Tara!

Hi,

I am a native of the Bay Area but was living in the Midwest for the past few years. I've returned to the Bay Area and, searching for a used road bike on Craigslist (my #1 source for a lot of other stuff), found the used market here to be SO expensive compared to everywhere else I've been (or heard of, through these forums). It seems like most halfway functional bikes are listed as $300-500, and they're not even necessarily in good condition! Whereas, I've been reading up on comparable models on these forums and finding they're maybe only worth $100-250 in pretty good condition. I know you are supposed to negotiate, but it seems absurd for the seller to set an asking price so high above what s/he'd let the bike really go for...

What's the deal??? Is Craigslist a bad place to look for used bikes, or have I just totally forgotten how inflated prices are in the SF Bay Area? Where should I be looking? Unfortunately, I'm short (5'1"), so bikes my size are hard to come by...

Thanks!

agarose2000

CL in NorCal is not a good place to find bikes. Bikes are in demand, even (especially?) the functional beaters that would be great lo-theft commuter bikes. Cycling is also sufficiently popular that there are a fair number of professional CL bike dealers who snap up all the really good deals within hours of posting.

I watched CL for half a year waiting for a great deal on a road bike in my (small) size. Probably only saw less than 5 I'd consider reasonably priced, and those barely better than the LBS pricing, and no better than BikesDirect.

SoCal Craigslist is even worse. 1970s bikes with no upgrades being sold for $300. Ridiculous.

I think CL might be more useful in snowy areas where people just don't feel like owning a bike anymore and will sell perfectly good bikes for pennies just to clear their garage. In Nor/SoCal though, most people with functional bikes, even old ones, will hang onto them. Hence your good deals in the Midwest.

I'd actually recommend that you go new in CA. Considering the time investment required to scour and monitor CL, as well as the risk and no warrantee, even a more expensive LBS bike will be a better deal. Plus, if you don't like your LBS purchase, you can sell it on CL and become one of those folks asking for ridiculous used bike prices!

gpelpel

As for everything else an asked price is not what you have to pay. Don't be afraid to make offers at the price you are ready to pay. Some great deals can be found on CL if know the product(s) you are buying and are patient.

curbtender

Prices are up there, and many people will use others asking prices as a guide to what thier bike is worth. Make an Email offer of a price you'd be comfortable with and see where it goes.

bigbossman 

That depends on the bike. I'll take every 70's De Rosa, Tommasini, Colnago, Pinarello, Merckx, Cinelli, etc for $300 that you can find. Also, good high-end Japanese bikes like Miyata 912's, Nishiki Internationals, and Centurion Ironman's are worth $300 if they are in good trim.

I agree with you on the low-end gas-pipe stuff like Peugeot UO8's, but even one of those in overhauled and ready-to-ride shape is worth the $200-$250 it takes to buy it.

If you can do your own work, CL can be a pretty good place to find a deal. A lot depends on what you're looking for. If you want a bike with a modern drivetrain, that's going to be a lot tougher to get a great deal on - you have to be quick, and you have to know what you're looking at. It is very definitely a "Caveat Emptor" environment.

Oh - one last thing.... small bikes sell for a premium here because they are in very, very high demand. If you're looking for something in the 48-52cm range, that's a super-heated segment of the market.

BlastRadius

That's a good thing... means a lot of female cyclists, unless you're a female cyclist looking for a bike deal.

Brennan

Oh, this is definitely a pet peeve of mine. Craigslisters ask the most ridiculous prices in this area, and it is by no means limited to the bike section. Through a simple google search, I can often find the same items brand new for virtually the same price, and sometimes even less. While some people may be establishing haggle room, I think a lot of people don't research their prices, and/or have no concept of depreciation. Sometimes, they even spell this out in their ad: "I paid $400 for it, and it's like new, so I'm asking $380." Ah, no. Why would anyone bother saving 20 bucks by buying from some random stranger when they can buy the same thing completely unused, and with a warranty, from an established retail outlet? Also, from my own (unscientific) observations, I think this trend has gotten worse in recent years. The strange thing is, I can't imagine these people are having an easy time selling at these outrageous prices. I've posted like-new items on craigslist for half off retail and never got a single inquiry.

FrenchFit 

I feel ya. Over the years I've come to the belief CL is just about the worst place to shop for a bike, but then I scored a major find a few weeks ago. Just dumb luck. On the other side, I've sold a few bikes on CL at fair prices, but they were gone in a matter of hours. Sellers market, and yes - some of the CL sellers take advantage or sell junk.

colleen c

Another concern with CL in Ca is that the listed selling price might mean nothing. I have several time called within 1/2 hour of a posting and got the ok to check it out. A time is set for a meet up but it usually like several hours later when both parties get off work. Then I get a last minute email from the seller telling me that they got better offer and then try to raise the price and now the deal is off and it became a OBO deal.

