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Used trail bike - good value?

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Used trail bike - good value?

Old 10-16-15, 10:53 AM
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Used trail bike - good value?

Hi all,

I could use some expert advice on a potential used bike purchase. I am new to mountain biking and went on some guided rides organised by a LBS. The LBS owner offered to sell me his own used bike, which I had used for one of the outings (50km+). I did like how it handled. It's a 2015 BH Lynx 4.8 Carbon 9.5 29er with some custom upgrades (see specs below). The bike is a bit more than a year old but has probably been ridden lot in this time (read: 2-3 times a week). Offered price is €2500 (MRSP was around €3500 w/o upgrades).

Do you think this is a good deal?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Frame Lynx 4.8 Carbon 120mm
Rear Shock Rock Shox Monarch
Fork Rock Shox Recon Gold RL 120mm
Suspension Split Pivot
Shifters Shimano Deore - upgraded to XT
Rear D Shimano XT
Front D Shimano SLX - upgraded to XT
Crank set Shimano M625 38/24
Cassette Shimano Deore 11/36
Brakes Magura MT2 180mm
Brakes Magura MT2 160mm
Wheels BH Lite
Tires Michelin Wild Racer 2.25
Saddle Prologo Kappa BH Evo - upgraded to fizik aliante
Seat post KS Supernatural - upgraded to Thomson Elite dropper post
Grips BH - upgraded to Ergon
Weight 13 Kg (stock)
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Old 10-16-15, 12:50 PM
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Sry, Ergon grips killed it for me.
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Old 10-16-15, 01:50 PM
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Sound overpriced, if it's the LBS's own bike, then they would most likely have got it at trade + VAT (going on euro's it's in Europe?) ridden 2-3 times a week means the suspension will probably need servicing (both F&R) spec is good, but not that good for the money being asked, some strange upgrades, shifters OK, why the FD, not the RD, the seatpost wasn't that much of an upgrade, and you don't really count upgrades when looking at the original price.

As heavily used, thinking about 500 less than the asking price would be better.
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Old 10-16-15, 04:45 PM
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Thanks for the advice! I will try to negoiate a rebate then. Or should I rather look to buy a new bike in that price range?
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Old 10-18-15, 07:49 PM
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MTB really depend on whos riding them. Some 2-3 times a week would be fine other 2-3 times a week not so much. Recon gold is not top of the line so it looks like that was downgraded. The bike looks like a Pike would have been more appropriate and if the rear shock is not Monarch plus I would think that a downgrade as well. It looks like a very nice frame. The company has a great reputation but we do not see them here in the states. Do not know what BH lite wheels are or how they rate. I had never heard of them and find out my bike a Pivot is partly owned by BH and many of the sales pitch about the frame you are looking at is almost word for word like Pivot.

The bike looks like a very nice top of the line frame with mid grade suspension very well speced everywhere else however the wheels are a mystery and I do not know what grade they are my guess is they are good as well most likely very nice aluminum wheels

What pricing is in your area is also a mystery.This bike is worth continuing to look at.
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Old 10-19-15, 06:33 AM
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Sounds a little high to me also. Not the best components but they are good.
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Old 10-20-15, 06:21 AM
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Hey Gallo, spdracr39, thanks for the input! In the meantime, the owner went down by €300 to €2200. I asked about swapping the fork for a Pike but he claimed it would unbalance the bike.

I also found what could be a nice alternative: Cube Stereo 140 HPC Race 29 Black/flashred 2015 - Barracuda

A CUBE Stereo 140 HPC Race 29, with 140mm Pike for €2500. More rugged than the BH Lynx but should still make for a nice all-round bike. Any views?
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Old 10-20-15, 09:42 AM
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Comparable or better parts than the BH. If the €2,500 is for a new one, then the Barracuda is a much better deal. If the Barracuda is also used, depends on condition.
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Old 10-21-15, 07:59 AM
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Originally Posted by FrozenK
Comparable or better parts than the BH. If the €2,500 is for a new one, then the Barracuda is a much better deal. If the Barracuda is also used, depends on condition.
Agreed new is always preferred. The Cube is a different bike travel wise better suspension parts and more travel I kinda like the drive components of the BH better but think money is more wisely spent on suspension. Keep in mind the Cube does not have a dropper and an extra cost there. i think a dropper a must for MTB riding after purchasing one. Heck I want one for my road bike. Not sure what the BH owner means as Pike comes in 120 simply higher quality. Both wheel sets are kind of mystery. Single vs double as well. I prefer the double almost everybody is riding a single these days.

Sometimes it comes down to how it rides. The best deal is a bike you love.

I ride the Pivot 429c and rode more than 20 bikes was not planning on spending the money I did. Love the bike. If the BH is like the 429c (seems like sister companies with BH being way bigger) if the BH ride like my 429c stiff and climbs really well and a point and shoot goes where I tell it, shocks work well and suspension seems "bigger" than they are. I would lean toward the BH bike with the dropper and sweet drive train for less money. I think the suspension is not crap just not top of the line. Hell offer him 2k at this point.

look at this site as well mtbr.com

But if you ride the cube and it "feels" better to you I would go that route. Also an AM bike vs CC

Good luck

Last edited by Gallo; 10-21-15 at 08:00 AM. Reason: too much luck
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Old 10-21-15, 02:39 PM
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It's true that buying a new bike would bring peace of mind, especially since the BH has definitely seen plenty of action. Spec-wise the Cube comes out ahead too. Just to clarify, both bikes have a dropper post (Thomson on BH; Reverb on Cube) and double ring drivetrains.

My main problem is that I have too little experience to judge a bike from the geometry table and I will only get to ride the Cube around the block as a "test ride". The BH I rode for 50km and liked it. But who knows, I might like the Cube even better on the trail. The only comfort is that I probably cannot go wrong either way.
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Old 10-23-15, 10:58 AM
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I cannot tell on paper what a bike rides like either. While not the trail you can tell allot about a bike in a parking lot. It is certainly better than never throwing a leg over it. And a new bike is the preferred way to go.

At this point the Cube looks like the one from where i sit
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Old 10-23-15, 12:44 PM
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Both sound like good bikes, if the condition is the same I would think the cube is the better deal, if it feels good to you.

I only road my current bike around the parking lot of the bike store. Was planning on renting and doing a few rides on different bikes, but just that little bit, it felt good. After a couple of weeks I adjusted the saddle, rotate the bars and change the stem to make it really fit, but it was close and I could have done without the stem. And I hadn't ridden mountain bikes in years. If the Cube doesn't feel off to you on a short ride, it should only take minor adjustments to make it fit.
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Old 10-23-15, 01:29 PM
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There is more to it than fit. How the suspension performs is critical on a full suspension bike and you won't be able to tell on a parking lot ride. A bike may pedal efficiently on asphalt but be overwhelmed on big impacts. Or the frame may flex too much on hard cornering, etc...

On paper the Cube looks like a better deal, but you will not be able to tell how it will perform on the trail with a parking lot ride.
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Old 10-23-15, 03:42 PM
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I brought home the Cube today. Thanks again for your advice, guys! I actually rode it home via a few light trails to get a feeling of how it does off-road. It's definitely more rugged than the BH, slower on long drawn-out climbs too. I might get some narrower tires for XC style riding. The big travel is a blast though. It should manage some bike park action too.
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Old 10-24-15, 11:53 AM
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Awesome, enjoy it!
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Old 10-24-15, 09:41 PM
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I would play around with shock pressure and use the CTD for dialing in.

Enjoy man
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