Buying A Used Bike? 10 Things To Check BEFORE You Buy 

BROY!!!!

You should do a second hand buying challenge - old school Top Gear style. Would make for a great video - 3 diff bikes if Emily got involved as well.

Haha love it when he randomly swears at the camera. Know all this stuff but had to watch for the entertainment.

Would probably be an idea to read the instructions with that chain checker before you demo it. They give better results when you use them correctly.

I have them agree to meet at a local bike shop and just pay the shop for a quick inspection.

Another good one: wheel trune-ness. I bought a set of used wheels a bit ago and what got me was not the brake track, but the rear rim of the set turned out to be bent beyond repair, but it was not immediately obvious.

I so nearly bough a stolen bike , but there was so many read flags Stevie Wonder could had see them. Owned the bike from new ,but no DI2 charger.They were flat and did not know what was wrong with them. No receipt. Could not remember when he bought the bike and who from. It was way to big for him. I walked away as i don't buy stolen anything.

Alloy frames... quick visual check around the head tube (the tube on the frame between the handle bars and the fork), look for cracking... especially if you notice play in the headset. Very common failure location. If it's cracked, it's a "parts only" frame... a cracked headtube is a dental visit waiting to happen.

The availability of the original purchase receipt says more about the owner than the bike itself.

Such an important video and well timed. My first piece of advice to anyone wanting to get into cycling is to buy used. Bikes don't hold their value well at all, so for $400-$600 you can buy a pretty nice entry level bike that was $1,500 new. The issue with buying used is that you need to know what to look for so you make a good deal. Thanks for making this video and great tips! One thing that you didn't mention: Make sure you're buying the right size bike! Go to your local bike shop and ask them to give you a quick assessment so you know what size to buy. If you buy the wrong sized bike, it doesn't matter how good the deal was.

Bent mech hangars is the front door to a whole world of pain. Make sure the hi lo screws haven't been (unnecessarily) tampered with if shifting is not so good.

Worth mentioning that’s not how you use that first chain checker. Chain needs to be tensioned upwards between the 2 closest prongs as shown on the tool or it doesn’t read correctly.

Very informative video thanks. New bikes are costly so any tips for buying second hand are much appreciated! Enjoy your videos.

1. check to make sure IT FITS YOU

Get a Red Card and a Yellow Card...Jimmi can do the irate football referee...whistle too. All good tips. Might be worth mentioning that finding some of these flaws could allow the buyer to negotiate price. One question to ask the seller is if the original invoice is available. This avoids buying a stolen bike and getting precise original build information.

Thank you for all those handy Tips 👍 Au

so helpful! thank you

Good advice all round guys 👍

11. Cracks or kinks in the shifter or mechanical brake cable housing

i had an interesting experience with a bike purchase! drove around 60 miles to see a nice titanium framed road bike, price was about right, couple of minor details that needed a tweak here and there on the bike but it passed all my observations easily, I test rode the bike and it felt fine (acknowledging that the previous owner hadn't kept their gears adjusted properly, I was cool with sorting that). paid, drove home, happy as larry. that night, bike on the stand, started taking it all apart to clean/grease/tweak basically everything, get it up to spec and make sure I didn't need to change out any small components. but then, disaster! when I removed the rear wheel, I immediately noticed a whacking great big crack in the titanium chainstay, hidden around where the tyre was, not really visible when the bike was assembled. It was as good as scrap metal. the next day, I returned the bike to the seller. It was a difficult discussion but I'd done a bit of homework on my rights as a purchaser and I was within my rights to return the bike for a defect such as that, even second hand (which felt a bit weird but it's true). But! it was a very nasty wake-up call and i won't ever make that mistake again. seller could quite easily have said no thanks, and i would've had to take them to small claims court. thankfully it all worked out.

Guy brought his carbon rim brake wheels in, the braking surface was so thin it bent over from the pressure of the tube and tire... "yeah you need some new rims bud"

always, always, always check the seatpost. ive gotten everything off a bike, even a stubborn bb shell, with a breaker bar but a stuck seatpost has been the death of a frame or two. check that the seatpost isnt fully stuck in the frame.

