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Old 08-29-12 | 05:54 PM
  #10  
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pcb
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Joined: Jan 2012
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From: Joisey
I'd say you're far from annoying, but you're up to 11 posts already and it seems like they're all "how 'bout this one?" "How 'bout that one?"

So here's the thing: you're trying to buy an old and used bike cheap mostly from folks who don't really know what they're selling. And you're not flush with bike knowledge. We can try to help remotely as best we can, but we can't be there to check out the bikes, and making recommendations remotely based on the usual crappy CL photos is tough. It could all go well, or you could wind up with something that doesn't fit, something that's damaged and/or something that winds up needing more than the purchase cost in parts/labor to make it usable and safe.

I don't know what your budget is, but you happen to live in a city with a decent bicycle culture and lots of student types looking for bicycles. Have you checked out Trophy Bikes or Firehouse Bikes (I think?) yet? McGettigan at Trophy sells used bikes, and has a specialty niche in English-racer type 3pds. If Firehouse is still around, I think almost all of their business is used bikes. There's still at least a dozen or so messengers in Philly, buy one of 'em lunch and ask 'em for leads. I think there's a lot of benefit for someone like you to find a used bike from a dealer that's been serviced and is known to be safe and reliable.

FWIW, the General bike looks maybe usable but kinda mega-crappy, size is probably not bad for you, but $100 feels like a lot for something that low-end and heavy. The Pug mixte looks a lot better, but I don't know what they're asking. I know we're talking around campus transport here, and I can certainly be snobby when it comes to parts, but IME there's a world of difference between truly crappy parts like the General has and lower-end decent parts. Vintage dep't-store stuff like the General never really works right even when tuned.

I'd rather spend $100 on a cruiser or BMX bike than the General. Less to go wrong.
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