How Bike Swap works
Short answers to “how do I…” for selling, buying and owning a used Rodeo on Bike Swap.
This guide covers how Bike Swap works. Two other pages cover the rest:
- Terms of use are the rules everyone agrees to.
- Staying safe on Bike Swap covers paying, meeting and having a bike looked over.
If this guide and the terms ever disagree, the terms win.
Jump to: Getting started · Selling · Buying · Want ads · Messages, reports and blocking · When the bike is sold · My bikes · Transfer coupons · Your data · Contact Rodeo
Getting started
What is Bike Swap?
Bike Swap is a place for Rodeo owners to sell their used bikes to other riders.
- It’s free. There are no fees and no commission.
- It’s for private owners in the US who are 18 or over. It isn’t for shops or businesses.
- It’s for Rodeo complete bikes and framesets only: Traildonkey and Flaanimal. No parts.
- Rodeo isn’t part of the sale. The deal, and the money, are between the buyer and the seller.
Every listing carries this notice:
This bike is being sold by a private owner, not by Rodeo Adventure Labs. Rodeo has not inspected it, does not know how it has been used, and makes no statement about its condition, safety or rideability. It is not covered by any Rodeo warranty. Have the bike fully inspected by a qualified bike shop or technician before you ride it.
How do I get in?
You need a Rodeo account. If you’ve ordered from rodeo-labs.mom you already have one, so sign in. If not, create one from the sign-in page.
Where is everything?
Bike Swap lives in My Account. You’ll find three areas there:
- My listings: bikes you’re selling and your want ads.
- Messages: your conversations with other members.
- My bikes: Rodeo bikes registered to you, and any transfer coupons.
Selling
What do I need before I start?
Have these ready and the listing takes a few minutes:
- Your frame serial number and a photo of it on the frame.
- At least four photos of the bike. You can add up to 12.
- Your ZIP code. We never ask for your street address.
Where is my serial number?
- Flaanimal: stamped or etched into the bottom bracket shell, underneath. On the Flaanimal 1.0 to 5.0 there are two numbers there. Your serial is the one on the non-drive side that doesn’t start with “CDS”.
- The “CDS” number tells you the frame size. On the Flaanimal 1.0 to 5.0 it ends in the size: CDS903-54 is a 54 cm frame, CDS903-56 a 56 cm frame. Handy if you’re not sure of your size, but don’t enter it as the serial.
- Traildonkey: on a sticker under the bottom bracket shell. It is sometimes painted over, and stickers can wear off. If you can’t read yours, see the next question.
What if I can’t read my serial?
Tick the box that says you can’t read it, tell us why, and carry on with your listing. When you post it, the listing is held while Rodeo looks for your bike in its order records. If we find it, we may open the listing for you. Your draft is saved in the meantime.
How do I post a listing?
There are seven steps. Do them in any order:
- Your bike
- Serial
- Condition
- Build
- Photos
- Price and delivery
- Review
Your draft saves itself as you go, so you can stop and come back. Still needed before you can post on the Review step lists what’s missing and links to each item.
If the bike is already in My bikes, start there with Sell this bike. The form opens with the model, version, size and serial filled in.
How do I rate the condition?
You pick one: Like New, Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor. It appears on your listing as “Seller rates this bike”, because it’s your opinion. Rodeo doesn’t define the grades or check them.
What do I have to disclose?
The Condition step asks six yes/no questions. Answer each one “to your knowledge”. When an answer is yes, add a note and a photo.
- To your knowledge, has it been crashed?
- To your knowledge, has it been repaired?
- To your knowledge, has it been repainted?
- To your knowledge, has it been modified from original?
- To your knowledge, is there any notable rust?
- To your knowledge, is there any other damage or wear?
Everything you put here is public on your listing, and it stays public in the archive after the listing ends.
Be thorough. Buyers respond well to a listing that shows the flaws, and surprises after the sale are what cause disputes. It’s much easier to talk about a scuff before anyone has paid.
How do I take good photos?
- Shoot in daylight.
- Use a clean, plain background.
- Take a close-up of every scuff, chip and scratch.
- Don’t show the serial number in your listing photos. It has its own upload box.
The form suggests which shots to take. Only the drive-side photo is required, plus any three others.
Location and camera data are removed from your photos automatically.
How should I price it and handle shipping?
