I hear you, I did look at a Specialized FSR, but it was pretty beat up, I also looked at Raleigh M80, but again pretty worn. Now comparatively, this K2 was $899 new in 1999, the K2 Zeds that they sell now at sports authority are probably made in CHina and about like an entry level Diamond Back or the Nishiki's at Dicks. Not that anything is wrong with those bikes, for their price point. I did a Bike blue book check on the K2 and it had it valued at over $200. Believe me, I was combing CL for quite a while, and I had to keep my budget low in order to avoid domestic issues, if you know what I mean. But, yes I did buy it, and as far as used goes, I think I got a decent buy, not to say that a better deal might not be found, just sayin I didn't find one I thought was any better.