# Thinking about upgrading to a Specialized Sequoia, need pricing advice



## re-cyclist (Sep 12, 2008)

I have been wresting for years with whether to move beyond my 1981 Panasonic DX4000, which is a sweet steel ride, but shifts a little rough, even with well-adjusted Shimano 600 components. I happen to be a tightwad so that's why I'm still with the Panny after considering dozens of different bikes over the years. So a guy recently listed on Craigslist a 2007 Specialized Sequoia, a copy/paste of the specs from bikepedia follows.

Now bearing in mind that I would only upgrade from my Panny for a really fantastic bargain, what would be a good price to shoot for? The seller is asking for $550. Thanks for any advice.

Frame Construction TIG-welded
Frame Tubing Material	Specialized A1 Premium Aluminum
Fork Brand & Model	Specialized FACT
Fork Material Carbon/carbon steerer, aero crown

Components
Component Group: Shimano Sora
Brakeset: Dual pivot brakes, Shimano Sora levers
Shift Levers: Shimano Sora
Front Derailleur: Shimano Sora, 31.8mm clamp
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Tiagra
Crankset: Sugino Comp, 30/42/50 teeth
Pedals: Composite body, alloy cage w/ toe clips and straps
Bottom Bracket: Sport cartridge, 113mm spindle
BB Shell Width: 68mm
Rear Cogs: 8-speed, 12 - 25 teeth
Chain: Shimano CN-HG50
Seatpost: Specialized carbon fiber, 27.2mm diameter
Saddle: Specialized Comp Road
Handlebar: Specialized Expert
Handlebar Stem: Specialized Comp-Set
Headset: 1 1/8" integrated Specialized Mindset


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

$550 for a 2 year old bike, with Shimano Sora components?

Well, when that bike was new and sitting on the bikeshop floor it had an MSRP of ~$700 or so...to put things in perspective back then in 2007 you could get a similarly equipped (Shimano Sora) bike for $600 MSRP-such as a bottom end Specialized Allez or bottom end Trek....and the seller wants to charge near that when the bike may have been ridden hard (you don'tt say), and is 2 years old?

I personally wouldn't buy it anyway, simply because the component group ain't that great....even new, let alone after 2 years (of possible use).

IMHO.


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## re-cyclist (Sep 12, 2008)

Well to further put things in perspective, remember I'm currently on a 27 year old bike, and one of my frustrations has been that it's impossible to easily upgrade such an old bike with modern parts, not to mention that it seems kind of obscene to put new parts on a classic bike. So, what would the '07 Specialized be worth to you, as low-end as it might be? The seller states that it's been ridden only 200 miles, whether that's accurate or not, who knows? I was thinking of offering $400 or so. I'd probably upgrade the components eventually, anyway. Are the frame/fork worth anything at all?


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

> I was thinking of offering $400 or so.


Yeah, $550 is too much for that bike, even if it was ridden 100 miles. To me, $400 seems fair. As Room 1201 points out, I wouldn't pay $550 for a two year old entry level aluminum bike with Sora components.

.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

re-cyclist said:


> Well to further put things in perspective, remember I'm currently on a 27 year old bike, and one of my frustrations has been that it's impossible to easily upgrade such an old bike with modern parts, not to mention that it seems kind of obscene to put new parts on a classic bike. So, what would the '07 Specialized be worth to you, as low-end as it might be? The seller states that it's been ridden only 200 miles, whether that's accurate or not, who knows? I was thinking of offering $400 or so. I'd probably upgrade the components eventually, anyway. Are the frame/fork worth anything at all?


I'd look at the bike in person, and ride it -before trying to haggle. 200 miles, and kept in the garage? Or 200 miles as a commuter left chained to bike racks in the rain/snow?

Since you mention upgrading at some point---The cost of upgrading the components easily exceeds the $$$$ the seller is charging for the bike-by a factor of 1.5 maybe 2 (depending on how high you want to go). This was true even when said Sequoia was brand new. 

The frame is a fairly generic compact geometry aluminium frame welded in Taiwan and mass-produced; the welds probably won't be pretty but they'll hold up (no worries about quality). There's nothing "special" about it per se-unless you're fond of how it rides, or the colors. 

