I'm trying to get a lot more of my friends into biking with me, and they all like it and are trying to find bikes of their own. But budgets are low so they're looking around craigslist.

One of them asked me, "What are some good things to ask the seller?" And I have a relative idea. But I want to know what you guys have to say.

ask "when can I come check it out?" and see for yourself. some sellers tend to exaggerate or withhold information. Look for rust inside and out of the tubes, if possible. Check the alignment of the frame and fork for signs of crashes and look for compromising dents. Those two things are at the top of the buyer's checklist.

Are you serious ?

well, obviously, I dont bust out a park alignment gauge and dissemble the entire bike and check for internal rust. But I think it's smart to eyeball the frame and fork and pull out the seat post and look inside. A friend of mine once came home with a frameset he purchased off CL. Looked fine, but upon closer inspection, the fork was bent from a frontal crash. The seller never said anything about a wrecking it.

I guess my point is, dont take a strangers word -- check for yourself and dont be afraid to walk.