Buying second hand bike - advice, please

pottssteve

Hello,

I'm off to see a second hand road bike tomorrow and would appreciate some advice. It's a 20 year old steel frame (don't know the make). 56cm frame, currently with 700 x 30mm tyres. Components are Shimano 105, replaced relatively recently. Frame has been professionally resprayed. Don't know anything else. The guy selling it seems very genuine, no hard sell, and wants HK$1500 for it (about 125 quid).

I'm going to ride it to test shifters, brakes etc, and will spin the wheels to look for buckling/out of true. What else should I do? How do I check if the frame is bent (and is this likely on a steel frame)? Does the price sound reasonable? I may well use it on a turbo trainer - any issues (other than tyre wear/getting a turbo tyre)?

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks, Steve

markos1963

Price depends if the frame is of good quality tubing(531 etc) if it is then price is pretty good. Still not too bad if components are newish and good quality. Frame should be checked for streightness and any dings, importantly check to see if the drain holes on chainstays and bottom bracket are clear and rust free, sometimes on a respray they get blocked with paint and can lead to corrosion in the tubes. Also check that the seatpost can be moved and is not seized. The headset should be checked for smoothness and a lack of notchiness, same for the BB. To check streightness of frame get the bike upright and stand a few feet behind and infront and look at the wheels to see if they are in line. Get a tape measure and measure from BB to rear axle, this should be equal if not then the rear triangle could be twisted.

pottssteve

Thanks, Monty.

Could you tell me how I would know if it was Reynolds tubing, please? Is it stamped on the frame, for example?
Cheers,
Steve

markos1963

Monty?

Should be a sticker on the frame, usually on the seat tube and on the forks if its a really good frame.

pottssteve

Sorry, Markos,

I'd just read the name monty somewhere! :oops:

Thanks for the info, but as the frame is 20 years old and has been resprayed I assume the stickers will be gone - am I wrong?

Steve

markos1963

pottssteve wrote:

Sorry, Markos,

I'd just read the name monty somewhere! :oops:

Thanks for the info, but as the frame is 20 years old and has been resprayed I assume the stickers will be gone - am I wrong?

Steve

Depends, sometimes a frame sprayer will put a new sticker on, in fact sometimes a less than honest seller will put a sticker on a non 531 frame but this tends to stand out like a sore thumb so watch out for this. If there is no sticker then look at the frame for signs of quality: shaped lugs, braze ons for bottles,pump,front mech, cable guides. Quality tends to stand out so drop outs will look neat same with seat clamp and BB shell. A 501 frame will have some of these features but not all, lower quality will have even less.

pottssteve

Thanks for your help, Markos.

markos1963

No problem, good luck.

MontyCC

pottssteve wrote:

Thanks, Monty.

No Probs!

Glad to see my "help by hypnosis" technique works via the internet too!!

Monty Dog

Err, I reckon he was thinking not the 'other Monty', you know the one that's been on here for a while!