Whats the deal with these ebay bikes?

chew1niner

I was wondering what you guys thought about this bike...and if it would be a good bike to start out with?

http://cgi.ebay.com/2006-NEW-ALUMIN...1QQcmdZViewItem

Is it a good deal or should i pass?

thanks for your time

maburkhalter

Do a search under chicabike. I'm thinking about getting a Dawes but one level down. Should be a good bike at a good price.

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Mason Red

atlatto

Dude
do a search for fetish cycles on ebay. I picke up one of those and it is nice!

spicey

Yes, indeed. The guys at fetish cycles are friendly and helpful. I couldn't afford the retail price of $199.00 but I found a Fetish Cycles SIN 20" bmx frame for $99.00 on ebay. Reminds me slightly of the Haro T Bone, which I'd love to find one of those frames!

rkokish

When something seems too good to be true it usually is. First off, I don't care for aluminum frames. They give a stiff ride, which can sometimes but not always be off-set by high quality (often carbon) forks, stays, etc. SUre they are light, but unless you plan to race at a very high level a couple of pounds matters little. The bike has "Shimano components," which means very little because Shimano makes everything from stae-of-the-art to junk for department store bikes. When buying a bike it's best to consider seach part separately and how they will work togther to serve your particular preferences and physical proportions and abilities.

I've bought bike computers, pedals, clothing, tires, a heart rate monitor and many other things on Ebay and have had generally good experiences but I would definitiely avoid buying a complete bike that way, no matter how good the price. Even if you know the frame you want and the size you need, you should consider the pedals, wheels, tires, derailleurs, crankset, bottom bracket, brakes, brake pads, shifters, stem, handle bar style, width and covering . . . . the list is VERY long and each componenetl matters. Buy a bargain bike online and you may well end up not liking how it handles, not liking the ride, experiencing back/hand/neck/leg/foot pains from incorect sizing/positioning of some components, and/or finding out that the bargain price was acheived by putting cheap components on a decent frame.

For a complete bike, there's nothing like the pre-purchase advice and fitting and post-purchase service you get from a reputable local shop. In my opinion, if you can't afford bike shop prices you can't afford to risk a lesser but still significant amount of money on an Ebay bargain. You're better off waiting till you can afford bike shop prices. That's not to say you're sure to be sorry if you buy on-line, but the odds are definitely stacked in that direction, personal stories to the contrary not withstanding.