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How to Buy a Used Bike

Monday, 27 August 2018 | Mike Leano

Buying a used bike is a great way to get a better bicycle for your limited budget. This may involve some risk, especially if it's your first time, and you may end up buying a dud. Fortunately, buying a used bike is far simpler than buying a used car; there's far less that can go wrong when you shop for a bike. Plus, you can inspect everything without needing tools or knowing how complex systems work.

Here's what you should know to help you through the process.

Narrow the search

First things first: ask yourself - what kind of riding will you be doing? Each type of bike is suitable for a certain kind of cycling. Will you be taking it to parks, mountain trails, city streets or a little bit of everything?

Here are some of the common bike types you'll encounter:

  • Road bikes - these are best for paved streets and city cycling. Road bikes have a lightweight frame, skinny tires, and a drop bar that lets you hunch over.
  • Mountain bikes - a bike built for adventure and mountain trails. Mountain bikes have thicker frames, giving them a sturdier construction compared to road bikes.
  • BMX bikes - BMX stands for bike motocross (a cycle sport). The bike itself is built for off-road use, and is used for racing and stunt riding.
  • Hybrid bikes - As its name suggests, hybrid bikes combine traits of specialised bikes. This means they can be used in different riding conditions.

Once you know what you're looking for, you can narrow your search to specific types of bikes.

How to Inspect a Used Bike

Once you've found a prospect, you'll need to scrutinise the bike to see if it's worth the purchase. Here's how to do it.

Inspect the frame
The frame is the most important part of a bike. It keeps the structure together and determines its handling. When you inspect bike frames, see to it that there are no dents, cracks, bent areas or rust.

Some tips for looking over the frame:

  • Search for signs of bubbling under the paintjob - this may indicate that there's corrosion underneath.
  • To look for bent areas on the frame and forks, ride the bike and take your hands off the handlebars. If you're having difficulty balancing the bike, the handlebars may be misaligned.

Mind the headset bearings
Here's how to test the bearings' condition: pull on the front brakes then move the bike forwards and backwards. If you hear a knocking sound, the headset is probably loose. They're cheap and easy enough to replace.

Bear in mind that a loose headset may mean the previous owner wasn't very careful with the bike, so you'll have to be more thorough in your inspection.

Examine the wheels and tyres
Give the wheels a spin and see if they're straight. Some minor misalignment should be fine - it's pretty easy to fix. Anything more than 2 centimetres is a red flag.

Don't forget to look at the spokes' tension. Grab a couple of spokes at a time and squeeze; they should feel tight.

Look at the rim brake surface for each wheel and see if they're flat. If the surface is concave, it means two things:

  • The rim is almost worn out.
  • The bike probably isn't worth the purchase. Why? Because rims are pricey.

Next, grab each tyre and move the wheel from side to side. If it feels loose, this should mean the wheel's bearings are worse for wear. Don't worry, they can be replaced.

Finally, check the tyres' condition. Is there a flat spot on the middle of the tyre? How about holes or cuts? If yes, the tyres are worn out and need to be replaced.

Check the drivetrain closely


The drivetrain is the section of the bike that transmits the power from the pedals to the wheels. Its individual parts aren't expensive, but everything is interdependent so if you need to replace one, you might have to replace more.

Here are the components you need to check:

  • The chain - try to pull at a link in the chain. If it moves far from the chain ring, then it's worn out and needs to be replaced.
  • The chain ring - Look for uneven-sized teeth in the chain ring. One jagged tooth should be fine, but several means replacement.
  • The derailleur - Test #1) Wiggle each gear. If there's too much movement, the part is worn out. Test #2) If the gears don't shift smoothly, you may have rusty/worn gear cables.
  • The cranks - Move each crank from side to side. If it wiggles, the bottom bracket is worn out and may need to be replaced.

Test the brakes
To determine the condition of your brakes, squeeze its calipers a few times. They're supposed to move easily enough and spring back right away. If there's any stiffness, this could mean the brakes need to be replaced.

Bring someone who knows their stuff
Like buying a used car with a mechanic, it's ideal that you bring someone who knows their way around a bike. Unless you're a specialist, you will have to spend some funds hiring an expert to ensure that the bike is roadworthy.

Factor the cheaper parts

While inspecting a bike, take note that there are parts that shouldn't matter that much because they're inexpensive and can be replaced.

Take brake pads, or brake and gear cables for example: if they're already beat up, you can replace them for a song and easily install the parts yourself. However, these parts can completely change how the bike feels to ride.

In fact, pretty much any part can be replaced. You just need to factor them all into the cost of the bike itself - and that's the rub. If the replacements cost more than the bike, consider if you should buy the bike at all.

Look it up the registers

But unlike cars, bikes are easy enough to steal and difficult to identify. Because of this, you should look up your prospective ride in bike registers to see if it's been stolen before.

In Australia, there are two:

Simply visit the respective websites and search their databases using all the possible parameters to make sure.

If the bike isn't in the registers, take the time to enter it in both databases. This will allow you to prove the bike belongs to you, should it ever get stolen.

Final word

ALLBIDS runs many online bike and bike-related auctions on a regular basis. And with each auction, we provide all buyers layers of protection, which means you can bid with confidence. So look for the right bike at ALLBIDS today.

If you want to sell your bike, you can also use ALLBIDS to turn your item into cash - but without the hassle. Give us a quick phone call, message or chat to find out how.

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