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Can you resist a bargain?

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Can you resist a bargain?

Old 07-25-21, 03:08 PM
  #51  
Germany_chris
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Some folks like to collect and many here do, but it’s not me.
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Old 07-26-21, 11:13 AM
  #52  
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this is still a good time to sell, btw

just put on craigslist about 50% over what you would take

you might get it
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Old 07-26-21, 11:23 AM
  #53  
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Too many bikes???

Originally Posted by RH Clark
I have some kind of disease or sickness. At best it's a strong addiction. I've been into cycling a scant 3 years and I own 12 bikes. I just bought 2 more last week that were super bargains with 9 speed Deore group sets at $100 each. I am currently trying to buy one that just showed up locally for $150. It's a Reynolds 853 Lemond. The thing is that I don't need it. I already have an 853 Lemond in better shape but man, it's only $150. Do I need psychiatric help? I do ride all my bikes fairly often with the exception of 2 that I stripped for parts.
First of all, if anyone tells you that you have too many bikes, get rid of them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life. I was talking with a guy recently who owns 800+ bikes. He asked me how many I have and I replied, "Too many...currently about 15". He responded, "It's guys like me that make guys like you look normal". I like his way of thinking.
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Old 07-26-21, 11:29 AM
  #54  
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My, my, all these Peugeots😋.
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Old 07-26-21, 11:31 AM
  #55  
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Yes, yes, and danm it, yes...I have been riding for a looong time, and have accumulated around 12 bikes too, but it got to a point in which they were just wasting away, so I started getting rid of the ones I had less of a sentimental attachment to (or just kept the frame and sold the parts) or the ones I rode less - the thing with "bargains" is that sometimes you end up buying something you don't really need and have to make it fit somehow (I once ended up building a whole bike just because I found a dirt cheap carbon crankset on eBay), so now what I try to do is stick to the one-in-one-out rule: if I am going to buy something (be it a bargain or not) something has to come out of the garage: that helps limit the number of crap I buy and ensure it will be a fit with the bikes I own.
Also nowadays I try to stick to "quality rather than quantity" - I'd rather spend X on a wheelset than the same X (or more) on two bargain wheelsets (because I'll always say one for training, one for racing...)
In any case, what with the parts shortage, it is becoming harder to find bargains, and what with eBay being crappier everyday, it is also harder to move surplus parts.

Btw, do people buy/sell in these forums?
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Old 07-26-21, 11:42 AM
  #56  
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Meh, could be worse. You could have a boat problem or a horse problem or….
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Old 07-26-21, 11:51 AM
  #57  
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Originally Posted by RH Clark
I have some kind of disease or sickness. At best it's a strong addiction. I've been into cycling a scant 3 years and I own 12 bikes. I just bought 2 more last week that were super bargains with 9 speed Deore group sets at $100 each. I am currently trying to buy one that just showed up locally for $150. It's a Reynolds 853 Lemond. The thing is that I don't need it. I already have an 853 Lemond in better shape but man, it's only $150. Do I need psychiatric help? I do ride all my bikes fairly often with the exception of 2 that I stripped for parts.
Sort of like tattoos, one is never enough.
If you ride all the bikes you own that’s cool because it means you a cyclist. If they lay around and collect dust and get in the way and you never pay much attention to them then your not a cyclist. Your a hoarder.
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Old 07-26-21, 12:44 PM
  #58  
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Originally Posted by AlanO
Meh, could be worse. You could have a boat problem or a horse problem or….
Horses..

My wife and daughter both ride dressage I think the only thing that would compete in cost is flying. While I like our horses and love going to competitions I’m very glad when they go to summer training and leave our barn.
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Old 07-26-21, 12:52 PM
  #59  
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How to know?

I’ve been riding a long time but never got too much into the collect fixer uppers mode. But I’m starting to get an itch. Came across a $25 Trek 1000 last weekend and passed because it was way too small for me. I’m not going to buy anything I don’t ride. I am quite sure that Trek was a bargain but I’m not familiar with all brands/models. Is there a good source of prices for a wide range of bikes? How do I know I’m getting a bargain? How do I know it’s collectible?
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Old 07-26-21, 01:09 PM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by 70ssano
it happened one day when i needed a replacement rear derailleur. When i went on ebay, i discovered it wasn’t that easy to find that derailleur in the condition i wanted.

