Originally Posted by peripatetic
All these discussions about frame material ignore the fact that the OP wants a nice bike for $200 max. That's not going to get you a used carbon fiber, titanium frame, and it MAY get you a beat up and possibly cracked Cannondale that's 20 years old. Aluminum can be assumed to have a shorter lifespan than steel, unless the steel has significantly degraded (a LOT of rust), or the Aluminum has barely been ridden. I wouldn't bet on either of those possibilities in a hot seller's market like the Bay Area. Sticking with steel (esp. CroMo or better) will just make it easier to find something that's going to be a non-ripoff.
Yep.
One more point on steel-- my Motobecane is 29 years old, and doesn't have a spot of rust on her. Steel only rusts if it hasn't been cared for.
I would strongly urge the newbie to check out that Raleigh. Straddle the bike and lift it off the ground. If you've got one to two inches of clearance between the wheels and the ground, the bike will fit. If not, keep looking. There are two reasons for doing this. First, two different 23" frames will have different standover heights. Second, if that
is a Raleigh Super Course for $75, and if it fits, it's a great price on a great bike, and definitely worth buying.