First of all, this is not for the first time buyer.
If you are a first time buyer, following this guide will turn your dream bike into just that: a dream.
You will never seek what you find and riding a bike will be something you only think about between scanning Craigslist and endless hours of Google searches.
First time buyers do this: just buy a bike, any bike and start riding.
Once you get hopelessly addicted, the search for the Holy Grail can begin and you can return here for sound advice.
This is for the experienced rider only.
Even then, riding your dream bike will be something you only think about between scanning Craigslist and endless hours of Google searches.
My search has just begun and I've only touched the tip of the internet iceberg.
I have managed to narrow it down.
Just a bit.
I'm looking for a frame.
Not just any frame mind you, but the perfect frame.
Yes, I know, the perfect frame only exists in the mind and talents of good frame builder, but for now, in my search for the perfect frame I can be flexible.
The frame should not be.
Flexible, I mean.
Steel is preferable.
Now, once you have settled on a frame material, you do a Google search of all frames made out of steel.
Other criteria may help to narrow your search, for instance the kind of steel you prefer. In my case, it is the amount of funds I'm willing to part with for said steel frame.
I need one that's cheap.
Let me rephrase that: inexpensive.
No, not your $99 Nashbar frame, though don't think I haven't thought about it.
Cheap and steel also precludes me from purchasing a complete bike, like a Redline Conquest or Bianchi Something In Italian.
The thing about Bianchi is that I'm never quite sure whether I'm looking a chick's bike or not.
Boy, I'd look pretty foolish asking to demo ride a womans bike.
Those pesky Italians, why can't they just give their bikes like a French name?
The difficult thing is not too many manufacturers make steel framed bikes anymore, so my selection is sort of limited.
Unless you are prepared for the vast unknown and exponential consumer of leisure time.
That humongasoid living breathing entity of consumerist nirvana. The black hole of knick knackery and the event horizon known as Buy It Now.
No, not Walmart.
Of course I'm talking about evil eBay.
As of right this minute, there are 24,017 bikes and frames listed on that ninth gate of money sucking hell, though luckily I don't have to view every one of them.
I want to, but I won't.
Instead I'll use the greatest thing ever invented, the search function, to narrow down my well, search.
My perfect frame must be in the 12,000 or so listings I'm preparing to check.
Okay, just kidding.
I'll only look at 5,000 or so.
Using this time proven method, I should find my perfect frame sometime around Easter.
By that time, I may tire of my other bike so the process begins again.
Well actually, it never really ends.
Does it?
3 comments:
eBay ought to be on the search list as well. It has proved better than CL for me.
How do you sex a bicycle? The three bikes I am currently riding all have step through frames. Some say a step through frame is made for a woman in a dress yet I haven't seen a woman in a dress in months and only seem to see two or three a year (I often wonder why some redneck isn't calling them all crossdressers?. I, on the other hand, wear a kilt almost everyday. I think it qualifies as a skirt.
I like bikes with curved parts. I like old bikes.
Steel is a good choice.
Steve, out of the 5,000 listings I wanted to look at, after ignoring all the carbon frames from China/Taiwan, I ended up with only six bikes.
Oldfool, you pose a very intereting question.
Time to send out The Flat Tire Investigative Reports Team(FTIRT).
I almost picked up a couple of step throughs, but since I already had the Barn Door, I passed.
That may change.
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