Today i probably have 8-10 of that same rear derailleur. If i see another excellent one at a good price, it’s just one more.

For me it is not about bargain bikes, it’s about bargain parts.
John
+1
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Old 07-26-21, 01:38 PM
  #61  
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As you see it's a common problem particularly if you had a yen that couldn't get scratched when you were younger. Now a $100 Klein or Cannondale st or a $25 Peugeot with aluminum wheels is just too much to resist. I fix and sell the ones that don't fit me and that helps with the financial side so the cost isn't an issue. Of course if your wife moves out because she can no longer get to the bedroom, that can be a problem. Parking the cars outside because there's no room in the garage is an early indicator that your headed for trouble. I'm at nine so I'm obviously a piker compared to most. Renting a storage shed can be a temporary fix but beware of the feeling that now your free to get more bikes. I find it hard to resist a great bargain and occasionally manage to go weeks without checking CL, "just for the fun of it," but if you spend time returning them to the wild or riding them then what's the harm?
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Old 07-26-21, 02:09 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by samr1953
I’ve been riding a long time but never got too much into the collect fixer uppers mode. But I’m starting to get an itch. Came across a $25 Trek 1000 last weekend and passed because it was way too small for me. I’m not going to buy anything I don’t ride. I am quite sure that Trek was a bargain but I’m not familiar with all brands/models. Is there a good source of prices for a wide range of bikes? How do I know I’m getting a bargain? How do I know it’s collectible?
Yeah that's the important part although most any $25 bike is generally worth it. Checking on this site will give you a pretty good idea but the crazy good bargains generally require quick action. I'm more inclined to get vintage bikes from the 70's or 80s and Japanese, European or American bikes with aluminum wheels and cromoly frames pique my interest. If they have newish tires and are less than $100 bucks I'm very interested knowing I can turn a profit with ease and do some one a good turn as well as send a week rebuilding it. Watch out for siezed seat posts or stems, bent or broken wheels and bent frames or forks. After that you can't go wrong. You may find a great deal with a siezed or broken part that takes away all the fun and profit out of it. Some of the least profitable bikes are the ones I got for free.
Just found a well cared for Moto Gran Jubilee for $95 at a garage sale in my size. I didn't even bargain. It's going to be part of my "keepers." The fun of rebuilding and riding it far out way the $95.
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Old 07-26-21, 03:42 PM
  #63  
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Originally Posted by msr_78
Btw, do people buy/sell in these forums?
Look in the stickies at the top of the thread listing and you'll see the Classic and Vintage Sales. That's where you can buy and sell by forum rules. You must be a member ($12/year well spent) in order to post ads there. Good luck!
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Old 07-28-21, 11:52 AM
  #64  
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Originally Posted by thumpism
Look in the stickies at the top of the thread listing and you'll see the Classic and Vintage Sales. That's where you can buy and sell by forum rules. You must be a member ($12/year well spent) in order to post ads there. Good luck!
Awesome, many thanks!
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Old 07-28-21, 12:22 PM
  #65  
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I just spent $100 for a bike just to get the Sachs ergo shifters, and don’t have room for the extra bike… no way I could resist a real bargain.
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Old 07-28-21, 02:15 PM
  #66  
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Originally Posted by RustyJames
2 days ago I grabbed 2 bikes just because they were interesting AND they were free!

Anyone want matching his/hers Sears and Roebuck’s 3 speeds made in Austria? Anyone!!??
if they were the right size. . I love the version of an aw hub those have.
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Old 07-28-21, 03:30 PM
  #67  
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Originally Posted by 52telecaster
if they were the right size. . I love the version of an aw hub those have.
What makes the hub so nifty? I know zero about these bikes.

