buycycle.com in Practical Review
21.03.24 08:00 722024-03-21T08:00:00+01:00Text: NoPain (translated by AI)Photos: Erwin Haiden, buycycle.comNoPain turns his bike into cash and has thoroughly reviewed the global marketplace buycycle.com for this purpose. A success story.21.03.24 08:00 8052024-03-21T08:00:00+01:00buycycle.com in Practical Review
21.03.24 08:00 8052024-03-21T08:00:00+01:00 NoPain (translated by AI) Erwin Haiden, buycycle.comNoPain turns his bike into cash and has thoroughly reviewed the global marketplace buycycle.com for this purpose. A success story.21.03.24 08:00 8052024-03-21T08:00:00+01:00
Nowhere else will you find so many enthusiastic cyclists who treat their high-end bicycles with such care as in online communities - for example, on Bikeboard.at. These platforms not only reflect the passion for cycling but also demonstrate a remarkable willingness to purchase high-quality bicycles. It is therefore not uncommon for a coveted bike to change hands from time to time.
Naturally, it makes sense to offer your own bike right here, as the members of this community generally have a deeper understanding and comprehensive expertise on the subject of cycling. Thus, they are potentially more willing to invest in a high-quality bicycle. The fact that the operators usually do not charge sales fees or commissions is another plus point. When a sale is concluded, the locality facilitates personal meetings and the direct handover of the bike, without the inconveniences and costs of shipping.
However, there are also challenges to consider. Although the target groups are very specific, the reach is often limited in size. This means that the number of interested parties, compared to less specific online classifieds markets like willhaben.at or markt.de, more frequented global marketplaces like eBay, or supra-regional platforms like buycycle.com, might be significantly smaller. This could prolong the sales process and test the seller's patience.
Sales Platforms in Comparison
| Platform | Target Audience | Reach | Selection | Duration | Price Risk | Fees | Fraud Risk | Shipping |
| Bikeboard.at | Biking enthusiast community | Manageable | Exclusive, limited | Medium-term | Low | None | Low | Personal handover |
| Classifieds | General audience | Large | Less relevant, large | Long-term | Medium | None | High | Elaborate |
| eBay | Broad user base | Huge | Less relevant, large | 7-10 days | Very high | High | Medium | Elaborate |
| buycycle.com | Bicycle enthusiasts | Large | Exclusive, huge | Short-term | Low | Low | Very low | Simply implemented |
Before we turn to the actual topic of buycycle.com, let's first look at the advantages and disadvantages of established online classified ad markets and eBay. Although their reach is large, these broad platforms carry specific risks that should be considered.
Risks of Willhaben.at & eBay
Selling a high-quality bicycle on an online classifieds market such as willhaben.at or markt.de can be an effective way to reach potential buyers. However, it also entails certain disadvantages or risks:
1. Wide audience, limited specialization: Although online classifieds markets have a large reach, not all users are interested in high-priced bicycles. This could mean that it takes longer to find a buyer willing to pay the asking price, which could prolong the sale.
2. Fraud and security risk: Online marketplaces occasionally attract scammers. Sellers of high-value items such as expensive bicycles can become the target of fraud attempts, such as fake payment confirmations, shipping fraud, or dishonest return claims. If interested parties want to inspect the bicycle in person, there is a risk that they may have ulterior motives. This can raise security concerns, especially if they know you possess an expensive item.
3. Difficulties in price negotiation: Achieving the desired price for a high-quality bicycle can be particularly challenging when pressured to lower the price.
4. Time and effort investment: The sales process can be time-consuming, especially if many inquiries need to be carefully responded to or several viewing appointments must be arranged before a buyer is found.
5. Complications with shipping: For sales over a greater distance, the costs and logistics of securely shipping an expensive bicycle can become complicated and costly. There is also the risk of damage during transport.
Selling an expensive bicycle on eBay can present similar challenges. In addition, there are some additional specific characteristics to consider with the auction platform:
1. Low selling price: An obvious risk with an auction is that the final selling price may be lower than expected or hoped for.
