Free Spirit Rock Creek Bicycle. Junk or decent?

Basically I'm a newbie just looking for a decent bike. Something that's
not Huffy quality. I'm not a serious rider so I'm not looking to spring
for the latest Cannondale or anything.

Someone is selling a 10 Speed FREE SPIRIT ROCK CREEK - All Terrain -
Mountain Series

They claim it's in excellent condition, has Shimano Gears, 26 inch
tires.

They want $55.

Is it worth it or is it just money down a hole?

wrote:
Basically I'm a newbie just looking for a decent bike. Something that's
not Huffy quality. I'm not a serious rider so I'm not looking to spring
for the latest Cannondale or anything.

Someone is selling a 10 Speed FREE SPIRIT ROCK CREEK - All Terrain -
Mountain Series

They claim it's in excellent condition, has Shimano Gears, 26 inch
tires.

They want $55.

Is it worth it or is it just money down a hole?

If I remember right Free Spirit was sold by Sears? That may be right or
maybe not. But anyway it's not really worth much. And for not much more
you could go to a X-Mart department store and get something brand new,
but remember you get what you pay for.

Ken
--
The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets
old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without
shocking the entire community. ~Ann Strong

"Ken C. M." wrote in message
...
wrote:
Basically I'm a newbie just looking for a decent bike. Something that's
not Huffy quality. I'm not a serious rider so I'm not looking to spring
for the latest Cannondale or anything.

Someone is selling a 10 Speed FREE SPIRIT ROCK CREEK - All Terrain -
Mountain Series

They claim it's in excellent condition, has Shimano Gears, 26 inch
tires.

They want $55. Is it worth it or is it just money down a hole?

If I remember right Free Spirit was sold by Sears? That may be right or
maybe not. But anyway it's not really worth much. And for not much more
you could go to a X-Mart department store and get something brand new, but
remember you get what you pay for.

Ken
--
The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old
and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking
the entire community. ~Ann Strong
Keep looking around. I bought a used Trek mountainbike at a yard sale for
$30. Thing was in great shape...just needed a good cleaning and minor
adjustments. That would be the perfect proget bike you were looking for. Try
Craigs list

John wrote:
"Ken C. M." wrote in message
...
wrote:
Basically I'm a newbie just looking for a decent bike. Something that's
not Huffy quality. I'm not a serious rider so I'm not looking to spring
for the latest Cannondale or anything.

Someone is selling a 10 Speed FREE SPIRIT ROCK CREEK - All Terrain -
Mountain Series

They claim it's in excellent condition, has Shimano Gears, 26 inch
tires.

They want $55. Is it worth it or is it just money down a hole?

If I remember right Free Spirit was sold by Sears? That may be right or
maybe not. But anyway it's not really worth much. And for not much more
you could go to a X-Mart department store and get something brand new, but
remember you get what you pay for.

Ken

Don't tell him that. A used damn near anything is better than a brand
new made in China from pot metal X-Mart bike. I have a 15 year old Huffy
that is nearing 10,000 miles and has only needed maintenance items, such
as a bottom bracket, newer and much better chainrings (changeable
cranks, unlike the newest China junk), and tires.
Next is my mid range Mongoose, where I finally wore out, ta-da, the
bottom bracket, same as the Huffy.
Now I am riding my Pacific Nomad, an upper low end Aluminum bike where
the only drawback to me is the stupid hand grips that have the lettering
on them that wants to imprint my hand after about 5 miles.
The look/don't look point for me is quite simple. If it has a one piece
crank that sticks you with the Chinese junk stock cranks, run, don't
walk away. Once past that minor but obvious clue you have eliminated the
bottom of the barrel junk.
--
The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old
and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking
the entire community. ~Ann Strong
Keep looking around. I bought a used Trek mountainbike at a yard sale for
$30. Thing was in great shape...just needed a good cleaning and minor
adjustments. That would be the perfect proget bike you were looking for. Try
Craigs list


YOU got lucky since the seller either just wanted to give it to a good
home or wasn't the original buyer. Some of the best stuff I have
blundered into was by a wife disposing of her husband's stuff, sometimes
just because she was ****ed off at him and he was on a business trip, or
an ex-husband.
It really is a crap shoot.
Bill Baka

bill wrote:
"Ken C. M." wrote in message
If I remember right Free Spirit was sold by Sears? That may be right or
maybe not. But anyway it's not really worth much. And for not much more
you could go to a X-Mart department store and get something brand new, but
remember you get what you pay for.

Don't tell him that. A used damn near anything is better than a brand
new made in China from pot metal X-Mart bike. I have a 15 year old Huffy
that is nearing 10,000 miles and has only needed maintenance items, such
as a bottom bracket, newer and much better chainrings (changeable
cranks, unlike the newest China junk), and tires.

Yes, but the Free Spirit bike under discussion probably isn't old
enough to be good.

At one time the top models of the Sear's Free Spirit brand were
actually very good bikes. A friend of mine had their top road bike
which came with all Campagnolo Record components and a good lugged
frame of high quality chrome-moly double-butted tubing. Certainly far
superior to the Schwinn Varsity that I had at that time.

On 18 Oct 2006 06:49:48 -0700, wrote:

Basically I'm a newbie just looking for a decent bike. Something that's
not Huffy quality. I'm not a serious rider so I'm not looking to spring
for the latest Cannondale or anything.

