Everything Wrong With My £400 Cannondale! (How To Service a Used Bike) 

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Jim is very impressive. He was systematic in examining the bike, and his explanations were very clear and informative. It's obvious that he's a very capable mechanic, and he was an excellent choice for this video. Bravo!

Love Jim as a mechanic, hope he reads the comments and see how much love he totally deserves :)

Appreciate a good bike mechanic that doesn’t look to up sale just because the bike has some mileage on it.

Top notch content. Jim, the bike guy, was thorough and articulate. His explanations and methods of testing are some of the best content I've seen. It is such a joy to see a true master mechanic at work. Can't say enough good things about this vid. Good camera work too. All the best.

Just great when Jim comes on. He brings a level of expertise that is much a appreciated. The whole inspection of the CAAD was so professional with lots of useful pointers that I will incorporate into my own restorations. Thanks all!

What an informative/interesting video. I am a 76 yo retired m/mechanic, and a keen cyclist, I learned so much watching this, just goes to show, never stop learning, and then teach others. Brilliant. Greetings from Melbourne. Australia. Thankyou so much.

Great video David. Great info not only in what to look for when shopping for a used bike but also when looking over your current bike(s) for any possible issues.

The most important thing is making sure it's not a stolen bike

Agree that Jim is the best mechanic to show you exactly what is needed, calm, cool dude that knows his stuff . Brilliant.

Jim is simply the Bob Ross of Bike Mechanics 👍😀

I've seen many setup videos for shifters, but this was the first time someone mentioned that the cable condition has a influence on the downshifting. Thank you very much for this video.

This is an incredible level of detail. Way beyond the superficial listicle crap you often find. This is Calvin Jones level content.

For $400! I will take it without the wheel! A bargain!! btw, the 4 bolt stem/bar setup although sound nice to be equal tension/travel, in the real world it really doesn't matter a single bit as long as the 4 bolt are not over tight/loose

Guys you missed the most important bit on that bike Wear of the carbon fork on the upper bearing seat … The clamping ring there tends to grind a ring on the carbon steerer tube Really like to have the opinion from a expert here. Maybe you can make a short video on that … Best regards

I feel like an apprentice learning from a master. Loved the explanations with demonstration.

Love this bike mechanic

Great video this, really helpful tips and comments from Jim. More of this type of content would be excellent.

Great display and knowledge of buying a used bike. Thank you, Jim.

Excellent video. Even a beginner can follow this video and make a decision without worrying to much. And yes any second bike requires some parts to be changed. For example I recently bought a street bike and the first and only things I checked were the frame to be in good condition, the fork as well with no play , no bends of the frame, I've checked the hubs(but the seller was already a carrying guy and checked and lubricated all the hubs(crank and wheels). Also I looked at the wheels to be in order. IN my case I didn't cared too much about the gears and breaks because I swapped them with new ones anyway. But please take another matter into consideration: make sure that even if you love that bike, the way it was kept and used, make sure it the right size for you . Test it and feel it . I did it and now I am really happy with my purchase but if you don't take in consideration this fact none of the repairs could fix that. Well more or less, because you can 'play' with the saddle height/position with the stem and handlebars, but only so far. Too much playing with these settings could put you in a bad state where you also spent money on the sizing matter and can't ride your bike comfortable.

Excellent run through of the steps to take when starting a bike service. Did all these steps last weekend servicing my bike.

Jim did a good job with the assessment of the bike and everything he said was quite educative... Now I know what to look out for when getting my next bike...👍🏾

So I’ve been riding around on my CAAD8 Cannondale for ages, love it, 70 miles to the globe pub in London last weekend, yes gears are a bit (not so good). But I’ve just purchased a new 105 rim group-set, and will buy new wheels DT-Swiss or Hunt. But as an astronautics engineer and someone who’s done engine strip downs and gearbox switches, in cars etc, I feel I have zero skills to fix/upgrade my bike compared to a seriously competent bike technician. This guy knows his stuff,.

I'm surprised a couple of things were not mentioned. 1. seat post and saddle - one of the worst things I've experienced was to try to loose a sized seat post. 2. Headset play/bearings - so common to be rusty or neglected. Excellent video though! Jim is awesome!

Terrific information! I'm realizing how lucky I was when I bought my last used bike, and I feel so much for savvy for the time that I'll buy my next one!

What a great video, full of practical advice and tips. Thank you!

