Most of my photography equipment is factory refurb .... some people won't touch it, which makes me happy, because i can get as-new stuff for less. Used lenses, in particular if they come from a reputable source, can be a big savings ...

With bikes, as with anything else, if you don't really know your stuff, buying used is a risk.

it has nothing with 'old" versus 'new." it has to do with "damaged" versus "functional."

people aren't suggesting buying new because we are snobs about having the latest .... I rode my '84 Cannondale last night and I am heading out on my '83 Raleigh after I post this.

people don't want to see this person spend all his money on a bike only to find it has some expensive issue --- something like failing bearing which only show up under extreme load .... but will show up more and more until, after he has spent a month riding the snot out of his :"new" bike, he notices it squeaks and creaks .. and get worse and worse ....

My best advice to him would be to find someone who knows bikes and who he can trust, to go with him and buy a $300 used bike---something older or cheaper ... and just ride it to death. learn about how he likes to ride, so he knows what he Wants to ride, next season.

But ... if he can find someone who knows bikes, he can bring that person to buy Any used bike. The reason we are suggesting buying new is because the OP has not posted here about whether he knows anything about bikes.

The used market is a great place to shop if you know your stuff, or know someone who does. otherwise it can be risky ... and we all think h'd be happier on a new Fuji where everything worked perfectly, than on an aging Wunderbike with warped rims, worn bearings, and recalcitrant shifting.