Craigslist Bicycle Scam; A Deal Too Good to Be True, Still Is.
A buddy of mine called last night about a 2020 S-Works Venge eTap Disc for sale on Craigslist for the bargain price of $800.
Folks, my 1st Gen Venge is seven years old and I wouldn’t sell it for a penny less than $3,000. A brand new S-Works Venge with an eTap drivetrain is worth, oh, rounding down, $10,000 (it was advertised as having 100 miles on it but surprisingly still had the set stickers on the front derailleur cage – in other words, it hadn’t really been ridden, so the stink factor passed fishy and straight to skunky).
But Mrs. Bgddy wants a Venge. Bad. She also can’t quite let go of her Specialized Alias, either. A Venge at that price, though… now we could afford that and she’d be able to keep her Alias as her rain bike!
Problem is, it was a scam from the start. Not only was that deal too good to be true, at eight times the asking price it would be too good to be true ($6,400 would be a little more than half-price).
The scam goes like this, you reply to the post by email expressing your interest and the supposed owner says eBay’s got the bike and they won’t give them any money until the bike’s been received and inspected over a five day (or whatever they make up) inspection period. Eventually, you get to the scam… you’re supposed to by Paypal cards (or some other) and send them to the seller… and that’s exactly where you get ripped off.
If the sale price of the bike is too good to be true, it’s going to be too good to be true for the crook when they relieve you of your money.
No self-respecting cyclist would let go of a $12,500 bike for $800. That idiot simply doesn’t exist, and that’s how you know it’s a scam… because only a self-respecting cyclist would spend $12,500 on a bicycle in the first place.
A Perfect Day for an Easy Ride… Rinse and Repeat. Often.
This has been a most incredible week for cycling. Saturday and Sunday were a mix of clouds and sun but the temps were a little on the cool side. A high pressure zone parked south of us that’s kept everything as clear as clear gets, since. Light winds, abundant sunshine, and fantastic temperatures (lows in the upper 50’s, highs in the low 80’s [18 & 27 C respectively]) have ruled the roost since. In all my years of cycling and running, I can’t remember a week this perfect… and it’s supposed to stretch all the way to Sunday afternoon/evening.
I rolled out yesterday afternoon a little early. I had to get back for my meeting and Chuck was getting out of work late, so I suited up and headed out for some easy active recovery miles. I was having so much fun, I almost forgot to take a couple of photos before I made it back home.
This is what most of our miles look like… corn fields and homes with the occasional town here and there. Unfortunately, with Michigan being open again and with a veritable ton of pent-up demand, traffic is a little crazy so we’re trying to stick to roads less traveled for the sanity of motorists and our safety.
I met Chuck for the last quarter of my miles and we kicked around current events and retirement plans. Before I knew it, it was time to head home. I pulled into the driveway with just shy of 22 miles and a smile on my face. I’d chosen the Trek for this ride and it feels like 3,000 Bucks in its current configuration.
The meeting was interesting last night. I received a little bit of news that sent me into a bit of a tizzy so I’ve got some inventory work to do that I’ll have to involve my sponsor in. And this is why recovery is so good at crafting fantastic lives… Twenty years ago, at seven years sober, I’d have blamed my wife for doing something she didn’t do and I’d have made a complete ass of myself. Today, I know enough to investigate first, rather than allow contempt to dictate my actions, thus removing all doubt I’m a f***in’ idiot… then, once I’ve investigated, I can look at what’s wrong with me that I had to investigate in the first place.
I know that’s kind of opaque, but hopefully you can get the gist that I am responsible for my own actions, and my perception of events happening around me. My problems are generally of my own making and the inventory, along with discussing it with my sponsor allow me to change my circumstances so that I don’t do that to myself again – friends, you just don’t get that depth of self-understanding on your own, naturally. That’s why I keep coming back. And because I keep coming back, that’s why I’m so happy with who I’ve become. In real life, you never really win by accident.
Good times and noodle salad, folks.
Fit Recovery 