Hello again everyone. I've recently noticed more and more little setbacks my old fuji del rey has been putting on me lately. It's an old early 1980's fuji del rey.

Anyways, I won't list all the little things with it that seem to drive me crazy, but lately I just feel like I'm not getting out what I'm physically putting into the bike. Even though I've bought a few very cheap parts here and there for it I feel it is time to move on. So I've been looking through CL for three or four days now and I had no idea how many bikes people were selling on this website, it's crazy. Furthermore I don't know squat about bikes and only got my fuji del rey because it was at a garage sale for $25 with everything stock and working. So if you don't mind I'd like to share some links of the bikes I've been looking at. I'm 5 foot 9 inches tall and if at all possible would not like to spend more than $300. I'm not holding my breath though. I also will use the bike to frequently commute and go on long rides. I'm not into SUPER performance, cause I've always ridden heavy bikes, but if I can afford a relatively modern bike that would be nice.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/3685320587.html
This bike is cheap, but vintage like my old bike. I could afford it, but I'm concerned it will just develop into what my bike has turned into now. Too much work and aggravation to maintain.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/3713051337.html
Another cheaper bike and not too old I think? There is a little wear and tear on the bike tire it seems, but I could always just replace that with a cheap tire and tube. Not a lot of information on this bike though which leads me asking more questions about it's condition. I would probably call the owner to ask questions before even offering a price on this one.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/3711361778.html
This one kinda reminds me of my current bike. Old but ride-able. For some reason when I see this bike I think of my bike which I bought for dirt cheap so when I see the price of this bike it seems VERY HIGH. That could just be me though. Also, I don't see a height of the bike so I don't even know if it will fit me. Again, even if it does fit me this is an old bike and I don't want a repeat of the same deal with my current vintage bike. Replace parts, constantly tune. Stress over the little things that become out of place on a weekly basis. Ugh.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/3711118676.html
The price on this bike is at my limit, but it looks pretty clean and it's a modern bike. Well, modern enough. Only problem is I don't know the height of the bike and if it will even fit me or not lol. Besides that I don't really see anything that bad with it. I don't know.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/bik/3700346268.html
Another old bike I think, but rather expensive! It appears to be the right size for me, but there is practically no other information from the owner. This kinda makes me uneasy about this bike. Even if they gave a lot of information I wouldn't be able to understand it, but the more information the more confident I feel in seriously considering to buying the bike.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/bik/3701478846.html
I kinda want this bike the most because it's the closest to me xD, but it appears modern-ish. Although I see an "REI" label on it and does that mean it was made by REI or just bought from there store? I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. Also the author doesn't give a lot of information either and I also kinda get Leary when the author opening says "I don't know much about these bikes, I'm selling for my -insert family or friend-"



So these are the ones I've been looking at, but I am no where near knowledgeable enough or confident enough to make an offer for any bike or even assess the condition of these bikes. If anyone knowledgeable out there could share some advice on any of these bikes I would really appreciate it. I'm really trying to learn more about road bikes and have fun in the process.

Thanks for any help.

GO for either the Trek or Novara. Both of those seem ok. I've noticed the bikes on our local CL are mediocre at best and people are trying to sell them for much more than they are really worth. Specifically, the first bike shown is one of many that are being sold by the same backyard bike mechanic. Yes, the bikes are functional but for how long?

Without knowing what exact issues you've had with yours lately, yours may be just as good as the ones you're looking at. Maybe it would just take a good once over by a mechanic and a couple upgrades to make it feel like you're getting out the effort you're putting in.

I've thought about it, but I don't know much about bikes and I have a really awesome local bike shop... but they are EXPENSIVE! I definitely plan to ask a lot of questions and do my own tweaking, but my bike just feels like an anchor lately. My gears make noise when I pedal. Feels like a small bump magically appeared in my back tire. My breaks constantly need readjustment. Every time I pedal really hard it just feels like I get nothing out of the thing. I bought new tires a month ago and they are slightly wider, but that couldn't be the cause of one of these things.

I hope I can figure out what's going on with my bike, but I've never had this many little sidetracks on my bike just hit me all at once. It's just one of those things I can't really describe, you just have to ride the bike and feel it for yourself. If that makes sense.

That Trek, on the condition that it fits, is WELL worth the extra $50.

Even if it DIDNT fit me perfectly I would get the red Trek over all of those 10 speed classic bikes. You'll really get hooked on cycling with a lighter, more modern STI shifter-equipped bike like that Trek. Its one of those situations where you have no idea of what you were missing until you have it.

... why would you get a bike that doesn't fit you? Wouldn't that mean you'd be uncomfortable forever with that bike or something?

That Univega is a low-end model. Pass.

That Schwinn is likely as heavy as a Walmart bike. Pass.

Takara- another low-end model, and ancient. Pass. [I love old bikes, but no one needs to ride a heavy low-end tank!~If you're gonna get an old bike, at least get a high-end, nice light one, that was top of the line in it's day.....]

Red Trek- Decent- but over-priced, and is a radically smaller size than the previous ones.

Green POS- Nice color, but another low-end POS. -Next! (Remember...you're trying to get something BETTER than what you already have....) Heh...I think the guy put an extra digit in the price- $25 would be more like it!

Novara: Old, but nice! Probably about the best deal of the bunch- and it looks sharp! Again, will it fit?

I'll bet the Novara is gone already.

Yeah I definitely want something not too old, but yeah there are very few new bikes on CL in my area, but most of them want top dollar. 1-2k which I have no business even looking at lol.

