Sell your used bike locally or ship it? What each costs

Checked October 2026. Fees change, so every figure below links to where it came from.

TL;DR

If someone near you wants the bike, sell it locally. You keep the whole price, you don’t need a box, and the buyer rides it before paying, which settles most questions on the spot.

Ship it when the right buyer probably isn’t nearby: a very small or very large frame, a rare brand, a build few local riders would pay for. Shipping widens the market. You pay for that in fees, packing and waiting.

What selling costs you

For a $2,000 bike, with the buyer paying for shipping, which is normal on these sites.

Where	How they charge	Also costs you	You lose
Local sale Nothing Also: nothing	Nothing	Nothing	$0
Pinkbike, paid by PayPal Listing free; PayPal 2.99% + $0.49 Also: packing, insurance, scams	Listing free; PayPal 2.99% + $0.49	Packing, insurance, scams	$60
buycycle 7.5% on bikes Also: packing, returns, cancel fee	7.5% on bikes	Packing, returns, cancel fee	$150
eBay 13.6% of what the buyer pays, shipping and tax included, + $0.40 Also: packing, insurance, returns	13.6% of what the buyer pays, shipping and tax included, + $0.40	Packing, insurance, returns	$286 to $311
The Pro's Closet Consignment: keeps 30% to 40% of the sale Also: shipping to them, inspection	Consignment: keeps 30% to 40% of the sale	Shipping to them, inspection	$600 to $800

Shipping it? Add $75 to $125 if a shop packs it, or an evening if you do.

On fees alone, buycycle and Pinkbike are cheap. eBay isn’t, and The Pro’s Closet costs the most: it sells your bike on consignment and keeps 30% to 40% of the price. Its straight trade-in offer is lower again, highest as store credit, and it only takes bikes under 10 years old that cost $2,000 or more new.

Additional costs

Packing. Pedals, bars, wheels and derailleur off, everything padded so nothing rubs. The first time, it takes most of an evening. Shops often give away the boxes new bikes arrive in, so ask before you buy one.
Damage on the way. A bent derailleur hanger or a scuffed top tube becomes your problem until the buyer and the platform agree it isn’t.
Waiting. The bike crosses the country, then the buyer checks it over. A local sale is done when you shake hands.

When shipping is worth it

Your local market isn’t large enough to support the sale. Few riders near you ride your size or want your model.
You’re leaving the area and can’t stick around for an in-person sale.
You’ve had it listed locally for a few weeks with no serious offer.

How to sell a bike locally in NYC

Price it from sold bikes, not asking prices. Bicycle Blue Book gives a starting range, and eBay’s sold listings show what people actually paid.
Take the photos in daylight. The whole bike from the drive side first, then the groupset, wheels, cockpit and any marks. Show the damage before a buyer finds it. Photos that sell has the full checklist, and the listing form shows the same tips.
Put the model in the title. Brand, model, year, size and groupset. Buyers search by model, rarely by “road bike”.
Post it where NYC riders look. Bike Drawer, your club’s group chat, Marketplace. A Bike Drawer listing is one link you can paste into all of them, and most chat apps turn it into a preview with your first photo, the title and the price.
Meet, check, get paid. Somewhere public, with room for a test ride, and money in hand before the bike leaves. Buying and selling safely covers test rides and which payments can be pulled back.

Try local first

List it on Bike Drawer before you box it up. It’s free, takes about 2 minutes, and buyers contact you directly. If it hasn’t sold in a few weeks, ship it then.

List an item · Why sell on Bike Drawer