Why are s/h road bikes generally sold without pedals?

[Ross]

It would make it hard to test ride for a start and to my way of thinking it makes the bike incomplete. Like selling a car without wheels.

I know people have their favourite pedals they like to put on the bike so not everyone uses say Shimano SPD-SL and some people prefer Keo or whatever.

Surely if the seller is upgrading to a new bike then he/she would put new pedals on'the new bike?

Exception being Garmin Vector pedals which are pretty expensive and so Im sure people want to keep them for their new bike. Or maybe Dura Ace pedals as they are pretty exxy too (though not as much as GV).

If you want to keep your pedals then put some cheapies on there I reckon. Chuck some Shimano R540s on or even look on eBay or Aliexpress and you might find some even cheaper ones. Even non-cleated flat pedals from K-Mart would do I reckon.

Do MTBers sell their bikes without pedals? What about flat bar bikes or BMX bikes?

[Derny Driver]

Why not sell a bike with shoes attached? Because they wont fit the buyers feet. Same with pedals. There are dozens of different types. Why sell me a bike with Shimano R540s when my shoes have Keo cleats and my other 3 bikes have Keo pedals?

[Nobody]

Saddles are usually even more individualistic than pedals and so it would be logical to sell without a saddle too.

[mitchy_]

wouldn't selling a bike without wheels be more like selling a car without wheels?

bikes when sold new dont come with them, so it stands to reason they generally aren't sold used with them either. mtb's depend, flat pedals sometimes come with bikes but very rarely clip in pedals.
it comes down to compatibility. the seller is likely to keep using the same shoe/pedal, so will transfer them to the new bike whereas a buyer potentially wont use/want them. no point spending $50 on pedals for the buyer to say i dont want those, can you do a cheaper price without.

i'm sure the seller would leave the pedals on for a test ride however. alternatively bring you own if you want to run your own shoe/pedal combo.

[lobstermash]

All the secondhand bikes I've bought have had pedals. Usually just flats or toe clips, but occasionally with SPDs.

[outnabike]

Why not sell a bike with shoes attached? Because they wont fit the buyers feet. Same with pedals. There are dozens of different types. Why sell me a bike with Shimano R540s when my shoes have Keo cleats and my other 3 bikes have Keo pedals?

I have to say that if I go to buy a bike I would like even a simple set of pedals to try the thing.
Would you as a LBS allow a stranger to come along and screw in his used pedals to try your bike? Love to hear the argy bargy after some one cross threads a nice new crankset.
And who actually takes their favourite pedals off their bike just to look at other bikes?

[trailgumby]

Do what I did when going on a P&O cruise recently, when planning to use the on-board exercise bikes: take your own shoes, pedals and pedal spanner.

I did the same when I went to try out a road bike a few years ago, took my own shoes and pedals.

It's not that hard, is it?

Any S/H bike that comes with pedals included I view as an opportunity to get a little cash back by flogging them off on eBay or sometimes here.

[Ross]

Why not sell a bike with shoes attached? Because they wont fit the buyers feet. Same with pedals. There are dozens of different types. Why sell me a bike with Shimano R540s when my shoes have Keo cleats and my other 3 bikes have Keo pedals?

Shoes aren't part of a bike. They are clothing. Maybe sellers should include knicks and jerseys too?

You can always take the pedals off and sell them if you prefer to use something else.

If you buy a used car it might have seatcovers you don't like or Kenwood speakers when you prefer Pioneer.

There are dozens (hundreds?) of different types of bike wheels too, most decent wheels costing more than a set of pedals, so why not sell a bike without wheels? The new owner might like Fulcrums whereas the current owner likes Mavics. Same logic.

Same could be said for a lot of other bike components like handlebars or stems or seat posts or saddles.

[herzog]

wheels costing more than a set of pedals, so why not sell a bike without wheels? The new owner might like Fulcrums whereas the current owner likes Mavics. Same logic.

There is a big difference with pedals. The new owner may already have several pairs of cleats and shoes designed for their pedal system of choice.

I'd rather not pay for a set of pedals I never use.

