mtnbud

$200 - seems a little too good to be true?

katsup

Some people just want to get rid of a bike as fast as they can.

Without seeing the whole ad, it's hard to tell. Even with the ad it can be difficult.

mtnbud

Agreed. Bikes of this caliber usually sell for around $350 - $450 in my neck of the woods. For $200, I was thinking I could buy it for the wheels to upgrade my wheels then flip it with my old wheels on it. I don't want to buy a stolen bike though!




The phone # seems fishy - as the # isn't local, but the address is.

ChinookTx

Is that a Speedster or a CR1? Looks like the older Tiagra? Either way, unless something is terribly wrong (or the bike is stolen) this is a really good price. Almost too good to be true yes...

The wheels are nothing to write home about by the way... AlexRims I believe, very basic wheels. (I owned a Speedster S20 a while ago).

mtnbud

Thanks - I couldn't tell from the pics. My wheels are nothing special (32 spoke Mavics), but I want to get something nicer than that

The seller says they bought it new 2013 and it's a CF frame and they haven't ridden it in 5 years. Looks like Tiagra components to me too. The frame's too small for me BTW...

A little web research seems to indicate it's a 2012 CR1 Comp. Bicycle Blue Book estimates it's value at approx. $300 - $500.

ChinookTx

It's a cr1 comp 2012. Jump on it!

https://www.rei.com/product/828249/s...pact-bike-2012

GrainBrain

You could spend around $300 and get a way better wheelset!

honcho

Based on what other people have written and my own experience, it's on the cusp of a "too good to be true" price. True as in not being a stolen / hot bike. You can check https://bikeindex.org and see if there are any bikes of that model that have been recently reported stolen in your area. However, many stolen bikes are never reported even to the police. If you meet the seller at their presumed home and ask for and receive a written receipt for the sale, I'd say the likelihood of the bike being legit is better, but still not absolute.

GamblerGORD53

Looks like a little girl size to me.

mtnbud

Yeah - it's a little small for me. I have a 94 Specialized Epic. I was thinking it might be worth swamping the components. I'm not sure what would be better. Keep my 1994 Shimano 600 8sp drivetrain or update to a newer 10 sp system...

FiftySix

I've known several people that keep old cell phone numbers after moving to a new city. The number stays familiar with their friends/family, and some people really like their old area code as it reminds them of home.

That said, still could be a questionable situation.

FiftySix

Good point. I've seen ads for small used bikes at lower prices than say medium or large sizes. Literally a smaller market, it would seem.

fietsbob

Maybe its post Divorce dumping the guys stuff?

Bill in VA

I find it depends on who is selling it. If the rider, it will be more, if the parents who are disgusted at the kids lack of interest or wanting to get rid of stuff after the kids moved out after college, it may go cheap.

mstateglfr 

Unless one of us is the seller, why would anyone here know if the price is legit?

Go try to buy the bike and see if the price is legit or if it's somehow a scam(not sure what the scam would be).

As for if its stolen...well that's different from if the price is legit. And again, nobody here would know if its stolen unless we are the seller or the possible victim.

Once again, just go check it out. If the bike seems stolen, then don't buy it. Or do.

teejaywhy

That's a lot of words to say nuthin'.

CliffordK

If it is the Carbon Fiber CR1, then $200 would be way low. I'd expect at least $500 to $700. It also looks like a "newer" version.

If it is Aluminum, then $300 to $400 or so.

HOT Deals don't last long.

If it has been up for a week, then something is wrong. If it has lasted posting this question on Bike Forums, still something is wrong.

When you're looking, you can call the local PD to run the serial number, or try looking it up with https://bikeindex.org/stolen

I generally go by my feeling with talking to sellers...

ChinookTx

It's a cr1 comp 2012 (Carbon). I posted the link above. But I agree. If it's still avail, something is fishy.

CliffordK

Thanks,

They made the CR1 for many years. I think I haven an early 2000's frame that needs some work, then building.

But, 2012 would be a good age. Not too old, not too new.

While the price is low, not unexpected for someone just cleaning up.

Estate sale?
Divorce?
Storage?
Left behind in an apartment?

mtnbud

It lasted one and a half days. I was extremely tempted to pick it up knowing full well the frame was too small for me. I kept trying to justify the purchase. I even thought I could buy it and then sell it to a shorter friend with a lesser bike for the same $200 price. I'd bet he could turn around and sell his current bike for more than the $200 price and come out ahead!



In the end, I was planning to pull the parts off of it and resell the frame. I figured I'd keep the components and swap them onto my 1994 Specialized Epic to get better gear ratios or sell the components piece by piece. The components would sell for way over $200. The seller let me know she had another person who was interested, but was giving me first dibs since I contacted her first. I explained to her I'd likely part out the bike for the components and said it'd be better to sell it to someone who could ride it and enjoy it. She appreciated my honesty. I hope it sold to someone who will enjoy riding it and not someone who is going to flip it.

jefnvk

I haven't had a "local" phone number on my personal phone in about 15 years now. Still have the number I got in high school about six cities ago.

They don't. That said, to some people, it is just an old bike that they don't know the value of, or they just want gone. To me, it is far more likely that a bill is due and they're just looking for something to sell quick than it is a stolen bike they are trying to hawk out of their home.

CliffordK

The OP is indicating that a woman was selling the bike. While it is possible it was her bike, a likely scenario is that she was selling the bike from a former husband/boyfriend/tenant/relative/etc.

The bike in her possession likely gives her the ability to sell it, and one's comfort with that would depend on the actual details.

But, it could have been difficult for her to estimate the value too. Or, she just wanted it gone.

Skipjacks

The low price could easily be that the seller has no idea what they have.

Just because half the people on this message board know it's a nice bike doesn't mean the average schmoe does.

I'd venture to guess MOST people in America would not know how to tell the difference between a $2,000 bike and a $200 Wal Mart bike that's got a similar paint scheme.

A super low price is 1 of MANY things to look for when deciding if a bike for sale might be stolen. If that is the ONLY red flag, I wouldn't worry about it. There are llegitimate ways she could have come into possession of it without knowing anything about it. (Boyfriend moved out and left it there, bought it at a yard sale herself cheap, friend gave it to her, etc)

If it has some other red flags like the seller not knowing where it came from or how long she's had it...or hesitation when answering those questions as if she's thinking up an answer....or the famous "I just need to sell this fast so I can buy food for my starving kids" backstory on why it's for sale....or you go to pick it up and there are 200 bikes in the back yard.....then I'd be concerned.

Some people also put low prices on Craigslist to generate buzz then when you contact them they say "Oh I know I put $200 on there but someone already offered me $400...can you beat that?"

CliffordK

I've been offered an old Schwinn by some friends. "Looks just like the bikes I ride, plus it has more chrome.".

Sy Reene

It's a 7yr old bike. CF has improved. Componentry has improved. Tires have improved. That CF frame (if that's what is is) is probably easily outmatched today by cheap Chinese direct stuff available today new. Kinda ugly crank.. probably some chips and scratches throughout. The price is good, priced to move and not bother the seller who doesn't want to haggle over $50 by pricing it maybe where it should be.