carleton

Ask BEFORE you buy.

It doesn't do much good to ask "did I get a good deal?", "Is this a good bike?" or "Can I convert this?" after you've already bought said item. If the internets says, "No. You got screwed", what are you gonna do now?

Remember:
- Craigslist can sometimes be a good place for deals. But, often it's the place where people unload stuff that isn't worth posting to ebay.
- The single speed / fixed / track market is a pretty mature these days. All of the garages, basements, and thrift stores have been picked dry. There aren't that many amazing finds, it seems.
- Lots of people know of the fad so the prices are either OK, high, or super-fanboy-inflated. The OMG-look-what-I-got-for-hella-cheap deals are far and few between.

So...if someone posts a bike for $X on CL. It's probably worth less than that. Also watch out for "vintage frame that is just PERFECT for a conversion to a fixie!!!!" And if you care (or dare) enough to ask what we think, ask before you spend the money. It sort of works out better that way. And while you are searching, read the late Sheldon Brown's website to learn about what you are getting into to see if you are up for it: https://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html

efi

if i'd only known

ADSR

Someone sticky this, please.

tmh657

Carleton has a good point but___ You know sometimes a person will buy something because if they wait it might be gone to some other lucky/unlucky buyer so they have to ask after and suffer the praise/wrath of BF.
Am I the master of the obvious or what.

bbattle

efi

This was a huge factor in my buying the frame immediately. I'd responded on a really cheap craigs list tandem for ***** and giggles that was posted an hour before I responded. I got a response back immediately saying it had already been sold. The frame that I bought, in this thread, was my size (58cm), that I haven't seen often on CL, and nearby. I didn't want to miss the opportunity. Thanks, tmh657, for making me feel like a little bit less of an idiot.

octopus magic

Hey guys I had sex with this girl and my pee burns funny now, should I have worn a condom with her?

aMull

2manybikes

Always ask first in a forum like this about the interwebz before going on line.

aMull

Always consult your mom before asking people about the internets.

carleton

My mom says that the internet is for perverts.

Santaria

This package of ham I ate tasted funny and had 'flavoroids' that were colored green in it. I just noticed the package said EXP120101. Is that bad Interwebz?

aMull

Nah, that's street cred.

dayvan cowboy

you should never wear a condom. it's like a suicide hub, it's bound to break at some point.

AngryScientist 

disagree with not finding amazing deals anymore. if you really think the garage sale finds and musty basement offerings have been picked dry - you are sadly mistaken. the SS/fixie fad is relativly new - there are plenty of nice frames left out there to be picked up.

case in point - i recently picked up a frame super cheap off CL from a guy who is paid to empty self storage bins after the owner has defaulted on payment. he cleans them out, and sells the stuff cheap....

that frame (which is too big for me - i just needed some parts off of it) - is back on CL for super cheap, just passing it on...

akcapbikeforums

I always ask the google.

zzoundss

You can get good deals on Craigslist, but you have to check it all-the-****in-time. Patience is the key. Also, check all cities, not just yours. You can do this pretty easily if you find the right websites.

azukisingle

sahfuins.