When I was little, my dad used to always say to me, “Even if you don’t say anything, nobody would take you to be a mute.” Take-away message? Keep your mouth shut. I need to take my dad’s advice a bit more solemnly, especially since my impulsive response in a conversation is to quantify what someone else has said, or to correct it.
Today, a guy came to look at the Gary Fisher Wahoo bike I finally put up on craigslist after buying a green, mint-conditioned0 2005 Marlin myself for a spectacular price off of craigslist. (sidenote: The guy came to look at the bike with a girl, who was the one actually shopping for a bike. Have you noticed that girls buying things on craigslist inevitably brings a guy to look at the merchandise with her? I know I did when I bought my Marlin and snowboard.)
Anyway, my craiglist ad said that the bike is a 2001 or a 2002 model, but that I wasn’t sure which year exactly. This became a point of contention.
It started because of some off-handed remark the guy made to the girl about how Gary Fisher bikes have this special Genesis geometry with a slightly longer top tube, so he wanted to make sure that her arms are stretched out the right distance when sitting on the bike. Having done some research myself in the past weeks about Gary Fisher geometries, I wanted to add my knowledge of bikes.
So without thinking, I said, “Oh actually, this bike doesn’t have the Genesis geometry. I think it is a model or two before genesis was introduced.”
I think this comment really pissed the guy off. First off, I was questioning his “authority” in front of his lady friend who obviously thought him expert enough to bring along to help her shop for a bike. Secondly, I didn’t even give concrete information.
“What year did you say this bike was again?” he asked.
“Either 2001 or 2002, I am not sure which,” I answered, quoting my ad. Sensing doubt on his part, and because I was curious myself, I asked “So when did the genesis geometry come out?”
Wrong question to ask.
The guy very quickly quibbed, mistrust glaring, head tilted back, in a haughty voice, “1998. This bike can’t possibly be a 2001 or 2002.” (The emphasis here is on the word “possibly”, complete with eyes rolled to the back of his head).
Essentially, he called me a liar who posted wrong information on craigslist. I felt insulted that he questioned my honesty, and I felt more insulted for being thought to be dishonest in the general community of craigslist. I get the feeling that craigslist has this aura of honor surrounding it, and I value that honor and integrity, and I definitely don’t want to be the story someone tells about the one time that craigslist screwed them over.
The worst part of it was that I couldn’t even respond to defend my personal integrity because I didn’t know what to say because I really didn’t know that much about geometries. The fact of the matter was that I was very positively sure that the bike was 2001 or 2002 from the paint job, but I was maybe 70% sure that the frame isn’t genesis geometry.
My first thought was “Shit, if genesis came out in 98, then this bike must be genesis, and now because I tried to appear not stupid, I have stuck my foot in my mouth and landed myself in a sticky situation where I look like a liar.” Why didn’t I just keep my mouth shut and let him be the “authority”, smile&nod, and go along with his assertion that the bike is Genesis?
He ended up passing on the bike, citing some nonsensical excuse about how the bike is in poor condition, which is total bullshit. I think he passed on the bike because he thought I was a blatant liar and that the bike’s not worth half the amount I am asking because it’s much older than 2001 or 2002.
This really upset me as I pedaled away. I didn’t care so much that he didn’t want to buy my bike; I cared that he questioned my integrity. I was upset because I knew that he thought I was a sleazy seller and a liar, and there was nothing I could do to rectify that, and it was all because of my loud mouth trying to “show off” what little knowledge I pretend to have about mountain bike geometries. (another sidenote: notice how the girl played absolutely no role in this non-transaction despite being the one shopping for a bike?)
The first thing I did when I got home was to google google. It turns out that I was right on both the year and the geometry. My bike is a silver/green 2002 Gary Fisher Wahoo, but it does not have the Genesis geometry. It is a Classic Hardtail. The guy was right that genesis came out in the late 90s, but when it came out, it was considered “high-end” and was not offered on an entry-level bike such as the Wahoo. In fact, the Wahoo maintained a classic geometry until 2005. Last year’s model was the first model in which the Wahoo featured the signature Fisher Genesis geometry.
Well, now I know, for the next potential buyer. Also, I need to take my dad’s advice to heart because really if I just keep my mouth shut, nobody will think that I am a mute.