Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - tips for ebay fixie shoppers?

I'm mainly interested in knowing some of the things to look out for, but I would also like to hear some stories about your good experiences with getting stuff through ebay - complete bikes or frames, whatever...

Don't get scammed. There are lots of scammers out ther ready to take your money...
caveat emptor

I bought a kick ass 82 Bianchi (With Columbus SL) and complete Campy NR for $200. Ebay kicks ass. Now I'm addicted. I guess tha's the only problem with it. Other Ebayers will know what I'm talking about. If you dig vintage excelence and you've already combed through every LBS and co-op 10 times, Ebay is TOO good.

Wear your Sunday best!

Ben's Bikes has some good new stuff. Cool people, too.

I'd avoid those sellers like applecart or whatever that sell a half-assed conversion they label as a "track bike." Roll your own if you must.

Something about paying $50-80 for a box, packing and shipping for a garage-sale level bike that rubs me the wrong way.

good deals can be had. as with any purchase on eBay, check out the seller's feedback first and ask lots of questions. if something seems shady...trust you instincts.

I highly favor eBay stores - obviously no unique things like rad vintage frames or nos campy track pedals, but there are good deals to be had reliably there, many cheap parts. ive picked up a couple $9-10 seatposts, $10 pedals, one store/seller had B123's for $40 IIRC. Sometimes its kind of nice to get a good deal and not have to stress about bidding.

Not knocking bidding though... I just picked up a sweet Bullseye front hub for $10, nd have bought plenty of other stuff.

Ben's Bikes has some good new stuff. Cool people, too.

I second that.

bensbike has a nice ebay store with lots of fixed gear related stuff. I bought a wheelset there recently and so far I've had good luck with it. Service was good too.

Russell from bensbike signed up here not too long ago.

/shameless plug.

bensbike needs to get hooked up with paypal though...

Yeah, I second what someone else said about the "boxing" fee and about unreasonable flat shipping fees. Maybe I live in some kind of bike paradise or something, but I find that bike boxes are really really easy to get FOR FREE, and the boxing itself is a very easy procedure that takes 20 minutes or so (maybe a little longer if you include disassembly time). Charging $50 for that (or even $35) is a scam.

bensbike needs to get hooked up with paypal though...
you can call them with a credit card. Is it really that difficult? Plus, why use something that hits you for a percentage? I prefer a voice on the other end than a server. Call me crazy...
I do agree though - Russell and the rest of the people at Bens Bikes are really great.

i've had good and bad experiences on ebay. my fixie was an exceptionally good one- bike shipped from new york, cost me $25- for shipping, and the seller did not claim his paypal payment until the bike arrived. he provided me with a ups tracking no., and sent follow-up emails. i've bought several other fairly expensive things (like my fat ibanez 6-string bass) with equally good luck. the crappy transactions are usually from small, low-dollar items from high-volume sellers- impersonal and automated all the way. i've also had some stuff just not show up. ebay and paypal's buyer protection is a frigging nightmare. paypal credit acct. is a little better for following up on claims.
just don't buy a high-end bike for too good a price from a seller who insists on western union.

Yeah, I second what someone else said about the "boxing" fee and about unreasonable flat shipping fees. Maybe I live in some kind of bike paradise or something, but I find that bike boxes are really really easy to get FOR FREE, and the boxing itself is a very easy procedure that takes 20 minutes or so (maybe a little longer if you include disassembly time). Charging $50 for that (or even $35) is a scam.

Most bike shops in this city charge around $35 to box a bike, so that may be where the boxing fee is coming from. Personally, it's worth $35 to know that a pro is boxing the bike I just bought. If I sold a bike on eBay, I'd charge $35 even if I boxed the thing myself because it takes a half hour to do it right and my time is valuable.

Most bike shops in this city charge around $35 to box a bike, so that may be where the boxing fee is coming from. Personally, it's worth $35 to know that a pro is boxing the bike I just bought. If I sold a bike on eBay, I'd charge $35 even if I boxed the thing myself because it takes a half hour to do it right and my time is valuable.


Fair enough, but it's not really clear to me in all those cases that a pro is boxing the bike. Also, when you get a bike from a store, the whole set-up there involves overhead, rent, wages to employees, etc., and what your LBS sells (in addition to actual bikes) is service, so they're going to charge for it. But on eBay, the whole idea (or, at least, the charm as far as I'm concerned) is that all extraneous expenses are removed and the item is just sold. I guess you have a point when you say your time is valuable so you'd charge for the boxing, but I tend to think of that as part of the price of the bike. I mean, if you sell a bike you probably clean it up first, but nobody tacks an extra $15 cleaning fee onto the top bid. What I'm saying is, I don't like auctions with built-in extra charges (aside from shipping, which is inescapable). It seems mildly sneaky to me, like a car ad that gives a price and then says, in small letters at the bottom of the screen, "wheels, windows, locks, brakes, and headlights cost extra."

Another point where we may disagree is on the value of our time. I'm pretty certain mine has no value at all, which is why I waste it. :D

']you can call them with a credit card. Is it really that difficult? Plus, why use something that hits you for a percentage? I prefer a voice on the other end than a server. Call me crazy...
I do agree though - Russell and the rest of the people at Bens Bikes are really great.