2. Unreliable bidders: There is a risk that bidders who win the item do not pay or are otherwise unreliable. This can lead to frustration and delay the selling process, especially if you need to relist the item.
3. Fees: eBay charges a number of fees, including listing fees for fixed prices and a percentage of the selling price as a sales commission. For expensive bicycles, these costs can be quite high and significantly reduce the net proceeds.
4. International audience: For sales over a greater distance, the logistics of securely shipping an expensive bicycle can be complicated and costly. There are also additional risks related to shipping and fraud.
5. Return policy: eBay places a high value on buyer protection and often requires sellers to offer a return policy. This can be problematic if buyers want to return the bicycle after trying it out, which can lead to additional costs and possible disputes.
Tip: To minimize all these risks, it is important to familiarize yourself in advance with the policies of the respective platform and to make careful considerations: How best to present the bicycle? How to make communication with potential buyers professional and secure? In addition, it is important to set realistic selling prices, feasible shipping options, secure payment methods, and handover conditions, as well as clear return conditions if necessary.
Those who have read up to this point now possess a high level of expertise to navigate through the advertisement jungle of platforms like Bikeboard.at, willhaben.at, markt.de, eBay, and similar ones.
Alternatively, you can choose the path via buycycle.com, Europe's large marketplace for used high-end bikes. This combines the advantages of a marketplace specialized in cycling with an internationally savvy clientele. With buycycle, price negotiations can be made easier, the risk of fraud for both buyers and sellers can be reduced, and on top of that, logistical hurdles - like packaging and international shipping - can be overcome.
Europe's marketplace for used bikes.
buycycle.com
Buycycle Story and Facts
Buycycle was founded in 2021 by Jonas, Florian, and Theo - three friends who got to know each other through cycling and turned their great passion into a profession. Especially during the COVID times, it was extremely challenging to get high-end bicycles - the bike shops were sold out, and the delivery times for new bikes were many months. With their project buycycle, they wanted to make the private purchase and sale of used gravel bikes, racing bikes, and now also mountain bikes simpler, safer, and faster - and the success is evident: Buycycle has now become the leading online marketplace for high-quality used bicycles.
"Many people ultimately decide against buying used because they feel uncertain. We create security, both for sellers and buyers, and hope to inspire more people for cycling, but also for more sustainability.
The principle is simple: Anyone wanting to sell their bike uploads information and photos, and the shipping package is sent to their home. The buyer, in turn, benefits from an online shop feeling through standardized ads and the guided purchasing process. The payment is secured and there is a right to return.” - Theo Golditchuk, buycycle.com Founder
In addition to its role as a second-hand marketplace for private buying and selling, buycycle has recently also started offering bike refurbishment. This means that buycycle takes over used bikes on behalf of bike manufacturers on a commission basis, professionally refurbishes them, and resells them with a warranty and guarantee.
Furthermore, private buyers have the option to choose the bike refurbishment option at checkout. If they opt for this, the bike is brought to the buycycle location in Munich, where the workshop team performs the service.
Today, buycycle employs over 64 staff members at its headquarters in Munich, is active in over 30 countries, and offers a selection of more than 20,000 bikes.
We love bikes and the bike community.
buycycle.com
Buycycle Practical Test
To better understand the services of the online marketplace and to be able to report on them, we took the opportunity and listed NoPain's long-term review bike, the Scott Addict Gravel Tuned with GRX Di2, on buycycle.
The process from the seller's perspective essentially consisted of five steps:
1. Post an ad
2. Negotiations with potential buyers
3. Closing the sale
4. Shipping
5. Payment
Creating the sales ad on buycycle is always free of charge. Only upon a successful sale is a fair fee of 3.5% of the sales price deducted from the seller. The buyer has to pay additional costs for the shipping, the buycycle fee, customs duties (if outside the EU), and the optional service check on top of the bike price - but the exact purchase amount is always visible before the final bid.
Worth mentioning and absolutely sensible is the mandatory buycycle fee. Should the wrong bike arrive or it does not match the description in the ad, the buycycle buyer protection program will take care of you. After consultation, you can return the purchased bike free of charge and you will be refunded the full purchase price.
