BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Pittsburgh's list has a decent selection of "upscale" bikes, but check out something like Philly or Denver--there's lots of high end available all the time.

The trouble is finding something that fits you.

My worry about CL is that what's posted as FS here was stolen in Louisville or Omaha last week, and vice versa.

I never buy anything on CL. I just don't trust it.

My worry about CL is that what's posted as FS here was stolen in Louisville or Omaha last week, and vice versa.

I never buy anything on CL. I just don't trust it.

I've come to trust it more than eBay, because at the end of the day, the transaction is face to face. There were a couple of times I inquired about things that I thought might be stolen. But after meeting with the seller, a few probing questions always squelch those fears. I've also found that as I meet more and more of the local cycling community (in all its forms), I know, at least tangentially, many of the sellers.

Any time I do a transaction on eBay (at least with a non-store seller), I feel like there's a good chance I'm going to get burned (speaking from experience).

eBay: same thing, different name.

+1 buying directly from someone you already know and trust, locally.

@bjanaszek what are some good questions to ask? this one seems fishy:

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/bik/1402290574.html

I think CL is awesome. No fees.

Rule of thumb: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is (see above).

I sell tons of stuff that I either win or get cheap then use a bit. I sell it for less than cost. Everybody wins!

I agree with Steevo--if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

That said, I scored a pair of sweet Adidas road shoes for super cheap. I was dubious, and completely prepared to walk away from the face-to-face meeting if the guy seemed shady. We talked for awhile, and it was pretty obvious that either he was a cyclist who stole the shoes (which also seemed unlikely, given our conversation), or a thief who did a whole lotta research to make $50.

As for the Raleigh, consider that a new DA gruppo goes for, like, $2500. If it were convenient, I'd go to see the bike and feel the guy out. If he has a basement full of custom Serottas or something and seems like he rides, then he can probably afford to sell that bike at a huge loss. If there's not another road bike in site, or he says he got it as a gift, then I'd be pretty dubious.

When they use the stock photo I never trust them.

You can also do a google search for "craigslist" and the item. You'll occasionaly turn up reports of a missing/stolen item that way, as it will give you national results.