Person is asking $800. 1990 Specialized Allez City Slicker. Hunt carbon wheel set.
Is this a good deal? Don’t know much about bikes, but want to get into it. Thanks!
by junocee
Person is asking $800. 1990 Specialized Allez City Slicker. Hunt carbon wheel set.
Is this a good deal? Don’t know much about bikes, but want to get into it. Thanks!
by junocee
13 Comments
I’d check the serial number and see if it’s registered as stolen. Tire kit alone is $800
The wheels probably cost close to that, Depending on what they are exactly. The bike is cool AF though
That bike is still cool, but not $800 cool. Those bonded composite frames of that era are prone to separate where the carbon meets the aluminum lugs and rim brakes on carbon don’t stop you for shit.
I had that same bike as my first proper road machine as a kid. Until my dad drove into the garage with the bike on the roof rack 😂 I actually still have half of the frame as a decoration in my workshop
I’d ask the seller a question or two about it. It’s the kind of bike that a legit owner would talk your ear off about. Would avoid if the seller doesn’t have much to say about it. A person who isn’t enthusiastic about bikes isn’t going to own that bike, and I’d be wary of it being stolen.
Also, the quality of the photo… someone who owns that bike is unlikely to have taken such a low quality photo.
And you can do better for $800. Used wheels are worth only a small fraction of MSRP b/c you just don’t know what they’ve been through. I’d probably value those wheels at $200 given you don’t know their history.
Ask if you can take it to a bike shop to have it checked out before you buy it.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2580512845476529/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Here’s a link to the post
Speaking as a random internet opinion, this might be worth 800 to the right person but it’s not exactly a sensible bike for someone looking to get into the sport. It’s something of a collector’s piece. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s awesome but it’s failure prone and very dated. It’s a relic of material experimentation and it looks cool. This is something that a collector would hang on their wall and look at/show off, but I wouldn’t want to put a bunch of miles on it. You can get a new alloy bike for this price or a much more reliable/modern used one. Look around and post others if you’re not sure. This sub is good for this kind of thing. 800 also feels a BIT high even for a collector’s item… but I don’t collect these.
Don’t buy it without riding it first!
(pedals are missing)
What is this, glued up frame that will get you teeth down on the ground week?
Restating the question: Is ever a good idea to spend $800 on a 35 year old bike?
Answer: No, with one exception. If you are a collector.
The carbon wheels look cool, but there is too much baggage with a 35 year old bike: metal fatigue, crashes, poor storage, unavailable replacement parts, requiring regular tinkering.
I just sold this same model of bike with proper drop bars after riding it for 20 years. I sold It for $250, perhaps I could’ve gotten $300. With the wheels you’re looking at maybe $350 tops. Make sure the carbon frame tubes are securely bonded to the lugs, particularly the bottom bracket. The original ones had debonding problems. The revised and stronger version has a gray nylon bottom bracket lug.
Also, be careful riding it. It’s a pretty aggressive, twitchy geometry by modern standards.
So are the carbon wheels 35 years old as well? The sellers price seem to include a nostalgia for younger times tax.