Any thoughts on this EBay bike

I'm about to buy one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

foots wrote:
I'm about to buy one.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

Why?

It seems to have good componets, light weight frame. I was looking for
aluminum bikes, but to get the Deore deraillers and disk brakes, I
would be spending almost as much. I figure might as well make the
investment and go for the carbon fiber frame. Of course I do value the
feedback from more experienced riders, so I asked this simple
question.

On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 17:09:04 GMT, "Bill Sornson"
wrote:

foots wrote:
I'm about to buy one.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

Why?

foots wrote:

It seems to have good componets, light weight frame. I was looking for
aluminum bikes, but to get the Deore deraillers and disk brakes, I
would be spending almost as much. I figure might as well make the
investment and go for the carbon fiber frame. Of course I do value the
feedback from more experienced riders, so I asked this simple
question.

I don't have a great feel for the MTB market these days, but it seems like a
good price, even if you only consider it a Deore/Hayes "build kit." I'm sure
the frame is OK, as long as it fits and is a good match for the fork,
geometry-wise (often a problem). I like that the wheels are 36 spoke, with rims
of a reputable brand. Stress-relieve and retension them, and they should be
good to go for quite awhile.

The fork looks suspect to me. To me, a hardtail MTB is all about how good a
fork you get for the money -- not just performance but long term serviceability
and reliability. Will parts be available next year? As far as the rest of the
gear goes, even the cheap stuff works great these days. I'd sooner ride an
Alivio bike with a great fork than an XT one with an average fork. Figure out
which fork is best for you, and see what's out there with one of those on it.
You might be surprised. Esepcially this time of year, I see great bikes for
$800, which may be less than what this costs you once you upgrade it to your
liking.

Matt O.


On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 17:09:04 GMT, "Bill Sornson"
wrote:

foots wrote:
I'm about to buy one.



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

Why?

foots wrote:
It seems to have good componets, light weight frame.

I couldn't find any information in the listing about the weight of the
frame. Don't assume it's light just because it's made of CFRP. There
are plenty of disgustingly heavy bikes around that are made from
"light" materials.

The forks on that bike are reminiscent of forks I bought for a recent
project, which were labeled "SR Suntour XCR-75 Magnesium". They were
sturdy and nicely finished, and they seemed durable. On the other
hand, they were heavy, crude (with no damping mechanism I could
identify), and adjustable only for spring preload.

It seems like a pretty nice bike for the money, and the seller's
feedback seems pretty good. But I would ask a few questions before
bidding.

Chalo Colina

I'm about to buy one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

"The guys at the pro shop can't believe the great deal I got!~AAA+++
Unbelievable! Bike really is worth over $3000! I Highly recommend. Thanks"

If that "wonderful feedback from our customers" doesn't set off some alarms,
nothing will. You're looking at a bike with very cheap parts (not saying
bad, just cheap), many of which are found on $400 mountain bikes at your
LBS. Deore derailluers, mind you. Not XT, not even LX. Plain old ordinary
Deore (verified in the photo of the rear derailleur). The fork? Anybody's
guess, as Suntour is known only for forks found on bikes under $300 in the
US.

Please consider the various red flags, and what these folk are appealing to.
They could have been honest about its value, but aren't. Time and time again
I see people suckered into believing that a bike is worth 2, 3, 4, or in
this case, FIVE times its selling price. It goes against all logic that this
could possibly be the case, and the evidence shows that it isn't. And if
they're that dishonest about what it might be worth, who knows what else
might be amiss?

Seriously, it might be an OK deal, but it's not even close to the deal
they're claiming it is. We have customers bringing in bikes like these from
time to time, killer deals they think they could have gotten only on eBay,
and have somehow outsmarted the system.

Looking at another of their past auctions-

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=7113664 914

we have a claim of "2005 Pro Shop Retail Price List for this Bike is $950."
Such a deal when the buy-it-now price is only $350, plus $45 shipping.
Except that similar dual-suspension bikes in a shop with Alivio components
and an RST forks with cheap disc brakes would sell for maybe $450 at a shop.

There are some legit good deals on eBay, particularly with used bikes if you
know what to look for and how to make sure it's the right size. But when a
seller makes such outrageous claims, it ought to tell you that something
might be too good to be true.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 06:32:49 GMT, Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

If that "wonderful feedback from our customers" doesn't set off some alarms,
nothing will. You're looking at a bike with very cheap parts (not saying
bad, just cheap), many of which are found on $400 mountain bikes at your
LBS.

I don't know much about mountain bikes, but I wouldn't have thought
low frame weight was much of a selling point, especially at the expense
of component quality and the peace of mind that the weldability of steel
seems to bring their devotees.

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

If you bought it, fine. If not, why is a non-bike mechanic buying mail
order? I bought mail order and I may again, but specific bikes not
available locally. I have the park tool set and a Performance brand tool
set. I have bike racks, spare tires, co2 cartridges, 2 pumps and 2
Niterider Blowtorches.

My last bike store purchase was another from Jax Huntington Beach. Trek 520
April 2003, about $750 as I recall. It was not a steel, but price them for
yourself. It was a good price. I did it with a nice Cannondale. You can
find a deal on a giant.

Find a local bike shop

"foots" wrote in message
news
I'm about to buy one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

FWIW, there are weight-weenies on both sides of the road/MTB fence. In the
MTB world, there is a big trade-off between bike use and weight. The harder
you ride (or the more nasty the terrain), the beefier and presumably heavier
the bike is you might need. This is a huge simplification, of course, but
you get the picture.

And as with any bike, there are certain levels of quality that will allow
for extreme durability at lower weight. You just pay more, way more. Steel
is wonderful, but the comfort of it can be accomplished in a MTB frame with
a shock on the real triangle, which many riders desire for rough terrain
anyways.

So for a lot of MTB riders, low frame (and component) weight is of concern,
assuming the durability of the item isn't in question. There are a lot of
downhill specialists that ride 45+ lb beasts with 7+" of travel down
rockslides, but few of them try to ride them back up. Since I do a lot of
hilly terrain and could be a lot fitter, I really appreciate a bike that
comes in at a respectable weight.

Cheers
Gary

"Michael Warner" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 06:32:49 GMT, Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:

I don't know much about mountain bikes, but I wouldn't have thought
low frame weight was much of a selling point, especially at the expense
of component quality and the peace of mind that the weldability of steel
seems to bring their devotees.