What should I check in a second hand bike

[Scottish.cyclist.lad]

Hi

I've seen a bike I like on gumtree. Good price, good specs, one of those bikes I've had in my bucket list for some time.

I'm thinking about taking the car and go check it out.

What checks should I do on the bike? FYI, it's a carbon framed bike

[cycleruk]

I would prioritise safety and cost.
Condition of frame & forks, such as cracks or marks or something that might hide damage. (unlikely to be a problem but you never know)
Wheel condition - check for rim wear. (rim walls should be flat and not concave due to brake wear. Not relevant if disc brakes) Spin wheels to check for running true.
Hold wheel rim and push side to side to check for wheel bearing play.
Tyre condition - not really a problem but good tyres cost a bit.
Bottom bracket - Push/pull on crank arms looking for play in BB.
Do the gears work well as this would possibly be expensive to repair/replace.
Hold the front brake on and push/pull on the bars to check the headset.
Have a test ride and listen / feel for noises.
Then general condition of the other parts.

[Norman H]

Is it stolen?.

By asking the right questions you should get a fair idea if it's genuine. If it seems dodgy it probably is.

[Scottish.cyclist.lad]

Thanks.

Doesn't seem dodgy. Like, usually if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. This one seems legit, meaning, accordingly priced (if I had a hot bike advertised on gumtree, I'd price it on the lower end to get rid of it pronto).

Anyways, it's this one: https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/road ... 1399653694

Only thing I can see from the few photos is that wee dent/scratch (or just dirt...who know knows) above the cassette in photo 2.

[cycleruk]

If it's just a superficial scratch then no problem. If it's a "dent" then be wary.
It's a large frame so check it's your size.

[simonhill]

Are you limited to the number of letters/words in a Gumtree ad?

Shimno, Canandale, etc plus other suspect words in description. I would have thought the proper owner wouldn't make these mistakes. Also why is it photographed in a field.

Maybe I'm too suspicious, but I'd double check the provenance and surely, asking proper price is far less likely to attract suspicion.

I hope it's a good deal, good luck, but be vigilant.

[cyclop]

Agree to pay cash on inspection.Ask a few questions,you will soon sniff out something fishy e.g.how long has he had it,why is he selling,is he the original owner,if so ask for proof of purchase.The bike looks little used on a casual inspection.

[cycleruk]

The photo could be in the back garden (bird house in the background ?)
Go to the sellers house. Not wise to agree too meet at somewhere convenient.

[Jamesh]

Yep looks sus.

No model name - synapse not reference to type of bike or key selling points, no reason for sale, no background pics for reference.

Cheers James

[Jodel]

I'd be fairly happy buying a 2nd hand steel framed bike, slightly wary of an alloy frame and I would not entertain a 2nd hand carbon frame. It may be perfectly fine, but it can be very difficult to spot crash damage (other than catastrophic) on a carbon bike.

I replaced the carbon forks with steel ones on my Specialized Tricross Sport after a low-speed impact with a stray dog. The forks looked absolutely fine (and probably were) but without an x-ray, I couldn't be certain. My Specialized and my partner's bike both had their carbon forks replaced under Specialized recall programme. Not a great advert for longevity.

I'm not a fan of carbon full-stop, 2nd hand carbon I'd definitely avoid.

[gbnz]

Shimno, Canandale, etc plus other suspect words in description. I would have thought the proper owner wouldn't make these mistakes.

I presume you're being ironic. Surely you've noted the spelling on this forum (Nb. Or i pesuum ur'e bbing ionic - cyclists have a way with words)

[iandriver]

The term M check is widely described on the internet. I'd suggest you familiarise yourself with the concept.

Examples are https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/ge ... n-11-steps or https://www.GetNastyComputerVirusHere.co.uk/blog/archi ... e-m-check/

It's a good rudimentary basis for any home mechanic.

[chris_suffolk]

I'd definitely only agree to meet as his house. For a bike like that I'd expect to be able to see a receipt or at the very least know which shop it came from (and then check they sell cannondale etc). It looks ok, but there are a few worrying pointers as others have said above.

[gregoryoftours]

I dunno but if I was trying to sell a Cannondale bike I'd put the Brand and model in the title as they are selling points, and so that a search for that brand will bring it up. It might be legit but it may also be that the seller doesn't want someone looking for their stolen Cannondale finding it straight up in a search. In any case amongst other things I'd check for abrasion to the inside of the fork/stays caused by tyre rub. If present it's more of a serious issue than for other frame materials I'd say.

[simonhill]

Shimno, Canandale, etc plus other suspect words in description. I would have thought the proper owner wouldn't make these mistakes.

I presume you're being ironic. Surely you've noted the spelling on this forum (Nb. Or i pesuum ur'e bbing ionic - cyclists have a way with words)

I used to wonder why scam emails had obvious spelling or grammatical mistakes. I'm told they are put in on purpose to weed out the more discerning reader.