The Joys of Craigslist, Boise Edition

Most people like to keep a "savings" of some sort. Usually this means gathering a stockpile of actual money,  often kept in a bank, that can be used to buy goods or services should the need arise. Pirates, and the paranoid like to hoard gold in a chest. The extremely paranoid (read: Glen Beck viewers) invest in "survival seeds," which, after the apocalypse, are far more valuable than gold because they can be grown into plants and eaten. However, if you're like me, you don't really keep cash, or gold, or even seeds on hand -- no, your savings come in the form of bicycle parts. When times are lean (or when I really want to buy something), I have to look no further than the boxes of bike old parts kept in the back of my truck. I have been building this nest egg for years -- dig deep enough, and you'll find bike parts that hearken back to my Whitman College days. In those boxes lies unimaginable wealth: worn chainrings, used tires, ripped jerseys, blown bibs, odd-sized stems, and bent handlebars galore! I have no doubt, that if liquidated, my treasure trove could literally fetch dozens, if not hundreds of dollars! Well this week, I had some extra time on my hands, and I decided to post a few old items on Craigslist. Which naturally meant going on Craigslist.

Aaaaah Craigslist. You're like the wild, untamed frontier of internet commerce. No rules, no taxes, and no punctuation in sight!\ After spending a mere fifteen minutes scanning the bikes listings (let's just call it market research), I could take no more. My eyes cannot un-see what they've seen. Here's a slice:


I was especially fond of this BMX vendor from Meridian:

bmx parts 1 - $300 (meridian)

hi i have lots of parts so here is one add out of many haha. k well i have a 24'' fly bike racing frame for 300 will do trades for ipod touch only wakeboards snowboard gear and cash lowest i can do is 200!!!
WILL HAVE PICS SOON 

bmx parts 3 - $50 (meridian)

hi i have a fit bmx frame 2009 it is cracked on the top tube but can be fixed

bmx parts 9 (meridian)

hi i have some randome little parts for bikes make offer






Next I was impressed with this...thing (I dare not call it a bike):

Row Bike works back, abs, legs and is a blast to ride, turns heads - $750 (Meridian)

I am the 2nd owner, purchased this row bike last year in almost new condition (est. 1 hour of riding). I rode the row bike about 40 hours and enjoyed every minute on it. I have moved onto Mountain biking, and need the space.

This thing is fast and fun, workout your arms and legs and trade off as you wish.

Here are some of the reasons I bought this over other bikes. It has a fairly quick learning curve (took me 2 minutes to learn, and 10 minutes to get confident), gentle on the body, cross training - works back, abs, legs, 2x the workout in 1/2 the time, turns heads and starts lots of conversations.






Just think, for a mere $3000 you could be cruising along on an ADVENTURE RECUMBENT TRICYCLE!

ICE Adventure Recumbent Trike - $3000 (Garden City)

2010 ICE Adventure Recumbent Trike
Has been hanging around (literally) indoors since then. This was an impulse buy, and it is a crime that this spectacular bike is not being used. The trike was optioned up greatly. Rear fender, cargo rack, etc., etc.
THIS TRIKE MUST BE SEEN AND TEST RIDDEN!!
Please check out the web sites above for all the details, and then come and ride it.





After getting my fill of what's out there on the "for sale: bikes" portion of Craigslist, I couldn't help but wander over to another one of my favorites: "rants and raves." Oh man did I lift the lid to Pandora's box with that one.  Here's a sample:

cyclists gross tights (boise)

i am curious as to why everyone who hopps on a ten-speed thinks it is necessary get all decked out like they're in the fucking Tour de France WTF!! its bad enough we have to worry about these people taking up all the road and acting like they own it, why do we have to look at those nasty lumpy asses squeezed into a pair of goddamn spandex? if your going for a bike ride why dont you just dress normally and save the eyesores for when you are actually participating in a race. Trust me.... NOBODY LIKES TO LOOK AT THAT SHIT!!


Oh dear....