Got Burned!!
 

Okay, we all post up when we make those killer scores/finds. Well, I am posting up this time because I got burned nicely. I am doing my regular every other hour scan on CL and I see this Raleigh Gran Prix $75. I opened up the ad (the seller has since deleted the ad), and it is blurred phone pic, but I can see it is my size, with aero levers, so I know it is an 80ish, and for $75, and I can't go wrong. I shot an email with my phone number.

Half hour later, I get a call. The seller tells me the frame is Reynolds 531 with Shimano 105 compononts ( I am drooling at the mouth on this). It is about 10:30 am today, and I am at work. I know this is not going to last, so I told the guy I want it, and would be picking it up when I get off. He told me after 5, when I get off he wouldn't be available, and tomorrow would be better. From experience, I know this won't last until tomorrow. Somebody will offer more. However, he told me if I wanted it, he would hold it for me and I can get it tomorrow. That was gracious, and here is how I messed up. I told him that was very kind of him to do that, and I am not going to let nobody treat me better than I treat them.

I told him I will come tomorrow and no matter what, I will get the bike. After I hung up, my co-worker so the runt I was in, and he said, you can have off for the rest of the day. Cool, I called the guy back and told him I am on my way. I had to drive 30 miles. When I got there, he came out, we shook hands, and I told him again, that was gracious of him to be willing to hold the bike for me, so here is the money even before I look at the bike.

When I looked at the bike, I almost had a heart attack. He had told me on the phone, that the bike had some rust on it, and the rust came from him sweating when he was riding it. :D. When I saw that bike, I told myself, don't say a word, just put it in the truck, tell the guy thanks, and leave. That is what I did.

If there is a bicycle god who shines on us on good scores, then there must be a bicycle devil. Well he was working full time on this one. You all judge for yourself. I only lost $70 and about 15 to 20 bucks in gas. He only took $70. I am thinking about putting it on CL for $20, and showing all the pics..

BTW, after all said and done, I had a big laugh on this, and I learned a lot for my $70 too..;)

http://www.cehoward.net/burn5.jpg
http://www.cehoward.net/burn8.jpg


http://www.cehoward.net/burn9.jpg
http://www.cehoward.net/burn10.jpg
http://www.cehoward.net/burn13.jpg


http://www.cehoward.net/burn18.jpg

http://www.cehoward.net/burn10.jpg

http://www.cehoward.net/burn17.jpg

I'd take that for $20.

I am a man of my word. You got it.. You got to pick it up...

If there is no structural rust damage, the 531 frame is definitly worth a cleanup and DIY paint job, should be a nice riding bike.

Wow, that's in rough shape.

I bet a full teardown and clean up will show that it isn't as bad as it seems. Let's hope, anyway.
Lots of elbow grease to come.....

That'll buff right out. And it IS full 105!

I think you finally found a beater bike :)

It doesn't look horrendous... a little bit of rust remediation, clean, re-lube.

My bigger worry would be the missing cable guides replaced by electrician's tape.

I don't think you got burned at all.

You did, however, get oxidized.

hold on now - 20? if that headbadge is in good shape it'll go for close to that on ebay
you got some parts there too

rims
handlebars
saddle
brakes
shifters
deraillers
rear rack

are you sure all is lost

YUK what a mess. time to head to the carwash.

One more vote for cleaning it up, you've got nothing to lose but some time.

Parting it out and selling the frame to a fixie will bag more money!

Look on the bright side... It's going to make one heck of a before/after pictorial.

~kn

I'd say rather than the bike devil being hard at work this is more of a case of the bike god being off duty at the time. It's not that bad a deal.

The 105 parts might clean up nicely. Also it looks like the rear rim is almost new-- the black anodizing hasn't even been rubbed off from braking. Hopefully the frame rust isn't deep.

I would for sure give you 20$ for that thing. But it does seem like more work than its worth. Id say salvage the parts, toss the frame in a oxalic acid bath and put the frame on CL.

If they're not too messed up(hard to tell from the pics) id help you recoup some money for the aero levers/brake set.

Oxalic bath to check integrity...then bead blast and powdercoat = 531 beater bike.

...or, if you want cheaper still...pull a Randy, give it the bath and then brush paint it with Rustoleum Industrial.

If it's any consolation, I'm currently working on one in that condition - only mine's a Schwinn Crisscross. OK, I got it for free . . . . . .

If there's electrical tape on the top tube, then the braze-ons no longer exist under it.

It's the perfect opportunity for someone to drew a 531 frame with no regrets, beadblast it, repaint it, and enjoy it as a clean SS/fixed.

-Kurt

"He had told me on the phone, that the bike had some rust on it, and the rust came from him sweating when he was riding it. "

I think the seller has an over-hydrating problem.... that's a lot of sweat!

I drove 3.5 hours round trip to buy a Nishiki, the crapola pics looked ok, said rim was tweaked but easily straighten frame in good shape for the age. I phoned the guy and said I would arrive in the AM but to call if anyone buys it before I get there.

I call the dude right as I was about 3 miles away. He tells me he isn't there but his GF is and she will let me see it. I roll up as GF was walking out of the garage, and we exchange hello and she pulls out the bike. My heart sinks, allen bolt in stem is stripped, brakes looked like the bike was dragged down the interstate for a few miles, I spin the front wheel and it stops after a brief turn but not before the sealed bearings in the hubs emits a loud squall. I tell the GF that the front wheel is wasted, and she tells me in her heavily nicotine coated voice that it was in the ad. The spokes were rusted into the rim, chain rusted, all the alloy parts were heavily corroded/oxidized.

It was sad and I was bummed for wasting all that gas driving there. I offer 40 bucks from the 90.00 asking price figuring that the frame was nice and in my size, she says I had to do better than that, so said thanks and drove away. Sad. :twitchy:

Maybe he was a triathelete, and swam with his bike - in the ocean.

I had a customer bring an old bike into the last shop where I worked; his cat had spent the last near decade peeing on the bike.

Yes, you read that right, peeing on the bike. Apparently, it was in an outbuilding where the cat hung out and it had taken to peeing on his bike.

That bike and your bike could be twins.

We politely declined to service his bike and told him there was a dumpster out back.

I would take it all apart, remove the top tube cable guides that are left. Blast it paint it, clean polish all components, use cable clips for the top tube. After you're done it should be a great bike. Take it on as a challenge, just keep an eye on the budget.

Mike