The price is up to you. Shipping is priced and paid for bike by bike, between you and the buyer:
- Many sellers charge around $150 for a frameset and $300 for a complete bike, but the price will vary. The form starts with those figures. Change them to suit your bike.
- Bikeflights.com is Rodeo’s preferred shipper.
- Shipping insurance is very strongly encouraged.
- Packing the bike well, and any damage in shipping, are your responsibility, not the buyer’s.
You can offer local pickup, shipping or both. Your listing shows your city and state, never your street address.
What am I agreeing to when I post?
The Review step has seven agreements to tick. You’ll see each one in full on screen before you post. Read them. They’re short.
There’s also an optional box that lets Rodeo use your photos in its own marketing. Leave it unticked if you’d rather not.
What are the records line and “Rodeo owner since”?
If Rodeo’s own sales records match your bike or your account, your listing can show one line of facts from those records. It will be one of these:
- “Rodeo’s records show this serial was sold new in {year} as a {model version}, size {size}. The seller’s account matches the original purchaser in our records.”
- “Rodeo’s records show this serial was sold new in {year} as a {model version}, size {size}, through an authorized dealer.”
- “Rodeo’s records show the seller bought a {model version}, size {size}, new in {year}.”
Any line that mentions a serial is followed by: “The serial number was entered by the seller.”
Your profile can also show Rodeo owner since {year}, from your earliest matching purchase.
The line is a fact from Rodeo’s sales records. It isn’t an inspection, and it says nothing about the bike’s condition. If our records don’t match, no line is shown, and Rodeo makes no statement either way.
You’ll see exactly what would be shown on the Review step before you post. If you’d rather not show it, opt out there and nothing is shown.
Why does my listing say “Under review”?
Most listings go live straight away. Some are held for Rodeo staff to look at first, for example if you chose “I don’t know” for the size or couldn’t read your serial. It’s a check that the listing fits Bike Swap. It isn’t a check of the bike.
You don’t need to do anything. Rodeo staff review listings and reports Monday to Friday, and a review usually takes one to two business days. My listings shows where yours stands. If we need something from you, we’ll email you.
A listing can also be held if another member reports it.
How do I manage my listing?
Go to My listings. From there you can:
- Edit it.
- Mark sale pending when you’ve agreed a deal, and put it back to live if the deal falls through.
- Relist it. Listings run for 30 days. We’ll email you 7 days and 1 day before yours expires. Relisting is free: confirm the listing is still accurate and it runs for another 30 days.
- Mark it Sold elsewhere if you sold it off Bike Swap. This closes the listing with no ownership transfer and no coupons. The bike stays in My bikes until you say you no longer own it.
- Withdraw it if you’ve changed your mind.
- Anonymise a listing that has ended. This can’t be undone. See Your data.
If you sold it to someone on Bike Swap, use Sold: transfer ownership instead. See When the bike is sold.
A buyer wants my serial number. How do I send it?
Open your conversation with that buyer and use the Send serial number and photo button. Rodeo’s system emails the serial and its photo to that one buyer.
Never type the serial into a message, and never post it in a public answer.
Buying
How do I find a bike?
Open Bike Swap and browse. There are two tabs: For sale and Wanted.
Narrow things down with filters:
- Model
- Size
- Frameset or complete bike
- Price
- Distance from your ZIP
- Delivery
- Seller’s rating
- Finish
- Groupset
- Speeds
- Wheel size
Then sort the results the way you like.
How do I read a listing?
Look at four things:
- Seller rates this bike. The seller’s own opinion of the condition, from Like New to Poor. Rodeo doesn’t define the grades or check them.
- The seller’s answers to six questions about crashes, repairs, repainting, modifications, rust and other damage, with their notes and photos. They are answered by the seller, to the best of their knowledge.
- The records line, if there is one. It’s a fact from Rodeo’s sales records, such as the year a serial was sold new. It isn’t an inspection, and it says nothing about the bike’s condition. The serial it refers to was entered by the seller. If there’s no line, our records didn’t match, and Rodeo makes no statement either way.
- Previous listings of this bike. If this bike has been on Bike Swap before, the earlier listings are linked, with what earlier sellers disclosed.
The listing also says “Serial number and photo on file”. The serial itself is never shown on the site.
