Shopping Local for Deals on Bicycles: Closeout Bikes

If you've ever been frustrated when shopping for bicycles in your home area because you couldn't seem to find the deals that others have bragged about, Closeout Bikes may be a place to try out on your next search. The website is a place to find local deals that a shopper may not have been aware of unless s/he searched every local bike shop. The intention of the site is not to create a global commerce site, but rather to provide one location for dealers to advertise their current sale bicycles. Then, the transactions/purchases are made locally by the individuals involved.

*Image found here

Here's what the site owner has to say:

CloseoutBikes.com is a marketplace that allows dealers and manufacturers to post their closeout or slow moving bicycles on a site so that consumers can search for something they like at a great price in their region. It is not an e-commerce site- the goal is to promote buying local and supporting the independent bike shop.  

If someone is searching for a good deal on a bike the options are either mail order or eBay, and the bikes on sale at dealers and especially manufacturers are essentially hidden.  Sure, some shops do a great job of posting their sales on a website, but that means that everyone has to find each site and navigate through it, and it means each shop has to have the technology to have a site that allows that. CloseoutBikes.com allows that for any shop very inexpensively.  

As a former retailer and a huge lover of bicycles and the industry I am trying to help the bike shops market their sale bikes in a new and non disruptive way.

The website is fairly new and is still building a base, but there are actually quite a few bicycles currently listed, depending on a shopper's region. I think of it as an AutoTrader or Cars.com type of site, but instead this site is aimed at those looking to buy a bike at a great price locally. So, the next time you're in the market for a new ride, pop over for a quick search and hopefully make the shopping experience that much easier (and hopefully save some money in doing so).

On the Chopping Block: Rivendell Betty Foy for sale

Ugh. I attach far too quickly to some bicycles - and the Betty is definitely one of them. It makes me a bit sad, but I've put her up on the chopping block today. Hanging around in this space, most people come to expect that my bikes will end up for sale at some point, but this one happened much sooner than I thought it would - even for me - the crazy buy-a-bicycle-and-then-sell-it lady. It's not for lack of quality or ride-ability, certainly, but our space is limited and when something isn't getting the use it should, I tend to think it's better to let them go than to store them endlessly. I knew going into her purchase that either she or the Hillborne would likely ultimately be sold, but since I find the Hillborne to be "the one" that seems to work for most things, Betty Foy is the choice in this situation. I should point out that I am only selling the frame/fork/bb/headset because (of course) there will be more builds on the way.

Ahh, Betty - I hardly knew ye

I wish I could justify keeping miss Betty. If only I had more bikey-type people who visited from out of the area... or if there was endless space to store bikes...or endless money. How's that money tree thing coming anyway? Someone must've invented one by now. :O)  I had thought I was okay with cramming the very small shed full, but it makes it difficult to get to the bikes that are ridden regularly. Of course, then I think that I really don't have to justify the sale of a bike, but I also believe it is more of a situation in which I am trying to console myself by justifying it to the mysterious "others."

So, if you know anyone who's looking in the Colorado area, feel free to link them to the ad on CL. Maybe I should get in one last ride before I say goodbye (or she's taken apart)...or perhaps it's better to just let her be.

*Update: Looks like Betty will be going to a new home as of the end of the month, so thanks to all who passed along the link!

Velorbis Dannebrog for Sale

A few days ago, I happened upon an outdated listing for a used Velorbis Dannebrog. Since the bike appeared to have never sold, I contacted the seller to see if the bike is still available. Turns out, that they are still trying to sell this bike. While I would love to get my hands on this gorgeous ride, the sellers are in Connecticut and are having difficulty with getting the bicycle shipped.

*Image from NOHO Cycle Chic
You can read their review of the bike through the link as well

As my own sort of PSA (and to prevent Sam from strangling me in my attempts to figure out how I can get it back here to Colorado), I thought I would put this out there for anyone in the northeast who is in search of this bike and would be able to get to the Fairfield, CT area to pick it up. The owner is "entertaining offers" (as he shared with me) starting at $1,000 (really a good deal for the Dannebrog). You can see their original images on the old e-Bay listing here, where you can also contact the seller with questions at the bottom of the listing.

Hopefully, there's someone in their area who can truly appreciate this bike and will give it a good home. Please feel free to pass this along to anyone you know who would be interested.

