What to look out for in a 2nd hand bike

[943]

Evening all

I’m going to have a look at a 2nd hand Giant Fathom 1 (2018) tomorrow. My first mountain bike....

I have a general idea of what to look out for but is there anything specific I should watch out for or any questions I should ask of the seller?

Appreciate the advice.

 

[Isaakk]

• Has the owner maintained drivetrain? (ie, cleaned and lubed chain, kept an eye on cassette wear etc?)
• Washed bike frequently? If yes, how? Did they take care to not pressurewash all the grease out of bearings?
• Any play in headset, cranks or hubs?
• Smooth gear shifting?
• Brakes solid feeling (ie, not spongy)?
• Spokes all nice and tight, and wheels straight/true?
• Dropper goes up & down without much effort? Giant droppers have been known in past to seize in the link cable more easily than others
• Fork feels alright, rebound damping works correctly? Lockout works?
• Tyre wear?

 

[creaky]

Make sure it’s the right size for you. A great deal on the wrong size frame is not a great deal!

Scratches on the frame are ok but be careful with any dings.

 

[Halo1]

All of the above and I try to stalk the owner on line as much asI can to get a sense if they rode the bike a lot or the bike sat there collecting dust.

 

[Flow-Rider]

I look for for things that are going to cost a lot to repair.

Do an online search for cracks of that particular frame and check the locations when you see the frame.

Check for loose bearings in wheels and pivots.

Check for munted bolt ends, always a sign that the bike hasn't had bolts properly done up which leads to many other problems.

Check for excess movement in the dropper post and forks bushings.

Bring a chain checker tool with you to see if the drive train will need replacing.

Check for removed serial numbers.

Load up the rear free hub and make sure that it doesn't pop under load.

 

[safreek]

Oh, and never buy a giant

 

[Mr Crudley]

Oh, and never buy a giant

Hard to beat their awesome warranty though

I have to agree with all of the above. give it a once over and if it looks like it has had a hard life then I'm sure you will pick it up pretty quickly first up.

Hold on rotating parts like wheels, cranks, fork, frame suspension, linkages, headset etc and check for any play of wear. Check that wheels and suspension move without resistance. Look for worn drivetrain but this has to be expected for a used bike.

You can always walk away - another one always pops up.

 

[safreek]

Also watch out for the pricks that put large wheels on bikes, it's just a trend, 29 wheels I'm talking about. 26 inch wheels are the only way to go, 27.5 is sort of acceptable

 

[T-Rex]

Don't buy a second hand bike off a fast guy. Fast guys crack frames. If the seller is old, slow and looks a bit scared, that's OK.

And.... you need a large or extra large frame size.

 

[943]

Thanks y’all for your advice. Picked up a 2019 Trek x-calibur 9 from Bill On gumtree tonight. Really looking forward to getting out on the trail very soon.