Why didn’t I buy that Landrider bike?

Bicycles come up pretty often at auction, but I usually ignore them because if I buy one, it’ll go the same route as an exercise bike or treadmill at my place. It will end up in the garage collecting dust and spider webs.

At an auction recently, though, I was very tempted. The auction house had parked four male and female bicycles outside under an awning with other box-lot items stacked on and under tables. The bikes were like magnets lined up there side by side like they were ready to take off.

The silver one with heavily grooved wheels resembling a mountain bike drew me over to examine it a little closer. I climbed up onto its seat to how it felt. Nice – but how nice? I noticed the name on the bike – Landrider – but it didn’t mean anything to me since I’m not a biking enthusiast. I was kinda looking for something that would give me such a smooth ride that I couldn’t wait to take it out of the garage to replace my morning walk.

I soon moved on to inspect other items inside the auction house, the bike receding in my mind.  I decided that I would not bid on it, but I wanted to see how much it sold for. Sales of bikes can be pretty unpredictable. I was at an auction once where the auctioneer almost had to give away a beautiful child’s bicycle. Other times, they may go for plenty – in auction terms, that is – or for little.

The bidding on the four bicycles came and went pretty quickly and I gave very little notice to it. I saw a man walk away with the silver bike, plant it nearby and never took his hand from the handlebar, as if he were afraid someone would steal it (which could happen because stuff does get stolen). I asked how much he paid for it. “$90,” he said, adding that he’d seen them advertised on television. “They cost a lot more.” As he walked away later, he made sure the woman with him – his wife, perhaps – stood guard over the bike.

This must be some bicycle, I figured, and was instantly intrigued. After Googling, I realized why he was so happy he had gotten it for so little and had watched over it so doggedly. Landrider bikes with Autoshift have their own website, which offered a layaway plan for those who couldn’t afford to fork over all the money at one time to buy one:

$299.80 (or $74.95 a month for 4 months)

$399.80 ($99.95 a month)

$479.80 ($119.95 a month)

$699.80 ($174.95 a month)

Refurbished ones were seling for $419.75 and $589.80. The prices do not include shipping and handling.

The company has video testimonials about how great the bikes are, but the reviews I found on the web – some as far back as seven years ago and as early as two years ago – were mixed. One site noted that many of the questions it got were about the automatic shift system. Calling it a good bicycle, the review recommended choosing a bike that allowed you to control the gears. Here is another view from someone who described himself as a bicycle aficionado.

I need one that does more than that, though. My perfect bike would not only change the gears, but would also pedal itself and chauffeur me around the neighborhood.