Steve Whitlatch 

Not a bad deal on the Cannondale. That stem looks like it needs to go down a bit though. That thing is long.

mstateglfr 

I actually don't align the tire label over the stem. I align the inflation info over the stem.
That way, I know right where it is each time I fill up a tire.
Between kids bikes, mtb tires, hp road tires, and non hp road tires, there are too many different inflation levels for me to remember.

I've found it to be an easy reference. Yes, the label isn't aligned, but I am still aligning something specific. It's a rare day when function wins over form.

CliffordK

I think of any bike below $300 as pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel.

How much work do you expect a bike shop to put into a $225 bike before selling? Complete disassembly, clean and lube every part. Replace all bearings, replace bad cones. Replace all cables, and cable housings as necessary. Build matching wheels. New MATCHING Gatorskins.

Apparently some shops charge $200 just to clean and tune a pre-built bike in a box.

Thumpic

Oh lord.....

mstateglfr 

-blank stare-

LesterOfPuppets

The OP bike is not in a bike shop.

CliffordK

Oh, right...

Apparently the shop is used.

LesterOfPuppets

Wow. They really don't put much effort in there. Helluva a deal for bike shop price. They need to pay rent and electricity.

Maybe they do AS-IS consignments.

eschlwc

i kind of agree. a full tune with all components adjusted will often run $150. a full overhaul will be $300, minimum.

but a bike still has to fall within some pricing limits. a low level bike really can't be priced above $250, no matter how great it looks or has been serviced. a lower-mid-level bike usually can't be much over $300. so if you fully overhaul one of these, there's not much room for profit (at least for a shop).

i'm not asking every used bike be fully overhauled with matching hubs; just that they appear to be fully in tune and professionally set up.

if a bike shop sold the op bike, they could tack on $75 and ensure it looks like a bike fit for a bike shop.

dweenk

Take this thread out to the back 40 and shoot it. I hope the OP doesn't hold this against the forum.

eschlwc

^ so very helpful, @dweenk.

the op got a ton of free advice and lots of good links from oddjob2, et al.

and he never replied to any posts.

johnny_bike

Hi everyone, OP here. I have to admit when I originally posted this I was worried I might not receive any responses, obviously I was way off. I am glad to see that this forum is so adamant about the bike market and willing to help out a rookie. I'm really thankful for the free advise, especially those that went so far as to search Craigslist in my area. I'm also really surprised by some of the responses. Anything under $300 is bottom of the barrel? If that is true then I underestimated the bike market dramatically. But maybe we are talking about different needs.

That being said, I might be even more confused than when I started. I think though that for my purposes (all of my in town travel up to a few miles) it sounds like this will get the job done. I do not want to spend more than $250 or so because of my limited need, and the fact that my last bike was stolen. This last part is discouraging me quite a bit from spending too much.

Final question if anyone has additional thoughts - is the R400 Cannondale a better deal or a better bike? I will likely try to talk both sellers down a bit. My worry with the Craigslist one (Cannondale) is whether I will get to test ride or not.

Thanks again, all.

CliffordK

Welcome back.

The R700 that oddjob2 found is probably a bit better bike than the R400, and, of course, $80 more expensive.

See:
Road Bikes

One could have a long discusson about steel vs aluminum. Cannondale has invested in quality design over the years, but the R400 is now quite old.

I have thought that the rear dropouts looked odd, but I haven't heard of a lot of failures... am I a decade too late?

Anyway, I'd choose one of the two Cannondales over the Fuji, as a somewhat more modern bike, but it may come down to personal preference.

Details like shifters working smoothly are important.

Dave Cutter

If I was tall enough I'd drive up and buy the Cannondale myself.

OMG... and yellow too! That's a keeper!

Steve Whitlatch 

The most important things to look for is, are the wheels straight with no hops? Does it shift right? Does it stop? No big dents or cracks in the frame. No cracks in the rims. Are the tires good? It does not seem that you plan on taking this bike out for 50 mile rides so get the one that needs the least work at the best price you can.

oddjob2

Replace the black bar tape with some nice blue tape and it will be the perfect color combination in Columbus!

Dave Cutter

A nice looking bike as it sits! A little scrubbing, primping, and some new stuff... and it would be really pretty (enough to attract the attention of another bike thief).

Kobe 

Welcome to the forum @JOHhny_bike, you got a lot of great information here. Hopefully it has not been an overload for you. Those Cannondales look like the best bikes for the price that have mentioned here. Being 6'6" also, the only think I will ad is make sure that you can get a full leg extension with the pedal positioned at the bottom and you don't have to crouch to far down to get to the handlebars. Just for reference my vintage bikes are all at least 26"(66cm) frames. I can ride a 25" frame but it needs a long seat post and a taller (Technomic) stem for the handle bars.

The ad pictures are really awful but this may be the only legitimate 27" frame mentioned https://columbus.craigslist.org/bik/5136321484.html, all of the others are confusing 27" for the wheel size.

RoadGuy

Having an old, ugly bike would help discourage thieves, but thieves will take any target of opportunity that they come across. Carry a good quality U-lock (Kryptonite) everywhere you go (and use it). Don't leave the bike anywhere without locking it. Make use that you always lock at least the rear wheel with the frame (or you'll be sporting a bike without wheels). Carry a 2nd U-lock or a cable to secure the 2nd wheel.

Senior Ryder 00 

It appears that all this bike has going for it is the size and rear derailleur. Lower rung bike that hasn't been cleaned or serviced doesn't say much for the shop. The only shop in the town where I live often plays this game, especially in the summer. It's hard to tell about the overall condition from the pix, but I'd offer $150 and then take it to the local coop (if you have one?) and have them team me how to service it. Good luck.