Someone is selling a 10 Speed FREE SPIRIT ROCK CREEK - All Terrain -
Mountain Series

They claim it's in excellent condition, has Shimano Gears, 26 inch
tires.

They want $55.

Is it worth it or is it just money down a hole?

It's worth about $15 to $20 if it's in good shape, IMO. Free Spirit
was the house brand for Sears for many years. Most of them were
Huffy-level quality. On Craigslist, however, it will very likely find
a buyer at the cited price.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

peter wrote:
bill wrote:
"Ken C. M." wrote in message
If I remember right Free Spirit was sold by Sears? That may be right or
maybe not. But anyway it's not really worth much. And for not much more
you could go to a X-Mart department store and get something brand new, but
remember you get what you pay for.

Don't tell him that. A used damn near anything is better than a brand
new made in China from pot metal X-Mart bike. I have a 15 year old Huffy
that is nearing 10,000 miles and has only needed maintenance items, such
as a bottom bracket, newer and much better chainrings (changeable
cranks, unlike the newest China junk), and tires.

Yes, but the Free Spirit bike under discussion probably isn't old
enough to be good.

At one time the top models of the Sear's Free Spirit brand were
actually very good bikes. A friend of mine had their top road bike
which came with all Campagnolo Record components and a good lugged
frame of high quality chrome-moly double-butted tubing. Certainly far
superior to the Schwinn Varsity that I had at that time.

IIRC, at one time, some of the Free Spirits were made by Puch (who sold
bikes under the Puch and Austro Daimler brands in the US).

wrote:
peter wrote:
bill wrote:
"Ken C. M." wrote in message
If I remember right Free Spirit was sold by Sears? That may be right or
maybe not. But anyway it's not really worth much. And for not much more
you could go to a X-Mart department store and get something brand new, but
remember you get what you pay for.
Don't tell him that. A used damn near anything is better than a brand
new made in China from pot metal X-Mart bike. I have a 15 year old Huffy
that is nearing 10,000 miles and has only needed maintenance items, such
as a bottom bracket, newer and much better chainrings (changeable
cranks, unlike the newest China junk), and tires.
Yes, but the Free Spirit bike under discussion probably isn't old
enough to be good.

At one time the top models of the Sear's Free Spirit brand were
actually very good bikes. A friend of mine had their top road bike
which came with all Campagnolo Record components and a good lugged
frame of high quality chrome-moly double-butted tubing. Certainly far
superior to the Schwinn Varsity that I had at that time.

IIRC, at one time, some of the Free Spirits were made by Puch (who sold
bikes under the Puch and Austro Daimler brands in the US).

Maybe semi-decent. I had a 50cc motorcycle made by Puch back in the '60s
and it did run but the Honda 50's were better. Sears sold those too.
Bill Baka

peter wrote:
bill wrote:
"Ken C. M." wrote in message
If I remember right Free Spirit was sold by Sears? That may be right or
maybe not. But anyway it's not really worth much. And for not much more
you could go to a X-Mart department store and get something brand new, but
remember you get what you pay for.

Don't tell him that. A used damn near anything is better than a brand
new made in China from pot metal X-Mart bike. I have a 15 year old Huffy
that is nearing 10,000 miles and has only needed maintenance items, such
as a bottom bracket, newer and much better chainrings (changeable
cranks, unlike the newest China junk), and tires.

Yes, but the Free Spirit bike under discussion probably isn't old
enough to be good.

At one time the top models of the Sear's Free Spirit brand were
actually very good bikes. A friend of mine had their top road bike
which came with all Campagnolo Record components and a good lugged
frame of high quality chrome-moly double-butted tubing. Certainly far
superior to the Schwinn Varsity that I had at that time.

Weren't those made in Europe way back in the 70's or so?
Bill Baka

bill wrote:
wrote:
peter wrote:
bill wrote:
"Ken C. M." wrote in message
If I remember right Free Spirit was sold by Sears? That may be right or
maybe not. But anyway it's not really worth much. And for not much more
you could go to a X-Mart department store and get something brand new, but
remember you get what you pay for.
Don't tell him that. A used damn near anything is better than a brand
new made in China from pot metal X-Mart bike. I have a 15 year old Huffy
that is nearing 10,000 miles and has only needed maintenance items, such
as a bottom bracket, newer and much better chainrings (changeable
cranks, unlike the newest China junk), and tires.
Yes, but the Free Spirit bike under discussion probably isn't old
enough to be good.

At one time the top models of the Sear's Free Spirit brand were
actually very good bikes. A friend of mine had their top road bike
which came with all Campagnolo Record components and a good lugged
frame of high quality chrome-moly double-butted tubing. Certainly far
superior to the Schwinn Varsity that I had at that time.

IIRC, at one time, some of the Free Spirits were made by Puch (who sold
bikes under the Puch and Austro Daimler brands in the US).

Maybe semi-decent.

The Puch/Austro-Daimler bikes sold in the US ran from decent to quite
good. If Sears sold a Puch made Free Spirit bike equipped with Campy
Record, I would think it would be, at the very least, a pretty good
bike.

I had a 50cc motorcycle made by Puch back in the '60s
and it did run but the Honda 50's were better. Sears sold those too.

IIRC, Sears sold Puch made motorcycles under the Allstate brand name.

Remember the old advertising line "Sears has Everything!"?