And I feel pretty good about it, too. :D
Hello!
If you recall, my last post asked the question, "Do you want somewhere you can buy and sell bikes and bike related things?" Somewhere that is a safe spot to trade; somewhere that isn't full of unrelated items or ads; somewhere you know is going to be reputable.
I got an overwhelmingly positive response, despite the fact that there are things like Marketplace, Kijiji, and 519 Bicycles. So, I did it.
You can find it here: www.spokeandsprocket.ca/buy-sell or, if you're on our site, you can find it through the "Buy & Sell" link at the top-of-the-page menu.
You will have to log in, of course. I imagine that is to be expected. I believe that if you're already a site member you are good to go.
Once you're logged in, you'll be able to post, read and comment on other people's posts.
The rules are simple. As they say in bike polo, "Don't be a dick."
You can ask us for an appraisal or assessment. This will cost about $10-$15. '
Please make sure that the item(s) you're selling is clean, especially wearable items. The buyer should be able to make an informed choice and dirt can obscure things.
I will be making the first post on behalf of a customer who is looking to sell a pair of brand new ebikes. There are a couple of other customers looking to sell things - shoes and pedals, and an Amish scooter bike. (It's really cool, I'm hoping she uses the new community)
There are the following categories:
Bikes for sale
Kit for Sale
Parts for Sale
Seeking, and
Community
I think most of them are self-explanatory. "Kit" includes anything from caps to shoes and pedals. I am including the pedals because if you use clipless, shoes, pedals and cleats are a package deal.
"Seeking" is the category to post in when you are looking for something.
"Community" is where we come together to talk about London pathways and roads - construction, closures, detours, flooding, and the like. It's also a good place to post favourite routes for particular rides. Training for a hilly race? looking for or have a good distance route? know the best way to get around the city to commute to work? Post your questions and your knowledge here.
The front of our shop has a security camera that is triggered to record with movement. A message is sent to Mike every time it sees something. This is a good place to be a safe spot for trading cash for items. (At the same time, we will not be held liable. Any time you purchase something online, you do so at your own risk. It's become so commonplace that people don't think about it anymore. We do.)
If you need an appraisal for something you're selling, or you want us to look at something you're buying, we will do that. Because it takes our time away from bikes we're working on, there is a small fee associated with it. It's only $10-$15. This way, you'll know that what you're getting is what the person is claiming. (If you get an appraisal, we may give you a certificate or something saying we've done this and the quality we found.)
There is also the Welcome category. Here, you can introduce yourself, talk to each other. Talk about your bike, your riding, your riding goals.
Abuse of any kind will not be tolerated. There is a censor in place for certain words.
We are hoping we can grow a respectful and busy community.
Have at it!