Hi guys, I’m no expert in bikes. I was looking for a road bike to ride on paved trails and on the road in downtown Minneapolis. Planning to join some biking events casually, but no serious races.
I’m 5’2 and it’s been hard to find the right size of bike on FB market. They usually starts with the size that fits 5’5-5’10 women. Went to see a few and they’re either too tall or has some rust and scratches. I ended up going to a local store that’s well known for used bike around town. Did a test ride on Raleigh bike and purchased it for $400. Now that I carried it home and did more researches, I’m having some doubts if this was worth it? Or it’s better off risking a newer Trek road bike (2010-2015) for $250-350 on fb? I’m thinking this is similar to buy a used car from FB vs prior salvage title from a dealership?
The shop tells me that they take/buy bikes that people don’t want. They inspect bikes, repair what’s needed, make sure it’s safe to ride, and resell them.
The bike itself though, has no scrapes or rust except rust on kickstand. Tires still look good I believe (?). The tires still have the plastic wrap thing on its logo. The treads look good to me, but again I’m not an expert at all.
Do you guys have opinion on whether I should return this bike to the store? And get my $400 back and look for something on FB market again?
Also, I have the serial number and try to decode them, but I couldn’t. If anyone has any idea about what year this bike was made (serial no. attached in pic), and if the price was worth it lmk! I have time to still return this if needed. Thanks everyone!
by Ok_Stable7245
2 Comments
If you are just starting out, I don’t think a vintage bike is your best bet. You should be able to find a used road bike that is < 15 years old for under $400
It’s a beautiful old bike and seems to be in wonderful shape, but for $400 you could get a much more capable modern bike used. There’s great deals on the used market right now too.