Newbie buying used bike



Craig_uk

New Member
Oct 15, 2004
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I've not rode a bike for about 10 years and haven't a clue what to look for when buying a new bike.

I went down to my local bike shop and had a good chat with the guy who runs it.

I explained I only want a cheap option to start with.

So he gave me a few options, one of them was for a Marlin Bear Valley 22" bike, 21 gears, it doesnt have suspension . . . . the bike is also very light and has a good seat.

It is used and he says I can have it for £150, is this a good price? It seems quite a lot for a used bike.

He knows i haven't a clue and I don't want to be ripped off.

Any advice would be great.

Cheers

Craig
 
Craig_uk said:
I've not rode a bike for about 10 years and haven't a clue what to look for when buying a new bike.

I went down to my local bike shop and had a good chat with the guy who runs it.

I explained I only want a cheap option to start with.

So he gave me a few options, one of them was for a Marlin Bear Valley 22" bike, 21 gears, it doesnt have suspension . . . . the bike is also very light and has a good seat.

It is used and he says I can have it for £150, is this a good price? It seems quite a lot for a used bike.

He knows i haven't a clue and I don't want to be ripped off.

Any advice would be great.

Cheers

Craig

How about do a search for comparable bikes on ebay? That should give you a rough idea for market value vs. condition.

Do you know anyone who knows bikes? Take him or her to the shop with you to get an opinion.

Nearly all bike shops are reputable. Yes, they want to make a nice profit where they can, but taking advantage of every customer who walks in isn't a good way to do it. People generally open bike shops because they love bikes and riding and they want to make a living at it. Getting rich running a LBS is hard to do. Whether they are reputable or not people will know it. Ask around.
 
rollers said:
How about do a search for comparable bikes on ebay? That should give you a rough idea for market value vs. condition.

Do you know anyone who knows bikes? Take him or her to the shop with you to get an opinion.

Nearly all bike shops are reputable. Yes, they want to make a nice profit where they can, but taking advantage of every customer who walks in isn't a good way to do it. People generally open bike shops because they love bikes and riding and they want to make a living at it. Getting rich running a LBS is hard to do. Whether they are reputable or not people will know it. Ask around.
I'm new to the area where I live so don't really know anyone so can't ask anyone for advice.

The owner seemed a nice chap and trustworthy but you never know do you.

I've checked ebay but nothing the same as this bike.

Thanks for the reply.
 
Craig_uk said:
I've not rode a bike for about 10 years and haven't a clue what to look for when buying a new bike.

I went down to my local bike shop and had a good chat with the guy who runs it.

I explained I only want a cheap option to start with.

So he gave me a few options, one of them was for a Marlin Bear Valley 22" bike, 21 gears, it doesnt have suspension . . . . the bike is also very light and has a good seat.

It is used and he says I can have it for £150, is this a good price? It seems quite a lot for a used bike.

He knows i haven't a clue and I don't want to be ripped off.

Any advice would be great.

Cheers

Craig

I think the best way would be if you find somebody with some cycling experience and go to the shop to have a look to the bike and find if the price is right or not.

When buying a used bike you have to take many things into consideration, for example, drivetrain wear, if it is a suspension bike then it could have damaged suspension, headset damage, etc. Also the quality of the frame and components can make a difference. If you buy a worn out bike you might end up spending more money for replacement parts and repairs.

Usually the shops want to sell and they will make you buy. I do not buy second hand bikes from shops. I rather do it from private persons, for example 3 months ago I did buy a bike from somebody that spent a lot of money on a bike that used only few times, then he did not like it and then sold it to me for less than half of the price. Only 300 km on the meter..

I have advised some friends and some of them can not understand why certain component is better than another and why similar looking bikes do have different prices.

Another example, my friend went to the shop having problems with his front wheel, the shop keeper almost without looking at the wheels told him "your spokes are like spaguetti, and rims are bad also, I can replace your rim with aluminum double wall rims and DT spokes". My friend did not agreed on the price and came back home. That afternoon I had a look at the wheels and yes the rims had double wall and the spokes where DT competition, just the front wheel was out of true...

froque