Used carbon worth the risk?
02-11-07, 11:07 PM
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Used carbon worth the risk?
Would you buy used carbon fiber frames or other parts on eBay? It seems like a dicey situation. Even if the original owner swears they never crashed the bike, there is probably that one time they dropped it and made a little ding in the frame that is "totally just in the clearcoat and has is not structural damage" that the seller will downplay, leave out of the listing, or just plain forget about because it was nothing.
02-11-07, 11:49 PM
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Thats going to be a problem with anything used, carbon fiber no more than anything else. A crack in aluminum can easily be touched up with some paint to entirely disguise the blemish. That said, anything bought used, the buyer/bidder is taking that risk.
02-12-07, 07:29 AM
#3
Making a kilometer blurry
+1 if it's used, you don't know. Most major damage will be visible in any frame material. Make sure the bike is clean, and examine it carefully in sunlight for anything out of the ordinary (differing paint color, dings, cracks...)
02-12-07, 08:34 AM
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If the photos show it to be in good shape, and you can get insurance on the shipping, you should be okay. If the seller declines to offer insurance, I wouldn't touch it.
02-12-07, 09:51 AM
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Originally Posted by skinny
This:
I’ve had a crash, can I still use my carbon fibre bicycle?
I’ve had a crash, can I still use my carbon fibre bicycle?
02-12-07, 10:22 AM
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Originally Posted by eandmwilson
It will EXPLODE on your first fast downhill. I promise.
02-12-07, 10:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Namenda
If the photos show it to be in good shape, and you can get insurance on the shipping, you should be okay. If the seller declines to offer insurance, I wouldn't touch it.
02-12-07, 10:40 AM
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A seller who's willing to accept a return if the bike fails inspection by you and/or an LBS, along with insuring the equipment for shipping, is probably a good sign. Look out for things like low feedback, no return policy, uninsured shipping, etc. as red flags.
I think there are still escrow services out there too, but I'm not familiar with them.
As far as bike-specific stuff, I'm a little wary about buying super-low-price anything on ebay. I mean, if you're buying an Easton CF component, for example, that has been well-maintained, you're probably OK. But if I'm surfing ebay and have a choice between a Deda Newton Al handlebar and a $50 no-name CF bar I'll take the Newton.
Just remember that the pricing scale is way off when it comes to CF, i.e. a "high end" Al bar might be $100, while a "high end" CF bar might be $300. At the low end, you might get a cheapie Al bar for 10 bucks or a cheapie CF bar for $75. You're not getting the equivalent of a $75 Al bar when you buy the cheapie CF. Maybe that's a little paranoid of me, but that's kinda the way I look at it.
I think there are still escrow services out there too, but I'm not familiar with them.
As far as bike-specific stuff, I'm a little wary about buying super-low-price anything on ebay. I mean, if you're buying an Easton CF component, for example, that has been well-maintained, you're probably OK. But if I'm surfing ebay and have a choice between a Deda Newton Al handlebar and a $50 no-name CF bar I'll take the Newton.
Just remember that the pricing scale is way off when it comes to CF, i.e. a "high end" Al bar might be $100, while a "high end" CF bar might be $300. At the low end, you might get a cheapie Al bar for 10 bucks or a cheapie CF bar for $75. You're not getting the equivalent of a $75 Al bar when you buy the cheapie CF. Maybe that's a little paranoid of me, but that's kinda the way I look at it.
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