The main point of concern I'd have with is is the no name brake calipers, and bottom-bracket; odds are, unless this bike was pampered in a garage and never saw weather-that BB may be toast. I've seen no-name BBs go south quite quickly.


Again, this is IMHO. If you want to make it an upgrade project-more power to you...but you won't come out $$$$ ahead of buying a bike with more what you wanted in the 1st place. And odds are since you aren't new to the road scene-you may well suffer upgraditis quick like.


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## re-cyclist (Sep 12, 2008)

Thanks, nice advice. I will go check out the bike and take it for a ride. Any telltale signs I should look for to help discern whether it's been well-kept during it's relatively short lifetime?


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

re-cyclist said:


> Thanks, nice advice. I will go check out the bike and take it for a ride. Any telltale signs I should look for to help discern whether it's been well-kept during it's relatively short lifetime?


Generic good advice for buying a used bike:

If the owner has any brains for trying to sell something, he/she will wipe it clean of road grime...

The dead giveaway for a careless or abusing owner is, of course, any kind of rust on the chainrings, chain or cassette. Headset bolts can get rust, due to forgetfulness (one of mine on my rig does), so that shouldn't set off flags, in and of itself.

Next point of worry is bearings, the wheels should have QR skewers on them so pull the wheels off, and feel the bearings by twisting the axles -should be smooth, if not then the owner has a problem. While you have the hoops off, check brake pad condition for wear and any kind of material embedded in them...put wheels back on--make sure to seat them well, and check round/true using calipers as a guide... .feel smoothness of braking surface-should be smooth for a new bike.

The only real way to know if a BB is good or not is to pull the cranks off-which unless you have the tools and what not probably cannot really be tested short of buying.

If you have any kind of ear for pitch, pluck the spokes-they should all be near the same pitch-which indicates the wheel is still under uniform tension. This is a quick easy innocent test to see if the wheels were well built....which is a concern of low-end bikes with factory wheels.

If things look and feel in order, take it for a spin. If the wheels seemed well built-check for any kind of flexy feeling (by sprinting); an Al frame won't flex much at all-and factory wheels on low-end bikes are not known for coming well-built and stiff. Check braking ability, as well as shifting as well as handling and comfort.

If the bike is as new and as unused as the owner would have you believe, things may need some adjusting due to cable stretch-and you might need a tack-rag to wipe dust off-but that is it... And $400 can be reasonable for it, methinks. A true up can be $30+ per hoop-so anything that needs work should be guesstimated against value.


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## ksanbon (Jul 19, 2008)

The specs won't tell you a lot about how a bike will ride so make sure it fits your needs by testing it on familiar roads 

I'm not sure what type of riding you're into and it's been 20 years since I've ridden a Seqouia, but my understanding then and now is that it's designed more for comfort than performance. The lack of frame stiffness made it a major disappointment on hills.

Check this out: http://www.roadbikescheap.com/index.php

There's a lot of interesting deals available out there - be patient and good luck!


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

I believe the recent Sequoia is basically an aluminum version of the Roubaix. Too lazy to check the geometries.


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## PaulRivers (Sep 11, 2006)

The thing a lot of people might not be aware of is that bike prices went up a lot in the last year or so. 2009 bikes are typically prices at 20% more than their 2008 counterparts, or so I'm told by my local bike shop.

The bike shop also thought I could sell my 11 year old fully aluminum cannondale touring bike for for $600 at the shop (after $100 in parts replacements), or for about $400 on craigslist. That included almost new $40/piece puncture resistant tires, a new seat, a rack and a speedometer. The Sequoia, in my opinion, is a much nicer bike than my cannondale.

Not sure all that info is helpful, but that's been my recent experience.


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## jrosteck (Oct 28, 2007)

Just sold a 2007 Sequoia on Ebay 

Lightly used ~900 miles and it went for $560. Original retail in May 07 was $770

They are now at $880


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## bike eagle (Jun 17, 2008)

The Sequoia has a taller head tube than the Roubaix.


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## BLZibub (Jul 12, 2008)

Re-cyclist..Just bought a Sequoia Elite Triple off e-bay for $575. It is a 52CM and probably has less than 50 miles. It also has Shimano Tiagra's with a 105 rear. Will be selling soon on e-Bay since I decided to get the Roubaix. Included a picture...Good luck


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