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newbe needs CL clasic help
new guy here....
no real knowledge about bikes.... just know that i want a road bike, and most people on BF are telling me to buy used over xmart... so what do you all think of these classics? IM 5'6 btw thanks.. http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/317861942.html http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/318264307.html |
^^well that didn't work right...
how about this... http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/318264307.html http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/317861942.html wow I like this one but how much should i pay? http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/317365944.html ughhhh is this one the same as befor?.. the $ is different. Is this old bike really worth a grand? http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/316372277.html is this one any good? http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/315691612.html im trying to get an idea of the value of the older bikes.... even though to be honest i like the looks of a more modern bike much better. this one looks promissing... i think http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/311513808.html my dad has an old one like this... but he wants to restore it for helmself... are they any good? http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/311500903.html good or junk? http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/310485738.html more... http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/308397334.html how's the blue one? worth calling? http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/306762031.html last one.... I decided to only look back for the month of april 07 http://detroit.craigslist.org/bik/303740517.html |
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The Novara is from REI and on their website it is new $800. But, used $600 is not a good price. Two years ago I sold a full suspension MTB that retailed for $1900. I got $850 for it. It took a few weeks to sell at that price also. Everything you linked to is overpriced in my opinion. Bikes on the Detroit and Ann Arbor CL are overpriced a lot of the time. There are a few bikes here and there that I feel are fair market value (my listings!!!), and a few under, but most are over priced.
There are deals out there, but I would start checking thrift stores and garage sales. I picked up two nice bikes today at two different garage sales in Plymouth. Also, doing anything tomorrow? http://www.ann-arbor-bicycleshow.com/ Gates open to public at 8am $3 entry and you might find a decent candidate there. |
Go for the Miyata.
That's my vote:D |
Where to begin...
Is it good and how much is it worth are somewhat relative terms. A lot depends on what you plan to use the bike for and what kind of budget you have to spend. Old is not always better than new, but new is not always better than old; much depends on the details. A lot of guys on the road bike forum feel that anything under $1500 is a waste of money and then there are the guys who think anything under $2500 is a waste of money, except for those guys who can't imagine why anyone would spend less than $3000...There are well made and very serviceable "entry level" road bikes in the $400-800 range, but you won't be winning many races with them...so what is your budget and what is the plan for the bike? A few personal opinions (that means that once I give them many others will jump in and disagree): Older schwinns are great bikes, but heavy compared to modern bikes. If you want a bike that will last and last, an older schwinn is great. The $100 for the LeTour is too much, keep your eyes open in and around the Detroit area and you'll probably find one for a few bucks, but in the meantime you'll be walking. Older Peugeots are good as well, but you can get into French sized parts, Raleigh, Ross, and many others can be excellent as well, depends on the condition (I found an excellent Bridgestone touring bike for $3.00 a few weeks ago; same bike on ebay is selling for $400 give or take)...pretty much any of these bikes will be build better, ride better, and will last longer than anything you'll buy at wmart, target, etc. Have you been to your local bike shop (or even a few of them) and discussed your needs and your budget? Some have used bikes for sale, some can steer you to a great bike in your price range... hope some or all of this helps. KDB |
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I will run out to AA in the morning and check that out. |
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this will answer most of your questions... it's a post i did last night after hours or reading about the Denali long term review by cig tech. (copy and pasted post.... written last night by me) wow.....30 pages, 726 post, most of which have been very, entertaining. To the posters who kept busting cigs balls, about no one finding this thread usefull... you people couldn't be more wrong. I am a newbie who just found this forum.... I came to BF looking for information on how to pick the right bike for myself. I have been wanting an inexpensive road bike to purchase.... but to my surprise( not being a cyclist yet), all of the local sporting good stores carried nothing but mtb's... clerk told me that everyone buys mtb nowadays.... that if i wanted to get into a road