help a noob

Razer_MTB
Razer_MTB Posts: 361
edited June 2009 in Road beginners
Hi guys

Got the opportunity to buy a 2nd hand road bike (mainly to see if i like it as i'm normally found on an mtb). But what i dont know is its value. Hoping that someone may be able to advise on how much cash i should part with for it (if i enjoy it, i will then look at getting a new bike, but no point spending a pile of cash if i dont enjoy it and i end up with something expensive just taking up space in my flat).

Its a Peugeot Performance 5000 (1999 i believe). Exage 300 front and rear mechs, shimano rsx brakes and shifters, ofmega linea crank. currently has spesh flat pedals but i would be changing these. rigida alloy rims, non named hubs. itm stem, selle italia XO saddle. (sorry, not quite sure what else to look for on a roadie)

The bike is in excellent condition apart from the bar tape which is a little ragged, but the seller is throwing in a new roll of bar tape along with a couple of topeak mini master blasters

thanks for your advice guys

Sam
whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons

Comments

  • skyd0g
    skyd0g Posts: 2,540
    Assuming it's the right size for you (have you seen it in real-life?)
    Have you taken it for a short spin?
    Everything working?

    Things to consider -
    1. It is (allegedly) 10 years old.
    2. Road bikes don't get the same wear & tear that a MTB would get, so it will look in a lot better condition at first glance, although it may have covered thousands of miles - so potentially all the moving parts may be worn-out.

    How much is the seller asking for it???
    Cycling weakly
  • Exage 300 was very basic, so I'd guess this bike was about 300 quid new. Ten years old means parts will be hard to impossible to find - for example the gears will be seven-speed and you'll struggle to find replacement cassettes.

    I'd be offering him 50 quid.
    John Stevenson
  • Razer_MTB
    Razer_MTB Posts: 361
    I've taken it for a spin and everything seems fine (from what i can tell), the brakes work fine and no problems with the shifters (even if it took me a moment to figure them out lol, guess i'm too used to triggers at this moment), no play whatsoever with the bb.

    The seller is a family member, and i know that the bike hasn't actually been used in the past 6/7 years (he got a motorbike and that kind of took over) apart from me taking it for a spin. The bike has been kept in the spare room all that time, so no corrosion on it. (although with the age i would buy new tubes/tyres). This has also kept the mileage right down on it hence the condition it is in.

    He hasn't actually given me a price for it yet, he mentioned he was thinking about selling it (which means he will sell) and i thought that it might be an opportunity for me to try something new. Being a family member, i dont want to rip him off, but neither do i want to pay over the odds.

    Hoping to find out what people think is a fair value for it and offer that to him. If he accepts then i'd be happy, if he says he's looking for more then i'll walk away.

    Thanks for the advice so far guys
    Sam
    whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons
  • bice
    bice Posts: 772
    I doubt that parts will be so difficult to find. I am doing up a 1985 Ciocc which can with 7 speed indexed downshifters, but I have put an 8 speed cassette on the back.

    I don't know this bike or parts, but I would have thought closer to £100 if in good condition. £75 might be fare.

    Re-grease the bearings and BB and check chain wear (along with brakes, obviously), and it shoudl ride well.
  • sheffsimon
    sheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    £50 max, just a basic cheap "racer", regardless of whether parts are available, it is what it is.