Goodbye, Long Haul Trucker.

The deed has been done. After five and a half years of ownership, the Surly Long Haul Trucker has passed into new hands. I feel great relief mixed with a small twinge of sadness. It wasn’t the easiest decision to sell this bike, and I’ll get into that soon.

But it wasn’t the easiest process to sell this bike either. It spent two and a half weeks on the local Craigslist, with no interest in the first week, some interest the beginning of the second week, then some actual inquiries when I lowered the price right before Thanksgiving. I started the selling price at $900, a bit ambitious for the middle of winter, but I figured I’d knock it down a hundred or two in the whole bargaining process. (Aim high, shoot low.) But I didn’t get any real interest until I lowered the price to $500. Yeah, I was hoping for $700, or at least $600, but it's hard this time of year. Yeah, it would have been better to sell the bike in spring. But sometimes you don't have that choice.

And selling bikes on Craigslist? Yeesh. I can't understand how anyone has "fun" flipping bikes. Maybe if you're unemployed, always home, and like wasting time? I knew that lowering the price drastically would get more responses, but I forgot how it would also get me bad responses. Like someone who was in Olympia that wanted me to meet him halfway, or, if he drove down, was wondering if I would lower the price even more to make it "worth it" to him. Worth it? We're talking about a bike that retails for about $1300 new, and that doesn't include fenders, rack, or lights. Fuck off, dude. Or the guy who wanted to offer to help me by selling it for me on eBay "for a commission." Yeah, fuck off as well, Mr. Self-Styled eBay powerseller.

I've never had great luck with selling bikes on Craigslist. A couple I had to keep on whittling down the price week after week until they sold. One just wasn't selling so I consigned it to a local bike shop. The only easy sale was my Worksman Cycle Truck, which only needed one day and one response to sell for the price I asked. (It made me wonder if I should have started higher, oh well.)

Anyways, it was with great relief that Megan purchased the Long Haul Trucker on Tuesday. Can you see how happy she looks? That's a good thing. She got a great bike at a great price. And I got someone who I can trust will take care of the Long Haul Trucker, and would continue having great adventures with it.

Goodbye, old friend.