General Cycling Discussion - Man buys Floyd Landis Bike at a Garage Sale for $5

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/post/Bike-bought-for-5-at-yard-sale-belonged-to-Tour?urn=top-262060

The bicycle at a Kentucky yard sale had two flat tires, broken pedals and carried a $5 price tag. That didn't stop Greg Estes from buying the bike in hopes of flipping it for a small profit. He should get his wish, to the tune of a few thousand dollars.

It turns out the broken-down bicycle was originally owned by Floyd Landis, who rode it in a race in 2007 Tour de France. The bike was built especially for Landis, complete with custom pedals that look foreign to those unfamiliar with professional cycling (hence the original seller's belief that the pedals were broken). It retailed for $8,000.

Landis rode the bike in a mountain-bike race one year after winning the Tour de France. That title, of course, was later stripped after the American cyclist tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Landis is currently banned from the sport, but has stayed in the spotlight with his accusations against Lance Armstrong and other athletes.

Estes told the Owenton News-Herald that the bike was found abandoned on an interstate and nobody ever reported it lost or stolen. He says he'll return the bike if someone claims it. For now though, authorities say it belongs to him.

I can understand someone thinking the bike wasn't worth a few thousand dollars. After all, how many abandoned bikes are custom-built jobs for Tour de France winners? But five dollars? That seems a little low. If I were having a yard sale I'd have probably put a $5 tag on the bike's water bottle. Even if the bike were an actual piece of junk, wouldn't, say, $25 be a more appropriate asking price?

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Anyway, just like he said, the Owenton, Ky., resident showcased his new bike at his own yard sale. Estes' asking price? Six-thousand dollars

sweet find, i wonder how the guy figured out that it once belonged to Landis?

I would also like to know a bit more about the bike before I accepted it was a real Landis bike? Seems strange that it would be "found" just abandoned doesn't it?

I think the whole story is seems kinda strange and probably false. First, how did he know that bike belong to Floyd Landis in the first place? He said that bike was dumped on the highway? It barely looks like it has a mark on it at all. Bikes like that are not dumped on the road unless they are stolen.

I get the feeling this bike was stolen and the new owner knew this when he purchased it and made the whole story up about paying $5 bucks to avoid getting arrested. The bike crook knew it belonged to Landis when he sold it for way more than 5 bucks to the new owner. The new owner now wants 6 thouand for the bike.

YAHOO! News ... :popcorn

I think the whole story is seems kinda strange and probably false. First, how did he know that bike belong to Floyd Landis in the first place? He said that bike was dumped on the highway? It barely looks like it has a mark on it at all. Bikes like that are not dumped on the road unless they are stolen.

I get the feeling this bike was stolen and the new owner knew this when he purchased it and made the whole story up about paying $5 bucks to avoid getting arrested. The bike crook knew it belonged to Landis when he sold it for way more than 5 bucks to the new owner. The new owner now wants 6 thouand for the bike.

That is easy enough to check out. The cops could just ask the address of where he bought it.

Hmmm...wonder if Floyd will try to recover this bike. Hopefully, not like OJ did!

If the bike was indeed Landis' (doper!) bike, it may be the one he rode in the '07 Leadville 100. The whole story sounds fishy to me.

The whole story doesn't even make sense.

Why was the bike abandoned on an interstate? Floyd got pissed and threw his bike away by the side of the road? Sounds like it was probably stolen, as others have said.

How did this guy connect the bike with Landis? Are there specific markings or something on the bike that couldn't have been copied?

The bike looks like it's in good shape. Who sells a nice bike for $5? I see little kids bikes from Walmart at garage sales for more than that.

And of course, even if Floyd himself claims the bike was his, can anyone believe the guy?

If you click on the link to the original newspaper article, it say '“It turns out the bike was custom-built by Cyco-Path Bikes in California for Floyd Landis,” Estes said.' And pulling up that Cyco-Path Bikes, they seem to be a bike shop, not a custom frame-builder. In which case, I interpret "custom-built" to mean "bought a frame and bolted stuff to it". And in that case, I'd wonder how he decided it was Landis' bike- was he just going off the description and photos? Or did someone actually confirm the serial number on it?

