Commuting - What to look for in buying a used bike?

Ok, I should have asked this a few days ago but ended up over whelmed with work and such I forgot. I'm sure some of the west coast folks still up (I'm EDT).

There is a used bike sale event today. I would like to know what should one look for when buying a used bike? This used bike sale is a tent sale at one of my local LBS's were people can bring thier used bikes in to sell.

So far all I know of is to look for rust, see if you can ride the bike or not to check the gears (not sure if you're allowed to do that tho), and check for any frame cracks.

Now how does one check for cracks or wear and tear? Anything else I should check for? Could someone make up a check list like:

Basics:
-xxxx
-xxxx
-xxxx
-xxxx
-xxxx

Critica/Examine:
-xxxx
-xxxx
-xxxx
-xxxx
-xxxx

I could class myself as new to buying a used bike but not new to the bike riding world. I know very little so any help would be greatly appreciated. My plan is to find a decent used bike in the ~$100 - $200 CDN range then cleaning it up and fixing it up to be a spare ride if/when a bike is down or in for repairs. Are there any names within my price range I should be aware of? I really would like to stay in my comfort price range but if other good options come up but out of my comfort range then I will go as high as $300 CDN tho I would almost always stick to my comfort price zone.

It's a one day event and starts at 10:00 ET today so I gotta get some rest and will check in the morning or before I go to sleep.

Thank you greatly in advance for any help.



Zero_Enigma

If they won't let you ride the bike, then I'd be suspicious of it's condition.
Hmm what to look for... Lugs on steel frames are good. Check front wheel bearings too, good bearings have a locknut and washer for the cones, cheaper bikes omit the washer and just have a locknut - the cheapest bikes won't even have a locknut. And then of course you have other things to look for, one piece cranks generally indicate a cheap bike, etc.
Check the trueness of the wheels by spinning them and watching for any signs of wobble (easy to judge by watching the rim pass the brake pads while spinning). Check the frame for alignment, this isn't always easy you can ride the bike with no hands and see if it pulls to one side, or you can push the bike and see if it trys to veer off to one side repeatedly - but this does not necessarily indicate poor frame alignment, the wheels could simply be out of alignment which is easy enough to fix.
Check the headset - do the handle bars turn smoothly? Or do they feel notchy when you turn them? (notchy being bad). Are the tires cracked? Are the brake pads worn out?
And of course check the cables and associated equipment, does the deraileur shift through all gears? is it adjusted correctly - do they brakes work right, etc. Mostly common sense stuff.

Steel lugs? What do you mean? The nut that attaches the wheel to the front/back of the bike?


Zero_Enigma

Well this is the place of the bike swap. http://www.silentsports.com/store/content/23/Swaps/

I'm going to see if I can give the bike a sitdown and little ride tho I don't think there will be much room to ride in the tent lot if I am allowed that.


Zero_Enigma

http://www.mariposabicycles.com/images/porteur/DSC01016-crop.jpg
Like this - the lug is that bit of reinforcement where frame members join together (the part that the tubes are fitted into). A lug indicates that a frame is brazed, and while not all brazed frames are lugged, most are, and generally speaking a brazed steel frame is stonger and lighter than a welded frame (welded frames are not lugged).

Well, this may or may not work for you, but this is what I look at, in order:

1. Is it the right size? You can't adjust frame size, so it better be right when you buy.

2. Is it the right material? I prefer steel, others prefer aluminum. On steel bikes, I look for an indication of the grade of steel used. Brand name steel tubes, like "Reynolds" or "Columbus," or at least an indication of cro-moly steel ("4130") often indicates that the bike was something better than an entry level bike. For example, on the old Taiwan-built Schwinns I've seen, the frames that were made with cro-moly tubes also had better derailers, brakes, and other parts than the plain "high tension" steel bikes.

3. How is the overall condition? Is the paint tolerable? Does the frame show evidence of damage? A crash can put ripples in the top tube. Is the rust more than skin deep?

4. How much is this thing going to cost me after I buy it? Start making your shopping list. Does it need new tires? Brake pads? Saddle? How is the shifting? Can I live with friction shifting, or am I going to replace everything with indexed shifting components? Is the chain OK? How about the wheels, are the rims relatively true? Can you fix what needs to be fixed without going to a bike shop? A bike shop near me charges something like 80 bucks for a "tune up."

You can very easily put more money into a used bike than it's worth very quickly. As others have said, make sure it's the right size for you before you even think about buying it. Has it got the type of shifters you like? Check the type of brakes as well. After you determine you actually like the bike and it's components look it over very well. Are the rims true? A little wobble would be normal and can be trued. Anything else, especially out or round rims, will need to be replaced. Remove the wheels and turn the axels to see if there bent. Check the spokes and see if any are obviously loose. Look at the hubs where the spokes go through the holes for cracks or other damage. Check the rim sides where the brake pads rub for excessive ware. Make sure the rear derailleur arm is not bent or broken. Make sure eyelets are in good condition as well as any other braze-on items like cable stops and water bottle mount holes. Check the head tube and fork for smoothness. If it feels like there are bumps as you turn the handlebars or it's loose you may need a new headset or it's bent. Check the chain with a 12" ruler. If there is more than 12 and 1/8 inches between 24 pins along the chain check the chain rings for excessively worn teeth and plan on purchasing a new chain and rear cassette or freewheel. If the chain is 12 and 1/16 inches between 24 pins it will need to be replaced. Plan on purchasing new tires and tubes even if the bike can be ridden on the rubber it's got. Trust me; it will need new rubber. Go ahead and plan on a complete lube job, new brake pads, and new cables as well. If the bike could be ridden but the seller wont let you ride it don’t buy it. Buying a bike that can't be ridden due to tire or brake problems is not necessarily a deal breaker, you just need to very carefully inspect it for any other problems. If you can do the work yourself you most likely will make out, if you need a mechanic to do your work for you might be better off getting a new bike.

