I have had zero luck hunting through Craigslist for newer bikes. Today's $800 bike is pretty equivalent to the $1200 bike five years ago, but the seller of that once $1200 bike always seems to think it's worth at least $900. Crazy. It's like buying a used computer, people can't let go of the price they once paid.

p.s. I don't think Mik is stateside

:clap

Hills are fun. Years of piloting a huge motorcycle down a twisty road makes a light bicycle easy to whip through the turns.

Bicycles are more maintenance intensive than one would think.

I've noticed both of these points.



I just ordered tools to do my own headset work, and then downloaded the printer friendly tutorials (excellent color pictures, etc) from Park Tools website.

I've always wanted to be able to do this to a bike, the headset's have always been a mystery (something I feared opening up).

I'm converting my Basso's threaded to threadless, and swapping my Klein's 8 r old suspension fork to a lock out one...

:1drink

(Am I fucked..?:evil )

thanks Knary. (I am stateside).

Yeah, that's been my experience on CL. For example, right now I'm trying to contact a seller of an Orbea Marmolada. (may be sold). The bike is at least 2 years old. Alum frame with carbon fork, carbon seat stay. The current model is comparable to the Wilier I'm considering. The seller is asking $1000. But the current version has a different update frame, carbon triangle, and is $1900 list price.

So, what was the price of this model 2-4 years ago? $1500? What am I really saving then buying used, a few hundred bucks? and perhaps 1000s of miles on it, on rough California backroads on an outdated aluminum frame, and modest quality component group (Campy Veloce)? I'm sure it's a very nice condition bike, but like Knary's very valid comparison to computers-drives me to seriously consider buying new.

Gonna take my time on this.

http://skwidd.smugmug.com/photos/91272769-M.jpg

you know gummee and photog,YFF's coulda spoke up and told me these bars would suck,but no,you had to go and let me do it.

Mik,
good luck. In the price range you're talking about, there are countless choices that are all pretty equivalent, just a question of finding the bike that fits and presses your buttons.


My new saga: finding a bike for my petite wife with the brief inseam.

http://skwidd.smugmug.com/photos/91272772-M.jpg

the flat part makes a way more comfy resting platform while cruising,there's a little recessed area underneath the flat part that your fingers fit in perfectly,and dammit if they don't actually dampen road vibration just like everyone told me they would.
fuckers!

friend did that last year,his wife is about 5'3"

he ended up with a really nice bike from giant that fit her well.

The Tour was/is called "Die Internationale Friedensfahrt" which translate roughly as "The International Ride of Peace" (czech. „Ročnik závodu míru“, poln. „Wyścig Pokoju“, frz. „Course de la Paix“).
It was a race for amateurs only (the east block countries had no official pros) from its beginning 1948 until 1989. It startet as a race from Warsaw to Prague but was extended to East-Berlin in 1952. After that the route has been laid out in the three paticipating countries Poland, Czechoslovakia and GDR and had a status like the Tour de France had in western Europe.
Now it's a normal race of the middle categorie for pros in the calendar of the UCI.

Sweet ride that you have built up there. Your LBS must LOVE to see you walk through the door.

RW

Learn something everyday, thanks!!!!!

http://cdperry.smugmug.com/photos/91106145-M-3.jpg

got the bike second hand from a friend,it is not nearly as nice as his others.

i've got his sickness for trick parts but not his checkbook,his daily ride now is a colnago c50 that is just beautiful.
he wanted my bars,stem,seatpost combo that he originally put on there to build up a LOOK 585 he had and i had my eye on the FSA bars.
he ordered a record build kit with the bars,stem,seatpost i wanted and just paid the difference for the pieces i wanted.
i did find out last week when i had the bars installed that bicycle cables cost as much as motorcycle ones.
yes,the LBS is quite fond of us,but i'm also in better shape now than i've been in nearly 20 years.
now if i can just find a damn seat i like i'll be set.

You're welcome. Greetings from the hometown of Karl Drais, the inventor of two-wheeled personal transport.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Drais
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Drais

I've been resisting the urge to buy the new Plasma bar/stem from FSA, so far...

Me and friend did 76 miles yesterday.

3 hours 46 minutes
20.1 mph avg.
144 avg. HR
163 max HR

Looks a tad painful....

http://cdperry.smugmug.com/photos/91326897-M.jpg

:lol3 :evil