bike I had to go to a LBS.... So I did... I was in the mist of experienceing the sticker shock($700 and up ) for road bikes, when the dealer told me that he could give me one of last yr model on clearence for around $425... better, but still much higher than what I "wanted" to spend. Now some of you hardcore guys may think me just cheep, but you would be mistaken.... You see, I am trying to avoid repeating the past mistake of making a substantial purchase, only to see it sitting around un used, or having to sell it at a loss, because I find that I really just don't enjoy said activity as much as I thought I would. A few years back I went out and purchased a 2003 Haro Mira 540 from a LBS which I intended to use for flatland tricking.... bike cost me $389. I have ridden it a hand full of times , but mostly it hangs in my garage, or my kid uses it (but she perfers her cheep mtb over the Haro). So anyway... Im looking for an affordable road bike, because i believe that if I get an enexpensive bike, if I find that I dont care for road cycling, no big loss. Im at walmart with the wife the other day, when what do I see... a brand new road racing bike, right at my price point(sub $200), and it even looks cool and high tech , to my novice eye. Still $150 bucks is a lot of doe to blow on something that turns out to be a pos, so rather than buy right away I decieded to research the Denali... to see if i could find some good reviews, weather positive or (more helpful) negitive. I end up here at BF reading this thread for hours on end..... So to the people that asked who will read this and decied to buy this bike.... I will... a 36 yr old skilled tradesman( industrial electrician) from Det MI. Why will I you ask?... because it fits my needs/level of experience/& expectations perfectally. 1. I want to ride right now... I can go to ww at 7:00am this morning and be riding my bike in an hour.(that's including the time needed for a basic saftey inspection, and a simple adjustment of the brakes). 2.I am a newb, so I dont have enough knowledge about road bikes(yet) to make a well informed decision on used equipment, not to mention the time and effort that it would take to find good stuff.... If I like cycling enough, I will take my time and find nice used/older equipment , while still being able to enjoy/train all summer on the Danali.... after a few months of researsh here, and a few months of riding/maintaing my cheep bike, I should have enough knowledge to know exactally what i want, how much I should pay for it... and I will have a great network of people in the community to help me with any problems that arise.... I hope that I have presented a sound opinion of a person for whom this thread has been very benifical... Thank you CIG Tech. ( I have been doing this all night, but at least my walmart opens in 4 hours, so that i can go and get my bike.) |
Hi Racer...a couple of things to think about...
1. If you buy the wal mart bike and it sits in your garage for a year it will depreciate. Alot. Your 1980 Schwinn (or Pug or whatever) has already done its depreciating, so if you end up not liking it you'll likely be able to sell it for close to what you bought it for. 2. A lot of people on here love the hunt for a bike that will cost them $5 but might be worth a lot more for the general public. They sometimes seem to confuse what a bike is worth and what they would pay for it. They are great for advice and will help you get whatever you've chosen on the road and running great, but some, not all, seem to find more value/fun in hunting down a bargain than getting out on the road. I would say, find a road bike that fits you and is ready to ride, then decide what that is worth to you. For me, any bike that is from one of the well-known brands (Schwinn, Raleigh, Nishiki, Pugeot, etc) and is in good shape and ready to ride is worth $75. You might end up paying a little more for the fun of getting on the road and riding now. You can great bikes for cheap, but it takes time and work. If that's fun for you, do it. If you want to ride, buy a bike and have fun riding it sooner rather than later. You might also consider posting your own WTB (Want to Buy) ad on craig's list. I got a great frame this way. |
I love this! Road racer, you are getting some good views on the subject, aren't you? You've got a good grasp on what your needs are, too. Huerro is right, a lot of us know what our market is--I've got 12 bikes, so I can afford to be a bit pickier than when I first started. I've learned how to do my wrenching (well, most of it! I still haven't ventured into trueing/building wheels).
East Hill |
A year ago I was in the same position as the OP. I wanted to get into cycling but didnt want to put a lot of money into something that I would never use. So my solution was to buy a $15 Murray someone had for sale on their front yard. I rode that for 6 months til I blew out a tire and rim and decided I enjoyed this sport enough to upgrade. So I bought an old Trek 1200 from ebay which I ride 3-4 times a week for 15-40 miles each. I am slowly upgrading this bike to meet my needs.
My goal in this has been to get the maximum exercise without spending wild amounts of money even if I can afford it. My suggestion is to look at yard/garage sales. You may well be able to find that expensive bike someone else bought, never used and will sell for cheap. |
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