Originally Posted by
Calsun
One can replace the brake pads, bike chain, tires, and saddle of a used bike for very little money. I would rather pay $600 for a bike that sold new for $1500 a few years ago and has far better components, and then change out the saddle and tires should I want to do so.
This absolutely sums it up. The difference in quality between that used mid-scale bike for $600 and a new one for $600 will be immediately obvious.