike

Battery condition plays an important role in an e-bike's value. Range depends on usage and ageing, among other factors. Ask for a diagnostic check and the cost of a compatible replacement: prices vary by model.

Two questions to ask, every time:

• how many kilometres are on the clock, and since when;
• what range it really gives today, on a familiar route.

A vague answer about the battery is information in itself.

E-bikes: two categories, two markets

In Switzerland, an e-bike is not one category but two, and they do not resell at the same price.

The second appeals to a narrower group of buyers, and it loses value faster for that reason: the buyer must hold the licence and accept the plate. Check the category on the frame's type plate before setting a price — many sellers don't know it.

Checking that a bike isn't stolen

Every bike carries a frame number, usually engraved under the bottom bracket, sometimes on the derailleur hanger or the head tube.

Ask for it before you travel, and ask for the purchase receipt. A seller who can provide neither for a recent, expensive bike is one to walk away from: a stolen bike sold on, even in good faith, ends up being returned, with no refund.

Pricing your own

Three reference points, in this order:

1. Find the new price of the exact model — not the range, the model. The difference between two spec levels of the same bike often exceeds a thousand francs.
2. Assess depreciation. Compare condition, maintenance and prices of equivalent models rather than applying a fixed percentage.
3. Adjust to what is selling now, not to what sold two years ago. The active listings in a category show you today's market.

A price that is too high will not correct itself: a listing that stays online for three weeks without a single message has a price problem, not a photo problem.

What makes the difference when selling

• Photos in daylight, outdoors, with the bike clean. It is the only area where an hour of work pays back several hundred francs.
• Describe the wear rather than hiding it. “Chain and cassette replaced at 4,000 km, tyres need replacing” inspires more confidence than a glowing but vague description — and it avoids haggling on the spot.
• The frame size, stated clearly. It is a buyer's first filter, and a listing that leaves it out loses half its enquiries.
• The serial number and the receipt, if you have them. They reassure, and they speed things up.

Where to sell

On okazio, posting a listing is free, with no commission. Your photos are enough to pre-fill the title, the category and a price estimate; you correct whatever is wrong before publishing.