I have been on the prowl for a small, older Trek road bike or frame to move my fixed gear wheels and other bits over to and dump the Schwinn World. So I have been watching Craig's List, trolling for an upgrade.
I think I have probably lost out on a nice robins-egg blue bike in New Richmond, WI, but undaunted, I peeked again tonight, finding this gem:
"This is an old Schwinn Sprint. I acquired this bike about 2 years ago I've done lots of tune ups to it. It rides great as is I rode it to work a few times (8 miles one way). I've since bought a Mountian Bike and no longer need it. $85.00 O.B.O."
So. I look at this thing, to see if it could possibly, remotely, maybe meet my "needs" and I have to ask myself what the fuck does this photo tell me?
- It has two wheels
- It has reflectors on those wheels, too.
- It's probably a 50 - 53 cm frame (good news for runty little me)
- It probably has not been ridden in about 15 years
- The guy posting this is too lazy to take the bike down from the rafters for the photo shoot
- The guy has probably not ridden his mountain bike to work much since he bought it
- There is another bike behind this one that might be more interesting
- This guy is not really interested in selling this bike
- There is a gasoline can that might have leaked a reportable spill to the left of the bike
This was posted on either CL or EBay (I forget which). It was a refinished Masi. A nice bike, but not something I NEED. However, the way the photo was set up, I HAVE TO HAVE THIS BIKE. It doesn't even fit me, but that does not matter. I HAVE TO HAVE THIS BIKE. This photo creates demand (recall econ 101?). The CL photo above does NOT.
Bikesmith posted a most excellent "how-to" piece on shooting bike porn. If you are thinking about posting a photo of you bike on CL or someplace else read this!
Like everything today, it's about presentation over substance and raising expectations to an unrealistic level. Come on, you Craig's Listers!! This kind of photo is an embarrassment to all of you. Expend the effort and post some good bike porn for a change!
Golly, isn't that the truth? My pet peeve is intentionally bad grammar and spelling in ads. Is it really possible that so many people in America are so illiterate - or think it's cool to pretend so? I guess it must be.
ReplyDeleteDoes that observation make me a snob? I don't think so - but then I still value proper writing. Maybe that just makes me old.
Ah - you hit a nerve with me. I blame email and texting for a recent decline in writing skills - the medium is so casual and informal that sloppiness is tolerated to a fault. I try to re-read everything I write before I post it, and I still find a bunch of errors and have to edit it all once again. I think part of the issue, too, is that CL Is anonymous, so there is little accountability for what anyone writes. I have seen some pretty vitriolic posts that I am sure would not have been made if the sender had to actually sign his/her name and take some responsibility for their writing.
ReplyDelete