Five three one

I have bought about a half-dozen used bikes in the last couple years, but, alas, I am not much of a savvy bike trader.

For example, for several years I had heard so many good things about the desirability of Reynolds 531 tubing (my alarm clock even is set to go off at 5:31 during the work week!) that recently I looked on Craigslist for a vintage bike with a frame made of 531.

I soon found and settled on a 1974 Raleigh Super Course Mk II, a model I learned has a devoted following on bike forums, partly due to the 531 (along with the alloy rims and Brooks saddle) and nice ride quality. The photo of the bike on CL looked pretty good; alas, up close the bike itself looked pretty tired, even forlorn.

But it was my size and I'd had it in mind that I was going to buy the bike, and I just could not walk away from the deal. Like I said above, not much of a savvy bike trader.

So, half-heartedly I offered the owner, a likeable low-key guy, 80% of his asking price, which was my plan before I saw the bike. He refused, I felt relieved, and found it humorous that my true feeling about the bike revealed itself to me this way.

While I happily was carrying his bike back to his basement, he came back with a split-the-difference 90% of asking price. I felt honor-bound to do the gentlemanly thing and accept, so I did. Hopefully I learn from this; I've got to be able to walk away!
The good news is, the bike cleaned up very nicely, it rides well, and I really like it. It truly is a keeper, a classic vintage bike.