ski0rb0ard

In my hunt for a road bike I have come accross this one on Craigslist

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/2441146905.html

In your expert opinions...is it worth $300?

If so that is right in my price range and I will snatch it up

p.s. I have emailed the poster and asked what year it is (I could not clearly find it on Trek's website)

canyoneagle

First off, 52cm is a pretty small frame. Is it your size?

If you're not sure, it is worth measuring yourself:
https://zinncycles.com/Zinn/index.php/archives/2141
or
https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...LCULATOR_INTRO

Are good places to start, and will give you a good guideline.

As for the price, that is a nice bike, but IMO not worth $300. It is probably a 2001. I think $250 would be fair, given that it is in good overall condition and looks like it was well maintained. You might be able to get the price to $225 if you use the failing left Brifter as leverage, indicating a concern for the longevity of the right one. Brifters are not cheap, and you will have to search around to find a suitable replacement.
The rear wheel is a step up from the rest of the bike.

ski0rb0ard

According to when I was sized up at the bike shop (before I realized that I could not afford a new bike) I could fit on either a medium or a large (in the Giant Defy 3).

I looked up the sizing on their website and can't figure out which measurement is the one that is commonly used. Is it the measurement of the upright tube or of the top tube?

If its the upright tube then I can fit a 50-55.5. If its the top tube then a 54.5-57.5.

Knowing this would make my search for a bike much easier

55/Rad

It's an '01 with components that appear to have been replaced. The RSX group is older than the frame but the rims appear newer.

$300 is certainly not a steal but it could be a fair price if the bike is in excellent or better shape.

canyoneagle

When folks refer to a frame size, they are normally referring to the seat tube length (the quasi-vertical tube that runs from the cranks to the seat post). The Defy is a "compact" frame, and the Trek is not, so the nominal frame size will not necessarily line up.

Knowing your "bicycle inseam" will be helpful, using "standover" as a starting point for sizing the bike up.
My guess is that the Trek might work for you, but would likely be a bit small. If you can, see if you can test ride it to see how it feels.

The top tube is the horizontal tube that runs from the seatpost to the head tube (where the fork steerer comes through), and its length will influence your forward lean and overall balance on the bike. A longer Top Tube for a given stem length (the part that connects the handlebars to the fork steerer) will pull our body farther forward and a little lower, and vice versa. Your own preferences and riding style (plus your level of fitness and flexibility) will affect what works for you.

ski0rb0ard

Thanks for the quick replies. I do believe that I will schedule a time to meet with the poster and I will definitely give the bike a little ride (around a parking lot or something). I don't think that I would ever buy a bike (especially used) without riding it first.

Thanks again for all the helpful info

jgeldner

the 52cm is definitely too small if you fit on a M or L Giant Defy. Look at effective (or virtual) top tube measurements for sizing on modern bikes since they're nearly all compact (sloping) to some varying degree.