oakinari

Hi All,

I am fairly new to cycling and am looking to purchase a bike for my first time for commute. I recently found a 1991 trek 1200 bike on CL for $325, but not sure if the bike is worth it.
In fact, I don't even know if this is a good or bad road bike. Please help. Or are there better venues for me to look for a first bike than CL?

RARE 1991 Trek 1200

bikemig 

It is a pretty decent road bike but I would not pay $320 for it. CL is not a bad place to look for a bike but you need to do a bit of homework first. What kind of riding do you want to do? What size bike do you need? What is your budget? CL is a bit tough for a newbie and you might be better off going to a LBS.

noglider 

I might pay that for it, if it's in good running order, and it might be. You could get something like it for less if you have time to wait for it to come along. If you want a bike now and this one suits you, buy it. The seller might be willing to negotiate, too. Be sure it fits. And make sure the stem and seatpost come out readily; if not, the hassle is too much.

oakinari

I'm mainly looking for a bike that can commute to/from campus (8 miles roundtrip). The road is mostly flat and on pavements. I am also looking to occasionally do longer rides to test the water on cycling. My budget is around $300-400 right now for a road bike. I'm 5 feet 11 inch, so I'm looking for a 55 - 57 cm frame.

oddjob2

I sold a 1989, fully refurbished with all new tires, bearings, bar tape, saddle for about that price. I think if you can get it for around $275-$300, it would be an okay deal. Looks like the tires are a bit old.

It's a nice rider, but not a good bike if you have to take books (they still use them?) with you.

oakinari

Yeah. I won't be taking too much books, but occasionally might be. I'll meet with the guy to try out the bike for fit and see if it's in good working conditions. I'll likely hold on for a 1-2 more weeks to see if any other options come up. I would like to get a bike soon. Other options I've been contemplating is to buy one from bikedirect.com or purchase some recommended bikes from amazon. It just seems like most people recommend finding a used bike is a better option than those.

noglider 

I, too, prefer used bikes to new ones, and I don't think mail order bikes are as good a value as they appear to be. But to do with with a used bike, you have to know what you're looking and and how to fix them. Or bring it to a mechanic. I guess the same is true with mail order bikes.

bikemig 

This bike is not a great choice for a dual purpose bike, commuter and a rider. I'd look for a road bike with eyelets and preferably long reach brakes so that you can fit a little larger tire (say a 28c). A lot of old steel bikes will do the job.

This looks to be outside of your price range but a cross bike like this is very versatile, Save up to 60% off new Cyclocross Road Bikes - Motobecane Fantom CX Clearance

Gallo

Used bikes go for more here in California. The bike looks decent I suspect the rear wheel is no original and is a decent wheel. If it is working perfectly ready to ride and needs no investment it is not a great deal but it is not a bad deal either. If the rims and forks are straight it shifts well and the rubber is good you could do worse.

SHBR

$325 would be a fair price if it was in mint condition, as new chain, cassette, tires, perfect wheels, overhauled bearings etc.

I'm a cheap bastard, the most I would pay for that is $200, and that would be an insult to the owner I'm sure, as they likely paid much more for it.

Anything like this in Sacramento? (2000RMB= 325USD)

findude

Most craigslist buyers will come down 20-50% when you are face-to-face with money in your hand. Have your offer money in one pocket and take it out without showing that you have more money on you. Be prepared to walk if the seller says no. Remind them that you can take the bike NOW and they can have the money NOW. Selling stuff on craigslist takes time and effort many people do not have, milk that when you are a buyer because it will work against you as a seller.

qclabrat

many bikes like this on CL (late 80's - 90's using downtube shifters), if you can be patient for a few more weeks, better options may show up, even with the Cal mark up, the price is more than I would spend for a tired looking ride like this one. For the price, the bike should be relatively service free for a few months, but it looks to need a good tune up and new tires

lostarchitect 

50%?! LOL. Not around here, anyway!

miamijim

That's probably fair market value for Sacramento. Mish mash of parts so make sure it's in good running order.

88prelude

Sacramento's prices are even more inflated than in the bay area. They see what the bikes are selling for in the bay then ask the same or more for them in Sacramento with less demand. 320 isn't horrible for that bike considering the market, but I'd try talking the seller down to below $300. If they're serious about selling they'll haggle for sure.

oakinari

Wow, those do look like great deals. It's a shame that the cannondale is too big. How I wish I was slightly taller at times like this. I'm meeting with the guy tomorrow to check out the bike. I'll pay especially close attention to the wheels and the frame because those are my biggest concerns. Any tips on what I should look for when test riding it? I'll definitely try to see if I can take the price to about 270 or 280. I'll definitely check out the bike in folsom too as well. This is my first time being on the forum, and my god you guys are so helpful. Thank you so much.

RoadGuy

Trek aluminum bikes like the one you are contemplating are good riders. Don't worry about that, the same basic bonded frame design was used on US made Treks from the late 1980s until (1998?).

What to look for? Check the condition of the frame around the lugs to make sure that there are no cracks or failures of the bonded joints. There were some failures of the joints on earlier model years.

