48 AMB
HOW TO BUY A BIKE
BUYING BIKES SECOND HAND
In Australia, the value available in the second
hard bike market is immense. Whether it is based
on the inherent lack of trust we have for each
other, or the great value that many new bikes
represent, it is not uncommon to be able to pick
up a really good deal on a second hand mountain
bike. But this option is rife with traps and suits an
experienced and savvy buyer.
While it is one thing to buy a bike off your
mate when he upgrades, or from a bike shop
staff member who is selling their pride and joy,
normally buying a bike second hand involves a
whole lot of unknowns. And we aren’t talking
about reading the ads in the Trading Post here,
many buyers look at options across the country
thanks to Gumtree, Ebay, Rotorburn and of course
the expanding amounts of buy and sell pages on
Facebook. There are some important points to
consider when looking at second hand bikes.
WHAT CONDITION IS THE BIKE IN?
A can of Mr Sheen and an old t-shirt can do
wonders to a pretty tatty looking bike, so even if
the photos look great, it’s worth asking for some
detailed images. Ask for detailed shots on some
specific areas that could give a true indication of
wear. Near the drivetrain, around welds, along
the main tubes and of course the drive train and
suspension items. Replacing some worn brake
pads, a chain or tyres isn’t a big deal, but trashed
wheels, a damaged frame or abused suspension
should set off alarm bells.
There will be some immaculate bikes for sale
as well, you just need to use your judgement.DOES THE SELLER OWN THE BIKE?
Bike theft is a major problem, and while many
stolen bikes will never appear again some do
surface on buy and sell pages. It shouldn’t be
unreasonable to ask to see a proof of purchase
and serial number if the seller claims to be the
original owner. Could you sleep at night if you
knew you bought someone else’s stolen rig?CAN I TEST RIDE IT?
If you spent hours cleaning and detailing your
bike to sell it, would you let someone go take it
out for the weekend? No, I didn’t think so. When
you buy second hand you can’t expect the services
afforded to you by a bike shop. There are no test
rides, no demo programs, no service plans and no
fit ups. If you are picking a bike up in person, then
sure you might be able to do a driveway spin. But
don’t be surprised if the owner wants to hold ontoyour car keys or wallet. Bikes have been stolen
this very same way.HOW DO I KNOW IT SUITS WHAT I NEED?
This is up to your own research. You have the
world at your finger tips to search for reviews
and input via riders from forums, but read widely.
Anyone can post their opinion on a forum or
Facebook page. We might be biased, but it does
take a little more experience to put a review
in a mountain biking magazine or on a trusted
mountain bike website. Go to the bike brand’s
website and make sure the bike you are looking at
is designed for what you want to do with it.WHAT ABOUT WARRANTY AND RETURNS?
Your chance to get your money back ends once
it has landed in the owner’s hands or bank
account. The vast majority of warranties on bikes
are not transferrable. Interestingly, a handful
of components have transferrable warranties,
such as Nextie carbon rims. But the safest bet
is do your research on the bike, and the seller,
beforehand.USING BUY AND SELL PAGES
So you’re browsing buy and sell pages and you