Originally Posted by
veganbikes
Why was there a 7 speed cassette on the bike? Was the bike stolen? I know not by you or at least I hope but the guy you bought it from could have stolen it or bought it stolen. What had happened to the shifter as well? Was the bike crashed? Is the frame undamaged?
If the bike is actually not stolen and was not crashed or at leas the frame is not damaged at all then put some money into it if stolen find the owner and report the person you bought it from. If the bike was crashed find the person you bought it from and get your money back they shouldn't be selling something dangerous like that especially not without telling you.
Doubt it was stolen. Bought from a middle-aged English lady in Westchester who didn't look particularly bike thief-y. These were only sold in England back when this model came out, so I'm inclined to believe this bike, in fact, belonged to her and she brought it with her when she moved.
When I went to pick it up she said the bike had been sitting in her garage for a couple of years. My guess is she had an old bike with 7 speeds and swapped the wheelset for some reason, not understanding shifting incompatibility. Alternatively, she had a different bike and wanted to keep the wheels that were on this one. Perhaps she brought it without the wheels, never used it, and threw on a set to sell it quickly. Can't really know.
The frame seems fine upon examination. I also took the bike to my LBS and the guy who runs it said the bike wasn't all that great and wasn't worth investing tons of money into - no mention of bent frame or crash issues. I'm wondering if this has to do with it being a less known brand stateside? I thought Boardman was generally great value for the quality at their original price?