For example, I run SPD pedals on all my bikes: MTB has XTR, commuter runs XT, and the road bike has A600 Ultegra.

This way I can use all my shoes on all my bikes.

[KGB]

Pedals are generally incompatible with other brands. How am I supposed to test ride a bike with keo's when I ride Keywin's? Buy and fit look cleats? I think not. If I'm serious about test riding I'll bring my shoes, pedals and a pedal spanner. Why would a LBS not let you use your own pedals? They should fit them for you so you can test ride it.

Given the variety of road pedals, I'd never sell a bike with my pedals on it since there is a good chance they won't suit the buyer. If I bought a bike with pedals they're going straight to fleabay if they're worth anything or in the drawer if they're junk.

Why bother putting on new r540's etc? If you're selling something you want to make it look pretty without spending money on it. You won't be getting that money back.
At best, I'd have a pair of cheapo plastic platform pedals for the buyer to ride it up the street.

Bmx and lower end mtbs are completely different since platform pedals are common if not standard issue.

[ozdavo]

Ever been to a bike demo day? Usual deal is bring your own pedals & shoes or they have flats available... & maybe Shimano's.

But really if your serious about a second hand bike & rock up without pedals, in sure any seller could sort a pair for a test ride even if they were clipless and you had to test in whatever shoes you were wearing.
Oh, btw check out BICYCLE MARKET facebook page, heaps of bike are sold without pedals, saddle or wheels!


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[darylcheshire]

bikes are easier to store and handle in the shop without pedals

[bychosis]

Any S/H bike that comes with pedals included I view as an opportunity to get a little cash back by flogging them off on eBay or sometimes here.

FTW.

At least if there aren't any pedals on it you know they won't be hard to change to your own preference.

Personally I'd find a pair of plastic or other cheap flat pedals out of my box of bits to throw on if the new owner wanted something to test ride or start out with, I've got plenty of spares. I wouldn't be letting go of anything decent that I was using though.

[wombatK]

Saddles are usually even more individualistic than pedals and so it would be logical to sell without a saddle too.

+1. I've had to change the saddle on every bike I've bought. A test ride is rarely enough to expose the problems with the saddle. Maybe to not put one on a showroom bike however might stir up negative emotions about saddle choice being difficult. So we get low-quality skinny boy seats on most bikes as sold.

But really, I think it's more about having the price appear lower - and giving the bike shop room to "negotiate" on the "extras" you can't get away without.

[NhiTrac]

If the bikes are fitted with anything else but Speedplay then it won't suit me as that's all I use. Won't even be able to test ride them...

I rather they don't come with pedals so I can bring my own along. Save a few quid too.

Saddles is required as you only need to sit on it for the duration of the test ride whereas my shoes are already set up with my own preferences. Eg cleat positions, shims, etc

[Mozzar]

When I was working part time at a bike shop we used to fit cheap flat pedals to a bike for a test ride, but if a customer wanted to use their shoes and pedals I would always fit them for the customer to make sure that the cranks aren't stripped or damaged in any way.

[djw47]

Why not sell a bike with shoes attached? Because they wont fit the buyers feet. Same with pedals. There are dozens of different types. Why sell me a bike with Shimano R540s when my shoes have Keo cleats and my other 3 bikes have Keo pedals?

That argument really doesn't stack up though, there are many more wheelset options than pedal options but all bikes come with wheels, which are generally the cheapest available in a particular price range. Why not provide pedals that can be replaced if required but allow somebody who has no interest in a specific set of shoes/pedals to get started, and are not an additional (and often hidden) expense?

[nezumi]

Why not sell a bike with shoes attached? Because they wont fit the buyers feet. Same with pedals. There are dozens of different types. Why sell me a bike with Shimano R540s when my shoes have Keo cleats and my other 3 bikes have Keo pedals?

That argument really doesn't stack up though, there are many more wheelset options than pedal options but all bikes come with wheels, which are generally the cheapest available in a particular price range. Why not provide pedals that can be replaced if required but allow somebody who has no interest in a specific set of shoes/pedals to get started, and are not an additional (and often hidden) expense?

Because a bike will roll with any wheels that fit, but what is the point of selecting a component that does not have cross compatability?

