Dead_Ant

It's well known by everyone here that most CL and ebay sellers neglect to post a lot of critical bike info, especially when they're selling vintage bikes.

Because of this, I'm compiling a Vintage Bike Checklist to fill in the blanks when I contact the poster.

This is what I have so far:

• S/N- if they can find it
  
• Make and model
  
• Size- Stand over height and/or frame size?
  
• Component manufacturer(s) and condition
  
• How long they've owned it
  
• The last time it was serviced, and what was done

I know that I'm forgetting things, so please feel free to give me suggestions! Please put the suggestion at the top of the post and then put your reasoning underneath it (this will make it easier for me to add to my list).

Tigerprawn

Since so many people use the crappy CL embedding for pictures I always ask if there are any stickers or decals and to please list what they say. A lot of people who don't know about C&V bikes just assume the stickers are decorative, but to us it can prove to be a valuable tool in making the decision to buy or not.

I also always ask about dents, dings, bends and the like even if someone says "Excellent condition". Worst thing to do is spend a bunch of time and gas trying to see the bike and the first thing you see is a huge dent that was not mentioned.

mstrpete

I would want to know top tube length as well as height. some bikes that should fit me just don't, and vice versa.

Oldpeddaller

"Will a magnet stick to the metal part of the wheel next to the tyres and to the big cog thingy at the front where the chain goes round?"

(Well, it keeps it simple and if someone really does think that Conago on the down tube is a sticker advertising toothpaste, chances are they won't understand terms kile rims, hubs and chainsets - my FAVOURITE TYPE OF SELLER !!!!)

cycleheimer

Include generalized rider height range for bike ... "good for riders about 5'8" to 5'11" for example. Nice to include model year, or model year range, if you can nail it down. Also nice to include links to online C&V catalog pages (they are available out there for some bikes).

jgedwa

list info from any sticker/decal. Especially the tubing sticker(s). List info on any component you can. Be specific about condition of paint and tubing; scratches and scuffs are not the same thing as dents.

Want to make me happy? Tell me that last week you removed the post and stem just to make sure they are not frozen in place.

Want to make me really happy? Tell me specifically how you plan on packaging the thing up if it is going to be shipped.

jim

wrk101

I wouldn't worry about serial number. And the good deals on ebay are from sellers that are clueless, so getting quality info is difficult. I usually want to know what are the rims made of, any details on frame construction, and rust. But most sellers can't even answer these questions. So I just go look at the bike.

roccobike

You mentioned frame size. I always clarify how they are measuring frame size. If they're not sure how to measure, I ask for them to measure from the center of the crank to the top of the seat tube, but not to include the seat post. If they ask what a seat tube is, then I ask them to just send better pics and figure it out from eyeballing it.
Of course, it the conversation goes something like this:
"All I know is it was my fathers and it says Raleigh on one tube and Competition on the other". My response is "I'll be right over".

Little Darwin

There are certain $50 bikes for which size doesn't matter at all...

Tigerprawn

Not to derail the thread, but I actually had a similiar experience yesterday!

Seller calls me back after I email her my phone number

Seller: Hi Sonny, you were interested in the bike on craigslist?
Me: Yea I am! I was wondering if you could possibly take a look at the frame and give me some information on it? It's a little hard to tell in the photos since craigslist shrinks them down. Do you see any stickers or labels on the bike?
Seller: Yea sure. I don't see any labels, but there are stickers that say Super Vitus 980.
Me: Hmm ok. Do the parts have any names on them that you can see?
Seller: Yes, it says camp-ag-nolo? I think
Me: I'll be right over. Should take me about an hour drive to get to your place.

prettyshady

I often don't ask questions to keep them clueless. If I ask for example 'is that a brooks saddle' then they might look up how much a brooks is on ebay and realise that the price they are offering is too low. Buying bikes is serious business!

Grand Bois

I don't care how long they've owned it or how long ago it was serviced. The serial number is useless to me.

cycleheimer

For better road bikes, you can also put the frame size in both inches and centimeters. Multiply the inches by 2.54 to get centimeters. Examples: 23" (58CM) frame.

Little Darwin

I think most meople can do their own conversions... In fact, I pretty much know I am looking for 56-58cm 22-23 inch. I suspect most people if they have been in the hobby for a while know their size range in either inches or cm...

It could help in getting those new to the hobby to jump in to a purchase that haven't figured it out yet, but that just means more competition for me. .