I don't think you are crazy. Paypal is pervasive in the world of ebay for a reason though.

It's nice to hear the good words on Ben's Bikes though. Their fine reputation might just convince me to buy from them and overlook the extremely difficult phone [call] i'll have to make.

Their fine reputation might just convince me to buy from them and overlook the extremely difficult phone i'll have to make.

There are phones for sale on e-bay, too. So you don't have to make one.

I have nothing against eBay but I'm not fond of PayPal...I had a case of CC fraud recently and I'd bet anything the info was gained thru PayPal...no proof, just my firm belief. And I do remember PayPal getting hacked a year or two ago as well...I much prefer the phone when I can.

There are phones for sale on e-bay, too. So you don't have to make one.

Wow, no kidding, first you have to make the phone and then what? Start laying a few hundred miles of wire?

But yeah, I dig paypal and i would prefer it. Also dislike the services where u complete the auction then login to some auction service to get ur price and etc. I prefer to deal straight with the seller and pay via paypal at once.

If buying a frame... ask the seller to show you a photo with the fork and bottom bracket seprate, i say that because I recieved a frame with a seized quill stem and had to pay my lbs to have the damn thing cut out loosing a lovely cinelli! and i knew somebody who's frame had dodgy BB threads - its things like that you have to make top prio.

For stems / bars and other solid objects its number 1..check the ebay stores, i got brand new tiagra chainset for 1/2 high street price.

A couple of things -

1. Like the guys mentioned before - shipping. Some sellers will ship a bike for $25 and some want $75. For most fixies, I can't see spending big money to ship a bike. I guess if you're dropping $1000 on a cinelli or something, that's okay, but for most frames, $75 is huge.

2. Be sure to get detailed measurements from the seller. Explain to them how to measure the seat tube and top tube so that you are getting the bike you think you're getting.

Yeah shipping is the thing. But you guys can guage shipping costs on me. I live in hawaii. I have had 2 63cm frames sent here in boxes that also included the forks and other msc stuff. Each one was around $38-$40 usps. If someone charges you more than that, i wouldnt buy from them.

i had to pay $50 for a bmx bike to be shipped to me via usps. it weighed 40 lbs (a lot more than a fixie!) and was right at the maximum size limit. i didn't mind, since i saved more than that by not buying on the local (euro) economy. i think the seller actually ate some of the shipping costs. i always look at prices as "out the door" or total delivered price, not the actual sale price. it's about perspective.

At Ben's Cycles, we don't do use Paypal for 3 reasons. 1) The additional costs, 2) Paypal's questionable policies regarding disputes, and the MAIN reason - 3) It allows us to interact more personally with the customer, and vice-versa.

I've brought a few items from Ben's Bikes, and have had good results.

If you buy a frame off ebay make sure you ask the seller to pack the frame properly with a block of wood or something between the rear stays and the forks. Sounds obvious but I have recieved a frame where the rear stays had been bent in due to improper packaging. Not an expensive frame, but still annoying.....

Other than that I have had mostly good experiences on ebay. As mentioned before - ask lots of questions!

Don't buy from Applecart. All his hubs are loctite wonders. And if you think a loctite hub is king..
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=78570

I've bought from Applecart (and know him informally) and had no problems.
I bought a 1973 Eisentraut from him, full campy for less than $300.
Yah I gladly paid the $35 packing fee. Bike came with all tubes wrapped in foam pipe insulation
and then bubblewrapped. Fork was properly blocked, not just at dropouts either.
Although it wasn't double boxed, there was plenty of additional cardboard reinforcing
the box. So for me it was worth it. Ok, not a fixie, so I can't comment on the Locktite.
I bought a set of campy tubular rims from Bensbike, and by mistake they sent
me someones new mavic reflex rims (the ceramic high zoot ones). I contacted
them and they asked if I minded shipping to correct buyer. Then they sent me
a 20 dollar bill wrapped around one of the rims to cover the shipping.
First class all the way.
Marty

I'd avoid those sellers like applecart or whatever that sell a half-assed conversion they label as a "track bike." Roll your own if you must.

Something about paying $50-80 for a box, packing and shipping for a garage-sale level bike that rubs me the wrong way.


Exactly. I'm no expert, but almost any time looking at fixed web resources will clue you in to the BS in applecart's auctions. Note the use of phrases like "top quality components from the era" "top of the line model"-- stuff like that. The bikes are pretty average-- old trek/peugeot/takara/etc that would be a good deal for $25 at Goodwill or Vinny's, but sell for $50-100 with a few geared components removed.

Re-dishing a real wheel costs a six-pack if you know a mechanic. That and the price of a cheapo cog does not make a $100 bike.

Two words:free market. Applecart will continue to sell and make money on the bikes as long as anyone buys them. If you don't like his bikes/him/his business parctices, don't buy.