You think your CL is bad...you should see mine! Nothing but Walmart bikes and Huffys- and old low-end junk...and it's all over-priced.

Shoot, if that Navara were local, I'd buy it myself...just because.....

Well at least I'm learning what to look for from all of your guy's advice. The old ten speeds I see all over the place aren't worth the time or money (usually) and I should try to focus on the more modern bikes, if the price is reasonable for a used bike.

There are some old bikes that are really nice- like the Lemonds; De Rosas; Merckx's.....but it's rare that they turn up cheap....and even if they do, you have to know what you're getting into- as parts compatibility can be an isue with any older bike....and they often need wok. Have you checked out Bikesdirect.com? They have some new entry-level road bikes starting at $349, with no tax and free shipping- and they're often better than anything you'll find used for that price. I got one as my first road bike a year ago, and it's been great for 3000 miles so far- for a $300 bike ($349 now)- and it's basically what you'd get in a bike shop for around $800. I still enjoy riding it, even though I have a much better bike now, also.

That red trek is a really nice bike and will ride so much better than everything else you posted. Assuming it fits, go for that.

That 9 speed stuff is easy to buy parts for and 105/ultegra 9 speed works great. I have one of those 105 cranksets and those are really nice.

The frame is a decent aluminum job, and I'm sure the wheels are ok.

I haven't looked at bikesdirect.com Wow! They do have some pretty cheap bikes. They are 2013 bikes so they are very new. I still don't really know much about modern bikes though. Like what is considered really heavy or what brand is or parts are considered decent etc etc.

This one would be in my price range actually. What is will all the variations on one model? One variation could be $50 more. Is that really needed?
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ington1_IX.htm


Side question. If I'm 5 foot 9 inches, does that mean I should be able to fit any bike from 52cm to 55cm? Or does that mean since I'm 5"9' I need to get in the middle somewhere at 53cm or 54cm? Oh... and I would have to get a bike fit, that cost like a hundred bucks as well. Ehhh...

Get the Novara if it fits.

Well, to address the fit, first: No...you don't need a $100 fitting at a bike shop. Much of what you see many cyclists advocating these days, is nothing but ideas that they've come to believe in from marketing hype. A professional racer can benefit from a professional bike fitting. You or I? We can figure out what sizes of bikes we'll fit, and make our own adjustments and be just fine.

If you really want to be precise, you can go to this site: https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...LCULATOR_INTRO and do the measurements on yourself, and then compare their recommendations to the the geometry chart of the bikes you're looking at.

As a general rule though, yes, at 5'9", most bikes in the 52-55cm range should work fine for you. I'm 5'10" and I ride a 54cm and a 55cm.

That's the beauty of starting out with a cheap bike, too- Some people prefer a bike to be in the smaller end of what they can fit; some prefer the larger end. You really won't know what you prefer, until you give it a try. Same deal with a lot of other aspects of bikes- you really just have to start somewhere; and won't know exactly what you want until you have some experience riding. So think of your first road bike as a learning experience. Also bear in mind, that [I believe] a lot of what we come to like in a bike, is what we get used to. Some people make it sound as though every millimeter is crucial....but in reality, our bodies are quite adaptive.... I'd just say to avoid anything bigger than 55cm (having a bike that is too big is THE WORST!] and anything that would be ridiculously too small (less than 52cm) and you should be fine. They'll be enough room for adjustment within that size range, to get a perfect fit.

O-K, now for the bike you linked to: In this case, I would say that yes, an extra $50 or $60 would make significant difference. That particular bike may be a '13, but it is really dated, with a 7-speed cassette, and is really kind of trawling the bottom of the barrel.

This one: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ington2_IX.htm appears to be the same frame, but for $60 more, you get an 8-speed cassette and STI shifters (you shift with the brake handles) instead of cheesy stem shifters. And it's got a triple crank, which will really come in handy if you're a new rider, especially if there are hills by you. Both bikes probably weigh around 24 lbs- which isn't bad for that price- It's lighter than a Walmart bike, but not as light as a "good" bike..... That's what my Mercier weighs....and basically, the only way to get anything lighter in your price range, is to find a good deal on CL. (That Novaro may be a little lighter- Like the poster above says, I'd nail it if it's still available, and if it's your size!)

Nice thing too about the Wellington 2.0, if you should want to sell it after a while, you'd likely be able to sell it for close to what you paid for it. The 1.0 you'd take a beating on. Boith are actually a little out-dated- but the 1.0 much more so. At least the 2.0 with the 8-speed and STI brifters is sort of modern. (Modern now is 10 or 11 speed cassettes...but you're not going to get that for $300 new or used.....and it really doesn't make a difference- it's just that 8, 9 and 10 speed are all the same modern-width cassettes....whereas 7speed is totally different, and stem shifters are a throwback to the 70's! )

time for brifters/integrated shift/brake levers. they will change your life! :-)

Yeah. There are a lot of things about modern bikes, which are mainly just marketing hype to entice people to buy the "latest and greatest"...but truly, STI brifters were the best things invented since the invention of the bicycle itself!

Thanks for answering my questions MetalPedaler. Yeah, I would of had no idea about the differences you would gain for that extra $60. Well, at the moment that Novara is available, but I'm second in line behind someone else who is going to take a look at it first.

If that bike becomes unavailable, then I'm seriously considering the Windsor Wellington 2.0 as at the moment it seems to be the best bike for the money. I will be looking at CL a bit more, but a lot of the same bikes keep showing up over and over. And they are all mountain bikes anyways.

We shall see how it goes.