Originally Posted by
KonAaron Snake
After reading this ad, I would pass. I got a bad vibe from the seller's "if it turns into dust, it's not my fault" horse excrement. I don't do business with people like that if I can help it.
As for value - blahhh. It's not an awful deal, and I love 9sp record, but de rosa made much cooler 90s bikes. Also that size is hard to sell. I'd hold out for a primato. There is a decent chance it was made by Ugo, and I don't think it matters. I would trust quality. I personally like the stuff they did in the 90s with OS tubes more than the 80s bikes. I'd either want a pre80s de rosa or a later one personally.
All things considered, it's a nice bike, but it wouldn't be a must have for me and I think the seller seems like an ass. He has no other bike transactions that i see and combined with his "i guaranty nothing" attitude, I'd wait. A persistent issue with eBay is people with minimal knowledge and feedback expecting top dollar. For his asking price I want a knowledgable seller and a bike that's overhauled and ready to ride. I don't want "it's old and not my fault".
Knowing exactly squat about De Rosas, I've held off on commenting on this thread, but KAS neatly states my bad feelings about this seller. The wording and the off-putting replies (I don't think 800 is an out there offer and I would at least be nice to the person who made the offer. You can say no and not be a jerk about it.) are nudging the arsehole meter into the red here. Seller may or may not be an arse, but I try and limit my dealings with such folk. De Rosas are not rare enough to make me change my mind; I think I could find one with a few months' searching if I applied myself.
He'll also have some issues moving that bike in that size I suspect. Bigger bike, tougher sell.
A lot depends upon the tone and tenor of his replies to your questions at this point, but I would tend to tread carefully here. If upon receipt you find the bike has a major issue (crack, whatever) there's every sign this guy could be a major pain to deal with. Might not be, but it's trending that way.