Is $405 a good price for an '07 Dolce Sport?

[channlluv]

It looks to be in pretty good condition. The woman who is selling it just upgraded to a tri-specific bike, according to her ad. Is that a good price for a Specialized Dolce Sport?

It's for my 12-year-old daughter who is begging for a bike so she can come riding with me and her dad and keep up with us, but her dad doesn't want to invest a lot of money in something she won't use. (We have a lot of barely-used stuff that she had to have at some point, including a really nice mandolin that has been out of the box about twice since Christmas.)

Thanks, all,
Roxy

[Tri Girl]

according to Bikepedia, it originally sold for $770.
http://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=2007&Brand=Specialized&Model=Dolce&Type=bike

I wonder if she'd budge any on the price?

[azfiddle]

Off topic-- but what kind of mandolin?

[tangentgirl]

Can she play the mandolin on the bike?

Looking at the components on the link from Tri Girl, mostly a Sora/Tiagra setup, I'd think closer to $300 would be fair.

[OakLeaf]

Is this the "Dolce Vita Multi Sport" (105 components, with clip-on aero bars, probably a decent price) or the "Dolce" (no other designation, Sora components, I wouldn't give that much for it)?

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?arc=2007&spid=21994

[channlluv]

It's this one: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/bik/2188804926.html

And this is the mandolin: http://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Mandolin-Oval-Soundhole-Sunburst/dp/B0016H8TFE/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1296505791&sr=1-4

I should explain that she's very musical: guitar, piano, ukelele, and now mandolin. She gets it from both sides. Both grandfathers and her dad were all professional musicians. (Grandpa Rudy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrrnkmdGaVY)

Her dad is seriously into cycling and just joined the local bike club and rode in his first ever group ride on Saturday, and his first crit yesterday. I ride, as you know, but not as seriously. Our daughter really wants a bike that can keep up with me, at least, if not her father.

She had a Trek mountain bike, but she always kept it in the hardest gear and complained after a few miles that her legs hurt and that we went too fast for her to keep up. But would she change her gear? No, because it felt like she wasn't going fast enough. She liked the power of the lower gear. Oy. So her dad got really frustrated and I got really frustrated because her complaining sucked all the joy out of it for me, because I was usually the one to hang back with her (although not always -- he often took a turn riding with her so I could go get my workout in), but it wasn't a family ride then.

She outgrew the Trek bike, and we gave it to some friends for their little girls, and now she wants another bike. Well, that one was only about $400. Anything she gets to keep up with me or her dad, who both ride carbon road bikes, is going to be pricey, and he doesn't want to spend the money unless she really makes the commitment to ride seriously.

Understandable. But meanwhile, I don't get to go riding nearly as often as I could because she can't go with me.

I guess I could put her on my Ruby Comp and I could ride my old mountain bike. It weighs 37 lbs. Could be a good workout for my legs. I lost 20lbs riding that bike. I haven't lost any riding the Ruby. Hmmmm. Connection?

I haven't heard back from the Dolce's owner yet. I like the idea of offering $300 and going up to maybe $350. It's a 48cm and my Ruby is 51cm. My daughter is only a couple of inches shorter than I and likely to grow in the next couple of years (her dad is one foot taller than I am), so I don't want to spend a lot of money, either, on something she might not fit next year.

Roxy

[channlluv]

Wait, I did just get an email from her. I can go see the bike tonight.

Roxy

[OakLeaf]

I doubt your daughter would be happy with that negative setback seatpost. Ask her to sell you the bike with the original seatpost (or if she doesn't have it, then without any - you can get an inexpensive seatpost to replace it). If your bike takes a 31.8 mm seatpost, maybe bring your own seatpost and saddle along for your daughter to test ride.

[channlluv]

Thanks, Oak. What is objectionable about the seatpost, though? Are they not comfortable in some way?

If she took that off, that would drop the price to $300. I know DH has some spare seatposts around, but I don't know what size they are.

Roxy

[Pedal Wench]

Is that seatpost in backwards?

[OakLeaf]

It's a far-forward triathlon-specific seating position. Supposedly it spares certain muscles so you're fresher for running.

Most road riders use "knee over pedal spindle" as a starting point for saddle fore/aft placement (that is, with your pedals on the same horizontal plane - parallel to the ground - the forward knee should be roughly over the spindle of that pedal). That's only a starting point, but it's very different from the tri position that that seatpost gives you.

[Laguna]

That is one funky looking seat post. It is designed "to change a 73 degree seat tube into a 78 degree seat tube". Clearly for someone who does triathlons and wants a more forward position that is generally used with areo bars. This seat post would not be comfortable for normal riding and would most probably put your knees waaay in front of the pedal axle.

IMO, $300-350 would be reasonable and ask for the old seat post and maybe the original saddle as well.

Also, your daughter's reluctance to shift sounds like confusion, fear of shifting or not wanting to be told by her parents how to ride. Perhaps you should have a heart to heart with her and offer to take her to a big parking lot where just the two of you can practice. My wife wouldn't shift for almost two years just because it was confusing to her and frankly, the tone of my voice didn't help matters.

Good luck!

[channlluv]

Oh. Thanks for that explanation. I agree with your original assessment in that case. She's brand new to road bikes, my daughter, and will have a tough enough time with the lower handlebars. She's pretty athletic, though, and flexible. She earned her black belt earlier this month. I think she can tackle drop handlebars.

Roxy

[OakLeaf]

Of course, you could take the seatpost and put it on your bike when you do tris. :D

[channlluv]

Now, see, there is that....

Alas, I had her dad look at it too and he said it wasn't worth what she's asking for it, for many of the same reasons you've mentioned above.

Oh well. I think I'll try her out on my Ruby Comp and I'll take the mountain bike for a bit. Of course, that's like putting a 16-year-old into the driver's seat of a Mustang. And if she wrecks my carbon bike...

...she won't have done anything I haven't done a few times already too. Ha!

Oy.

Roxy

[tangentgirl]

You could just let her drive the car. :)

Do keep looking at the Craigslist. I think a used road bike is a great idea! Although, if she starts out on your Ruby, she might get spoiled and not want anything else.