Bianchi Osprey

Here is something you could try, Marian.

Write down the description of the offending derailleur and check eBay,
to see what you might have to pay for one.

Also, try to visually determine if the dropout hanger appears to be as
it should be.

If the hanger is bent, aligning it might fix your problem.

Hope this is helpful to you.

Lewis.

*****

Quoted message said:

In a desperate bid to stay out of the War of Two Bike Shops I have
decided that instead of buying a mountain bike in China I'll pick one
up probably secondhand while I'm in the US.

Buying something expensive from "Them" will get me disowned by "Us" and
both shops are my friends. Buying from someone else, anyone else, so
long as it is not the other side of the argument is perfectly
acceptable.

I have an opportunity to get a 1998 Bianchi Osprey with a "rear
derailleur that needs work" but "everything else including the
suspension in good shape" for $150. What do people think?

-M

Quoted message said:

Here is something you could try, Marian.

Write down the description of the offending derailleur and check eBay,
to see what you might have to pay for one.

Also, try to visually determine if the dropout hanger appears to be as
it should be.

If the hanger is bent, aligning it might fix your problem.

Hope this is helpful to you.

Quoted message said:

From the conversation I had on the phone with the owner, I rather get

the impression that he isn't a bike nut and doesn't do his own repairs,
not ot mention hasn't ridden the bike in 5 years so I'm not too worried
about the "needs repair" I'm more trying to figure out if this is an
alright price for an 8 year old bike.

-M

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Quoted message said:

In a desperate bid to stay out of the War of Two Bike Shops I have
decided that instead of buying a mountain bike in China I'll pick one
up probably secondhand while I'm in the US.

Buying something expensive from "Them" will get me disowned by "Us" and
both shops are my friends. Buying from someone else, anyone else, so
long as it is not the other side of the argument is perfectly
acceptable.

I have an opportunity to get a 1998 Bianchi Osprey with a "rear
derailleur that needs work" but "everything else including the
suspension in good shape" for $150. What do people think?

Marian,

The bike when new sold for ~$500USD. Someone buying "last year's model" at
a clearance sale in 1999 might have paid $400 or even less.

Based on that, I think it's a fair enough price, but "low miles" often also
means "unmaintained," and I would (personally) want to negotiate around the
price of a new derailleur, if it really needs one, as well as to find a way
to evaluate the bike for corrosion and seized components before committing
myself. Entropy can be devastating.

RichC