I'm still having problems with the $5.00 price. Even used, worn out, beat up, sometimes broken parts, pink Walmart bikes go for $20 and over, around here.

Five bucks?!!!!!

Very odd story.

Ken

If you click on the link to the original newspaper article, it say '“It turns out the bike was custom-built by Cyco-Path Bikes in California for Floyd Landis,” Estes said.' And pulling up that Cyco-Path Bikes, they seem to be a bike shop, not a custom frame-builder. In which case, I interpret "custom-built" to mean "bought a frame and bolted stuff to it". And in that case, I'd wonder how he decided it was Landis' bike- was he just going off the description and photos? Or did someone actually confirm the serial number on it?

Cycopath is close to me, Temucla in fact. I shop there and when I get back from vacation I think I will stop in and ask. We sometimes do group rides with some of the guys from Cycopath and even the owner so it will be a lot easier to check.

Cycopath is close to me, Temucla in fact. I shop there and when I get back from vacation I think I will stop in and ask. We sometimes do group rides with some of the guys from Cycopath and even the owner so it will be a lot easier to check.

Where do you reside, Murrieta?

I'm still having problems with the $5.00 price. Even used, worn out, beat up, sometimes broken parts, pink Walmart bikes go for $20 and over, around here.

Five bucks?!!!!!

Very odd story.

Ken

OP here. You know, you are right. Even truly junky bikes go for more than that. Any fool can go on CL and see that even really old mountain bikes in rough shape go for $50 there, and better ones go for much more.

Maybe the skeptics are right. The garage sale story is a cover and this guy is in cahoots with whoever stole Floyd's bike.

Five dollars? Maybe the "lucky new owner" could have avoided some suspicion of criminal involvement by coming up with a slightly more believable dollar amount..., say something more than the price of the cheapest 6pk on sale. It's funny how he claims he'll readily hand it over to the rightful owner should said person come forth, but in the meantime he wants $6k. What's the chance that he brought this to the attention of the local paper in the hopes of attracting a prospective buyer before a legitimate story surfaces?

http://www.wlwt.com/news/24619202/detail.html

Here is a little more to the story from the local news.

Had to sell it to pay for the doping, isn't that the real story? :P

I can understand someone thinking the bike wasn't worth a few thousand dollars. After all, how many abandoned bikes are custom-built jobs for Tour de France winners? But five dollars? That seems a little low. If I were having a yard sale I'd have probably put a $5 tag on the bike's water bottle. Even if the bike were an actual piece of junk, wouldn't, say, $25 be a more appropriate asking price?

Depends on the area; it's not that unusual to see a bike in good shape going for $10 around here, and if a seller doesn't know much about bikes, the sparkly WalMart bike looks more attractive than some plain aluminum thing. Heck, somebody down the road gave away a Peugeot that just needed tires and bar wrap a couple months ago.

This story is a little weird. However, the purchaser or so-called-purchaser is right out there in full veiw and reachable by anybody. IMO, that doesn't sound like he is a crook and trying to cover up. IMO, a crook doesn't want publicity. Not only that, I see all the time, of peeps making good finds..No, not $5 finds, but finds that would be easily call a "steal".

Okay, in this world of ebay, CL, yard sales, how does one go about making sure their find is legit, legal, not stolen??

Where do you reside, Murrieta?

I live right by Diamond Valley Lake.

Just talked to Cycopath and they did build the bike for Landis to ride leadville. It seems as if the cyclpath hand built sticker is still on the bike. No clue how it got back there.

I live right by Diamond Valley Lake.

Just talked to Cycopath and they did build the bike for Landis to ride leadville. It seems as if the cyclpath hand built sticker is still on the bike. No clue how it got back there.

Cool. I'm up here in Riverside.

Cool. I'm up here in Riverside.

Then you need to look into doing the Tour De Palm Springs in February or the Hemet Century and double Century in April. I lived in Riverside years ago. Right below Mount Rubidux.