Originally Posted by
antmeeks
I don't know why everyone is dumping on CL -
In my area, CL is usually littered with low-mileage, practically new entry-level bikes being sold at a huge loss by people that thought it would be cool to ride, then decided it was too hard / time consuming / dangerous / whatever.
About a month ago I helped my wife's cousin find a good used bike on CL and her price range was about the same.
The week I looked for her I found no less than 6 quality, late model candidates from Specialized, Trek, Fuji, Scattante & GT, all listed less than $600.
We finally settled on a perfect, showroom-ready '11 Dolce w/ Sora where the asking price was $500 and I negotiated to $375.
It has nothing to do with luck - but yes, you do have to be vigilant. Good items do not last long. But really, buying any quality used items online, either via CL or eBay or whatever is not for the lazy non-starter.
I spent 3 years waiting on CL for a solid bike deal in LA. No luck whatsoever. All the good real deals were scooped up far faster than I could, and the only thing left were way overpriced or junk items. The few non-bike items that I did buy on CL for comparable prices were such an annoying hassle in worrying about the product quality, meeting for the transaction (they're always freaking late or no-show) that it was a complete waste of time for me, even at my prior low-income levels.
I honestly think it's well worth spending the $700 for an entry-level LBS bike. You get a new, LBS-supported product, with expert support in case you have questions or anything goes wrong, with a 1-yr warrantee on top in most cases. Coupled with the time saved of scouring CL (which is usually hours and hours), the LBS is well worth it. You'll always hear on these forums and others about people raving about their CL steal, which are usually truly great deals, but the proof is in the pudding - just take 10 minutes, and do a CL search in your area on bikes, and just see how many bikes fit your criteria. If it's essentially zero, you know the answer. Unless you want to spend a good part of your life waiting for the 'right' deal to come along.
As for LBS entry-level bikes, you CANNOT go wrong. $700-$800 is the typical entry point for a drop-bar bike that is very, very good and can be used to race even in elite races. You should literally just go into an LBS knowing you're getting the best deal in the store with the entry-level bike, which have the least profit point but highest bang for buck of any of the bikes in the store. The main caveat - you'll usually spend more on the accessories than you do on the entry level bike once you get serious about the sport, and the stores know this. You might think you can 'cheap' it out, but once you're riding 80-150+ miles per week, in various conditions including cold ones, you'll quickly want decent gear which isn't that cheap. Forget all the folks here who say "I did it on <$100 and so can you!" - good for them. The typical cyclist who rides 80+ miles per week is talking at usually around $2k+ for bike+clothes+accessories on average (fortunately, mostly a one-time startup cost.)