Worst of NYC Craigslist Bike Ads #51

Today may be Valentine's Day, but it's also officially a Very Big Day in the world of bicycle retailing. Why? Because Kevin's selling his handlebars. And when love and bikes face off, you can always count on bikes to fight dirty, kick love squarely in the groin, and take the win. So if you've got some cash earmarked for a floral arrangement, a romantic dinner, or a pair of fruit roll-up underwear, forget it. This is an ad nobody can resist:


Mavic TT Bars **This is what all you track & Fixed Gear Riders** - $80 [original URL: http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/572669168.html]
Reply to: [deleted]
Date: 2008-02-13, 10:23AM EST

This is what all you track and fixed-gear riders what? "Have been waiting for?" "Need to make your lives complete?" "Are humping in your dreams when you're doing those goofy epic-length skids?"

I've been asked a million times weather I'd sell my Mavic TT bars and I always said no..

Wow, a million times. That's a lot! You've got to be a really together person not to let that level of attention go to your head. I can see him emerging from his building each morning, only to be greeted by the neighborhood fixed-gear riders:

"Is today the day, Kevin? Will you sell us your bars now? Pleeeze!?!"

I'm sure up until now he's given them the "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" treatment:

"It's not for sale, Fran-cis!"

But now, finally, they are for sale. Huzzah. Why?

I'm not using these on my new buildup so they now on the market.. (Going with all black parts on my build)

I see. Kev's taking the cool up a few notches with the new bike, so we now have access to his cast-offs. I for one am glad that he is keeping the trickle-down economy of fixed-gear coolness alive. See, as Kev gets cooler, he sells off the stuff he's tired of, which in turn makes less cool people a little bit cooler as well. The result is we all move towards a state of ultimate cool. And that's beautiful.

By the way, if you were wondering just how cool Kev is, he's subtly showing you with his photos:

"Yeah, instead of just placing the bars on a surface of some kind I think I'll hold them up in the air so people can see my ink. Check it out, a full sleeve. They don't give these to just anybody."


"Yep, full sleeve on the left arm too. Impressed? Thought so."

“See? They go all the way up to my elbow!” I wish I had been there when he was taking this photo. He must have looked like William Tell about to shoot an arrow of cool right through the apple he’s just placed on dorkiness’s head.

Normal scratches here and there which you can see in the pictures. Price is firm due to the fact that they are rare, everyone wants them, and I've even had people offer me way more for them.

Kevin 212-[deleted]

Everybody wants Kev's bars, but Kev isn't in it for the money. He's just trying to keep the continuum of cool going. By the way, Kev isn't the only thing in those photos with sleeves--those handlebars look like they've got a sleeve as well, which means you can get a better quality TT bar brand new from Nashbar for a quarter of what Kev's asking. But then again, it wouldn't be rare, would it? And as we all know, aluminum handlebars get stronger with age.

NOTE: I also have some other things I'd trade.. Campy Record 165 Track Cranks I'd trade for Black Sugino 75 Cranks (in great shape)

Campy Aero Seatpost 27.2 I'd trade for a Black Miche Supertype

Pictures upon request..

Kevin is clearly over classic Italian. Take note. Black is the new black.

By the way, if you're lucky enough to wind up with these coveted bars, I recommend a nice spoke card to go with them:

(Thanks to Jimmy in Brooklyn for the design.)