See a good deal on a Venge locally, but comparing their photo to the other ones I see online, this has “S works” on the top tube… Anyone have a 2020 venge that knows if “s works” is on the top tube?
Definitely not an S-works Venge. Looks like a Venge Pro Force eTap
The rest looks real enough. Right wheels for the groups, etc. Looks like it was bought by someone who couldn’t handle the geometry.
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Specialized logo and groupset make that look like a 2020 Venge Pro (Sram etap), and somebody has stuck “s-works” on the top tube
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Looks like my bike. Not SWorks, but a Venge Pro.
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Couldn’t find the marking on the seat tube or headset (white logo)… Just seemed suspicious for $4000.
Someone just added the stickers. It’s a stock paint scheme.
Technically the Pro is the same frame as an S-Works. It is Fact 11r for both so there is no difference beyond the downtube label, which some people care about.
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First, feel the seller out. Ask questions like:
What shop did you buy it from? Did you put that top tube sticker on? Is it removable? If the seller has a good vibe and you want to buy the bike you could have the local Specialized shop check it out for you.
Lots of people put decals on their bikes. As you said, if he’s claiming it’s S-Works, it isn’t. If he’s claiming it’s a Pro, nothing wrong here IMO.
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He would do that because he wants to feel more comfortable about this bike.
It is obviously a Venge Pro but, you know a Venge Pro has exactly the same frame as an S-Works Venge. It really doesn’t make the seller untrustworthy if they call it an S-Works in their add.
What he should do is call the seller. You get a lot better feel for a seller from a phone call compared to emails or texts. If he is really concerned about authenticity then he should have a shop that sells these bikes check it out for him.
Or Stolen (hence sell it not as what was stolen, less attention)?
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If I ever get to the point where I ask this type of question out loud, let alone on a forum, I’d suggest my instincts are telling me it’s dodgy. Don’t over-rule your instincts through cognitive thought. Read “Blink” by Michael Gladwell.
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If the deal it’s too good to pass…
Then maybe you should pass…
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Now you guys are just inventing stuff. He said it was a good deal. He didn’t say it was too good to be true.
This bike looks exactly like a stock Venge Pro. It’s the right color, groupset, wheels, everything looks 100% factory stock other than that sticker on the top tube.
So, the OP needs to call the guy before the bike is snapped up by someone else. You can’t get a very good gut instinct without at least talking to the seller and going to see it in person.
You score good deals by jumping fast and contacting the guy. If you post on a forum and ask what everybody thinks the bike may sell before you even contact the seller.
All that said, I did search aliexpress and there are apparently Venge fakes. The fact that they exist means you need to do your due diligence. Either you know where the fakes differ from the real thing and know what to look for or have a shop look it over and check the serial number with Specialized.
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I don’t own a Specialized bike. Does the frame have a serial # on it? (My Colnago does.) This would make tracing the authenticity easier.
Thank you for all the replies. To follow-up. He had placed the ad on the 4th, I texted him that I’d buy it that day, but he was working and would meet me the following AM (yesterday). So I sent the TR forum this post as it had less than 1000mi and seemed like a screaming deal for $4k.
We planned to meet at 10:30 am, but at 9:45 he texts me saying that another person offered him $4200. I let him know that I could pay more. So he sends me an address of a parking lot of some church instead of his home address (still not crazy sketch, but also makes me raise an eyebrow). So I text if he has the original receipt just in case of frame issues etc and about 20 minutes later he texts that he doesn’t have a receipt… and that someone else just offered him $4500. If I want it I’d need to go to $4600 (Venmo only).
While it probably is a legit Venge and probably a legit seller, I let it go. Who knows… I didn’t love the color anyway There’s always another…
Thank you for those that reached out and great gave advice.
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Sounds like the right move, personally I would struggle to buy a bike from someone if they couldn’t prove they owned it.
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That’s a great pricing scam he’s running there. Get you interested at one price then squeeze for more. Good on you for walking away. Definitely sketchy tactics even if the bike is legit.
I don’t see how wanting to meet at a neutral location is sketchy. I don’t invite randos from the internet to my house, ever.
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It’s not. It’s actually one of the most common recommendations for selling via sites and sellers these days.
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Who the hell doesn’t have receipt of something that value. No way legit, my guess is stolen, happens with high priced Guitars all the time (labels, sold not as what was stolen, police don’t now what to search for when its being sold as something its not)
Might be wrong, might be genuine, but you did right to walk away imo.
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