bikenub4

Hello everyone. I am thinking of buying this bike:

aych tee tee pee ess ://charleston.craigslist.org/bik/d/vintage-trek-400-road-bike/6754302541.html

From the sound of it, it seems like it is quite souped up, but I am quite ignorant of bikes.

I just want to make sure this guy isn't ripping me off. I'm happy paying fair market value.

bikenub4

I asked the guy for 250 and he countered with 260. Hrm, I am tempted to buy this because it's my size.

I was looking on ebay and there's only 2 for sale. One is 175, the other 225. However, I believe they dont' have all the fancy parts this one does!

Can anyone help?

tkamd73 

bikenub4

Okay, thanks ...

I figured this guy was trying to rip me off lol. I'm glad I asked here.

Sigh, so many scammers these days. What's so bad about selling at fair market value? He asked 295, I offered 250 and he had the gall to counter offer at 260. What a guy.

tkamd73 

bikenub4

thanks man i appreciate it !

AngryFrankie

That's a pretty nice looking steel trek. Here's the biggest problem I see. He's asking top dollar, like, 'all original good condition' price, but someone seems to have removed the whole handlebar assembley, probably stem, handlebars, shifters and brake levers, and replaced them with a much cheaper replacement. I think those are steel handlebars and friction shifters, along with the "cheater" style brake levers you see on much cheaper bikes. I'd pass unless you really want it and there's super slim pickens. Even then I'd try for more like 150.00. Be sure to watch Savannah, Columbia, Augusta, etc...if you're there in Charleston area. A Saturday morning road trip is a small price to pay for a cool bike you'll get so much exercise and enjoyment out of.

Mr. 66

wrk101

Some of the upgrades are useful. Suntour Blaze with accushift was pretty sucky. Why the guy put those 1970s brake levers on there is beyond me. Sounds like a random bin build. Those stem shifters are 1970s too. Could have at least put a set of indexed stem shifters on there (yes, Shimano made some).

Charleston market is pretty strong, price is probably not that far off. A lot of recreational riders would prefer stem shifters to down tube. Heck, I had a customer buy a Trek 520 that wanted stem shifters over bar ends. I gladly did the swap, N/C. The average buyer does not want DT shifters, many think they are unsafe. Ditto bar ends.

Spaghetti Legs 

Yeah I think $150 tops for that. Frame and fork are nice but the build is very bleh. I wouldn't necessarily call the guy out as a scammer. A lot of people just don't know what these bikes should be worth. They walk into a bike shop, see a Trek bike for $800 and price their own from there.

wrk101

A quick look at Charleston C/L shows not much to choose from road bike wise. Among the road bikes, this is about what people are asking price wise. You are not going to get this bike in Charleston for $150. Now if you lived where I live, sure, $150 to $175. Call it the Charleston "TAX".

The closest market to Charleston where I see better deals is Charlotte. Several good candidates there right now. I occasionally will take a buying trip to Charlotte, pick up a few bikes plus stop at the co-op.

StarBiker

There was one outside of needing a cleaning, a seat post, and a new chain (Probably a re-greasing) at the local dump the other day. Can't take anything though. They at least do save the bikes for Goodwill I was told. Was the Salvation Army at one point. Anyway.....

I sold a very nice 660 for $340 recently, and it took the entire spring, summer, and part of fall to sell it.

wrk101

Market has definitely gotten softer. Somewhat odd, as the economy has gotten much stronger.

lostarchitect 

That's not a scam, it's just overpriced. Pretty typical of these days or any days.

StarBiker

People want newer more modern bikes. The money is here, and people will buy new. And they want gravel hybrid type bikes. Vintage road bikes just don't offer that. A fellow digger flipper who also rides like I do finds vintage road bikes to unforgiving. Much of this is lost on the members of this forum, and mostly on this site.

This site at least to me seems to be more road bike oriented in general, so many modern bikes can handle both with more comfort. And they are now old enough that they can be had at used prices that compete with C&V. That is what's hurting the C&V Market.

The young man, who looked like he was in his early 30's to me was living in the city, and wanted a vintage road bike. The 660 was a really pretty bike.

My 2500 will probably be the next to go along with a Super V. But my Cobia isn't going anywhere.

zukahn1 

I would say only $150 or so I really don't get this build. The original exchage levers were about the nicest component on the bike and the turkeys won't work good with those brakes. For $300 or so on a 300/400 series Trek I would expect it to be in great original condition or nicely upgraded to nicer 7/8 speed Shimano pretty easy to pic up a RD down shifters and freewheel for $40-50. The original components on these were pretty soso compared to the frame set about have the ones I see have been upgraded. As said there are a lot of these around and you should be able to find one that is original or nicely upgraded in this price range.

wrk101

Guy is not trying to rip you off. There are very few road bikes on the Charleston C/L, he just wants what he wants, which is more than what many of us think it is worth. I notice no one giving a value lives in the Charleston market, including me.

At least he was open to an offer, and gave you a counter. I really don't understand the attitude. Seller wanted more for his item than you were willing to pay. I have seen this often. It doesn't make the seller a scammer, or a jerk, a rip off artist, or whatever.

I've bought a lot of bikes over the years, and I have passed on even more. Sellers have the right to ask whatever they want, including more than the item is worth, and I have the right to walk away. I've seen asking prices on houses, cars, boats, RVs, motorcycles, whatever, that were more than I was willing to pay. Sometimes the seller eventually came around to my figure, sometimes they found someone else that would pay more.


If I were a seller in Charleston, the first thing I would look at is what others are asking for a similar item. I want to be competitive. I don't see any other nice steel vintage road bikes for sale there right now. I see a Trek 330 for $400 (highly doubt it will sell), and not much else. Seller of the Trek 330 admits it needs a new chain, and front rim is bent, etc.

Would I pay the asking price on this bike? No. But I wouldn't pay $4 for a cup of coffee either. But others do it, some every day. I am very patient, willing to drive to another city to shop, will look on road trips, etc. What is convenience worth (getting a nice vintage road bike locally).

"Okay, thanks ...

I figured this guy was trying to rip me off lol. I'm glad I asked here.

Sigh, so many scammers these days. What's so bad about selling at fair market value? He asked 295, I offered 250 and he had the gall to counter offer at 260. What a guy."

dailycommute

Unfortunately the CV market is down but part prices are up....so a lot of flippers strip bikes and sell the parts/frame separate as sometimes they are the most valuable and you end up with nice frames with franken**** builds. No idea on your market but I would pass on this one unless he wants to sell it for 150-175........those trek true temper frames are nice but underrated/under priced vs say 531. I have a true temper trek and love it but would not pay that price for that build.

zukahn1 

I suspect your right on this one being stripped of some of the more valuable parts in real nice shape the accushift shifters and exchage levers with push button quick release could sell for $75-100. I actually bought a similar equiped Trek not to long ago in fair shape fairly cheap for the nicer parts.

Cycologist

I picked up a full Campy Trek with Reynolds 531 for 300 from about the same year. You should be able to get this for less.

tkamd73