stebson

Hi,

I have no idea where to post this since there a million different subforums here so...

I am in the market for a single speed on craigslist and I am going to check out an '80s Raleigh single-speed road bike (non-racing handles) that has new almost-every-component (new crank, chain, rear cog, handlebars, grips, seat, break levers and cables). The back wheel needs to be trued a little (according to the seller) but is totally fine to ride for now. The front tire is new but the back tire is not.


The bike goes for $200 OBO. Is this a good deal? Can anyone give me some pointers for when I go see the bike to tell if it is worth it? Should I bargain, and if so, what amount(s)? Thanks

Bair

I wouldn't buy a conversion for $200, you might as well get a windsor the hour for $199. Also, what Raleigh model is it? If it is like a international or mk2 you are getting a great deal.

seau grateau

I wouldn't necessarily agree with that, but it's also impossible to put a value on a used bike without seeing some pictures.

GhostSS

How soon do you need a bike to ride? I've had numerous prize finds by being patient and waiting for better bikes to come along. I got my Trek Carbon ZX for $230 (good condition), my Fuji America for $130 (excellent condition), and Specialized Allez (good condition) for $160.

IMHO $200 for an okay condition conversion bike seems like a less than ideal buy.

stebson

This is the craigslist post: Single speed bike $199 OBO @GhostSS do you mean just waiting on craigslist? I am also going to a few used bikes shops tomorrow as well to checkout what they have. My main thing is I want a singlespeed that has the aero-dynamicism of a road bike with the benefit of having a single gear. I think this may be it, but I really have very little idea.

I had to email the guy to get more info (which I put above). I was drawn by the color and the seat but of course those are the least two important things. The front cog looks shiny/brand new and the whole bike looks really clean and taken care of.

Bair

I wouldn't buy that. Maybe for $120. Obviously this is just my opinion, but I think you could do much better. Maybe this Windsor Clockwork Single Speed (includes both freewheel and fixed gear ??

hockeyteeth

No. Just... no. That bike sucks. Steel 27" wheels, one-piece crank, and ****ty geometry, too. OP, do way more reading and research about component quality so you don't get ripped off.

GhostSS

Yeah, I'd pass on this one and see if something else comes up in your price range. As hockeyteeth mentioned, the components of this bike are all extremely cheap, the saddle, handlebars, crank/chainring, pedals, and brakes are all probably worth $50 altogether and the frame itself is probably only worth about $50.

LOTS of people take up cycling, don't stick with it, and sell their bikes off a year later for a fraction of their actual worth all the time with all the original components. This bike looks like someone salvaged the frame and put it together with left over walmart parts just to make a quick sell. Just keep looking every week for new waves of bikes on craigslist and something good will pop up in your price range.

stebson

@GhostSS could you direct me to a guide that would help pick out the good from the bad on Craigslist? I have little experience and don't want to be ripped off. For example, how can you tell that this bike isn't worth it?

SquidPuppet

Also, it's very important that you know what size bike is right for you before you shop. If you buy a bike that is too big or too small you will dislike riding it.

GhostSS

This isn't something I can really give you a guide on other than looking out for certain name brands, other than that it's up to your own personal research and looking up used values. I did make a facebook guide from some friends a while back where I was trying to give a quick n' dirty rudimentary info dump because I was "the bike guy". This is mostly just info on OEM produced frames and bikes, I don't know as much about 3rd party:


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There's the big American 3: Trek, Giant, and Specialized as far as road frames go. Usually these companies produce pretty good bikes and utilize Shimano (Japanese) componentry, which is a good manufacturer as well. For the money and relibility I'd stick with these brands. Cannondale, Scott, and Felt are also a good brand but they tend to be slightly more expensive. Then there's the much more expensive options like the big Italian 3: Cervelo, Colnago, and Bianchi. Peugeot made some good bikes, but their components were sometimes proprietary and came in difficult to work with non-standard sizes.

As far as components go, the aforementioned Shimano makes great brakes, gear shifter assemblies, and gears (hereafter known as a groupset). The quality tier levels are Shimano Sora/Claris/Tiagra (Low tier) 105 (low-mid tier but still good), Ultegra (mid level) and Dura-Ace(top level race). There's also SRAM and Campagnolo (low-Centaur/Veloce, mid-Athena/Chorus, High-record, race- super record) which can be more expensive groupset manufacturers but fantastic quality.

Avoid Wal-Mart brands like the plague. Avoid unbranded groupsets like the plague. Let's just say you get what you pay for. Reliability and precision in the mechanisms is what's lacking with these cheaper no-name or generic brand parts and frames. If a manufacturer isn't willing to brand their product with their name then that component isn't something they are proud to have made or will stand by for warranty replacement.

A lighter bike means it will handle more nimbly, accelerate and decelerate more quickly, and make it easier to climb up hills. But it also means a lighter bike is more expensive and usually will only be felt if the bike is really light.

The difference is in the frame material, a steel bike is the heaviest, but is very tough. But not all steel is the same, if you decide to get a steel bike, there are several different grades which have different properties. Better steel bikes use strong steel so less of it is needed to contruct a bike, which makes it lighter overall. As a general rule avoid high tensile steel (hi-ten steel), it's a low grade, cheap, and unecessarily hefty. They are usually present on cheap-o bikes that aren't meant to last past the attention span of a child, like Wal-Mart bikes and fashion-fad fixed gear bikes. Aside from that there's LOTS of different steel grades, if you come across something you've never heard of just look it up. Columbus tubing, 507 tubing, chromoly-molybdenum etc. all have their pros and values depending on what bike it's on and who made it.

Aluminum is lighter, corrosion resistant, and can be cheaper, however they are not as durable. Just don't crash. 'Kay? Just like Steel, theres plenty of aluminum grades as well.

Carbon fiber is light, tough, and expensive. These days carbon bikes are becoming more and more common so the price is not as prohibitive as it was before. However this material does require special care, so do some research before buying a carbon bike (I own 3, it's by far my favorite material). There's plenty of grades and "eras" of carbon as well. Personally I think this matters less than Steel of Aluminum unless you're a professional racer.

Most bikes range between 21 to 30 pounds. Most sanctioned races require bikes to be no less than 15 pounds (Like pros in the Tour de France). The difference between a 15 pound bike and a 25 pound bike is 10 pounds and several thousand dollars. For many people it's a better option to just go on a diet.