Great video! I wish i saw this before went out and got my used Crescent Nano, the mech hanger was croocked and the quick release skewer was also crooked, so the bike had defintely been in some kind of fall or drop. Thanks, i spent some time to fix it but I would probably had passed if I knew what to check fore.

Some brand new Schwalbe tires get cracks at the side walls after only 6 months. They are not dead, but can achieve another 10.000km as I experienced. The sidewall rubber is very thin, but the internal nylon casing is the most important thing.

Recently bought a second-hand Ridley Fenix (aluminum)for 430 euros. Swapped the chain, it was waxed and couldn't be assed to clean it off. It had a new cassette so all good on the drivetrain front. Bike shop swapped the front mech (105) for an Ultegra one and i replaced the new but shite tyres for Continental Grand prix 4 seasons. Lovely ride and a perfect winter bike meanjng my pristine carbon bike stays in the warm and dry until the spring. I reckon that it's money well spent.

This all applies to “new” bikes too (returns, mishaps, missing parts, poorly put together, etc.)

Strangely I'd probably suck up worn tyres more than anything else you mention, you're always going to need to replace them as you go but bearings etc need to be good from the word go.

Have a look at how the rear wheel sits in the frame and if there seem to be extra washers spacing things - bought one with a bent frame a few years back and should have spotted it. Also watch out for seat tube stuck in the frame. Oh and the words “probably a simple fix” in the advert.

Would love to see a video on tips to make bike lighter for budget level road bike like decathlon

I predominantly only mountain bike, only recently have I built up a gravel bike, but I find this channel quite entertaining and informational. Thanks fellas

thank you for the video

I got one that had a single hand brake and a coaster brake hub. I didn’t even know at first that the hand brake didn’t work because I was trying to use the coaster brake only. Not a good idea on hills and I’m still not sure if it’s normal for that type of system to pop out of gear if I try to shift and pedal at the same time but it also takes the coaster brakes out, only time I can backpedal on it.

A good test for the headset is to hold the bike up with the front pointing down. Move the handlebar to one side and let it swing. If it directly locks in one position it might be done.

Nice❤❤❤❤ i love ir vids

I always check for wheel wobble first, local charity shop has 6 bikes and all have the wobble.

I got caught ut buying a second hand bike. i had the intention of riding it home but when i left it had a slow puncture which i didnt notice when checking it out. Finally got it home and replaced the tube only to find out the gears didnt work properly and they wouldnt shift. Seller claimed they worked fine before so i just ate my loss. Now i just buy brand new to save the hassle

Well done.

It a a merge in turn. A give way junction has a triangle marking at the end. Which a slip road doesn't. So it has never being a give way

Hey guys thanks for all that great content. Just want let you know that you missed the point with the" inner bar ends". I can not remeber wich episode it was. You tested several products and most are actually crap. But the Innerbarends maybe from SQ-Lab, are for riders with straight bars. The make u more aero and more comfy.

Had a couple second hand bikes, one would be a prime example of what not to buy as it was totally fubar but as i was after the frame and the kid selling it had no idea what he got it was a steal😃.

Followup to 6: Regarding the diagnostics of locating a creak, wouldn't a wheel on trainer be helpful a little bit? I mean .. putting your ear to a person riding a stationary bike is not the safest idea but it is a little bit safer than doing this on the road. At least it helped me finding out that a certain buzz is not a road buzz but probably shot bearings ..

I know this is going to read as being over suspicious, but about the first question to ask is does the seller have the original receipt for the bike. If the bike is a relatively recent model the lack of this is another red flag.

I actually bought a cheap bike with all those flaws intentional. This way I have to learn how to fix it and will no for future purchases how I can bargain down and I know what to do when I have issues in the middle of nowhere.