Regarding seats - if I had a prefered seat/personal fitted one etc then I would swap it for the factory seat when selling. Everyone has a different backside shape, sure, but no backside is completely incompatible with a factory seat, while Look/Keo/etc pedals are useless to someone with only SPD shoes.

[Calvin27]

Because a bike will roll with any wheels that fit, but what is the point of selecting a component that does not have cross compatability?

Regarding seats - if I had a prefered seat/personal fitted one etc then I would swap it for the factory seat when selling. Everyone has a different backside shape, sure, but no backside is completely incompatible with a factory seat, while Look/Keo/etc pedals are useless to someone with only SPD shoes.

It's called flat pedals. I'd say nylon flat pedals are so stupidly cheap and universal they should just chuck them in. Most LBS will just add them for free if you ask.

I'd guess it was a way for bike brands to cut costs further. Not a bad idea for most people acquainted with cycling and aiming for carbon ultegra type bikes but for first timers (I was taking my brother shopping last week) they get annoyed when looking at a $1k bike and then get told they don't get pedals. At one stage he almost went for another lesser bike just because of it until I talked some sense into him and offered a spare set I had.

As for the car comparison it would be like buying a car with everything but the accelerator pedal - just a stick coming from the firewall.

[39x25]

Bought my second hand without pedals.... No biggie.. Just brought my own set to test with.. Dont even need a wrench if just finger tight.

Sorry but seems a bit of a first world problem....

[nezumi]

Because a bike will roll with any wheels that fit, but what is the point of selecting a component that does not have cross compatability?

Regarding seats - if I had a prefered seat/personal fitted one etc then I would swap it for the factory seat when selling. Everyone has a different backside shape, sure, but no backside is completely incompatible with a factory seat, while Look/Keo/etc pedals are useless to someone with only SPD shoes.

It's called flat pedals. I'd say nylon flat pedals are so stupidly cheap and universal they should just chuck them in. Most LBS will just add them for free if you ask.

I'd guess it was a way for bike brands to cut costs further. Not a bad idea for most people acquainted with cycling and aiming for carbon ultegra type bikes but for first timers (I was taking my brother shopping last week) they get annoyed when looking at a $1k bike and then get told they don't get pedals. At one stage he almost went for another lesser bike just because of it until I talked some sense into him and offered a spare set I had.

As for the car comparison it would be like buying a car with everything but the accelerator pedal - just a stick coming from the firewall.

If you were talking about buying new, then you might have a point. But when buying second hand, most people don't have a ready supply on spare nylon pedals on hand. The car comparison is false because cars aren't sold lacking a component which is essential to use but varies with personal preference and has a very basic version. If people clipped into the accelerator pedal, then the wrong accelerator pedal whould be just as useless as no pedal at all.

[Xplora]

Flat pedals aren't close to the same as clipless. I'd question your intelligence using flats to test a road bike if you are going to race it. Hard to sprint to test frame flex with flats. I don't care if it can be done, you wouldn't race like that, so don't test it that way.

I would bring my saddle for a frame test if its a SMP or similarly nice saddle. Swap as much as you can. I would request a crank change if it was a 5000 dollar bike being tested (I've got an SRM). Wheels. etc etc etc. Are we testing a frame, or are we just going for a roll? I'm not sure how you can tell yourself you are testing something if you don't isolate the new component, and once you are spending a few thousand it really does make the effort for the sale worthwhile, spending 15 minutes swapping things over.

[Calvin27]

Flat pedals aren't close to the same as clipless. I'd question your intelligence using flats to test a road bike if you are going to race it. Hard to sprint to test frame flex with flats. I don't care if it can be done, you wouldn't race like that, so don't test it that way.

I was specifically referring to entry level bikes in the context of the first time buyer - hardly racing variety. If you're dropping more than $2k you're probably got some pedals/cleats and a truckload of c r c parts to go with it. Less than that and there is a good chance it will be a first timer who has no idea if they even want cleats.

[Xplora]

I'd agree on that as well calvin, lower end bikes, particularly first timers, are not going to notice the difference much. I guess expectations are quite different for different markets