Tips for Buying a Second Hand Bike

Be wary of 2nd hand bikes

There is a temptation to buy a bike second hand because it could save you a lot of money. However, it is also more risky as the bike will come without guarantees. Another concern is whether the bike is stolen. If you do decide to buy second hand these are some tips to make sure you don’t end up with a lemon.

Ride the Bike.

Any genuine seller would be willing to let you test ride the bike. Test riding in a variety of gears. Also try riding the bike uphill in a big gear with lots of pressure. Listen for signs of creaking and clicking - which could be any number of things. Offer to leave a deposit, equal to half the price of the bike.

Ride with hands off Handlebars.

Ride without hands off handlebars, if you cannot maintain the bike in a straight line, this is a signal that something is wrong with the frame and not worth buying

Check wheel alignment

With the bike held vertical. Look along the wheels from front to back. If they are out of alignment this is a bad sign.

Check wheels against fork.

Spin the front wheel and see whether there is any irregularity in the direction of the spinning wheel.

Check Bearing of Wheels.

A wheel should freely spin, and come to a natural rest. Sudden stopping is a sign that the wheel’s bearings have gone.

Examine Brake Rims for sign of damage.

This can occur if the brake blocks have been misaligned.

Check Headset.

Hold the front brake locked on, then move the bike to and fro. If there is rocking and a clicking sign, the headset needs tightening. If it still makes the noise after tightening, it indicates some serious problem.

Check Frame for signs of damage and cracks.

In particular look for damage underneath the junction of the head and down tube. Look for sign of crash damage, which could have weakened the frame.

Check bottom bracket

Check bottom bracket for play by pulling and pushing the end of the crank. There should be no movement at all.

Ask History of the Bike.

Ask the seller where he bought bike, how he used it and why he is selling.

Take A Friend for Second Opinion.

If possible, take along a friend for a second opinion, especially if you don’t know much about bikes.

Don’t be Pressured into Buying

If you’re not certain, don’t buy the bike. Don’t feel pressurized into selling. If buying on ebay, make it clear you are willing to buy bike so long as it passes reasonable criteria.

Buy From Someone You Know.

If you buy from someone you know, it takes a lot of risk out of it. But, then if things go wrong with bike, it could become awkward

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