How to buy used
 

Someone is asking $600 for "small" 2007 Bad Boy:
CANNONDALE BAD BOY - 27 SPEED
SYSTEM CAAD 3 INTERGRATION
SHIMANO DEORE XT SHIFTERS
BRAKE SYSTEM SHIMANO
WING SEAT
TREK BIKE RACK & TREK BIKE RACK BAG
TREK UNDER SEAT TOOL BAG
CATEYE HEADLITE & CYGO REAR LIGHT
TOP PEAK MINI MASTER BLASTER AIR PUMP
HUTCHINSON TOP SLICK TIRES
MAVIC RIMS
KRYPTONITE COIL LOCK
I have ~32.5 inseam so I'm guessing I need ~17" mountain bike frame
I'm thinking of using it for daily commute (in NYC) ~5 miles
It's a face to face transaction (no mailing involved)
My questions are:
Protecting myself from some kind of scam/stolen (receipt, VIN, etc)?
What should I check for (so that I know the bike isn't broken)?
Is that a good deal; should I just buy new?
What size frame is a "small" bad boy?
Anything else I haven't thought of?
I'm scared! Please HELP!?!?!


Thanks in advanced for the suggestions and advice

$600? for a used bike? if the price is going to be that much, I'd just go to the LBS. at least there you can get the same bike or something similar new for the same price and free tuneups for a year (depending on your LBS of course).

The bike is too smal for you. Period. I have a 2005 Cannondale 50/50 and ride a size large frame. I am 6'1" and have a 32.5 inseam. $600 is not bad considering it is about a $900 bike. For $600 bucks you better know what size bike you ride before you buy. Rivendell bike works has some good general info on bike fit on their website. Keep in mind though, there is no one right way to fit a bike. You have to get close in a general sense and then make adjustments. Google bike fitting to get started and then come back to this site and pase more specific questions and thn look out ! The flod gates will open with info. You can also search these forums for bike fitting, just specify what type, commuter, racing etc. Good Luck.

Thanks for the replies.

I'm only 5'9" and the reason I gathered my inseam was 32.5" was because I looked at a website that said to measure from the floor to the inside of my leg -which is what I did with a measuring tape. And based on their formula, I guess I would need a 17.5" mountain bike frame. I guess I'm mostly looking for a commuter bicycle & maybe recreational. Really $600 is already exceeding the limit of what I'm willing/able to spend, but if the bike is a great deal (and a proper fit), then I may be willing to make the stretch.

Thanks again for the replies, I appreciate them.

So, $600, for a 2007, isn't that new?

I have a 2002 Badboy size "small." I am 5'6" tall. I can ride with a SO height of 29.5 max.

The Bad Boy is a really cool bike, super light, very fast. Maybe you could go to a Cannondale dealer and ride a small and a medium to see which fits best. Do not compromise on fit. If a small is too small, let it go. I would imagine that the bike is in good shape because it's a 2007 model and they're asking so much.
It's probably only been used 3 or 4 months.

It wasn't a 2007. It was a 2002 -My mistake. I didn't take it. Small is too small for me.

So I guess I'm still looking. But it's so scary to buy, because I don't want my pants pulle over my ancles. I was looking at a Trek 7.3 FX and the store wants 500+taxes ~550. I think 550 is already stretching my budget. So I was considering the 7.2.

Is there much of a difference in quality between the 7.2 & 7.3?

They have the same frame, but the components on the 7.3 are nicer (obviously). It's not just the drivetrain that's different, the 7.3 has a different fork, wheels, seatpost, etc. I have a 7.2, and it's a nice bike. It would work absolutely fine for a 5 mile commute, but it might be worth getting the 7.3. You'll probably be happier with the purchase. Remember though, you'll probably need some cash for commuting accesories too.

Keep the $600 and find a $150 used road bike on eBay. Spend $50 on a tune-up once you get it and save the remaining $400 for the accessories you'll need that you don't know about yet today.

After riding the $150 road bike for a year, come back to these forums and tell someone else your success story and stop someone else from spending $600 on a used bike for commuting.

Trust me.
(if only someone had given me this advice, or more accurately, if only i had listened. ;))

Kona Smoke $349. Plenty good for your commute. Hipper than Trek.

Absolutely true. Not to mention you will have more money for upgrades in the future, unless you turn into a steel bike fool like the rest of us in Classic & Vintage. Go take a look at some of the threads over there about good bike prices...

East Hill

I would give East Hill & Old Dirt Hill's suggestion some serious thought. I wish I'd gone that route.

And so I did... and decided to compromise. Got my self a used Giant Cypress for $225 from a dealer, so that I get 1 year free service and no labor fee on repairs, and what not.

Go to B's Bikes in Brooklyn/Williamsburg and get a used steel road bike for around 150 bucks. They're great folks and won't rip you off. For the length of your commute, you don't need to spend a lot of money. With being in NYC you'll have to spend at least 120 bucks on a decent chain lock and u-lock on top of the bike cost.

Thanks for the reply. Though a bit belated, I still appreciate the info.