Road Cycling - A good deal

Hey Folks-

Im a newbie, interested in purchasing a used road bike. The father of my long time girlfriend is offering to sell me his Trek 1400 road bike (year unknown), which has downtube shifting, a recent tune up. Two new wheels, and a factory paint job that is now about two months old. He wants $400 for the bike. Its in great condition, however, I know he has racked alot of miles on the bike and im not sure of the age. Can people offer me their thoughts on this deal. Im eager to get into road biking, but as many newbies, Im hesitant to purchase a new bike for a grand or two. Many thanks!!!

Does the bike fit you? Nothing else matters if it's too big or too small.

How are the tires?

How are the brake pads?

How is the bar tape?

6-, 7- or 8-speed?

Is the drivetrain worn from lots of miles.

A new paint job means little if you need to drop another $100 on tires, pads, tape and find the drivetrain is wore.

If you can afford $800 to $1,000 to you can get a much better, up-to-date new bike.

$400 may be a little steep for this bike without knowing anything else.

Thanks for the advice. I definetly need to take a closer look at the bike. As for the fit, he is the same size and weight as I am. I believe one tire is new! As for the pads and the drivetrain, what should I be looking for on these items?

see if the pads are worn down (most pads have indicator marks of when to replace pads, similar to how you can check tread on a car tire to see if it needs to be replaced) As for the drivetrain check to see if the teeth on the chain rings are worn (make sure it is wear however and not specifically altered teeth for shifting ease) sometimes you can also see if the chain has significant wear (such as streching) Check the rear derailleur pully wheels to see if there is a lot of wear on them. All around see what looks like it has had a lot of use and may need to be replaced.

is the daugther still your girlfriend, if yes, buy the bike:D :D :D

There is dowry joke looming here, but I am going to resist. These are modern times after all.

But, hey, does the father really not know how old the bike is, or is he just not fessing up? Did he buy it new? If so, I'd think he would know.

Cheers,
Jamie

Originally posted by Cutter
Thanks for the advice. I definetly need to take a closer look at the bike. As for the fit, he is the same size and weight as I am. I believe one tire is new! As for the pads and the drivetrain, what should I be looking for on these items?

Fit is a lot more than height and weight.

I am 6 feet tall, and wear a size 29 inseam. I take a much different fit than someone with a 33 inch inseam. Length of top tibe, purpose in riding and many other factors go into fit. Don't get fooled by the "same height, same bike" argument. Get a good fit by a local bike shop (LBS)