$25 garage sale bike (probably worth more)
$10 cog
1 hour redishing a wheel or $7.00 Six Pack for your buddy
4 hours disassembling, cleaning, lubricating bike

If your time is worth even $10 per hour nobody is getting rich here and those that do not have the time, expertise or would just plain rather be riding that tinkering in the garage are getting an entry level fixed gear bike.

Shipping, handling & boxing charges are a different story...

I have nothing to do with Applecart, and I'm not defending him. It just seems $100 for a decent old steel fixed gear is not that unreasonable.

Applecart's bikes aren't even that low end. They're mostly good - decent qualtity straight gauge cromo steel, or even in some case butted tubing. The parts are ok too. These bieks wee once middle of the road - low end bikes from the late 70's - 80's, perfect for a fixed conversion. His business practices of boxing / packing fees and the locktite cog are another story. They are good starting point if you wanted to build your own bike.

Aren't there more people out there riding a loctited cog and BB lockring than a track hub?

As FGG Dennis says: "You can always build a new rear wheel with a single-gear specific rear hub such as a Surly 1x1 or a track hub, but I think it's more in the true spirit of the fixed gear to make use of something you have or something that somebody gives you."

Well, true...they're not the worst bikes in the world, but I wasn't saying that. You can get some amazing deals at thrifts/garage sales/curbs on trash day/your apartment building's basement.

But they're not "track" bikes. Nor are they "track legal" as some of the items were described. Don't know if the seller still lists things the same way or not.

My point is that there are a lot of resources to learn from before getting serious about building a bike up.

I didn't have a good experience with the "Bike King," stay away from him if you can.

Here's a tip. Go to Cycling > Road Bikes and check the box for title and descriptions but don't enter anything in the search window (you'll miss a lot of bikes with fixed gear potential if you search for track or fixed). Click search. In the Sort By drop down choose Distance (nearest) and you'll see all of the bikes nearest you. That is if the seller has registered with their location. Save on shipping by picking up the bike in person. Email the seller though. Some sellers will not back off the shipping fees.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7120410786&indexURL=0&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting

Nice frame here. I haven't bought yet frome EBAY. I liked PAYPAL when they were not part of EBAY! My old riding buddy tells me he had only one bad experience with EBAY so far after 6 yrs dealing with them .

Maybe I will try one day but til then regualr forums like this will get me what I want. So I will support forums like this and else where on the NET.

S/F,
CEYA!

Ebay sucks compare to the deals I get at my local swap meet.

No shipping, No hidden charges AND I get to inspect the bike right on the spot AND get a super good deal.

I just got a fixed geared Bianchi from the 80s for $80 with handbuilt Mavic wheels with RX100 hubs, it had a sweet San Marco seat too.

You cannot find deal like that on ebay. Shipping would cost $40+ easy.

I had a long term assignment in a different state and didn't bring a bike with me. (I recently sold my old fixie (built up myself) so I wanted another one.) After several months of doing the garage sale, thrift store thing I gave up and went to ebay. I ended up buying one of the fixie conversions w/ the packaging fee. Here are a few comments on the experience:

I first auction win didn't work out. The looser wouldn't sell to me. (Hey, I was new to ebay and even emailed him to see what could be done to prove I am not a scammer. I never heard back and even offered to send him money up front.) The real reason may have had to due with the $$. It would have been a $28 Peugeot(sp?). His boxing fee was larger than the win price. Even given the shipping and boxing fee, I would have had a decent beater fixie for $100 or so.

I then tried another attempt and won one from someone mentioned in the first post or so (applecart). This time, the applecart seller was easy to deal with (IMO). The bike itself wasn't a stellar deal, but ya get what ya pay for. BTW - I kept doing the thrift store thing, but didn't find anything worth while. I completely agree that the $35 packaging fee is bs. There were some .99c plumbing insulation foam on ALL of the tubes (Maybe $8.00 + 5 for the fork and rear dropout braces. The box was used. (I didn't expect a new one.). So $13.00 in material + 23 in labor? Perhaps this is fair depending on the time spent. .5 hours where I work bill as 50-250 and hour so it seems fine from that perspective. The front brake thrown in was 'thrown out' hahaha and the overall condition was exactly as noted in the add. Overall it was like $135.00. Now, on the dishing and wheelset: amateur at best. The same spokes were used and the chainline wasn't right, not are the spacers adequate to make it so. front is actually set up for 42mm, but the rear is 49 or so. All the spacers were on the same side. Anyway, I've been replacing stuff on this bike and it is now a nice ride (phil hubs up front, new seat, post, bars......), I'll fix the chainline issue when the cheap suzue hub goes out and get a phil.

Again, for $135 one cannot really complain. Sure some can brag about finding the nice lugged Eddy frame for 10$ at the garage sale, and just scouring the parts bin for a build up cost of $10. Besides, I'm a working professional and being away from my wife meant that I didn't have the weekly fine dining costs to tend with, so it was justifiable. Wouldn't do it again though.

My opinion of ebay is that some deals can be had, but they are very few and far between. Ebay is a PITA. CL is a much better wired option, but both pale compared to the thrift thing/swap meet (depending on your location).

Just my 2c.