rodionfender

I'm looking to buy a decent used road bike. Never had one before.
Just thought the time of the year would allow me to get good deals.

Would this particular bike be worth $350? Or should I keep looking?
I will be riding it on the trails near my house, weather permitting.

Here's the description by the seller.

Includes:
Specialized Allez Elite 56cm aluminum frame
Ultegra triple crank
Speedplay pedals
Tiagra front derailleur
Shimano 105 rear derailleur
Shimano 105 levers
Mavic open pro 32 spoke wheels
Terry Butterfly saddle
Thompson Elite setback post
Cateye Astrale computer

seau grateau

Looks like a pretty decent deal. Is it your size?

datlas 

Agree that if it fits well, get it. Fit/size matters most.

mcours2006

Frame looks to be in good condition. Includes pedals and computer with cadence sensor, that's worth $100 already, if you had to buy separately. So, yeah, if it fits you then go for it. You won't find anything new of comparable quality anywhere close to that price.

TakingMyTime

Agreed
Agreed
Thomson Seat Post $94
Speedplay Pedals $100 (you will need shoes with Speedplay cleats)
Water bottle cages $5 each
Mirror $10
Computer ? not sure of model price
Terry Saddle $78
Mavic wheels (not sure of hubs used)
Blackburn pump $25

That's a great deal if it fits you.

FeltF2Tarmac

That's a nice bike for the price. Some decent parts and everything appears well maintained. If it's your size it's a great deal and would be hard to beat.

rmfnla

I'd ride that...

superdex

buy it already. Though it looks smaller than a 56.

99Klein 

Looks like a good deal. Pick it up before someone else does... assuming it fits :-)

gsa103

Potentially the wrong bike, but decent price (knock another $50 for a good buy).

What do you mean by trails?
That's a good road bike, its designed for smoothly paved roads. My experience is that most paved trails are pretty bad. If the trails you have are criss-crossed by roots and upheavals, then you don't really want a road bike, you want something closer to a gravel or CX bike.

My 29er is much faster on the paved trails, simply because I can bomb through potholes and lifted pavement. My road bike doesn't really like the tight turns and roots on the paved trails and I have to ride more cautiously.

Look closely at where you're interested in riding, and make sure you get a bike suited for that riding.

rodionfender

Thanks everyone for the input! I plan to meet up with the seller this Saturday to see if it fits me. I'm 5'11" so I assume 56cm is a reasonable size.

The "trails" I mentioned are basically paved, smooth surface roads within a park. I run there couple times a week and see a fair number of people riding on their bikes including roads, so I guess that particular bike can handle it as well? What are some of the other concerns that might arise from that situation? I did a bit of search on this forum and saw some people recommend getting crosscycle tires for bike trails.

goenrdoug

Honestly, you'll probably want to ride actual roads as parks/paths with joggers, walkers, dogs, kids, etc. can be problematic due to the difference in speed you'll end up with on a road bike.

Explore the Strava heatmap to figure out where others tend to ride in your area. https://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#6/-1...6000/blue/bike

Better yet, find a local club and ride with them -- it's a great way to find the best places to ride and meet new friends.

epdarks

It seems like the Allez is a go-to for first-timers. My first road bike was an Allez, love them. Anyways, I will bet that bike sells by Saturday... underpriced, IMO. Go get it!!!

Stucky

Great deal! But as others have said, it'll likely be gone by Saturday. Ya snooze, ya lose!

I'm usually not too diligent about rushing to see things I find on Craigslist, but once, I came across a good deal, and it was only ten minutes from my house. I called the guy up and headed right on over, prepared to hand over my money without even negotiating....and my heart sank, as I pulled up to the guys house, and saw someone else loading the great deal onto their trailer! [not bicycle-related]. In the TEN freakin' minutes it took me to get there!

And believe me, when you miss out on such good deals, you'll spend months looking for comparable deal, and regretting not doing what you had to do to nab it.

MRT2

That looks like a great deal, if it fits. Looks clean and well maintained. A comparable new road bike would cost $1,000 to $1,500, at least. If it were me, I would pick it up now.

bykemike 

Yeah, recheck the size. Amazing how many owners don't really know the size of what they are riding, looks like a 52 to me.

However if it fits it is a good, open pro wheels have been very good to me, some pretty good gear on the bike, not a fan of the bar end mirror, but that's me