???

Yes, you should feel guilty. Hot market like Minneapolis, with a full service, should have asked more for it....

Now the politics stuff, hopefully, that will not become the main topic of the day.

All kidding aside, I often find bikes with a mix of parts, some great parts, some average, some below average. I will usually sort them out, sticking with one model part, that makes sense for that level bike, and resell it. So the 1989 Trek 2000 I picked up, that was a mix of Campy NR, Superbe Pro, Shimano 600, tri-bars, etc., got rebuilt with all Shimano 105 and drop bars. I do this with most frankenbikes. I also will rebuild donor bikes, OK, often with lower end stuff, and price them appropriately. Just rebuilt a 1995 Fuji, that originally came with all 105 (8 speed STI), reborn with 7 speed DT RSX (also 1995 vintage). Downgrade for sure, but I will price it right, and the parts went onto a Cannondale, that get a better response here (than a 1995 Fuji). Or at least I think so. Cannondale sold in one day...


A quick look at the Minneapolis C/L, I see a high ten steel MB, stem shifters, etc., asking price of $225; a steel rim Pug needing work for $175; a generic Asian entry level bike with cottered crank for $190; a dirty Nishiki Sport for $160; a 1980s Tempo for $495!!!!; a Huffy Free Spirit for $145; etc.

Against those choices, your buyer did quite well! While many of us that look every day, would expect more for our money, the average buyer does not want to put the time and effort into it, so finding a good reliable bike, recently serviced, for less than the service work alone would go for at a nearby bike shop? Deal.

I never heard of a candidate who was a socialist bicycle repairman.

I think I'd vote for that.

Oh God, another ignorant foreigner putting down Americans. Just remember, if it wasn't for the Americans that you feel so superior to, you'd probably be speaking German now.

What did it take? 48 hours for you guys to surrender to the Germans in WWII? You couldn't have lost faster if you tried. But I'm sure that you're much braver now.

Because the ability to kill a bunch of people for a prolonged period of time is what makes a great nation!

Oh , God, another American calling Europeans ignorant . Just remember , if it wasn't for the Europeans you feel so superior to, you'd probably be speaking German now.

I think it's been pretty well established that the OP shouldn't feel guilty. Could we please leave the politics, the anti-Americanism, and the anti-Europeanism out of this? I teach Political Science for a living, and when I get on these forums, it's partly to escape all that s**t. Thank you.

Yes, you should feel guilty. About something. After all you are from Minnesota, and likely Lutheran.

About the bike...your price sounds very fair and the bike very usable. It's not like this was a top-of-the-line bike that you compromised by removing original components, and if you were selling it as pristine and original I'm sure you would have priced it accordingly.

Too bad about the political sniping, though I share Velobrox's amusement, and think anyone who takes it as anti-American has very thin skin.

Could we please keep our "political" commenting on that exact level?

Look, if someone buys a bike from somebody and has the knowledge and skills to recognize it for what it is, good or bad, and has the ability to fix or restore it, and come in contact with a buyer who will pay him a price, that price has a lot to do with these skills, as well as the value of the bike. So the price the OP got is a fair price , for his skills and abilities as well as bike value.

If both parties were satisfied with the deal then there is no need for angst.

It is always jarring for some to see that people with whom they have a shared interest can have wildly divergent political views but I have seen this on many forums.

I think we lose track of what we're selling and the price we're selling it sometimes because of the gamer mentality of buy low, sell high. It used to be that often the bikes or parts I buy would be a steal at twice the asking price, but I would fight with the seller over $5.

Sure the bike you sold wasn't carrying the best of components, but it's still way better of a base frameset than anything that could be found new for three times the money. Some of the bikes I sold I've priced above $200 but felt uncomfortable about asking that much knowing that I bought the bike for less than $50 only to step back and think about how not only was the bike worth the money, but also about the POS that the buyer could have otherwise bought from a big box store for the same money.

I forget sometimes that the profit's going to be made somewhere until the bike hits its market value and I might as well be the one making the profit so I can keep doing this. I've never duped a buyer and have always been very up front about everything- except what I have in the bike.

is this still funny if you're american...yeah i guess so +1

No guilt at all! You bought it for $70, and then sold it for $140? You did spend a lot of time cleaning it and making sure that it was in good condition prior to selling it! I would have asked for $180 and sold it for $170 to make a $100.00 profit! That's one of my goals when flipping, to make $100 profit or more depending on bike of course. look at all of the bankers, pawn shops, high end clothing companies and the like! As an example, I've heard that a Polo shirt costs $2 to make in Central America, but Polo's sell for $70 or more at mid to high end department stores. I don't think Ralph Lauren loses any sleep over that! I know this, but I like Polos, so yes I've been guilty of increasing Mr. Lauren's wealth. If I decided to pay his asking price, it was because I liked the shirt in some way or another, and it made me feel more handsome than what I already am :-), so we both win. The bottom line is that nobody put a gun to my head to buy the shirt, or to the buyer of your bike! Enjoy your profit/s, you've earned them!

Flash

You are a Good Man...rejoice in knowing that!!!! Bravo Zulu

Haven't caught up with this thread until now - and holy smokes some of you need to chill out. I was mostly poking fun at OP in the vein of Bertrand Russell: "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts".

BTW The Soviets had my hometown covered pretty nicely during WWII, thank you very much

He! Your mistake is in assuming people know Bertrand Russell. And I confess the last time I read anything of his was so long ago I don't remember any of it. But you did give us a great quote, one worth remembering. Thank you.

Just to stick to the thread: The OP should not feel guilty. So there, nyah.

I am kind of glad that this thread went off on a tangent to mention Bertrand Russell. I think my favorite book of all time was authored by him. The name of the book is A History Of Western Philosophy.

By the way, I no longer feel guilty. The guy that bought the bike was knowledgeable and knew what he was buying, I put a bit of work into getting it in good shape and it was a fair price. I have been cleansed.

Keep the political commentary to yourselves.

Going forward, any political snipes will be deleted.

As long as you didn't buy it from a homeless guy.

No homeless guys selling A History of Western Philosophy here . Though I saw one the other day who looked a bit like Sjoren Kierkagaard .