Originally Posted by
cluu1
so i emailed the guy and the guy told me that he had sold this bike.
but he says he is a large bike broker?
and he'd call me back tomorrow because he had a new shipment of bikes coming in..
told him i have a price range or 3-400, and he told me i'd get at least 105 components or better..
I hate to say it, but it sounds to me like the guy is selling stolen bikes. Generally, I don't see bikes with 105 components selling for $400. Also, as a rule, people don't get "a new shipment" of used bikes.
Originally Posted by
cluu1
is there any possibility of fake bikes?
I know there are fake watches and clothes and electronics, but are there fake bikes? or fake bike components?
I've never seen "fake" components, but there are various ages of components sold under the same name. For instance, Shimano has made parts under the 105 name for about 20 years. The old stuff bears almost no resemblance to the new stuff other than the name. What you need to know is the group number.
The latest 105 parts are designated 5700. You won't find that cheap as it's brand new. The 105 components from the previous 3-5 years are designated 5600. Before that, there was a 5500 group, which is easily distinguishable because it's a 9-speed group. Older 105 groups may be 6-speed or 7-speed.
Of course, there's a similar lineage for other Shimano groups.