Rodeo hasn’t seen or examined this bike in person. Everything on the listing comes from the seller, apart from the records line.
How do I ask the seller something?
Two ways:
- Public question. Everyone can see the question and the answer. Good for things other buyers would want to know too.
- Private message. Just you and the seller. Good for arranging a deal.
Before your first message, you’ll be asked to tick a short buyer acknowledgment. It’s shown in full on screen.
Public questions are for questions about the bike. Contact details and anything that looks like a serial number are removed from public text. Make offers and swap contact details in a private message instead. Your first public question is held for a short time before it appears.
How do I get the serial number?
Ask the seller in a private message. With one button they can have the serial and a photo of it emailed to you.
Once you have it, you can look it up yourself in a public stolen-bike registry such as Bike Index. That’s your check to do. Rodeo doesn’t vouch for the result.
How should I pay, meet or have the bike looked over?
Read Staying safe on Bike Swap before you send money or meet anyone. One rule from it is worth repeating here:
Never pay a deposit to hold a bike. For a local sale, pay when you collect it. For a shipped bike, use a payment method that protects buyers.
Want ads
How do I post a want ad?
Looking for something that isn’t listed? Post a want ad. Tell sellers:
- Which models, versions and sizes you’d take.
- Frameset, complete bike or either.
- Your budget, if you want to share it. Leave it blank and the ad says “Budget not specified”.
- Your location and how you’d like it delivered.
You can have three want ads active at a time. Each runs for 30 days.
Found your bike? Use I found a bike to close the ad.
Someone offered a bike to my ad. Now what?
You’ll see it on your want ad, and so will everyone else who views the ad. You can message the seller, or pass. If you pass, you can pick a reason from a short list. It’s optional, and it’s sent to the seller.
I’m a seller. How do I answer a want ad?
Open the want ad and choose I have one like this that I want to sell.
- If you already have a live listing, attach it.
- If you don’t, the button opens the listing form. Your bike becomes an ordinary public listing, attached to the want ad.
If the buyer passes, you choose whether your listing stays live for everyone else.
Why was my offer blocked?
Your bike has to match what the buyer asked for. If the model doesn’t match, or it’s a size the buyer didn’t tick, the offer won’t go through. You can still post it as a normal listing.
Messages, reports and blocking
Where are my messages?
In My Account → Messages. You’ll see a count of unread messages.
We email you when you get a new message. The other person never sees your email address, and you never see theirs.
How do I report someone or something?
Use Report on a listing, a want ad, a public question or a conversation. Pick a reason from the list and add a short note.
Rodeo staff read a conversation only when it has been reported. A reported listing is held while staff look. Staff review reports Monday to Friday.
How do I stop someone messaging me?
Use Block. The person can no longer message you. They aren’t told at the time, but they’ll see that they can’t message you if they try.
Blocking doesn’t hide your listings from them, and it doesn’t tell Rodeo anything. If something is wrong, use Report as well.
How long are messages kept?
Messages are deleted 24 months after the listing closes.
It says I’ve hit a daily limit. What now?
There are limits on how many messages, new conversations, public questions, reports, serial number emails, want ads and added bikes a member can send or post in an hour or a day. They keep spam down, and most members never reach one. If you do, wait a while or try again the next day. If you think it’s a mistake, contact Rodeo.
When the bike is sold
When a bike changes hands, the seller passes its registration to the buyer. This matters because Rodeo sends safety notices to the registered owner.
I sold my bike. What do I do?
- Choose Sold: transfer ownership. You’ll find it in My listings, in your conversation with the buyer, and in My bikes.
- Pick the buyer from the people you’ve been messaging, or invite them by email.
- Tick the two boxes and send the invitation.
- Your listing now shows Sale pending.
The buyer has 14 days to register. On day 7 we email you both to say the invitation is about to lapse. After 14 days it lapses and your listing goes back to live. You can resend or cancel the invitation at any time.
I bought a bike. What do I do?
- Open the email invitation, or go to My bikes. Sign in, or create an account.
- Type the full serial number from the frame. Read it off the bike in front of you. Zeros and the letter O are easy to mix up. So are 1 and I. You get five tries.
- Tick the three boxes. Each one is shown in full on screen.
- Add a phone number if you’d like. It’s optional, and it’s used only for safety notices.
