Mountain Biking - Looking for info on Pacific Bikes

Ok, I am trying to get info on a Pacific Bike that was "loaned" to one of my kids last spring by a friend...

She had a Pacific Carrera mountain bike that was sitting outside rotting away (basically) and knew I had a kid come and live with me that really needed a bike to get around, so she volunterily "loaned" this bike to him. She said it was a great bike from our local LBS, valued at around $500.00 when she bought it several years ago. It had some rust, but otherwise was in great shape, and we hoped to only need it for a few weeks, but those few weeks turned into 5 months, including riding it through snow and salt conditions, and now it is even more rusted and there are multiple "issues" with this bike, it is going to cost a lot to fix. (issues with the stem for the fork (which he did nothing too, just one day hit a bump and that was it, the chain gaurd came off, the suspension in the seat post seems messed, the chain and possibly the gears need replacement...)

Silly thing is, I wanted to just buy it straight up from her in the fall, but she did not seem to want to let it even permanently let it go, claiming that the value of the bike was such that they would never be able to replace it for what I would be willing to pay for it... Now I worry I will spend more fixing it then it is, and possibly ever was worth.

It says "Pacific" and "Carerra" on it in about equal sized letters. There is a sticker on it, that says it is manufactured by "AMS" and the "Service" number on it, lines up with a number on a customer service paper issued by ToysRUs online for "A. mordo & son".

I am feeling like I am now married to a Wolf in Sheeps clothing.... Or I am stuck up creek with a crappy bike that was sold to me as something it never was... Is there anyway this hunk of junk came from a reputable LBS? I am thinking SportCheck at best...

Anyone know if "Pacific" manufactured by AMS ever made bikes for the LBS market?

Post a pic but a fair assumption is that it's a toy store bike and not worth anywhere near $500.

Is the rear wheel bolted on or does it have a quick release? Front wheel? Grip shifters or triggers? Without more details it is hard to tell for sure, but my guess is that it is a cheap bike that isn't worth much of anything and definitely not worth fixing if anything serious is wrong with it. Post pictures so we can give you more.

I googled and checked bikepedia.com, and came up dry on the "Carerra" name. You mention a "service paper" issued by Toys R Us. If Toys R Us is involved, then the bike surely is not worth $500. My guess is that it originally went for less than $100. It would help if you could post some photos.

I don't know what to tell you about the mess you're in with your neighbor. Getting out of the situation amicably sort of depends upon you both coming to some understanding of what the bike is really worth. She needs to be educated on the true value of her bike, but she will see your attempt to educate her as an attempt to talk her down from what she is due. Thats a tough situation.

Did she loan the bike to you, or to the kid directly? When I loan a bike to a kid, I accept that the kid won't have the means to repay anything, and that I as the adult simply must accept whatever happens with grace and a smile. OTOH, you knew about the bikes and had it in your yard for five months. She knew you had it too though.

Hard tellin'. Your mention of SportCheck makes me assume this is a bike intended for the Canadian market. Your mention of a chainguard and suspension seatpost makes me think it's a hybrid. There is a Carrera brand with hybrids carried at Halford's in England, perhaps it's the same. There's a good chance that the current Carrera Crossfire was once called the Pacific. If so, I'd be inclined to believe your neighbor's assessment of a $500 bike. Here's a link to the low end Crossfire 1. There's also a slightly fancier Crossfire 2.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_240395_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

Can't find any sign of Carrera in Canada currently. They may no longer be marketed there.

The only Carrera stuff I see at TRU is slot car stuff.

Just found a link showing that SportMart in Canada was giving away a Carrera bike in 2008, perhaps that's who carries Carrera up there.