How to Post a Bike on eBay

One of the more challenging things to list on eBay is a bike. There are several things buyers look for when searching bikes, and if you don't describe certain details, you will be inundated with questions for the whole auction. Below are some ways to make your auction go smoother.

Things You'll Need

• Digital camera

Instructions

Cleaning and Testing

1. Take your bike for a test drive.

2. Pay close attention to whether or not the gears shift smoothly.

3. Make sure the brakes work correctly.

4. Write down any issues you discover on your test drive.

5. Clean your bike.

6. Note any cosmetic issues on your bike. For example, if there is a gash on the seat post, you'll want to mention it in your auction.

Photographing Your Bike

1. Find a clear area with no pictures or furniture. You don't want anything to distract from your auction.

2. Take a picture of your whole bike for your main gallery photo.

3. Take a closeup picture of the handlebars, grips and brakes.

4. Take a closeup picture of the front shocks.

5. Photograph your bike from the front to the rear, focusing on tires, rims, body, pedals and gears.

6. Take a picture of any cosmetic issues you found during your cleaning.

Writing Your Auction

1. Measure from the floor to the middle bar (bar just in front of the seat).

2. Measure from the middle of the crank to the seat post.

3. Write the make, model and year of your bike at the top of your auction.

4. Write the makes and models of all the different parts of your bike: gears, shocks, wheels/rims, brakes, pedals and derailluers (move the chain from one chain-ring to the next). Include the suspension system of your bike if it has one.

5. Include the frame size if it is written on your bike. If not, write down the measurements you took of your bike to help the buyers negotiate the size of your bike.

6. Write all the cosmetic issues you found during cleaning or issues you found during testing.

7. Upload your pictures into your auction.

8. Spell-check and preview your auction. When you are satisfied, submit your auction.

Tips & Warnings

• Some eBay auction management systems limit the amount of free pictures you can post.