After five wrong tries, registration is locked. Contact Rodeo and we can reset it, or the seller can cancel the invitation and send you a new one, which starts with five fresh tries. Check the serial against the photo the seller sent you before you try again.
I got an invitation for a bike I didn’t buy
Choose I didn’t buy this bike. That’s all you need to do.
I bought a bike and the seller hasn’t started the transfer
Open your conversation with the seller and choose I bought this bike. It’s there while the listing is live or sale pending. You fill in the same registration form, including the full serial from the frame, and it’s sent to the seller as a request.
Sellers: we email you, and the request appears at the top of My bikes, under “Waiting for you”. Accept it if you sold them the bike. Decline it if you didn’t. Nothing changes until you accept.
Buyers: if the seller declines or doesn’t answer, contact Rodeo. We can’t settle a dispute between you and the seller, but we can tell you what your options are for getting safety notices.
What does registering actually mean?
It means safety notices about that bike go to the current owner.
It doesn’t change anything between the buyer and the seller. The terms of use explain this in full.
My bikes
What is My bikes?
A list of the Rodeo bikes registered to you. We keep it so safety notices reach the person who has the bike now.
Only the last four characters of each serial are shown.
How do I add a bike I already own?
Choose Add a bike and enter the model, version, size and serial, with a photo of the serial.
If the serial is already registered to someone else, it will be refused. Contact Rodeo and we’ll look into it.
How do I sell a bike from here?
Choose Sell this bike. The listing form opens with what we already know filled in.
I don’t have this bike any more
Choose I no longer own this bike.
Transfer coupons
When ownership of a bike is transferred on Bike Swap, the new owner and the seller may each get a coupon. Both are released only when the sale happened through a Bike Swap listing and both sides confirmed it here: the seller by sending the transfer invitation (or accepting the buyer’s request), and the buyer by registering. Rodeo staff release each coupon.
A bike marked “Sold elsewhere”, or transferred without a Bike Swap listing, earns no coupon.
The coupon terms, in full:
Trade-up coupon: 5% off one whole order of anything Rodeo sells, in a single purchase transaction. Issued when an ownership transfer is registered and released by Rodeo, and only when the bike was sold through a Bike Swap listing and both the seller and the buyer confirmed the sale there. Works once, on your account only, and expires 3 months after issue. Not combinable with any other promotion, discount, sale price or wholesale pricing. No cash value.
Welcome coupon: 5% off one whole order of anything Rodeo sells except complete bikes and framesets, in a single purchase transaction. Issued when an ownership transfer is registered and released by Rodeo, and only when the bike was sold through a Bike Swap listing and both the seller and the buyer confirmed the sale there. Works once, on your account only, and expires 3 months after issue. Not combinable with any other promotion, discount, sale price or wholesale pricing. No cash value.
Rodeo staff aren’t eligible for transfer coupons. If you buy from or sell to a member of Rodeo staff, you still get your own coupon. If Rodeo doesn’t issue a coupon for a transfer, My bikes shows it as “Not issued”.
Your code is shown in My bikes and emailed to you.
Problem with a coupon? Contact Rodeo.
Your data
What can other people see?
Public:
- Your listings, including your photos, answers and notes. Your name appears as your first name and last initial, and your location as city and state.
- The archive. Listings stay visible after they end, with their disclosures, photos and asking price.
Not public:
- Your serial number.
- Your serial photo.
- Your messages.
- My bikes.
Can I take my details off an old listing?
Yes. Use Anonymise listing on an ended listing in My listings. It removes your name, location, written description and photos, and leaves “Details removed at the seller’s request” in their place. The bike’s details and your disclosure answers stay in the archive. This can’t be undone.
Can I get a copy of my data, or have it erased?
Yes. Contact Rodeo and ask for an export or an erasure.
If you ask for erasure, we keep ownership registrations so safety notices still reach the right owner. The terms of use describe erasure in full.
Contact Rodeo
Get in touch when:
- You can’t read your serial number.
- A bike you own is registered to someone else.
- You’re locked out of registering a bike.
- You have a problem with a coupon.
- You want an export or erasure of your data.
How: email bikes@rodeo-labs.mom. Tell us which listing or bike it’s about. We usually reply within two business days. We’re closed on weekends.
Rodeo can’t settle disputes between members. The sale is between the buyer and the seller, and so is anything that goes wrong with it.