runsusie
07-03-2009, 09:44 PM
Hello ladies!
I want to see if I can get some feedback- positive OR negative, about a bike I'm looking at purchasing on Craig's List. To give some background, I've been cycling (road) for about 4 years and have just recently been getting more serious about my riding. I'm also a runner and have competed in several duathlons, and if I can get over my fear of water, there may be some triathlons in my future...we shall see :) I've been riding a hand-me-down aluminum Trek 1100 as a gets-the-job-done bike, but it's definitely time for an upgrade from my down-tube shifters and clunky components in general. I'm also wanting a different bike because I have lower back pain due to riding a bike that was fit to another person that I've tried to adapt to, but you can only take these things so far before it's just time for a bike that fits! SO, I've been debating whether I want to stick with aluminum and just go with higher-level components, or splurge on the frame (carbon) and not worry so much about the componentry. The latter option is what I'm leaning towards right now. I happened to find a bike on Craig's List that I went and looked at today- it's a 2006 Orbea Onix, medium frame, full carbon with everything Campy Chorus except the crankset, which is an FSA compact double. I went into it fully expecting the bike to be too big for me, because I have been fitted in the past to an Orbea Onix Dama (women's version) in a size smaller. But the fit felt fine on the test ride, which is really all I have to go off of until I can get someone to really take a look at me on the bike and measure to see whether it's truly a good fit. There was some saddle discomfort, but I would think that a different saddle could possibly be the solution there. The seller is asking $1700 OBO. There's really nothing wrong with the bike except a couple of minor cosmetic issues with the finish. The bike didn't originally come with the Campagnolo Chorus components- the owner said he switched them out at some point.
To wrap up, I'm basically looking for advice in terms of what to look for, what could be a red flag, any suggestions or feedback as far as the components are concerned, etc. What do you all think of buying used as a first real bike purchase? Should I be concerned about not getting any sort of warranty or anything? Does anyone have feedback on the price- does it seem fair? Any help would be greatly appreciated- as I said, I'm fairly new to cycling and, although I know I need a bike upgrade, I feel pretty overwhelmed with the sheer quantity of options out there (new/used, frame, components, manufacturer....) and am just looking to see what other people have to say. Thanks very much!
I want to see if I can get some feedback- positive OR negative, about a bike I'm looking at purchasing on Craig's List. To give some background, I've been cycling (road) for about 4 years and have just recently been getting more serious about my riding. I'm also a runner and have competed in several duathlons, and if I can get over my fear of water, there may be some triathlons in my future...we shall see :) I've been riding a hand-me-down aluminum Trek 1100 as a gets-the-job-done bike, but it's definitely time for an upgrade from my down-tube shifters and clunky components in general. I'm also wanting a different bike because I have lower back pain due to riding a bike that was fit to another person that I've tried to adapt to, but you can only take these things so far before it's just time for a bike that fits! SO, I've been debating whether I want to stick with aluminum and just go with higher-level components, or splurge on the frame (carbon) and not worry so much about the componentry. The latter option is what I'm leaning towards right now. I happened to find a bike on Craig's List that I went and looked at today- it's a 2006 Orbea Onix, medium frame, full carbon with everything Campy Chorus except the crankset, which is an FSA compact double. I went into it fully expecting the bike to be too big for me, because I have been fitted in the past to an Orbea Onix Dama (women's version) in a size smaller. But the fit felt fine on the test ride, which is really all I have to go off of until I can get someone to really take a look at me on the bike and measure to see whether it's truly a good fit. There was some saddle discomfort, but I would think that a different saddle could possibly be the solution there. The seller is asking $1700 OBO. There's really nothing wrong with the bike except a couple of minor cosmetic issues with the finish. The bike didn't originally come with the Campagnolo Chorus components- the owner said he switched them out at some point.
To wrap up, I'm basically looking for advice in terms of what to look for, what could be a red flag, any suggestions or feedback as far as the components are concerned, etc. What do you all think of buying used as a first real bike purchase? Should I be concerned about not getting any sort of warranty or anything? Does anyone have feedback on the price- does it seem fair? Any help would be greatly appreciated- as I said, I'm fairly new to cycling and, although I know I need a bike upgrade, I feel pretty overwhelmed with the sheer quantity of options out there (new/used, frame, components, manufacturer....) and am just looking to see what other people have to say. Thanks very much!