Buy new entry lvl roadbike at LBS or used, better lvl roadbike on Craigslist?

[13thwanderer]

So my new mountain bike of one month got stolen last week Friday /img/vbsmilies/smilies/nonono2.gif.. I think it's just a crapshoot to try and recover it at this point, so I am in the market for a new bike! I have considered the options and decided to get a road bike this time around since the farthest off-road I have gotten on my mountain bike was riding on a sidewalk and then having the sidewalk end in bare ground.

Been scouring Craigslist for a few days and have found a few good deals on used, older models of road bikes. However, these bikes have retailed in the thousands at their release and is still probably better than the new entry levels available today. Here are the listings I have looked at:

For Sale Bianchi Eros Road Bike 61cm - $320
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/bik/2165628773.html

Cannondale Road Bike - $450
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/bik/2171909733.html

Bianchi road bike - great condition - $300
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/bik/2135596063.html


On the other hand, we have the entry level bikes at the LBS which start at ~$600. This is about the max of my budget, so I am stuck at the really bottom-barrel entry level road bikes here. However, I am aware that the cost would also include free tune-ups, maintenance, etc which could possibly be worth more in the long run than the bucks I am saving by buying used.

The particular model I was looking at in the LBS was the Jamis Ventura Sport 2011
http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/road/ventura/11_venturasport.html

Any opinions?

 

[kdelong]

Unless you are a decent amateur wrench and know what size bike fits you, I would suggest that you go with the bike from your LBS. Regardless of whether the bike is of TdF grade or a big box store bike, a bike that is not the right size is a pain to ride. Your LBS will help you get a bike that it the right size, and then there is the warranty and the first tune up to consider. Often times a bike off eBay or Craig's List has a worn chain, worn cassette, worn chainrings, or any combination of these.

Besides that, the bikes that you have shown (with the exception of the first one which has been deleted by its author) have pretty obsolete equipment on them. The $300 Bianchi has friction shifters which have not been used since about 1986. Replacement parts for bikes this old usually entails a trip on eBay looking for New-Old-Stock or gently used replacement items which are not always availble. I suggest that you get the Jamis from your LBS and forget the old iron on Craig's List. You will enjoy riding much more if you are riding on a modern bike with modern components on it.