sdn40

So a Prologue shows up on Facebook with a price that's stupid cheap. Not my size, but how can you not buy it based purely on principal ? Only one blurry picture in the ad that shows near nothing, but it's a can't lose, right ?
I wait an hour before I message the owner and it's still available. I schedule a meeting letting him know if the paint is good I will offer him double the price. He brings out the bike and it seems pretty good. I notice some of the usual dots of rust the Schwinns are known for. I was a bit disappointed but thought it would still clean up nice. Then I turn it around. Dent in the top tube. I turn the bars and yep - that was the cause. It's not deep, there isn't a crease (I've heard creases are bad), but there is a faint line and paint loss. Ughhhh.

Teaching moment. My mind goes blank. Even though it's not a keeper for me, my mind works as though it would be mine. All the scenarios run through my head. So I basically offer him his asking price. He says he has received other calls, and I ask him if he told them about the dent. Of course he gives me a blank stare and says "ahhhh no." I think he was thinking about me offering more money as I had mentioned earlier. Obviously he thinks the dent is no big deal. I'm still a bit irked and hold out the cash for his asking price only. He takes it. I load the bike barely remembering much other than the dent and the Sante rear derailleur. Teaching moment continues in the morning.

So this morning I unload the bike - still a bit depressed about the whole thing. Dent dent dent dent dent. That's all that's on my mind. Teaching moment continues as my clearer head sees the Sante derailleur again, Sante shifters, Dura Ace front derailleur, Dura Ace seatpost, Cinelli stem and Cinelli bars. Matched 600 brakes, levers, and crankset round it out. I swear I didn't see any of this the day before during my black out. I still don't know how to approach this bike (I'm not a "part things out" kinda guy), but learned a valuable lesson. I was blinded by the dent and saw nothing else. The owner, the average condition of the bike, and my emotions just stopped me from seeing the whole picture. Any suggestions on how to approach this bike would be appreciated. As I said, wrong size for me, but the frame causes me some pause as far as finding the right owner