Someone is selling this on Craigslist for 690$. Talked them down to 650$. Should I buy it ? Be honest good deal ?
by dorpydorp
Someone is selling this on Craigslist for 690$. Talked them down to 650$. Should I buy it ? Be honest good deal ?
by dorpydorp
5 Comments
Looks good so far brother.
Cop
I’m jealous
As long as it fits you (guessing that saddle height is the seller’s) and you’re not smashing your balls just standing over the bike
Look over the frame meticulously for dents and scratches. A couple months ago some guy bought a used alu bianchi with a dent in the top tube, and while the consensus was generally mixed* on whether or not it’s “safe“, a structural failure always has the potential to be dangerous, even lethal.
Take a coin and tap along the frame – everywhere. If you hear the sound change from a ting to something more muted, that’s a problem. Inspect it in daylight. Turn the bike over and check the undersides of the tubes. Look closely along the insides of the chain and seatstays, as well as in the fork.
MONEY DOESNT EXCHANGE HANDS UNTIL YOU‘RE LEAVING WITH THE BIKE IN YOUR POSSESSION. be unsure about the purchase until you’re absolutely sure you want it. If something doesn’t look right, ask the seller to go to a bike shop together and get the damage looked at by a mechanic. If they think this is a bad idea because they’ve “ridden it for years with that dent without problems“ don’t buy it.
*i say mixed because some people in this community, understandably so, like to live and ride recklessly – to each their own. But not everyone has the same view on hedonism, freedom, and life. In general, alu frames with dents can fail quite easily under load. Always assume it will fail. If you can afford to spend 650 on wall art (in the event there’s a dent somewhere), by all means go for it. If you can’t afford that, nor afford new teeth and healthcare costs associated with an accident, an Alu bike with a dent is not worth the money, in my opinion.
If everything looks good, then buy it, but like others have mentioned, a 56 for someone 5‘9 is a little big – I’m 5‘10 with a 32 inch inseam and my 56 is a tiny bit too big for me, even with an 80mm stem and my seat as far forward as possible without crippling knee pain (but I still get knee pain). A flashy bike is useless if it only brings you pain when riding (again, unless you can afford wall art).