Craigs List Shopping for Bikes
I was on Craig's list this morning - he has a nice list. I see why Bill's list didn't make it.
I'm looking at bikes because mine and Nathan's got "lifted" last night - which didn't surprise me, but I'll write about that later. For now, let's just hope the "lifters" die while riding into the path of a train.
I'm not really up on Craig's list. The first time we used it was to get a cat - which really turned out fantastic. I figure if the cat worked, maybe it would be good for a bike. Nathan's already not interested - he wants a new bike, and admittedly, I would have used to have wanted a new bike, but considering that I've only ridden the one I have - oh, five times in the last 20 years, it's not a pressing requirement that it be brand new. Plus, I don't trust new bikes. Jamie's bike was stolen a few years ago and we bought a brand new [cough, cheaper] one and it sucked and still sucks hanging up in the garage.
What I've noticed is that there are a lot of bikes on CL. I like to shop and take my time, so this will be enjoyable in multiple ways. I've already started laughing. This picture was funny because - is it possible they could get any farther away? What, do they have a zoom lens and have to stand on the next block? And what's with the yellow thing? A curious yellow snake perhaps? No - upon magnification, that's just a yellow garden hose, which you don't see all that often.
Now, here is a lovely more close-up picture, but wait - I think there is something wrong with the front tire - I mean, does it exist or not? For all I know, this is chained to a bike rack and after I say "Yes", they'll go "lift" it for me. Notice that this has a more realistic green hose - that makes me feel better. Yellow just isn't my color for hoses. And is garden hose in the shot a requirement of some kind?
Here is a good one, but I don't think it is really their bike. I am pretty sure this is from a web site - that is unless (1) they are really good with photoshop, or (2) they took the picture while free-falling from a plane. If you ad some swirling dust behind this, you'd think of the old lady riding in the tornado in the Wizard of Oz.
Here is one actually from another planet where gravity has shifted 90 degrees:
So that's my shopping experience so far. One guy had a $75 bike that he would "throw in" a $25 bike rack that he paid $55 for - it's like a deal. Unfortunately, I don't need a bike rack. I also DEFINITELY don't want that much math in the morning. If he were to throw in "What are your percent savings?" I'd have to send him an evil note.
What I need is a big honking alarm and chain that I can wrap around our bikes when we happen to have them in the back of the truck at the library.
Gosh - when you factor in the bikes, my overdue book fee was like $223, and I didn't even read the book...
Comments
There's some crazy folks out there. I now see why my old bikes didn't sell on Craigslist - I didn't have the garden hose in the shot...
Oh, and my wife and I both have Specialized-brand mountain bikes. They're excellent bikes. But people that buy for the name are silly - we got very good deals on ours because they were on a clearance sale, but I probably wouldn't pay their list price in a bike store.
My dad's mantra on bikes is - once it's hanging on your wall/ceiling, you'll never take it down. So far I've proven him wrong, but my wife is proving him right.
Perhaps you have contributed to the health and well-being of a person in need. Might want to go back and read that book some day, though - get your money's worth?
As of this moment, we have four bikes. One of them is in actual working condition. One of them is in pieces on the kitchen floor because I haven't gotten around to finishing a "brilliant project!" that I started in March. I think.
I know you'd buy them because our hose is green.
Happy shopping!
Mine was on the ceiling for a long time and then Nathan wanted to start riding, so we have been. My dad and I used to go out just about every Sunday for a ride (which usually ended up with me having some injury, but that's also another story) - and it was a great time.
One suggestion for your next bikes - wrap the frame almost completely in duck tape or something else that will make them look pretty crappy. The worse they look, the less likely someone is going to grab them on a whim. It'll still ride fine, even with the "defacement".
Of course, this'll probably be harder for Nathan to agree to, since as a kid part of the coolness of the bike is how it looks - but for him, maybe make it a job for him to paint the bike himself? You could cover the bike in primer and then let him spraypaint as he wants with multiple colors - the resulting job will probably appeal to him but any non-professional paint job may turn off would-be thieves...
It's a really nasty feeling the first time you really understand that there are sharks in the water.
That sucks that someone stole them out of the back of your truck.
Craigslist is an interesting place to shop. Especially from the pictures you have posted here. I bet if you poke around enough you might actually find your own bikes on there.
Good luck with the shopping. Let me know what you find in the pictures when you try to buy a garden hose? ;-)
Sorry to hear about your bikes. =( I had a bike stolen from VCU a few years back....totally sucked. They took it in broad daylight with thousands of people walking by. I couldn't understand how someone wouldn't notice someone with a chain cutter, cutting through a chain?!?! lol. Oh well....we are a society of do nothings and say nothings. That's how I felt at that day anyway.
It would've been EXTREMELY funny to see your stolen bike now for sale on Craigs list though eh? =)
I've never actually bought anything off Craigslist, I figure I'm already a sucker for most things and would probably be taken for something that isn't nearly worth what it is. But hey, good luck in braving the jungle. I hope something works out. The idea of riding bikes together sounds like a good time - in so long as you aren't in Oregon, our weather doesn't work for that.
I had my other bike stolen at ODU back in the 80's. It was a night class and they also cut through the chain. There were about 20 bikes on the rack, but they picked mine. I came back and I looked around about 3 times and then saw the chain and cut lock. That really sucked. Then I had to walk like a mile back to my car that was parked in some lot in the middle of nowhere. I went to the campus police station and they explained the benefits of a Kryponite lock. "Thanks" I said. The funny part is that I had JUST been looking at those new locks, but kept my old master lock instead.
Bad weather? I always imagined Oregon as having delightfully fall weather where you wear shorts and a long sleeve sweatshirt for a ride.