Bikes for Sale: Surly Long Haul Trucker, Public V7, & Bridgestone MB-S

Once again our bicycle herd is changing (or maybe thinning is a better word), and we have a few bikes up for sale. I thought I'd put up a post in case anyone is looking for, has interest in, or knows anyone who might be looking for any of these bikes.

The first bike is the Surly Long Haul Trucker. SOLD

The frame size is the 46cm... and other details can be found on e-Bay here. Sam got another bike over the summer that he has been riding more often, so he's decided that the LHT really does need to go to a new home.

Next up, the Public Bikes V7  SOLD... I would prefer to sell this to someone locally, but will consider packing and shipping within the U.S.

This one has been Sam's "city bike," but he tends to like to just ride his road bike as a city bike, so this hasn't been getting the use it really should. It's the Standard size model (ideal for someone approximately 4'10"-5'6"). You can find more details on CL here. If you aren't local and would need shipping, just get in touch and we can discuss this as a possibility. As forewarning, bike shipping costs seem to have increased, so it's generally somewhere in the neighborhood of $110-140. Also, if anyone would like better pictures, I can email those as well.

The final bike for sale is the 1994 Bridgestone MB-S.

My mountain biking career doesn't seem to have taken off, and since I'm still terrified of the rocks, we've decided to let this one go. I'm sure someone out there could make great use of this beauty. You can find additional information on CL. She (he?) has several scratches, but I still think it's a gorgeous ride (and am in love with the lugs, of course). This one is a 16 inch size (or a size small). Again, I'd prefer to sell this locally, but will consider shipping, if need be.

I'll take this post down and remove specific bikes as they sell, so if this post is still up, then we still have the bikes. Feel free to inquire with questions: endlessvelolove {at} gmail.

Have a beautiful day!

Discount/Sale on Po Campo Products {July 5 - July 12 ONLY} through Planetgear.com

In this day and age, it sometimes feels as though we get overwhelmed by advertisers and their advertisements. Somewhat frequently, I receive requests to post information about a product, service, or website, and I'm not always entirely comfortable with the idea (which is why I generally don't do this). While I don't consider myself a role model for others to follow, I would hate to guide someone to something that I am not on board with supporting.

**Image from planetgear.com materials

That said, recently I was contacted by planetgear.com (the company is owned/operated by women, and based out of Salt Lake City). If you haven't heard of the company, basically they have a website that features products for use in outdoor activities at discounted prices, for a limited length of time. I was a bit skeptical initially because when you arrive at the home page, you must sign up for "membership" with them prior to seeing what the site has to offer. It was explained to me in this manner: "Membership is free and I know it sounds like a pain, but it is SOOO much more convenient than all the other sites like us. You don't have to sit around and wait for an invitation or go get a confirmation email. You just have to create a password--membership keeps track of the credit you have on planetgear.com, your orders progress, and it gives you a weekly email letting you know what the new sale is (which you can unsubscribe to when you want)."

**Image from planetgear.com materials

Fair enough. I love that the company was founded with two core values: "giving discounts and giving back." My favorite part about it is that for every purchase made on planetgear.com, buyers help to fund local non-profits for the environment through the 1% for the planet organization. It doesn't hurt either that you could potentially save up to 50% off prices through their limited time offers. Another benefit to purchasers is that the "invite/referral policy is great; it's to make it NOT annoying but VERY helpful to friends that you invite. It gives your friends an automatic $10 credit to use on their first purchase of $50 or more, and gives you a $10 credit when they do."

**Image from planetgear.com materials

Why now? Well, I am personally in love with Po Campo products, and when I heard that planetgear.com would be featuring these products during the week of July 5 - July 12, I had to pass on the news to others who would perhaps benefit from this as well. I know I'll be checking it out, and hopefully others will do the same. If you've been waiting to buy a bag/accessory for your bike, this could be a good time to take a look.  And, lest the guys feel like they are being left out, planetgear.com will be featuring a Club Ride sale for men, the following week (things like vintage inspired biking shirts are planned to be part of that week). Sounds like a potentially good deal to me: buy something you need/want, and save some money!

**Disclaimer: I am not being paid in any form to post this information, but simply thought others might benefit from the potential savings - both now and down the line. I have no personal relationship with planetgear.com, nor do I benefit in any way by having people visit their website.**