Klystomane

I'm still grieving for the loss of my bike. I had it for less than a week and rode it once...it was stolen from my upper floor balcony in a gated community in the middle of the night.

Anyway, onward and upward. I still need a bike, and I need your advice please.

Seller is offering a 2010 Cannondale Caad9 5 for $450 and I was wondering whether this is a fair deal. I am looking for a bike to commute to work with but has potential for some growth. I will bike 7 miles round trip on smooth roads with a dedicated bike lane. I think the bike is in good condition but not mint. I have made arrangements to take a look at it this weekend.

Specs as follows:
Aluminium frame w/ carbon forks
Cannondale carbon seatpost
20 speed, compact drive
Cranks = Gossamer - FSA
Shifters = Shimono 105
Rear derailleur = Shimono tiagra
Front der = Shimono 105
Brakes = tektro

Would love to hear some experienced thoughts, thanks in advance!

Deontologist

Woah. Do you have any ideas how someone could have gotten up to your balcony?

Sounds like a fair deal. Just make sure it fits properly (a given). Somethings I would watch out for are cracks on the carbon fork and dents in the aluminum. And the condition of the wheels - are they true?

Klystomane

Yeah, they probably climbed up the side of the building.

Any thoughts on the Tiagra rear derailleur? Should I be asking for a lower price? I'm assuming everything else is stock - if so, 700x23 tires might be a bit narrow for commuting purposes?

Thanks!

tFUnK

Tiagra works just fine and I think the price is fair if everything is in good shape. You don't need Ultegra-level parts if you're just commuting. You can probably fit some 700x25/28 tires for it later if needed.

Deontologist

700x23 isn't unusable for commuting. I do it. And I'm heavy, like 180 plus. Just keep them inflated and watch out for major road imperfections and loosely packed road surfaces.

Klystomane

Looks like it was a pretty good deal...bike was sold within a couple of hours - didn't even get a chance to meet him.

Thanks for the kind advice everybody, onward and upward....


Cheers,

TrojanHorse

Yeah, CAAD9 bikes are kind of a cult classic.

Are you seriously suggesting that somebody climbed up the side of your building, retrieved a bicycle and left the same way? Seems extreme, even for a really nice bike. Chain it up and use a webcam next time.

Klystomane

Yeah, because somebody else in our community had their pair of $2000+ bikes stolen from their 2nd floor balcony the same week I lost mine. One guy had his taken from the 3rd floor, but his was insured.

I was not aware (until this happened) that I lived in the ghetto.

I'm going to keep my next bike indoors...not even going to bother trying to lock it up outside.

goenrdoug

Spiderman bike thief

LGHT

A good friend of mine almost had this happen to him also. He lived on the 3rd floor in one of the best communities in the city. A neighbor caught 2 kids around 15 stealing his bike. They had a small ladder that allowed them both to get to the 2nd floor and 1 just climbed up to the 3rd. They where in the middle of handing the bike down from 3 to 2 when they got caught. The old guy took the ladder and started yelling at them and woke up a few people. Apparently they had been stealing stuff from balconies for a while. The money was used to by drugs. The sad part of it is they are kids of a very wealthy family.

Klystomane

We also live in one of the nicest gated complexes in our area. I wouldn't be surprised if it were just a bunch of kids with ladder.

I'm sad that I lost the bike, but also glad that they took it so early on before I bought anything for it or upgraded it in any way.

In the long run, it's a cheap lesson to remind me to be super vigilant about keeping my bike safe and secure.

Looking at a Cannondale Caad8 now...if all goes well, should be picking it up today