Road Cycling - Used Road Bike

Hey guys,
Well i'm looking into buying a used road bike (i just bought a new mountain bike) to do some road riding with this massive club i just joined... Do you guys have any tips and suggestions on what to look for on a used road bike, like say at a garage sale? And is it true that, all road bikes are 'basically' the same speed, it's how hard you pedal and how much stamina, etc... you have?

Ironically, it's the new rider who usually benefits the most from a road bike fitting at a competent bike shop. Ironic, because the new (usually young) rider is often not in a position to afford a new bike.
Many bike shops offer used consignment bikes. If you find a really cool shop owner that's looking to establish long-term relationships with his customers, have him give you a road bike fitting. More than likely, you'll buy a new road bike from him eventually; it's in his interest to treat you as well as a new bike buyer.
The competent shop owner should ask you plenty of questions about your experience, riding style and goals. At a minimum he should take meaurements of your inseam, height, torso, and arm length.
The shop owner should work with you in changing stem length or rise, adjusting saddle height and position, etc.
Don't fret about frame material or fancy wheelsets; concentrate on finding a bike that fits comfortably. You'll need a few thousand miles of riding to learn what you really like and dislike. Use that time period to educate yourself about road riding. If the bug bites you, you'll end up buying a really nice bike---but wait at least a year!
Even if you plan on racing, concentrate more on training, correct diet, and rest during your first year.

Well, the stores around my areas don't have the consignment things =( All they sell are new bikes. And from what you said, i don't think any of the owners would actually do that! lol
Is this one any good?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3616570125

I'm not sure if it means the bike is in "working order" when he says it is in "good condition" since he's not replying my e-mail.

Originally posted by AquariaGuy
Well, the stores around my areas don't have the consignment things =( All they sell are new bikes. And from what you said, i don't think any of the owners would actually do that! lol
Is this one any good?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3616570125

I'm not sure if it means the bike is in "working order" when he says it is in "good condition" since he's not replying my e-mail. That one doesn't look too spectacular.

Looks to be 27" wheels, apparently steel rims (not 700C)
probably a 120mm rear-axle spacing (modern stuff uses 130mm)...
Thin stamped-steel dropouts
no left-hand shift lever, no front derailleur (this is why he's photographing the bike from the non-drive side, methinks)
Wheel quick-release levers on the driveside of the bike for some reason
Missing left-side pedal dustcap
Overall, I'd rate it a strong DON'T BUY.

Unless you're very experienced (or can call on a friend who really knows bikes), I'd be very leary of the used bike route. If you buy over the internet, you need to know the length of the top tube and stem, and the distance from the center of the BB to the center of the top tube, at a minimum! An entry level steel or alum new bike with 105 components or better might save you endless headaches down the road, and set you back substanially less than a grand US.

I agree on the bikeshop fitting concept, but practically you either have a cool bikeshop owner or not - it took me awhile and several shops to find one of these. I did not want to spend alot on my first one either, so I went for a steel frame and made sure the stand-over height was within an inch or two of my crotch. From there I think you can dial-in the adjustments (it may take awhile!). The other risk on the used bike is getting something not to good like the one you found on ebay. See if your Club has a classified, or maybe someone is willing to be your mentor. I went the route of buying a new inexpensive bike from ebay and 1000 miles later I am very happy with it (I did go for a Brooks saddle though).

$9.99 Canadian $ ... at least it's not a big investment!

Originally posted by Markedoc
$9.99 Canadian $ ... at least it's not a big investment!

Plus shipping, unless they live in the same area.

Yup the $10 CDN isn't a big deal, and i live in the same area. I found it fishy though that he took a photograph of NOT the important side. And Mech said there's a lot of weird stuff about it. (Since i don't know basically anything about road bikes)

Originally posted by mechBgon
That one doesn't look too spectacular.

Looks to be 27" wheels, apparently steel rims (not 700C)
probably a 120mm rear-axle spacing (modern stuff uses 130mm)...
Thin stamped-steel dropouts
no left-hand shift lever, no front derailleur (this is why he's photographing the bike from the non-drive side, methinks)
Wheel quick-release levers on the driveside of the bike for some reason
Missing left-side pedal dustcap
Overall, I'd rate it a strong DON'T BUY.

First off, i just want to ask u a few questions heh, as u seem to know a lot of stuff just from looking at the pictures. I just curious to know what all this stuff means.

About the wheels, is it bad if it's steel rims?
The axle is probaly 120mm, is it bad if it's 8mm shorter? The only thing i see is that this bike IS really OLD lol
Drop-outs, i have no idea what that is.
Left-hand lever, i would see that it has no front derailleur, but that would mean it has like 6-7 gears?
What is wrong if the quick-release levers is on the drive side? Could it be that the release thing is broken?
The dustcap, is it expensive to buy another cap?

Thanks
Matt

Steel rims on a bike are like... oh, like bias-ply tires on a car, if you're familiar with car tires. They're heavy, weak, the brakes grip them very poorly when wet, they dent easily, and they don't have the hooked beads needed to hold good high-pressure tires onto the rim.

Having 120mm rear-axle spacing is like having a Beta VCR (ok, not QUITE that bad). To upgrade to a modern rear wheel with room for 8 or more cogs, you would have to either spread the frame 1cm every time you put the wheel in, or have it cold-set to that width.

Having 27" wheels also leaves you with a very small choice of wheels and tires. 700C wheels *might* fit if the brakes can reach that much further down (700C has a smaller diameter than 27").

The dropouts are the parts of the frame where the wheel axles go into slots. Thin ones often give quick-release wheels a gripping problem. Not good.

The relevance of the QR levers being on the wrong side of the bike is mainly that the person who slapped the bike together is not following convention. Sort of a warning sign that the seller is not knowledgeable about bicycles.

The dustcaps aren't a standardized item, more's the pity. You could find another pair of pedals or just run it without the dustcap. I just threw it in since I spotted it.

I also wanted to add that you would feel the difference between this bike and a modern entry-level road-racing bike, if you could try them both. Probably your best bet would be to buy a used, reconditioned road bike from a local shop if possible. Make sure not to buy it if it doesn't fit you, like it's been said already... the best bike in the world isn't going to be fun if it's too small, too big, too scrunched or stretched-out... anyway, good luck! :)