Itwasntme

Hi. I'm buying a bike for fitness/occasional leisure ride. I'll be riding mostly city streets however they are not the best kept and there's plenty of hills (Bronx, NY). Maybe some super light paved trails in the park.

Wanted to know if these used bikes are worth it/would be useful for me in you guys opinion. I've done some research and they seem solid.

1. Cannondale quick 4 for $300 (2015)

2. Cannondale quick 6 for $225

3. Giant Escape 2018 for $200

Thank you

hokiefyd 

Welcome! Any of those should be fine bikes. Your research has probably revealed that components on bikes are really commodities. Giant doesn't have their own derailleurs or shifters that are better or worse than Cannondale's derailleurs or shifters -- they're all using 3rd party suppliers (usually Shimano, SRAM, or Microshift). The things to be looking at in a used bike are (and, in my opinion, in this order): safety, fit, and cosmetics.

Safety: is the bike structurally sound? Is the frame in alignment? Does the fork look "straight"? Is any paint chipping or cracking around the welds? Any of these scenarios might indicate the bike was in a crash and may have some structural issues. Granted, a bike is not always a huge financial risk (like a lemon car), but you still don't want to buy a bike that won't ride correctly.

Fit: the bike needs to fit you, or at least be close. If you're 5'0", and the bike is an XL frame, you can probably scratch it off your list up front. Likewise if you're tall and the bike is a small frame. Basic adjustments can always be made, and it would be wise to factor some of those types of expenses into your purchase price. I'd consider it unlikely that the bike will be "perfect" for you as-is. You'll probably want to change at least the saddle or grips to suit your liking.

Cosmetics: if you really like colorful things, you probably won't be happy with a black or grey bike. It's not easy or cheap to repaint a bike, at least in a way that will last, so try to find something you find visually appealing. If you love how the bike looks, you'll be more likely to want to ride it!

Welcome, and happy hunting!

Itwasntme

Thank you for the general overview. Exactly what I needed to supplement the reading I've done so far. Good day!

csport

To add to what hokiefyd said, try looking for a bike which has a cassette in the back, not a freewheel: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/free-k7.html
Ideally, 8 or more cogs in the back.

Itwasntme

Thank you for the information. Should a novice like myself be concerned with this other than that cassette is the newer technology?

Itwasntme

A co-worker offered to sell me his Specialized Tricross for the price of tuning his newer bike. Looks like a good bike from what I gather. Although the problem when researching bikes for me is that it seems that the build year seems to affect the quality and review. The Cannondale Quick series for example varied a lot on the model number and the same models went up and down in quality according to the year. Seems like I should go ahead and buy a crappy bike and learn from the experience. 😂

csport

Generally cassette hubs are stronger: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/free-k7.html
There are more cassettes with different gearing ratios (sequence of teeth of each cog - e.g., 11-13-15-17-19-21-23-28) than frewheels.
Cassette is easier to remove than a frewheel.
Having said that, even a frewheel bike is rideable.

Any major bike shop brand like Cannondale, Trek, Giant, Specialized and others will be OK. Just do not get a $100 Wal-Mart bike.

Tricross is drop bar, the other ones you mentioned are flat bar. Try and see what you like. Is the fit right?

scottfarm1

$200 for the escape is a great deal.