Looking for opinions on a second hand bike

[Jimmy Doug]

Can anyone help me with this. I've never heard of the make before - Gitasprint, seems to be a French brand. The bike looks pretty, but is €200 overpriced?
http://www.leboncoin.fr/velos/783192038.htm

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Is that a Biopace sticker I spy? That stayed around for longer on the low end groupsets. Is it Exage? Do you know what the frame material is? Steel, but what blend?

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Could the rear mech be Ultegra/600? The STi shifters are newer than the bike as well? If the groupset is high end, I suppose it could be worth that. Especially with good wheels.

 

[simon.r]

Columbus steel? Looks quite nice to me.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Thanks for the input. I've asked the guy what the frame material is and for more photos. He says he'll contact me tomorrow.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Columbus steel? Looks quite nice to me.

Absolutely right! It's Columbus Gara:

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Could the rear mech be Ultegra/600? The STi shifters are newer than the bike as well? If the groupset is high end, I suppose it could be worth that. Especially with good wheels.

Right. It's 600. He tells me the STi shifters are original.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

So, what do you think? Worth it? It seems very good to me. The frame isn't Columbus' best, but probably a good compromise between performance and comfort. He gives the weight at 4.1 kilos. That seems tremendously light - unless he meant just the frame. Anyway, here are the other pics he sent me this morning:

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Knowing what we know now and if it fits; I would say very much worth it! Gara is lower down the range (a bit like 501?) but with those parts worth its money.

Looks like a cool paint job too!

 

[cisamcgu]

200 Euros is less than £150

Looks like a bargain to me

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Knowing what we know now and if it fits; I would say very much worth it! Gara is lower down the range (a bit like 501?) but with those parts worth its money.

Looks like a cool paint job too!

As I understand it, Gara is a little better than 501 - more like 531. But, yes, agreed - the bike has a lot of character. Shame about the scratches, but hey ...

 

[Jimmy Doug]

200 Euros is less than £150

Looks like a bargain to me

Exactly! I've no idea how much something similarly equipped would cost brand new, but I know that I spent €400 on a Triban 3 for my son and it's nothing like this.
What about the weight, though? Is 4.1 kilos really credible? I think he must have been talking about the frame.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Just written him an email and he replied straightaway. 4.1 kg is the weight of the entire bike!

 

[AndyRM]

If (and it's a big if) that's true, I'd be buying that right now.

Even if it's not, it looks really nice and I'd be buying it anyway.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

If (and it's a big if) that's true, I'd be buying that right now.

Even if it's not, it looks really nice and I'd be buying it anyway.

I agree - I was thinking, "If that thing even weighs 10kg it's a damn good bike." But when he said 4.1! Surely, only carbon-framed bicycles these days can possibly be so light - and how much would they cost? But steel ... sounds like the best of both worlds: comfort and weight. He tells me the bike is ten years old - he also says it was very expensive when he bought it and it's heart-wrenching to sell it.