- So you're thinking about buying a secondhand bike.
You've tried looking at the bike shop,
but funnily enough you can't find one.
So you're looking used.
But how do you find one?
Where do you look?
And then even once you've found a bike, what do you do?
Do you just go to some random person's house
and give them a bunch of your hard earned cash?
Well, yeah, you kinda do.
I'm Tom Bradshaw.
And today we're going to get you started
on how to buy a used mountain bike.
We're gonna go through the questions you need
to ask yourself.
The questions need to ask the seller.
We're going to get you some bargaining chips
that you can use to get yourself a deal
on that new dream machine.
So let's start simple.
There's two questions you need to ask yourself.
First, what's your budget?
And second, what do you really need
from this new dream machine of yours?
The black hole of buying mountain bikes online
is literally endless.
So make sure you write your budget down and add 10%.
Why? Because you're probably gonna have
to add a few new parts,
maybe factor in some postage
and if not, treat yourself, go on.
So next, what are two or three things you really want
from this mountain bike?
This is a really hard question because we're all different.
It might be 29 inch wheels, dropper post,
yellow pedals, a flower basket.
I don't care.
Just make sure you write two or three main things down
because there are literally an unlimited amount
of mountain bike features out there.
A good place to start with these key features is to think
about what type of riding you're gonna be doing,
and where you're gonna be writing the most.
So for example,
you might be writing smooth, fast single track.
So maybe you want 120 to 140 mm trail bike
or maybe you live at the bottom of the bike park.
So you want a 200 mm plus downhill bike
you don't care how much it weighs.
It's totally up to you.
Okay. Now we know roughly what we're looking for.
Let's go find it.
But where? well, it's gonna be online
and where online will depend exactly
where you are in the world.
I'm in Canada, so surprise, surprise Pinkbike buy and sell.
You can use any online marketplace around the world
but just make sure the user is legit
and that the bike actually exists.
So now we wanna get to our shortlist of bikes.
Say half a dozen or so.
Use of filters to narrow it down buying price.
And those key specs we wrote down before.
One key thing to think about right now,
is whether you want to see the bike
in person before you buy it.
In an ideal world, yes.
You'll be able to make sure that the bike is actually
in the condition that it looks like in the photos,
and you also have a chance to get
some more bargaining chips that we'll talk about shortly.
But sometimes it's not possible to see the bike in person.
So, consider setting up a video call
to inspect the bike yourself,
or ask the seller to take it to their local bike shop
where you can speak directly to the mechanic.
And if it's all good, you can ask them to box the bike up
to make sure it's safe during transit to you.
Now you're narrowing your shortlist down.
Let's get into the details.
And there's three key steps here.
Look at the reviews, look at the location of the bike,
and look at the age of the bike.
First look for reviews of the bike online.
Typically a bike is reviewed before it's released.
So keep in mind that it's brand new at this point.
But sometimes you can find a longer term test review.
And this will give you a good indication
of how the bike's held up.
Secondly, I always think about where is the bike?
And where has it been rode on?
For example, where has it been punished
in a bike park day in day out?
- Sounded like he snapped his frame!
- Or has it spent its time on flatter, more mellow terrain?
Also think about the climate.
Is it a wetter more extreme environment?
Or a dryer perhaps less harsh climate?
Third is the age of the bike.
Bikes have come a long way in the last five or so years.
Particularly around frame geometry and wheel size.
Let's fast forward, now you've got it nailed down
to one or two bikes
that are still for sale and you wanna buy.
Now it's time to look for a yellow and our red flags.
Yellow flags are a bargaining chips.
Minor issues definitely not deal breakers,
but really good to keep an eye out for.
Because they'll help you negotiate a good price
for the bike.
Red flags on the other hand, there are deal breakers.
They help us get to the know and that's fine.
There are plenty more efficient to say.
Living cares has done a video on what to look for
in a used bike.
- So, let's Start with the frame chasma.
What am I looking for and where am I looking?
- Make sure you give that a watch
because it will give you the information
to pinpoint the yellow and red flags
on the bike you're about to buy.
Personally, what I consider as a yellow flag are wearables.
Things like worn drivetrain,
worn brake pads, and maybe worn tires.
Whereas a red flag is something more significant
like a cracked or broken frame
or massive scratches on the stanchions.
So we've covered off a lot
and to wrap it all up, it's all important
that there are three key points I'd like you to take away.
First is set your budget.
It's really important to set that limit
so you don't get carried away
spending more than you need to.
Secondly, it's important to identify
what features you really wanted from the bike.
And that's gonna be dependent
on where you ride and how you ride.
And lastly, make sure you're able to identify yellow
and red flags as these will be your bargaining chips
to help you negotiate a good price
for this new dream machine.
So that's a wrap on how to buy a used bike.
Make sure you like and subscribe to the channel
and let me know your horror stories
and your success stories of buying your own used bike.
That's it for now?
Thanks for watching.
I love it, I like the words you write. Right.
And they just disappear.
It's great.
(laughing)
So you're thinking about buying
a secondhand mountain bike, peppy days.
(upbeat music)
(laughing)