First Used Bike -- Good Value?
 

Hello! I am brand new to the biking world and I am trying to find a good (decent?) used bike on craigslist

I am looking into a use Trek 930 Mountain Bike right now.
He reports that he recently "replaced the drive train, brakes, brake levers, wheel set, and tires" and asking $180.
The bike frame is 17.5" which is perfect for my height (5'6").

Here are direct links to pictures to determine if these replaced parts are good quality AKA worth the price:
http://i57.tinypic.com/2cnumx0.jpg
http://i59.tinypic.com/25pr23n.jpg
http://i58.tinypic.com/qnjuqr.jpg
http://i61.tinypic.com/eaijw3.jpg


Thank you for any feedback:)

Personally I'd pass. It is a 98 model
1998 Trek 930 - BikePedia
The fork by this time is probably junk and even if it still works it is still a crappy elastomer shock with only 2.5" of travel.
Robot Check
The wheels are nothing special and weigh a crap ton. The tires don't look very good for mountain biking. The drivetrain from the pics looks factory stock to me so maybe he replaced the chain and cassette.

It isn't bad bike but I wouldn't pay $180 for it. Get on facebook and look for some local bike groups. Ask if any of them have an older entry level bike laying around they would sell.

also did you mean 16.5" for the size? That would probably be perfect.

Depends on your local market. Around here, that bike would not last for a day on CL at $180. But most likely someone would be commuting on it rather than taking it to the trail...

I wouldn't put any more money into it, and I wouldn't expect to get $180 back out of it... but yeah, I think you could check out singletrack with that. And then let's be honest, most likely if you like MTBing, you'll want to upgrade soon.

I actually went to a bike shop then and my inseam in 31" so apparently 17.5" is a good fit. I rode multiple sizes and 17.5 was the best fitting in my opinion.

That's a $100 to $125, not a $180. For $200, you should be able to get a much newer, better bike. There are a lot of deals on 26" wheel bikes right now because folks are moving to 29er and 27.5. Look on Craigslist, or run a Want To Buy ad. IMHO, you should be able to get a much newer bike, like an 05 to 08 model in good condition, a good brand, ready to ride.
Have you considered buying new? Giant has a 650b entry level bike for $440 with discs. It's a good buy and you can upgrade later.

While i was at my local bike shop, i was talking with the owner and he recommended a Trek Marlin 5. I ended up falling in love with it and with the color (i know this is the most superficial thing to base a bike purchase off of) but i bought it for $449. Any feedback on this bike? I've read that it is a pretty decent "beginner" bike.

Thank you :)

That's a much better bike than the used bike you were looking at. You'll find this is a good bike to hit the trails with. Yes, it's entry level, but that's where almost all of us start. Trek is a quality brand and you got it for $50 under MSRP, Nice! Ride it as much as you can for around 2 months, then return it to the dealer for the free tune up. All your cables will have stretched out by then and they'll be able to tune it up. It's always a blast to get a new bike. Hope you enjoy it.