A fellow BF’er will be getting the gents bike. I may clean up the ladies bike an ride it around for awhile. I’m secure enough in my manhood…
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Old 07-28-21, 11:33 PM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by ollo_ollo
I suspect they are the free pair I took in during my great, post retirement sell-off of 2007! Just pass them on, they're used to brief ownership... Don
Originally Posted by RustyJames
They indeed could be! They were near Hood River. I’ll service them and find them a happy new home.
Originally Posted by 3speedslow
Pics or it didn’t happen! Those are nice bikes, Sears and Austria.
Nope, mine had nicer saddles! Don

Sears 3 Speeds

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Old 07-29-21, 10:22 AM
  #69  
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Originally Posted by ollo_ollo
Nope, mine had nicer saddles! Don

Sears 3 Speeds

The Troxel saddle on my bike may get a chain attached to it and given to a co-worker that has a ski boat. ⚓️
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Old 07-29-21, 02:05 PM
  #70  
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Originally Posted by RustyJames
What makes the hub so nifty? I know zero about these bikes.

A fellow BF’er will be getting the gents bike. I may clean up the ladies bike an ride it around for awhile. I’m secure enough in my manhood…
I ride a mixte now and again...
The hub is really just an aw clone but I like how they dress it up to make it look different with the ridges. The one I had worked perfectly.
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Old 07-30-21, 04:43 AM
  #71  
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Originally Posted by 70sSanO
For me it is not about bargain bikes, it’s about bargain parts. I cannot possibly live long enough to wear out my stash of backups.

John
That is known as SABLE: stash acquisition beyond life expectancy.
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Old 07-30-21, 05:50 AM
  #72  
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Can I resist a bargain? Yes.

My over-acquisition problem is from wanting to try everything out.
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"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
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Old 07-30-21, 07:07 AM
  #73  
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I hit "Peak SABLE" a while back and was trying not to find any more "bargains".

So far this year:

Clean Bridgestone 450 $110

Lightly beat Fuji America $100

Another hard ridden Fuji America,
too big and came with panniers and gear. $125

Basket case Fuji Finest. A fool is separated from $150

Schwinn Voyageur 11.8
Cosmetically "restored" New tires, but mechanically basket case. $75

Small Raleigh Record Mixtie and a Super Grand Prix $52

Yet another Schwinn Voyageur 11.8
Cosmetically challenged, mechanically good with new wheelset and tires $50

Hindsight says I should have saved up the shekel's, as I'm still dealing with 2020 fall out and have had very little shop time.

As far as the actual 'bargains" I am infatuated with the Super Grand Prix. Its a one owner bike that was ridden till the the gentleman was physically unable. It has some rust speck over the the whole frame and the chrome is rusted where it was sand blasted by road grit. The paint has been polished through to the primer over the years, so it has the most glorious patina I've seen. At some point the owner recommissioned the bike and replaced a half dozen spokes. (The remaining ones are rusted to 1/2 their original diameter), replaced the brake cables and put a new set of Pasela's on it. I hope he had a proper victory lap. I did find time to break the bike down and its upside down soaking the stuck but not no longer frozen stem in PB Blaster. I'm thinking this is going to be the first bike I do an Oxylic acid soak to. I'm not sure whether it will be a save the cable housing restoration yet, but this bike defiantly deserves to keep going.

Last edited by bark_eater; 07-30-21 at 07:29 AM.
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Old 07-30-21, 07:16 AM
  #74  
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Old 07-30-21, 02:33 PM
  #75  
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There used to be a fellow 7 kilometers outside of town that sold used bicycles for $40.00 Canadian. I bought quite a few of them for the 7-speed Deore or similar grade components including the triple cranksets and wheels. I figured that it'd be hard to buy a used triple crankset here for $40.00 and now I have a lot of extra parts that'll keep me going for the rest of my life. It's extremely hard to turn down a fantastic bargain.

I just wish there was a way to sell a couple of decent full rigid cro-moly MTB frames nearby since shipping here in Canada is quite expensive.

Cheers

Last edited by Miele Man; 07-31-21 at 01:43 PM. Reason: Changed $0.00 to the correct $40.00
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