XxHaimBondxX

Asking $50. Does it worth $250 all cleaned up and without major components replacement?

CliffordK

See Listing:
That bike has had some abuse. It certainly is worth the $50 asking price.

There is a lot of mud and grease around the headtube which should clean up reasonably easily, but it is impossible to tell the condition of the paint without actually seeing the bike and trying to clean it.

The rusty rear brake cable (under top tube) is a bad sign. But that is some of the worst rust that I can see in the photos.

For personal use, I'd probably:
Whether or not anything more expensive would come up really depends. You'll be able to evaluate the shifters when you look at the bike. The cassette would be a tossup, and depends on the condition of the chain and the cassette.

If you're lucky, you'll keep repair parts less than $100... and keep well under your $250 budget.

If you're planning to flip. Then condition may be more important. And, keep an eye on your budget when replacing stuff. Nonetheless, making it 100% ready to ride goes a long way.

wrk101

Define "major". My basic rule is "if what I can see shows obvious neglect, then what I can't see will be worse." Projects to make a profit depend on your ability to do all the work, your resourcefulness buying consumables, and a bit of luck. If you want a bike shop to do the work, forget it.

People who don't even wash their bike are unlikely to lube the chain, and so on. Cables are rusty/crusty which is another bad sign.

$50, yes its a buy for sure. But that bike is ROUGH.

I've willingly bought really horrible bikes at that price level, much worse than this one, but typically just one or two parts might yield a 3X return.

Bottom bracket on the gem I bought a couple of days ago...... I kept the RD and the crankset; pedals, handlebars, FD, shifters, brake levers and calipers go to the co-op, the rest went into the recycle bin.

The one above is so much nicer!!!

XxHaimBondxX

Bike was sold that same day.

Mr. 66

That does not look abused to me, just dirty. $50 was an excellent price. Worth $250 cleaned up, easily. At this time many of the bearings were sealed systems the dirt really shouldn't have effected those. The dirt could wear the drive train some. I don't see rust or corrosion dents or dings. The frame/fork itself is about $70

CliffordK

For used sales, one has to be able to quickly evaluate a bike.

Especially for the cheap gems in the rough.

By the time you post a query on the internet, then wait for a response, the good deals are already long gone.

This bike is a little more modern. Perhaps from around year 2000. But, the evaluation of gems vs junk is especially important in the vintage market from the 1960's, 1970's, and 1980's.

The frame material (531, 853, SL, SLX, Columbus, Vitus, High Tensile Steel, etc) can tell you a lot about the target sales of the bike. And, of course, carbon fiber, or even carbon fiber accessories like the fork, or rear stays.

There are a lot of vintage brand names, but a few like Lemond will stand out.

It wouldn't hurt to just browse this subforum to try to guess bike values and features.

XxHaimBondxX

Yes, I was hesitating since I wasn't sure if I wanted to get into another big project, while I was negotiating his asking price. Definitely should have taken it as is and save it for rainy days.

Warren128

A Reynolds 853 frame by itself is worth more a lot more than $50. Even if all the parts were not usable, it would have been worth it to me to see how the frame looked under all that dirt. Those Lemond 853 frames are great riding and handling frames. oh well, there will always be another.

CliffordK

If the asking price is $50 which seems like a good deal, then what kind of negotiating the asking price is there?

If I was a seller, and one buyer was trying to dicker about a $50 asking price, and the next buyer was ready to come cash in hand, which one would get the bike?

XxHaimBondxX

you win some, you lose some. Sometimes, I negotiate items down to $0, it's a marketplace after all, makes it that much more fun.