Part out broken bicycles for components

How it works

Mid-range and higher bicycles carry components that hold value independently: derailleurs, shifters, cranksets, wheelsets, hydraulic brakes, saddles. When a frame is cracked, a bike is stolen-recovered with no title, or someone simply wants it gone, the whole bike sells for scrap money while the parts sell for real money. You buy the bike, strip it, clean each part, photograph it and list it with the exact model and generation.

What it actually takes

• Bike-specific tools: cassette lockring, chain whip, crank puller, bottom bracket tool, cable cutters. About a hundred for a starter set.
• The knowledge to tell a component that's worth listing from one that isn't. Groupset tiers from the big manufacturers are the first thing to learn.
• Small-parcel shipping supplies and a scale.
• Patience: parts sell over weeks, not days. This is a slow drip of small payments.

Where it goes wrong

• Buying stolen bikes. If the price is too good and the seller is vague, walk away. Ask for serial numbers and check them.
• Department-store bikes. Their components are worth nothing individually. Only bikes that cost real money new are worth parting.
• Underestimating time per bike. Strip, clean, photograph and list a full bike and you've spent an evening. Price your buys accordingly.
• Fees and postage eating the margin on cheap parts. Anything that sells for less than a decent lunch isn't worth the listing.