The bike has recently become more and more popular not only with young and active people, but also with elderly ones. Different people go for a ride for different reasons: the stars of show business want to be the role models, environmentally concerned people don’t want to pollute air with exhaust fumes and those, who are stick to healthy life style never betray it. If you also suddenly realized that you want to ride a bicycle, but you cannot afford a new one from a factory, do not worry! After all, sometimes, among used bicycles you can find a great option, and unreasonably cheap.
The market for new bicycles is increasing and many cyclists have several bicycles. But often used bicycles are sold on the local classifieds websites such as http://www.kijiji.ca and among them you can find a decent bicycle at a fairly good price. Such a bike will serve for a long time, and you will be pleased with its quality.
But, it is very important to remember: that the choice of a good used bicycle depends only on you, so you need to know what to look for when buying one.
First of all, do not be afraid to ask what you are interested in.
Once you have found a bicycle that you liked – it’s appearance, condition and price – start asking questions to find out important details.
These questions are very important:
How old is the bike?
What is the mileage that it has already passed?
How often did the bike go through the maintenance?
So, you will find out how well the owner looked after his bike. It is also important to clarify exactly where it was being repaired, because there are amateur mechanics who can service their bike on their own. This is not bad, but the quality of such procedures may be lame.
When viewing bicycle options online, pay attention to the photos. Many sellers upload photos, where you can even notice the scratches or even dents on the bike. Sometimes photos can tell about a bicycle more than the owner’s answers to your questions.
Note the three main points you should take into consideration: the steering wheel, the pedals and the rear derailleur. Consider the front part of these points particularly well. If they have horizontal scratches, you’d better steer clear of buying such a bike.
Pay attention to the frame. The more scratches and dents there are on the frame of the bike, the more it survived, and hence the mechanism is shabby.
If the frame of the bicycle is aluminum, then pay special attention to the dents, for this it is best to hold the frame by hand to feel all the potholes. Naturally, you should not take a bike with dents, but a small number of small dents is acceptable.
If the frame is steel, you should pay attention to rust and peeling paint, especially if you buy from the owner who lives near the sea.
It is more difficult to inspect a carbon frame because the dents are not so noticeable on it, so pay attention to scratches and other external components of the bike. While examining bikes for sale, remember that scratches on the shift knobs or on the rear switch show that the bicycle has been in an accident.