Is this used bike worth?

If you're going to be doing off road adventures it seems to be a decent bike for the money. I'm in the USA and we don't get that brand here so I no little about it. The Manitou R-seven fork has very good reviews so the fork should last a long time; and the rest of the components are pretty decent mid level stuff. So in a nutshell for 400 Euro, or about $450 American dollars, it seems like a solid deal. Just make sure the bike fits, and there is no damage on it, and test ride it well.

Tks for the reply! And if I may ask, what should I look for damage at this 8 years old bike? Is there any critical part? And what do you mean by "make sure the bike fits" ? I will take a look at new ones here to compare.

flaviocsanches said:

Tks for the reply! And if I may ask, what should I look for damage at this 8 years old bike? Is there any critical part? And what do you mean by "make sure the bike fits" ? I will take a look at new ones here to compare.

I didn't realize the bike was 8 years old, new it sold for around 900 Euro, I would offer 350 Euro and see where the bidding takes it.

I would look for damage on the frame and fork, like rippled paint, dents, etc, if the bike is scrapped up heavily due to a lot of rough off road use I would probably pass, but if the paint only has a few minor scratches than it's a safe bet it wasn't trashed off road. Also ride the bike with no hands and see if the bike wants to go to one side or the other (assuming there is no crown on the road that would make the bike do that), but be careful doing that because you're new to the bike and you don't want to crash so keep your hands about an inch from the bar so you can grab it fast if need be. Riding without hands will show two things, either the wheels are not centered in the dropouts correctly so check if it pulls and make sure they're aligned properly, or the frame or fork is bent which would be a pass situation in that event. I would test it going one way on street then ride against traffic the other way in case a crown or slope on the road is causing it to pull, which you tell then if the frame is bent because if it always pulls to the right (for example) no matter if you're riding with or against traffic then the frame/fork is bent, if it pulls to the right with traffic and then to the left against traffic than it's the road and not the bike.

[USER=68602]@Froze[/USER], thank you very much for your advice! I just talked to the owner and he already reduced it to €350 and I will take a look at the bike next week. I will pay attention in everything you said and will try to close the deal for €300, once I will have to buy a expensive locker for a bike at this price range. As soon as I have more news I will let you know.

You don't need an expensive lock to lock up a 300 to even 600 Euro bike, all you need is this: http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-bike-lock/ However I would buy a separate pad lock to use on the cable instead of the U or D lock, something low cost like this: http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-40DPF-Shielded-Stainless/dp/B00004SQKX/ref=zg_bs_511386_7 Besides ANY lock can be defeated even the most expensive, but a really skilled professional thief isn't after a lower end bike, he's looking for the expensive bike and one that isn't locked very well.

By using two separate locks the thief would have to cut both the cable and the U or D lock to get your bike which might require 2 tools which most thieves won't carry. Also know how to park your bike, park it in the middle of better bikes than yours because that will make the thief consider a better bike instead.

With a U or D lock and cable lock the best way to lock up a bike is to follow this example: http://www.bicycling.com/repair-maintenance/maintenance/how-lock-your-bike Use your cable like the chain is illustrated, then use your U lock to got through both wheels and the seat stays. If the U lock won't go through both wheels and the frame then lock the rear wheel and frame to an object, and use the cable to lock the front wheel and frame to an object. Don't lock to small trees because it could be easier to cut the tree down, don't lock the bike to a short pole that could allow someone to simply lift the bike over the pole and be gone, don't lock to a drain pipe that can be pulled free from a building then the bike removed. Use some common sense.

If that locking system doesn't do it for you and you insist on spending more money then the best lock to get at that point would be this: http://www.amazon.com/OnGuard-8020-Mastiff-Integrated-Chain/dp/B002I8ONDC/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1461803709&sr=1-1&keywords=onguard+mastiff+8020 This lock was rated the toughest of even more expensive locks.

[USER=68602]@Froze[/USER], thank you very very much. Regarding your recommendations, first regarding removing the front wheel and lock it together with the back wheel. Wouldn't it take a lot of time each time? I mean, it is the work of removing it to lock and putting it again after unlock. Do you do this all the time?

About the locks, here we have a kit that comes with 2 locks, one similar to you last pick "onguard" and other more simple version, My idea is to lock the front wheel at the bike body with the simplest one and use the bigger one to lock the back wheel with the bike body and a city big pipe or bike parking pole. And it costs €25, so i think it is ok.

No I don't lock my bike like that because I never park it somewhere where I need to be concern, I just use a very thick cable and a Discus lock when I ride into a small store during a long ride to refill my bottles and or get more food. But if I had to park my bike and leave it out of sight and leave it for a long period of time then yes I would do all of that to secure it.

If the front wheel uses quick release hubs then it shouldn't take more than a minute to open the front brake caliper and open the skewer then simply move the front tire; if you have a bolt on front wheel I would consider turning it into a quick release which "shouldn't" be expensive and it's easy to do, a bike shop can help you. A quick release front wheel makes it easier to fix flats, something to keep in mind if you go this route.

I can see that the bike is in good condition. What I don't know about is the condition of it's bearings. There will be no need of buying this bike if you will have to repair it immediately after delivery. Another issue is the condition of the gear lever. If it has broken in any way then it will be difficult for you to engage the gears. I suggest that you look for a seller who can accept it back if it is not worth the quoted price.