A Madone 5.9, signed by LA is up for auction on eBay... currently at $5001.01
The seller won the bike from last year's PowerBar sweepstakes.

Something seems wrong about that to me. Like it is an extreme case of re-gifting...
Only worse, because someone is making money off the deal.
I am all for capitalism, but it just seems rude.

The seller's response to my question:
"Item: Lance Armstrong Autographed Madone Bicycle (5219811721)
Good guess, very close -- we were the winners of last year's PowerBar sweepstakes. We got to spend 20 minutes chatting with Lance and in addition to the bike, he signed a genuine TDF Yellow jersey, two Ride for the Roses jerseys and a USPS team saddle. We rode with Chris for a private hour-long training ride and with Lance in the RftR (although he finished an hour ahead of me). I'll be eating all the free PowerBars and gels for at least another year. Maybe two."

Chris who? Chris Carmichael?
Apparently, they grew so close after their hour together that they are on a first-name basis.

Personally, I hope the guy chokes on one of those F-ing PowerBars.

Umm, you would be a loser. Who cares what he does, he won it, he can ride it, sell it, or throw it in the trash. It sounds like you are just pissed you didn't win it.

After stuffing his face with all those Powerbars Chris doesn't deserve anything but a first name.

Umm, you would be a loser.

I guess I am just not into pandering anything with an autograph on eBay.

Obviously, there are those that do...

But why not show a little respect and ride the gift that was given to you...
instead of capitalizing on the name of an American hero?

Seeeell it.

K

I would sell it too.

The free Powerbar products for a year would be pretty sweet though- I love Harvest bars and their drink mixes.

:)

I guess I am just not into pandering anything with an autograph on eBay.

Obviously, there are those that do...

But why not show a little respect and ride the gift that was given to you...
instead of capitalizing on the name of an American hero?

It wasn't a gift, it was a prize. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

It wasn't a gift, it was a prize. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

prize... gift... Either way, it was something received without compensation.

I wasn't trying to buy the bike... I was trying to stimulate a discussion.

I appreciate that you're just trying to simulate a discussion. As this is a forum, you're getting other's opinions.

Personally I agree with the other posters. It was a prize. Lance didn't walk up to this guy and say, "Hey bud, you're a good guy. We've been friends for years. Here's a bike with my autograph." Thus, I don't see a problem in selling the bike.

I would have stoked to be in that guys shoes. Would I have sold it? Not sure but more power to him.

He won it, he can do as he pleases with it. Clearly you would do something different with it than what he has chosen to do.

I would probably do something different altogether. I might ride it a few times, but eventually it would probably hang over the mantle in my living room as a sweet conversation piece.

Anyway, I don't think that you should be taking personal offense at what this man has chosen to do with his prize.

I'd sell it in a New York minute. I'm a Lance fan, but things like autographs don't mean much to me. And while the Madone is a nice bike, it's not what I would chose for my style of riding. If it's worth 5K on the market, I'd take the cash, buy all the bike I could ever need for around $2,500, pay the taxes (you do have to pay income taxes on the value of prizes) and bank whatever's left over. Or maybe I'd bank it all. I already have bikes that serve me fine.

He won it, he can do as he pleases with it. Clearly you would do something different with it than what he has chosen to do.

I would probably do something different altogether. I might ride it a few times, but eventually it would probably hang over the mantle in my living room as a sweet conversation piece.

Anyway, I don't think that you should be taking personal offense at what this man has chosen to do with his prize.

I agree.

I didn't check the auction. Does anyone know the winning bid?

:cool:

I didn't check the auction. Does anyone know the winning bid?

:cool:

$5100.00

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5219811721

Personally, I don't put any value on owning something with another human being's signature on it. That being said I know other people do for whatever reason. Had I won I would sell the bike to one of the aforementioned collector's and bought myself a bike I would use. That way two people get something they want.

This guy won something, what he chooses to do with it is only for him to decide. To say he cannot sell it is like telling a guy who won the lottery that he can't spend the money.

Personally, I hope you overcome your jealousy issues and start worrying about yourself and what you do.

By selling the bike, it goes into the hands of someone who values it more. What's wrong with that?

It's not like Lance even remembers the guy in some stupid (purely commercial, might I add) powerbar campaign.

I say sell it. It's not like the great one even rode it. The ink on the seat tube doesn't add anything to it to me. Dang sure won't make me ride any better. Get a great bike for half of the sale price. Spend the rest on the unending replacement of shorts, shoes, tires/tubes, yada yada........Set it up as a trust titled "The Armstrong Autographical Memorial Trust". One of my riding partners saw the real McCoy for sale in a shop in Austin last week. The one Lance rode on the final stage last year. It was signed in GOLD. It was just $10,000. Now that's a conversation piece.

Just the opinion of one poor boy playing a rich man's game.

I don't have a problem with the guy selling the bike on eBay. People sell prizes all the time, if they're not going to use them. Think of it this way: If the guy who won the bike was a quadripilegic and unable to ride, would it still be wrong to sell the bike? (This recently happened to a gentlemen who won a bike at our store through a local hospital lottery - he said "of all the things I could have won!...")

What I do have a problem with is someone making money off things that are supposed to be used for a charitible cause, in particular the Livestrong bracelets. Makes me sad to see people selling those things for $5-10 and pocketing the money. :mad: