Skinny Tire

Hey guys,

I need your help on this one. I came across a good condition Bianchi Campione D'Italia Road Bike in Celeste size 57, the seller is asking for $500. Given that everything is in good shape, would I be crazy to offer him $250 based on my findings? This will be my first road bike and I just want to get something that rides good, looks decent, and won't break down on me, definitely do not want to overspend.

Thanks in advance for all your tips and comments.

auchencrow

Hi Skinny - Welcome to C&V bikeforums.

I think the seller might get annoyed if you low ball it that badly. (I know I would.)

You seem to have champagne tastes and a beer budget, but with study and perseverance you can eventually snag something really really nice for $250.
- Just be aware that you'll have to act quickly, and that means no time to check with the BF guys here to see if it's a good deal.

Bianchigirll 

On what findings do you base your 50% off offer? the bike looks pretty clean to me, is there some kind of damage we can't see in the pic?



Wether a road bike breaks down is more depenant on how you treat it than the overall quality of the bike.

Poguemahone

I would not take an offer of 250 for that bike, and might not respond. Up your offer by 100 and try to bargain from there. 500 is not over the top to ask. What is on it, Campy Veloce? Unless it has some serious issues we are not seeing, 250 is very lowball. I've sold that same bike with issues for 375.

randyjawa 

$500 for that bike is a decent and fair price, regardless of where it is being sold. I have little money, but I would have bought that bike in a heart beat. I would have paid the full price, but offered less, of course. Just be careful when cutting an asking price in half. You might offend the seller and then you can go looking again.

oddjob2

Professor Auchen is right on, once again.

In the last two weeks, there appears to be a lot of kool-aid budget newbies trying to find a quality ready-to-ride road bike for $50. Might work for a mountain or hybrid, or at a garage sale, but unlikely on craigslist.

A $250 budget will get you a more than decent bike, but not likely a nice and clean Bianchi with full Campy in the San Francisco/Marin Co. market, nor any other market, unless:

a. It's hot, or "I found it on the side of the road."
b. It's a get even divorce asset sale.
c. The seller has a drug problem and needs cash!
d. It's an estate sale situation.

The $500 asking price for the Bianchi Campione D'Italia is average among the current C/L listings.

wrk101

+1 Yes you would be crazy, and by all means, please share your "findings" that justify such an offer.

+1 Champagne taste, beer budget.

If you want to score a deal (I love to as well, nothing wrong with that), there are three steps: 1. Get educated so you can spot them quick. 2. Look at other sources than Craigs List, and 3. Be ready to turn a wrench (and it takes a lot of wrenches to work on bikes). Lowballing sellers at 1/2 asking price on a public sales forum like C/L is not on my list.

The lowest price bikes (smokin hot deals) all share one trait in common, they need work, usually, A LOT of work. Its the life cycle of a bicycle. First it is bought with high hopes of use. Then it spends years knocking around the garage, getting scrapes here and there, and generally in the way. Eventually, it just needs to go. At that point, the tires are flat, cables are rusted, paint is scraped up, grease is dried out, etc. Then it is either donated, or sold.

That bike should sell for close to the asking price, to its asking price. And if you lowball via email, if I were the seller, I would instadelete it.