The best one yet for me is when I had a time setup to check out this bike that was selling on the low side. When I got there, the seller told me that a customer driving past the bay area from Oregon saw the add on their Iphone and wanted to dropped by 1/2 hours before my set time for the meeting just so happen that was the time they were passing that town on their way south. Lucky for me the seller held her words and delayed the out of town buyer and I had the first shot. This just to show how the demand for used bike are high around here.

cccorlew

I have a very nice 52 cm bike to sell, so I hope all this small-frame and high-prices stuff turns out to be true!
I'm just getting ready to post it on CL. I'm kind of nervous about it. I pretty sure I'm asking a fair price.

Just in case someone wants to get a jump on it:$1500
If it sell for that I'll include a color coordinated water bottle and matching seat bag

Here it is without the matching stuff...

bigbossman 

I've had different experiences than most of you with regard to CL. I have to stop looking - I find good deals all the time. Of course, it depends on what you consider a good deal and what you're looking for, but there are some great deals none-the-less.

In the last month alone:

Pristine De Rosa with 9 speed Dura-Ace $800
Pristine Italian Masi 9 speed Dura-Ace $700
Pristine Somec with 9 speed Dura-Ace $700
Pristine custom Jackson 9 speed Dura-Ace $700

I only bought one of these, but I've seen the others and know who they went to. Gorgeous bikes at an entry level price. You have to know what you're looking for and what it's worth, and you have to act fast. But the deals are there.

In regards to selling (Curtis, take note)........ cash is king. There are a lot of flakes browsing CL, so don't hold a bike for anyone. First come, first served. You will get firm commitments that vaporize. Trust me on this.

curbtender

Tara, what are you looking for as far as components? Older friction, newer STI? A commuter or distance bike or both?

mayukawa

You really have to monitor the CL listings frequently to find the good deals....after all, most of the good deals can be gone with an hour! Of course if it's too good of a deal, it's probably stolen. I actually bought my first road bike (a $650) Fuji for $350. It was basically new (only had 100 miles). I rode it for around 6,000 miles before I upgraded to a better bike...but I was still able to sell it back out for $350 (I actually had quite a few people contact me within the first hour of posting it). It was sold that afternoon.

Collin2424

Hey, a few of those are mine

-Collin-

goodtimes5

I usually make a profit selling things on CL that I've used for half a year or longer.

manitsnam

Hey I'm looking for my first bike here and so searching craigslist. I want to spend around $400 for a solid commuter bike. What are your opinions on this bike and how much do you say it's worth?

Trek with 105 components
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/bik/1796923036.html

The asking price is $450 so I'm guessing it's worth no more than $400 probably closer to $350?

BlastRadius

Start with $250. The problem with that bike is that it's aluminium and 7-speed. That means the rear stays are 126mm apart and won't accommodate a newer 8-10 speed hub with 130mm width easily. You can't spread aluminium frames like you can steel. Also, with that large a frame you must be a bigger guy which means the bonded aluminium tubes could be more susceptible to coming unglued.

x136 

There's also nothing especially commuter-y about that bike. It will work fine as a commuter, of course (you can commute on anything, really), it's just not very specialized for the task, if that's what you're looking for.

That said, I'd be really worried about the clamp-on kickstand. That style of kickstand, poorly installed, has crushed many a steel chainstay. Now, this looks like a bonded aluminum frame. If there's a bond right there where the kickstand clamps on, I would run, not walk, away.

manitsnam

I'm actually a female and I wouldn't necessarily call myself large... JK! I'm 6'0" 170 lbs so lengthy and thin.

Thanks for the help, looks like I'll continue my search. Let me know if you guys pass by any good buys around $400-500 range.

lshobo

I just posted a quick rant on how horrible the SF Bay Craigslist market is for bikes, and will echo the other sentiments here. Some people treat CL as their full-time job, and genuinely good deals are snapped up almost immediately. Clueless sellers think their bike don't stink, and resellers/flippers think cleaning the chain and putting new tires on warrants an additional $150 to the selling price, which leaves people like you and me screwed. haha. At your price range, you will eliminate a lot of the BS though. It's my experience that higher-end bikes that actually deserve their asking price are harder to sell, and thus, you will be more likely to get a good deal on a good bike, then a great deal on an average bike.