I’m rebuilding my Giant SCR 3.0 before donating to a good cause. I thought I knew what I was doing until I watched this video. I’ve learned so much. Thank you.

More important than your £400 bike - Jims tache is back!

Great video with a very competent mechanic

Really informative video and a nice tone and mood

Rear Derailleur install & setup request. The front derailleur vid is the best vid there is! Gradual, methodical, clear and concise is the way to go.

This is great thanks. Would be interested to watch a similar video with a really badly worn bike that needs new components.

An advice to your mechanic: if the sides of the rims are a bit oxidized it means that the bike hasn't been used for quite some time. Either it has very low mileage or it spent lot of time in a damp cellar. The best check for side rims is a penny and a check if one can see through. And side cracks in the rubber are not always of concern if the upper mantle is good, as many brand new Schwalbe tires happen to do this after only 2-3 months after being mounted properly. My brand new Schwalbe tires had cracks in the walls after 3 weeks, I got them exchanged by Schwalbe and the new ones developed the same side cracks after 2 months and then I used them for another 10.000km without any issue, with correct air pressure, of course. The rubber is only skindeep over the carcasse and it is not the rubber, but the carcasse that holds the tire together. - I have serviced many bearings and if there is a wiggle then most of times it is not worn out bearings but rather loose konus screws that were not tightened in the factory. - If the shifting cables are shiny but hard to use then most of time there is absolutely no need to exchange them. Just take them out and wipe off that awful white Shimano gunk slime that they put on in the factory. After a few years the Shimano grease tends to get incredibly hard and sticky in the cable housings and shifters. WD40 is your king to remove it. After cleaning and lubing it with "wet" chain oil most of the time it is like new. - If the chain is good, but rusty and the flopping DORK DISC is still mounted including spider webs, then you certainly have a bike that was ridden several times around the block and then forgotten in the garage for ages. Happens so often. 😅

When he starts to talk about the stem bolts you know he is a wise man 👍

Such a valuable exercise and explanation. Thanks very much.

Great bike, great mechanic. All it really needs is a really good cleaning and some nice premium tires and it’s good to go. I get some light weight alloys or maybe some very lightweight carbon wheels, about 30mm deep for each.

Great video. In the US (especially since COVID) used bikes are a common thing - great to see the experts weigh in.

I could listen to Jim all day

Damn JIm knows his stuff. I always learn something from his videos

Jim's vid on setting up an ultegra 11 speed front derailleur helped save my hair from being pulled out😂

Speaking of safety, on a caad12 you need to look under the bottom bracket area to check if the plastic cover where the cables pass is the original one ( made entirely of plastic) or if it has been replaced by the part with a metal piece that will stop the cable cutting into the plastic and eventually cut your spindle

Good vid chaps. I would also add a quick headset check by taking the bike off the stand, holding the front brake on and rocking to feel for play in the headset. Also moving the bars from side to side to feel for any roughness or stiffness. 👍

This guy has really mastered the art of explaining things.

Great video! Did Jim check the headset for tightness and bearing rattle?

This video is gold!

Great video! That bike is a crit rocket!!! The drivetrain set my ocd off!!! Cables, housings, chain, cassette, tyres and brake shoes please. And a deep deep cleaning. The cracking is in the decals that is under the clear coat paint.

Very informative, thank you.

Would love to see this being cleaned up and tuned as well as new components and upgrades put in. That too in a detailed video.

Wow 🤩 Lots of details , Nice 👍

Excellent informative content. There's a trade for every job for a very good reason.

Thanks, great instructional video.

A very informative video. Thanks very much.

14:43 I live surrounded by mountains. I spend a significant amount of time on the small chainring. I'm pretty sure I use it a lot more than the big ring.

I’ve got the caad10 variant. Love it. Keeping an eye out for a disc brake variant now. M

Wish I could upvote twice!

Second time seeing a Jim video. Knows his stuff.

Loving the carhartt Dungarees 😎🤙🏽

Great video. Just wondering, I have a 5mm scratch on my bike that's down to metal. Do you know what sandpaper grit 8 should use to sand it

400 quid for a ultegra cadd 12 is a bargain, I ride one of these and they are great. Definitely upgrade the wheels. One thing I had an issue was with the carbon seat post seizing to the aluminium frame.

Great content!

