hi my name is chris and i'm a noob here
i'm looking to buy a used bike from craigslist for my commute to school and a little bit of trail riding. i want something dirt-cheap because theft is always a problem on a college campus, and i don't want anything to attract attention, or that would really be a big loss if it were to be stolen.
my question really though is, how do i make sure that i'm not buying a stolen bike myself? it's mostly a matter of principle. i just don't want to give any money to a person who's profiting from ripping off poor college kids.
i'm looking at this raleigh
http://www.craigslist.org/eby/bik/94993191.html
and the guy has quite a few other bikes for sale
http://www.craigslist.org/eby/bik/94993015.html
http://www.craigslist.org/eby/bik/94989563.html - would this be a good buy? how much does it sound like the necessary repair to the chain stays would be?
plus six or seven others
and i tend to get suspicious when an average guy has that many bikes for sale, but does not seem to be a bike dealer or mechanic by trade (it's obvious that he has a day job since he will not show the bikes before 5pm)
do you all think it's cool to buy from him? btw i went to two of the local LBS first, and didn't find anything in my price range (under $100, preferably more around $50). i figured it's most effective for my needs (and considering that my bike will be vulnerable to thieves even though it will be locked up every day) to buy a used bike like this, and buy the parts and tune-up etc that i'll need from my LBS.