The short version
- Typical range: £50 – £300 — see the full turbo trainer value guide
- What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
- Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
- Category: Bicycles & Cycling
Before you photograph it
Ten minutes here is worth more than anything else you will do. Buyers are deciding between your listing and someone else’s, and preparation is what visibly separates the two.
- Establish exactly what yours is: basic wheel-on, wheel-on smart, or direct drive smart, and note the model.
- If it is smart, confirm which protocols it broadcasts and check it still connects to an app.
- Check the roller for wear, the frame for stability, and gather the skewer, riser block and any cassette.
The photographs that sell a turbo trainer
Four photographs do almost all the work. Shoot in daylight, near a window, with the item against something plain — and do not use the flash, which flattens texture and hides exactly what buyers are trying to see.
- The trainer set up with a bike on it, whole
- The resistance unit and roller close up
- The model plate and any connectivity marking
- All accessories together, plus any wear, crack or missing part
Photograph the flaws too. It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover. Buyers who can see the damage stop imagining something worse.
Writing the title and description
Type, brand and model: “Wahoo Kickr Direct Drive Smart Trainer” or “Wheel On Turbo Trainer, Magnetic, Non Smart”. The word smart is the single most valuable term in the title when true, and direct drive is a separate and higher bracket again.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- Type — wheel-on or direct drive — and whether smart or basic
- Brand, model, and maximum resistance or simulated gradient
- For direct drive, which freehub body is fitted and whether a cassette is included
- What accessories are included — skewer, riser block, power supply
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about a turbo trainer. Answering them in the listing itself removes the back-and-forth, and answering them well when they do arrive is what turns an enquiry into a sale.
Answer precisely, and say which protocols it broadcasts. Buyers are matching it to specific training apps and a vague answer loses the sale.
For direct drive, say which cassette and how many speeds. It is a real cost to the buyer if it is missing or the wrong speed for their bike.
Pair it with an app and confirm before listing. Older smart trainers sometimes lose app support and that must be disclosed.
Pricing it so it actually sells
Start from the honest condition grade rather than the price you hope for. WishThrift listings use five grades — New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts — and what each grade means is worth reading before you choose, because grading up is the most expensive mistake sellers make. It does not raise the price; it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else.
The turbo trainer value guide prices all five grades for this item. Pick your grade, take the figure, and if you sit between two grades price toward the lower one. Items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully, and on a free platform there is no fee eating the difference anyway.
What you keep, compared
On a £175 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a turbo trainer — here is what the commission-charging platforms would take, and what you would keep on each:
| Where you sell it | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| WishThrift | £0 | £175 |
| Poshmark | −£35 | £140 |
| eBay | −£24 | £151 |
| Mercari | −£18 | £157 |
| Etsy | −£11 | £164 |
Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026 — Poshmark: 20% commission on sales of $15 and above; eBay: 13.6% final value fee, plus a per-order fee; Mercari: flat 10% selling fee; Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, plus a listing fee and payment processing. Percentages are applied to the sterling figure above; the fixed per-order and processing charges those platforms add are quoted in their own currency and are not included here, so the real deductions are slightly larger. Full breakdown: marketplace selling fees compared.
Timing and getting it to the buyer
Sharply seasonal: October to February is almost the entire market, peaking in January. A trainer listed in May is worth noticeably less, so holding until autumn is usually the better call.
Heavy and compact, so weigh it before quoting postage. Direct drive units especially are dense — collection is often the sensible route.
WishThrift does not process payments or arrange delivery — you and the buyer agree both directly — so confirm payment has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? It takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and there is no commission when it sells — create a free account or see how selling works.
Frequently asked questions
What is a used turbo trainer worth?
Typically £50 to £300, with direct drive smart trainers well above and basic wheel-on units at the bottom. See the turbo trainer value guide.
Are non-smart trainers still worth selling?
Yes, but at a much lower price and mainly in winter. Be clear in the title that it is not smart, so you attract buyers who want a simple trainer rather than disappointing ones who wanted app connectivity.
Should I include the cassette?
On a direct drive trainer it makes the listing far more attractive, since a buyer otherwise has to buy and fit one. Say how many speeds it is and what condition the sprockets are in.
See also: what a used turbo trainer is worth · browse live bicycles & cycling listings · condition grades explained.