Having mis-matched wheels will lower the resale value of a bike. I've gotten seven Trek bikes in the past five months (2300, 1400, 1100, 1000, 8000, 6000, 930SHX), and only two still had the original wheels in rideable condition. Two had matching replacement wheelsets, and three had unmatched non-original wheels.

Most bike manufacturers mix and match components from different groups to get what they consider to be the best bang for the buck. The components on this bike appears to be original for the most part with the exception of the wheels. This bike would have come with Matrix rims (Trek brand) laced with stainless steel spokes to Shimano wheelhubs (should have been RX100). Neither rim is original to the bike, and the brand of wheelhubs is not specified. Rear wheel should be a Shimano 7-speed cassette type.

Even for CA $325 is a premium price for a 1991 Trek 1200. Not that the bike isn't a good rider, it's just that prices on used bikes have been softening this year. Used Trek road bikes can be had for as little as $30, that what I paid for a 1988 1000 earlier this year (needed tires, inner tubes, rim strips, brake cables, saddle, chain, and a brake lever) to $40 which is what I paid for a 1990 Trek 1100 this past weekend (needs tires, rear wheel, and chain). There are several Trek 1000s, 1200s, 1400s, 2100s, and 2200s I could buy for less than $200 right now out of the local CraigsList listings (there are some for sale for less than $100, that need a little TLC within an hour's drive of here).

The bike that you are interested in would be worth about $200 in the LA Market. A set of tires installed by your local bike shop is going to cost you a minimum of $100-$150 (for inexpensive tires).

To be worth $325 in the CA market right now, the bike would need to be: #1 the right size, have all original type parts in good working condition, and have good tires, needing nothing to be ridden.

The Flippers are asking $250-$300 for Treks with brifters, new saddles, and new tires, and waiting months to sell them.

If you were in SoCal, I'd be willing to sell you the 56cm Trek 1997 1400 that I bought earlier this summer for the same $325. It has all Shimano RSX components (including 7-speed STI brifters), with the correct Matrix wheels and a good set of Continental tires. I replaced the wheels when I got the bike (original rear was bent, and the front was a non-matching replacement), along with the handlebars (new Bontrager/Trek). I am not a Flipper. I went on a campaign to replace my road bikes and mountain bikes earlier this year when my son and daughter reclaimed their bikes out of my garage, and I always wanted more US made bikes.

Since I got the 54cm 1990 Trek 1100 ($40, needs rear wheel, tires, cassette, and chain) this past weekend, (planning on using it as a utility bike) I anticipate riding the 1100 more than the 1400 (frame size) and I can't keep everything (have four road bikes now).

For more information/specs on bike models, try visiting Bikepedia.com and for information on older Treks the (independent) Vintage-Trek Website.

Try browsing the CraigsList Ads from areas close to you. You should be able to find a decent used Trek for less the $200, if you are willing to do some cleaning and replace expendable parts like tires. If you are hard up enough to be willing to drive to the LA Area, I can point you to a Trek 1200 for $100 that's 15 minutes drive from my house (it's been for sale for over a month), or there are at least 3-4 Treks for sale on CL for $200-$300 in the LA area that are supposed to be ready to ride and you can go see them.

There's also a Trek 1100 (21 speed with a triple crank, and RX100 components) on eBay right now for $130, including shipping. Looks like it needs cleaning, saddle, and tires.

3alarmer 

...I live and ride in Sacramento, and I manage Saturdays at the Bike Kitchen here.

If we have something that is nice enough to list on CL, I'm the guy who researches price and runs the ads.
So I need to stay more or less abreast of current market values here. They are not, by and large, more than
the SF Bay area, and I'm not sure how the person who wrote that got the idea.

Generally speaking, a bike has to be pretty special here to break the $300-$350 price barrier, and exceptional
in terms of what it is and how well preserved to go for much above $500-600.

We generally attempt to set prices lower than what a bike would bring on CL, but not a whole lot lower,
because whenever we did that we were plagued with flippers, who seem to think a non-profit offering good
deals to the community equals a bunch of know nothing yahoos who are in existence to further their own
profit potential. I do not think I could sell that bike for $325 here, but if it does work well, and the tires are
not bad, and it has minimal other issues, I do think we'd probably eventually get around $250 for it.

It's not old enough to be of interest to the older steel guys, and as stated above, I have noticed prices softening
lately as well, for whatever reason. Also, once it starts to rain here, bikes get a lot harder to sell.

Getting a better deal on a bike here often depends on the ability to fix some stuff yourself.

If you cannot do this, you'll pay more, because somewhere along the line someone put some work into it that adds value.

3alarmer 

...yes. When guys like you respond to our ads i usually wish them good luck in their search for a bike, because it won't be this one.

Dave Cutter

Whether using public transport, walking, or riding a bike.... getting to work is a can't fail trip that must be made day after day. I'd hit the bicycle shops close to home (or work) and see what they have to offer.

oddjob2

Hot Tip! When the craigslist bike ad includes the term "rare", just move onto the next ad.

3alarmer 

...for some strange reason, the phrase "dialed in" shows up a lot in the ads of the guys you want to avoid, too.

0078265317

Brand new only 200.

***Brand New Light Weight Road Bike***

oddjob2

If you gave it to me, I would say no thank you.

daf1009

+10