I just bought an excellent used bike off Craigslist. I'd echo the main pointers above.

- Stay away from high-maintenance required bikes (really beat down) unless you know what you're doing. If it's all rusty or bent anywhere, bye bye.

- Keep in mind that you have to throw in $40-$50 extra for a local bike shop "tune-up" before you get on the road with this thing. They can tune the bike to your size, and get everything in order. (As well, if there's anything drastically wrong, you can run back to your seller for a refund.) Unless you're capable of doing this yourself as well as they can (probably not), this will probably make the bike more worth your while in terms of fit and reliability than any thing else you'll spend your first extra bucks on. Can't tell you how many folks have grabbed an old or used bike, then gotten 2 flats in a week, or got a sore back from riding in an awkward position for awhile, or not realizing that they have a kick ass bike under them if only it was adjusted to them.

- Perhaps the most surprising thing is that your non-bike accessories can RAPIDLY outstrip the cost of the bike itself. I bought a "beater mtn bike" to just occasionally ride to work and off-road, but it was such an excellent and reliable bike after the tune up (Gary Fisher Mamba, steel & heavy, $140) that I ended up needing many accessories for commuting and off-roading.

List of accessories (required):
- GOOD HELMET
- BIKE LOCK
- SPORTS CLOTHES FOR BIKING
- PUMP
- SPARE TUBES & EMERGENCY TOOLSET

List of my commuter gear
- REAR RACK
- PANNIERS or BACKPACK (Panniers are WAY better)
- REFLECTIVE or VISIBLE BIKER CLOTHING (!!)
- If you're not in Souther Cali, FENDERS

List of my mtn bike gear:
- GLOVES (if you singletrack, the branches whip by)
- SUNGLASSES
- CAMELBAK


In my opinion, bike stores should heavily promote used bike sales, since if you do any more than ride it around the block once a month, you will buy one if not all of the above, and then want to upgrade afterwards. I am NOT a gear junkie at all, and I try to get by with essential gear only, and I estimate my expenditures :

$140 Gary Fisher Mamba Bike
$40 Tune Up
$100 Bike clothes
$40 Kryptonite Ulock
$20 Pump
$20 Tubes
$20 Emergency toolset
$20 Sunglasses
$60 Camelbak
$30 Rear rack
$80 panniers

As you can see, the accessories easily outstrip the cost of the bike itself. And this is for what I consider an excellent quality used bike. I still love my bike and don't regret buying it used, especially since it got me to where I am in cycling now. It also makes a great commuter bike that's not a big target for thieves. However, I definitely did underestimate the essential accessories cost - if you include them in your budget, you'll find that you'll make longer and more satisfying long-term decisions. (For example, getting panniers made me want to ride my bike SO much since it was SO much more comfortable; the U-lock gave me total peace of mind at work, the clothes made the ride so much better...you really do need this stuff.)

Oh - just an addendum to the above...

All of my bike expenditures barely matches the cost of one non-trivial auto repair (like $400 brake pad replacement) on an excellent Honda Civic that allegedly is one of the least expensive cars to maintain.


And is FUN as all heck to be riding around on a solid, great deal bike, whether it be around town, off -road, or on road. Get out there!

Thank you so much everyone for your input and help. Especially to the person the posted photos as I am more a visual learner. :D

I think I'm not going to buy anything today (unless someones drunk and posts a Rocky Mountain or Specialized bike for $150 :D :D ). Seeing as I came a bit ill prepared with a day before on my questions I'm going to just see how it is and then check out the spring/2007 selection instead and just ask more questions to prepare myself for the spring swap.

One problem about buying stuff of the web and such is that you can't really see the item uin person fo rthe angles you want if you're checking for damage or somethng. That's why I like this swap meet thing here as you can be there in the person to check out the bike.

Bike fitting, brakes, and tires I know I'll most likely have to change those myself. It comes with the cost of buying a used bike anyways. I will have to check upon the other stuff people mentioned later when I have more time to absorb all this data. I'm heading out to see what's at swap now. Might get some photos if they allow me. How does one upload photos here anyways? Is there a photo size limit or file size limit?


Zero_Enigma

as to what agaroose said, the guy at my LBS said to consider saving up for a new road bike, unless a used one comes available at the shop, so you get the right fit and form on your first road bike. after that, anything else you buy, you can compare to it. Now that was for someone who never did much in the way of cycling. If you have a lot of knowledge and know what your feel should be, used bikes would be in order.