First DH bike? brand new or 2nd hand?

[jlipscombe]

hey guys,

Want to find out what would be better for a first DH rig, brand new or 2nd hand.
price is up for debate depending on condition.
2nd hand bike with a decent spec, but a couple of years old versus a brand new bike with a lower spec around the same price.
i realise you get benefits of getting warranty with a brand new bike, but would 2nd hand with a better spec bike still out-weigh it in performance and overall value of the buy?

I've had a look through the For Sales and had a look online at a few different bikes, had a look at the specs and pricing of a few Glory's, Stabs, Demos and Norcos, and still a bit unsure about it all still.

any thoughts or information from more experienced riders who've been here before would be great.

 

[Nerf Herder]

whats your budget ... this will answer your question

 

[zstreetco]

all comes down to price...warranty is awesome but unless your getting a fantastic deal at a shop, then a 2nd hander can be a good option, especially for your first bike. You'll often find as a first time rider, you'll want to chop and change things left right and centre until you find something that feels sweet to ride, so this means a 2nd hander at a lower price could be beneficial.

Only thing to look out for ESPECIALLY as a first time rider, is the condition of the 2nd hander....unfortunately LOTS of people will rip you off big time...best option is to try and take a mate who knows the in's and out's of DH bikes if you can, otherwise read up as much as you can, often you'll find bikes have similar problems (e.g. a crack in bb, or down tube, etc) in a certain model/year of bike, so check this out as much as possible before buying.

Otherwise...GOOD LUCK! and welcome to the sport

 

[jlipscombe]

Max price is $2500. can't see myself having the money to afford much over that price. especially for 1st bike too.
i've been told a glory, 08 or 09, would be a good bke to start out with, or a norco, because they are built pretty solidly to take some punishment. but sounds like i need to watch out if people are trying to rip a busted bike off to someone.
the forums on here would be the first place to look you reckon?

cheers for the help,
hope to get out on trails soon.

nerf herder, your from the mountains? where abouts do you ride for DH? has Old Bathurst rd been re-opened?

 

[Jaydawgz]

I'm going to say second hand.
For downhill, your going to be crashing, whether you like it or not.
I got my first DH bike second hand, although it was only 6 months old and in great condition.
Just find something you like I guess.

 

[whitey89]

Get a decent spec'd 2nd hander, you wont get anything worth riding properly/having fun on for 2500 new.

 

[jlipscombe]

cheers guys, appreciate the help, especially as i'm just starting out with DH. happy to take any help or advice.
i'll keep roaming through whats on here.

 

[joey]

Perfect

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/2005-Balfa-B...cling_Bikes&hash=item3f069d2f07#ht_500wt_1156
Worth the drive to pick up and a perfect 1st DH rig and you only spend half as much money.(No Im not the seller and i dont know the seller)

 

[Dh Rasta]

+1 for Jaydawgz
Definately a 2nd hand bike, especially for starting out.
Find something you like, feel comfortable with and is what you think a reasonable price

 

[outtacontrol]

Depends on what you can pick up. I am new to DH and faced the same dilema.

I picked up a new 09 Norco A Line Park for $2000. Pretty much full saint kit, except for the wheels.
Pretty heavy, but solid enough for a noobie

 

[T-Rex]

If you look around the shops that are big into DH, you might find some new older models. Last time I was at TBSM they still had a couple of 09 Sundays, at absolute bargin prices.

Here's one example of what I'm talking about:

http://tbsm.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7_15_18&products_id=215

It might be worth giving them a call, they often have stuff that's not on their web site.

 

[jlipscombe]

cheers for the link joey, what a coincidence hey haha. thanks though, bit far at this stage. found a couple selling around the central coast and sydney, they are the areas i'm mainly looking at. something i can pick up rather then pay for shipping on.

cheers guys.

 

[scblack]

cheers for the link joey, what a coincidence hey haha. thanks though, bit far at this stage. found a couple selling around the central coast and sydney, they are the areas i'm mainly looking at. something i can pick up rather then pay for shipping on.

cheers guys.

TBSM is in Sydney - look up Mortdale on the map. (I was looking at T-Rex's link)

They are a shop that does some very good deals - for DH I'd recommend them for sure.

 

[T-Rex]

cheers for the link joey, what a coincidence hey haha. thanks though, bit far at this stage. found a couple selling around the central coast and sydney, they are the areas i'm mainly looking at. something i can pick up rather then pay for shipping on.

cheers guys.

Didn't notice you were on the Central Coast. Give Erina Bikeworks a call, they might have something.

The other thing I would add is that if you are inexperienced, you need to take your time if you are buying second hand. You will learn a lot by looking at bikes and talking to people, and could avoid an expensive mistake. My second DH bike I purchased second hand ex rental but it had only been ridden about four times and it looked immaculate. Turned out it had got water into the bearings, and most of the suspension pivots and the bottom bracket were stuffed after a couple of months of riding it. No big deal for me, but if I didn't know how to replace all that stuff myself, it would have been an expensive mistake.

You should check out the CCOMTB ride day on 13 Feb at Ourimbah, even if you don't have your DH bike by then, there will be heaps of bikes to look at and friendly people to talk to.

Details in this thread: http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?219068-Ourimbah-DH-ride-day-Sunday-13-February

 

[jlipscombe]

ok thanks for the heads up t-rex, i'll try take a mate to sus some bikes out. he should know if anything is up with one.
yeah io saw the ourimbah ride day, looks like a really good day to check it out but i'm going o.s. next week andw ill be away for it. so i'm going to keep an eye out for another day, or just go out with some mates to show me around a couple of places.
yeah i live on the cental coast, but kind of all over the place, most weekend up at the blue mountains so i've checked out blackmans at penrith and a couple of shops up the coast too, so may be they might have some alright deals on odler models.
i checked out TBSM website, but have never been to the shop, so thats another option to try out.
cheers for all the help guys, didn't think i'd get this much help.
thanks for helping a newbie out.

 

[SideFX]

On page three < DH BIKES FOR SALE > there is a 2010 glory one , thats what you want . Shame about the forks as they came with boxxer teams , but its a good buy .
No disrespect , but that kona at TBSM is poo .

 

[hazza6542]

nerf herder, your from the mountains? where abouts do you ride for DH? has Old Bathurst rd been re-opened?

Sadly no, I have to drive out to either Lithgow, Kurrajong or Oxford Falls to ride now. Back on topic, 2nd hand is the only way to do it, such good deals.

 

[vicente]

Second hand ! I only buy second hand ! My first downhill was 3years old... Now i can afford a pro bike as new for the price of a bad new bike.
My last downhill was coming from a guy how didn t even used the original tires and was sold 1/3 of it s shop price !

 

[vicente]

and don t hesitate to ask at someone who know about brand and bike... i take the bike for a 1h ride before buying it... look at all the imperfections of the frame...