Would also have been curious to know what to look out for on those dropper shifters, I've got a handlebar shifter on my Triban RC100 atm and would like to get an integrated shifter in the hoods. No idea what to look out for tho

Jim is bloody brilliant

I have a red Canyon, from new, with the exact same groupset and wheels. This felt like time travelling to the future 😂

Maybe it doesn't make a difference but Park Tool Chain Check sheet recommends moveable pin between the inner plates.

You didn't mention the headset bearing having mentioned water damage.I bought a s/h carbon bike on an auction site and when it arrived the bottom headset bearing was rusty in two pieces as you could feel the roughness from turning the bars. The bike came from Scotland so possibly water and salt were to blame. Went right through the bike after that and even had the cassette apart to clean and reassemble. I actually use the inner ring quite a lot by the way. Check to see if pedals are seized on the crank (or seatpost is seized in position) ?

Jim needs an own channel 🙌🤘🚲

I think they should check the head set bearings on that awesome handlebar moustache 😂

Really helpful

Not sure I'd do much. New tyre, maybe 2. Check brake shoes and replace , if not sued for couple of years. Thorough clean and lube on drivetrain, front , rear derailleurs, chain and rear sprocket. Closer inspection on all cables, replace if necessary .New bar tape because that's always nice. Check front headstock bearings fro play / grinding. Then do a bike fit for me , and ride it 😀😀

Mavic krsyriums, great wheels. Underrated

When’s the final review episode coming?

HED Ardennes Black - excellent quality wheels with a _textured_ braking surface

This video was really interesting, thanks Jim. what could really go wrong with a CAAD12 anyway? just a few pounds to service this bike and a really top bike that's not even ten years old.

How much did Jim charge you for the service?

Surprised he didn’t check for headset play and maybe see if the seat stem was seized.

I'm saving this video for future reference.

caad 12 ultegra for 400pound ?thats so impressive.. its around 2.5x that here in australia. i bought a caad optimo tiagra for this price 1 year ago

Nice video guys one of the best I've seen. But as a mechanic I'm crying, you didn't check head set nor free hub body😢 how is star nut or compression thingy are the drop outs aligned. Is the frame bent. Nice quick check but c'mon safety is critical you said it but didn't check it.

Great video. That's an amazing bike for only $400 pounds!

need a video with the bike all cleaned up

I'd love to see this bike sent over to your British mates at Bikespeeds for a thorough tune-up and video!

It clearly hasn't been ridden much, so the paint damage is surprising. My Caad10 is 12 years old, winter ridden and gets left wet in the garage. The paint work is still good. What could have happened to this paint?

Is it easy to put new groupssets on old new bikes like this or are new groupssets not compatible?

At around 6:50, when you were talking about a “parts wash” - what do you typically use as a parts wash solution?

I didn't know Michael Biehn was fixing bike!

As I read the signs - the chain is dirty but if it's the same chain the bike was sold with and since it's not worn much it means the bike probably doesn't have much mileage on it. It was probably not stored in good conditions because the tires are gone and the paint is cracking. But otherwise it should be fine. But why did the owner install an aftermarket stem and handle wrap? Probably because he tried to make it longer or shorter and in the process experitmented with wrapping the bar. But still this is weird because people who don't wear out their chain through several seasons with no lubrication tend not to notice the bike is long or short for them and tend not to experiment with aftermarket parts on their own. Maybe the guy got sold this stem and wrap at the same time he bought the bike itself. That would explain it all.

Didn't you make a video on this before? when you purchased it. 🤔🤔

I bought a pinarello trevio yesterday in very nice original condition for 500€

Having used @jimthebikeguy to sort out a few niggles on my bikes, I can vouch that he's as thorough, lucid and helpful as this clip portays!

jim is awesome

I would check the SEATPOST is not seized free before buying any bike

Excellent

£400 still sounds like a lot of money for a bike to me but then I remind myself I spent £200 on a TI Raleigh Europa racing bike in 1983 when I was 17...

Hey! I've watched this before like months ago!

Where do I find a Caad 12 like this one for £400? Certainly not eBay, they are more like £800 in worse condition.

The only answer for me: Full service. Almost all used bikes I see being sold never had a full service prior to being sold.

I have the same bike for sale 😂 it's a great bike and easily on par with carbon frames.

Its hard to expect perfect bike for 1/4 price

I love this guy; he is so handsome, his dungarees are amazing, and he talks with such passion about derailleurs. Must be a total ladykiller.

Jim should have been a theater actor instead of a bike mechanic.