Old 01-02-17 | 12:39 AM
  #5  
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cbrstar
BMX Connoisseur
 
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 774
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From: Canada

Bikes: 1988 Kuwahara Newport, 1983 Nishiki, 1984 Diamond Back Viper, 1991 Dyno Compe

Originally Posted by BigJeff
That is overpriced.

This is the year 2017.... a bike that old would be worth $200 tops. (Probably worth more as parts)

How to tell if a carbon bike is bad? Tap the frame with a coin. If the sound from the tapped spot is solid it will reverberate, if it is cracked it will sound dull.

Visually damaged frames are not worth the risk/expense of repair.

The market is funny. Bikes at $700 are over priced and the sweet spot at $1500 are great values.

If you are getting your feet wet buy a closeout from previous years at a steep discount. (You'll soon find out what you'll want to replace.)
How old is a bike like that? It's weird to think carbon fiber has been around for more then 10yrs. To me it still seems new and super exotic, but everything does lol.

Originally Posted by Maelochs
Cracks and scratches. That's what to look for.

Brands like Ridley or Scott ... I haven't heard of many fakes ... but do your research. People can put any sticker on any frame.

I would be wary of buying used CF, unless it was in very good condition---I mean the whole bike. If there are scrapes on the brifters but the paint is perfect ....

On the other hand, people who buy CF still like to buy bikes ... just like their old Al ro steel frames hadn't worn out when they sold them to get the next better thing, people who have had their first or second CF bike for a few years are probably getting ready for the next new one (17 grams lighter!!! and just $1000 more!!!)

The coin-tap technique sounds like a goo d place to start. If the bike doesn't look to have been abused, i wouldn't worry ... but I would do regular checks just to see that nothing seemed to be developing.

Or rather I would do regular checks until I finally became convinced the bike was sound ... which would be when a crack would suddenly develop and I wouldn't see it until it got big. But that's just me.

Seriously, common sense tells me that there will be an increasing number of perfectly good CF frames hitting the market as riders feed their upgrade bugs. Just do an even more thorough inspection than usual and reject any bike or buyer that gives you the least bit of a bad vibe.

Hopefully wiser posters will respond.
Thanks, I'll take that to heart.
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