Mountain Biking - Ritchey hardtail - what is this bike worth?

Could you guys take a look at this ebay link for a Ritchey Hardtail that is up for bid. Im thinking about bidding on it, but not sure how much it is really worth. Im a serious roadie looking for some offroad fun to mix things up. Being near Kettle Moraine Wisconsin - the trails are very nice, I want to take advantage of them this next year. Here is the link
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1975592783

Not a bad bike. I'm a bit skeptical about the claimed 22 lb weight. I'd fire off a question verifying that!

My only statement is that this bike is over 5 years old. Is the entire bike or just the frame that old? I wouldn't bid too much regardless. Yes, Ritchey's are nice bikes, yes, steel rides smoother, but the bike is still 5 years old.

I'd keep my bid to a minimum. There are some great deals on 2002 closeouts bikes that I would choose over a bike of '97 vintage.

What is your budget, and are you set on a hardtail or would you consider full suspension. The reason I ask, a guy I just met bought a full suspension KHS with LX/XT components for right around a grand! www.pricepoint.com He basically bought the frame and fork and got everything else free!

This is another good buy!Diamond Back (http://pricepoint.com/product1415.html)

L8R

I'm in agreement with 2psykl, I think the bidding has already pushed it slightly beyond what the bike is worth. Just a couple of quick points - it has a 1" head tube (limiting your fork options) and x-ray shifters - I owned a pair of these back when and they are fragile. That fact that the bike hasn't met it's reserve yet leads me to believe this seller doesn't know a thing about bikes.

thanks guys, I will stay away. Mainly looking for a hardtail, due to the fact I can get more for the buck with that, verses full suspension that wont be to good unless I break the bank. Ive already invested in 3 road bikes, so if I could score a solid hardtail in the 500-600 range - thats my ideal.

Look for a Specialized Rockhopper... Excellent entry level bikes! You should be able to get a 2003 for like $750, so if you look around for a closeout you could be right in your range!

Mike

P.S. Great choice going with a hardtail... :D

I keep a close eye on E-Bay and these are some bikes to watch at the moment - they may turn out to be a good deal, you never know with E-Bay. :) There is, at least, one full suspension bike. I also don't know what size you are looking for, so I tossed everything that looked good in.

Stumpjumper FSR XC (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1977628796&category=27948)
Specialized Stumpjumper M2 Pro (old but a realistic price) (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1977617639&category=27947)
Klein Attitude Race (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1977212477&category=27947)
Klein Attitude Race (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1977212541&category=27947)
Cannondale F900 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1977267444&category=27947)
Cannondale F700 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1977534142&category=27947)
Bianchi DISS - If you are feeling wild. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1977468072&category=27947)
Nuke Proof (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1977437678&category=27947)
Cannondale F900 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1977332175&category=27947)
Specialized Stumpjumper (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1977318475&category=27947)
Cannondale F900 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1977285950&category=27947)

Just a few, good luck.

Jeff, thanks for the great bikes to check out. Im liking the Nuke Proof, also the f900 underneath it. Im 5,11 - so would 18 be to small on size? Out of the bikes listed, what do you see as the top three in quality. Im looking to advance with this bike and hit the trails somewhat hard. Im not sure if the f900 I spoke about is enough in fork travel at 70mm? What do you think,

I actually bought an F700 new (like the one listed on E-Bay) years ago. It was an amazing bike, at the time, but quite a few people have complained about the limited travel the Headshock offers and I remember mine bottoming out quite a bit. I don't know what the newer ones are like - 2psykl had one, maybe he will chime in. I bet that F900 would be a very fun bike though, especially with your roadie background. As in - you'd love the stiff frame, light weight and smooth travel of the fork. And the disk brakes? Bonus. I don't know anything about Nuke Proof frames but have a set of their hubs and am aware that their quality control seemed to vary a bit. I'd say 18" would be a good frame size for you.

Yep, Cannondale has upped their travel to 80mm on their newer models. If you want more travel from a Cannondale, you have to go with a LEFTY. It looks freaky but works great. Only took one ride to get used to looking down at half a fork. Cannondale also makes reducer cups so you can mount any 1-1/8" fork.

If not mistaken, www.airbomb.com sells the Nuke Proof bikes. I didn't thing that was such a good deal. The guy wanted too much for the one he has compared to the deals offered at the website.Nuke Proof Special (http://store.airbomb.com/USA/Store/product/view.cfm?ProductID=1039)

L8R

Alright, now Im thinking about a new or newer model Cannondale. What can I expect to pay for a real nice hardtail, maybe the single fork model? Can you give me some models to look into. thanks guys

Well, about 1.5 months ago, I sold my F2000SX, the Caad4 frame with the Lefty, XTR and XT Components, hydraulic discs and an extra set of wheels for $1,100.00.

Someone got a good deal!

L8R

Someone got a good deal!

Yes they did, if I'd had the money i would have bought that bike.