1. Post an ad
Buycycle advertises with "In 30 seconds to your listing, very easy and free of charge". Well, the half minute didn't quite work out, as the thorough basic cleaning alone took three hours, and capturing the basic data of NoPain's exquisite custom build also took some time.
However, the process could actually be much faster if you want to sell a standard model bike. This is because the buycycle database is extensive, and all bikes come pre-configured with list prices and standard components. Select the model and year of manufacture, enter basic data, update individual components, and choose a selling price. As assistance, buycycle suggests an "ideal selling price" that you can use as a guide.
Process - Step 1
Then provide a few last details about the condition of the bike, upload three photos, and your ad is online.
Well, not quite. You should plan for at least one business day, as a large part of all ads is still reviewed by humans (yes, that's still a thing!). To speed up the approval process, buycycle is gradually introducing AI-supported checks, which currently account for about 40% of the total volume.
Only verified sellers, buyer protection & financing
Europe's largest selection of second-hand bikes
2. & 3. Negotiations and Sales Conclusion
Hardly had my advertisement been approved one day later, even on a Sunday, when the first interested parties already contacted me. A Spaniard, for whom it was then too big, a German, for whom it was too small, and another Spaniard, who really wanted to have it, but not at my asking price. I explained to him that the condition of the bike was really "top" and sent him more info. After a brief correspondence via the buycycle app, we agreed on a final sale price of 3,500 Euros.
Procedure - Step 2 & 3
Communication was exclusively via the buycycle tool, partly through the website, partly through the smartphone app. The buycycle support was apparently able to resolve interim problems with the PayPal transfer.
After I confirmed the sale, entered and verified my account details, the Spaniard paid his final purchase price. Since then, my 3,377 euros (3,500 euros minus the 3.5% commission) have been in the buycycle escrow account waiting for their payout.
More than 20,000 used and refurbished bicycles with discounts of up to 50%.
buycycle.com
4. Shipping
Bicycles are offered all over Europe; buyers can choose either to pick up the bike themselves or to opt for the shipping option at their own expense. In our case, naturally, only international shipping was an option.
Therefore, I selected on buycycle the shipping, the optional packaging material, and one of the suggested dates for the freight company to pick up the fully packed bike from my place - completely free of charge for me as the buyer!
Procedure - Step 4
Indeed, just a few days later, the compactly packed bike box arrived, including a foolproof guide, and I set about packing the bike. I wasn't very stressed, as there was almost a week between receipt and the shipping date.
Tips from the Pros: The design of the buycycle road bike box is wonderfully achieved for average road bikes. Both the material thickness and the nested end result make a solid impression. However, for more complex road bikes, it may become necessary to use additional foams, films, and tapes to ensure the best possible protection of the bike and its components.
In our Scott Addict Gravel review, we also removed the brake calipers at the front and rear to create additional cable length for the carbon one-piece cockpit. Otherwise, it would not have been possible to "turn the corner" with the handlebars without damaging the cables. Take a look at the photos above, maybe you'll find an idea or two that helps you out.
At the end of the procedure, I uploaded a few photos of the packaged bike to buycycle and confirmed the packing of the bike.
A few days before the pick-up by the shipping company, I received an email notification that my shipping documents were ready for download. I printed them out and attached the shipping label to the box.
The bike box was picked up by the shipping company at 11:45 AM on the agreed day. I didn't receive a confirmation, but I took a photo of the vehicle.
Sell your bike to buyers all over Europe.
buycycle.com
5. Payment
As soon as I confirmed the pickup, I was able to initiate the payout. A quick check of the bank details, a click on the "Request payout" button in the buycycle app, and I received the message: "Our payment provider will process your payment. You should see it in your account within 2 business days."
And just a few hours later, the promised amount was in my account. Awesome!
For more information about buycycle, you can either call us from Mon-Fri 9 am to 5 pm at +49 89 628 24621 (in German) or in their FAQs.