IMO the biggest thing to do is ask the seller about it. Why are they selling the bike? What is it's history? I've never met a cyclist who just gave up on cycling and decided to sell all of their bikes, every cyclist I've ever know to sell a bike has got a pretty good reason - They've bought a new bike and won't have space/use for it anymore, they don't race/TT anymore so they're selling to buy a different kind of bike, it's a bike they've grown out of and doesn't fit them anymore, etc My partner and I recently bought her a second hand bike, and the seller explained that they were selling because there was nobody in his family interested in it and also the right size for the frame. His Nephew had ridden it, then his son briefly, but they had all since grown and it was now just sat in an attic. Well maintained and in almost pristine condition. An honest seller will happily explain the history and their reasons for selling, because an honest seller probably loved that bike at some point, and probably still do. If they aren't willing to talk about it, or blow the question off with a curt answer, that's a big red flag for me! Cyclists are friendly people, and like chatting to other cyclists about bikes - so if they're not you have to wonder if they are a cyclist, and if not what are they doing with a bike to sell?

0:47 I thought he was about to introduce disc brake ---> "this is a wheel attached to another wheel"

7:19 FU to you too Jimmy.

Good video. the only thing I'd add in relation to No. 3 is to ask where the seller bought the bike in the first place. Do they have the original paperwork? If they're vague, it's a 🚩!

rim brakes are still around?

One really important: Counterfeit bikes. I was a victim of this one. Before buying a second hand bike, always take your time to go on the internet to look if it has fakes. If it does, check the details before getting there to inspect the bike. I bought myself a Pinarello Dogma 65.1 think2 2012 for 1200 euro. It looked decent and I assumed that 1200 euro was okay price for a 11 year old bike. After searching for this frame I learned that there are a lot of fakes out there that are almost identical. As a result, I checked mine and I realised that I'm a complete idiot and the bike is a fake. It looked really realistic but there are some tiny details giving it up. I've decided that I won't ride the bike nor can I sell it. It was pretty much throwing 1200 euro down the bin. Sad part is that I actually ordered 800 euro worth of stuff to upgrade the bike to my liking, including bottom bracket, property zero offset seat post, brakes, rear derailleur, chain and cassette. This was my worst buying mistake ever. Please learn from it and be cautious.

My city offers Bike owner Vendors number research for if bike is stolen 'Hot' .

Please please if you see this, check out ETOE's bike painting!! His business is failing and his art and paint jobs are some of the best I've seen, please save him from loosing his dream

Bleeding brakes is easier than you think when you buy the right bleeding kit. Even i can do it.

Is the second hand bike going to fit the rider

Jimmi and his F-Bombs, 'Tarantino' style! 😀

What about all the bikes that come with no pedals ...

Suspicious creaks and knocks in the bike always bugs me. Something to look out for.

Holy crapp, first to come first to see :)

Does it have Shimano cranks ? 🚩 :)

would have saved some money if this was out earlier :(

New bikes are so expensive :( I would like to buy one that is quite top tier tho... Its so hard :( Hoping for cheaper bikes

DUDE! Applying oil over a body of water does not set a good example! 3:16 Otherwise quite good tips.

To state it’s a red flag if the seller doesn’t want you to take a test ride I think is a bad call. If you’re selling a bike that costs as much as a car you don’t want the person to either ride off with it or drop, crash or damage the bike in any way. I can’t imagine they are going to buy the bike for what it’s worth once they’ve trashed it or at all. You should certainly check it over though and if you distrust the seller keep your money in your account for another day/bike.

Why is there no red flag emoji?

Constantly mentioning something they haven’t got but you can get (like a red flag) - RED FLAG!!

Not allowing a test ride is a hard one, thats one of the easiest way people nick bikes by going to have a look then just riding away on it 🤷

Long before this advice, I’m checking the value of the bike I’m intending to purchase, the profile of the seller and ratings, how close the current configuration of the bike is to OEM and if any of the changes add value or deduct value. The list of issues provided in this video are mostly irrelevant if you can establish these things.

Tight fists want a pristine used bike for peanuts and test rides protect the seller, get the money before the buyer rides off into the sun foc . Dont sell used bikes to numpties who cant change gear.

Remember every cyclist selling a good used bike is untrustworthy and probably nicked it, so go to halfords then you know your buying crap.