Hi all,

So I saw this roadie on CL earlier listed for $100, and decided that I would give the owner a call. He said his phone had broke and so he was selling his "baby" to get it fixed. He told me it was a Cannondale, but I can't be sure because it was repainted. I tried searching the numbers (IG3A1223) I found on the bottom but came up empty. Even if it's not a Cannondale, I figured that I could give it a fresh coat of paint and some new bar tape to resell it for a small profit.

If anyone could offer any insight into how to identify or what I should do with it, it would be appreciated.

It's not a Cannondale. It appears to be a fairly generic, entry level steel frame with some parts replaced with newer items. Alas, $100 is already probably bumping up against the high end of what it's worth...

Pay no more than $15.

Looks like you got duped. Cannondale used over sized aluminum tubes and are very easy to recognize.

That is a cheap steel framed bike. Cannondale has never made a steel framed bike.

Pass.

Crap. This sucks!

Any suggestions on how to get something out of this? The components even worth anything?

Repost it on CL for $100. Sell it, and move on.

Or, just keep it and ride it. It may not be a top of the line bike, but it looks like it could be a good commuter type bike.

Oh no! You got it already? I'd just adjust the bars so that the ends point at the rear brake caliper and ride the wheels off of it. I doubt you could get much for any of the parts. $1 for rear derailer, $5 for cranks, ummm maybe $5 for saddle. does the saddle light up? Maybe $10 for that.

The best you can hope for, from this situation, is that you learn something about yourself and about vintage bicycles. You, it would appear, know very little about vintage bicycles and that bike that you bought is not worth much at all. That said, your best bet is to ride it, for the time being, and list it on Craigslist again. Spend no more money on the bicycle and hope that you break even or loose less than you already have. And...

Start learning about vintage bicycles, if it is, indeed, your wish to have one. And, for what it is worth, the guy who publishes this website made the same mistake you did, when he got started.

No, there is no small profit. Obviously it's best to ask these kinds of questions before you buy.

Unfortunately I did. Thanks for the tips. I'm relisting it on CL for $125 hoping to find someone that needs it more than I do (was really just trying to flip it for a quick $) now, I'm just hoping to break even. ARGH!

Thanks for all the advice, hopefully I get something out of this!

^^^ I don't see how you're gonna make anywhere near youre money back. that bikes $40-50 at most imho.

if i were you, id just get it in riding condition and ride the hell out of it. even putting a hundred commuting miles on it will save a lot of gas money, and will make buying the bike worth it

Not a Varsity. Worth less than a Varsity. Even Varsity repaints can often bring around $70.

^^ yeah noticed that once I reread his post saying he found the serial under the bottom bracket

Don't you just love it when peole repaint frames and don't even bother to remove the headset or derailleur!

At least they masked the important parts of the rear derailer

you got a little hosed on this one... it happens to some...

Call it tuition in the school of flips. Price it at $50, and move on. Realize what you pay for an item has nothing to do with what it is worth (or what it should sell for). Sometimes, you will get something really good, at a really low price. Other times, you will overpay. This is the latter. Most of us have done it.

In any financial transaction, the person with the most knowledge, wins. One key to successful flipping is you have to be that person.

I would take this as a loss, remember how you felt when you found out you paid $100 and it's wasn't worth it. Why would you want to do the same to someone else?

Good advice.

Joe