Truth In Advertising?

I am always looking for a deal whether it is on ebay or Craigslist or just a huge blowout on one of the many online shopping outlets and I have come across some really good deals. I watch a lot of bikes sell on ebay basically just to keep in touch with what bikes are going for, they always vary but it gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. I am however always amazed at how many people list their bike as "Gently Used" or "Barely Ridden" or "It Has Never Seen Dirt". Wow, you mean you dropped $3,000 on a brand new bike and didn't ride it? I will say that I do believe that is the case sometimes as there are probably some people that have more money than they know what to do with and the idea of a high dollar bicycle sounds cool.

It's funny how these "Barely Ridden" bikes have "Normal Scuffs" on them, of course because you rode it because those scuffs on your chain stays didn't happen by keeping your bike in your garage. Now I'm not saying that there aren't some bikes that haven't been pampered out there and are probably just as good as they were when they were brand new but I sometimes want to list my bike and lay it all out on the line...something like this.

For Sale: 2007 Specialized Epic Comp

This thing has seen more miles than a hooker on the Vegas strip, and has been ridden harder too!!! I have beat the crap out of this thing out on the trails and she just keeps coming back for more. I wouldn't call her "Chubby" but she isn't exactly light, this is no featherweight carbon bike here. Adding to the weight is a downgraded wheel set that I bought after she and I took quite a tumbling pass down a hill at a high rate of speed, you have to watch out for gravity. I didn't buy the same level or better of wheels because...I'm cheap. The inside of the handle bar is able to breath really well as I have bounced off a few trees and tore the ends of my grips off of the bike, it's these little things you don't get on a new bike!!!

Now don't get the wrong impression because she is a great bike and has handled everything that I have thrown at her. Just be careful if your riding in Oklahoma, make sure she doesn't try to put her saddle somewhere it isn't suppose to go...I'm just going to leave it at that.