Buy 2nd Hand or Not?

Ciar
Ciar Posts: 28
edited April 2013 in MTB beginners
Been back riding 3-4 months, mostly road and resistance training on a turbo to get my fitness up, I ride a Cannondale CX 4 Quick 2013 Hybrid, soon to be my commuting bike and I love it.

Last couple of weekends the guy i train with and a few friends have been going off road, my hybrid does fine, but due to how muddy it is, you can see how riding an MTB would be a wiser decision, so I am looking at investing in a bike for the off road side of things, been checking ebay & gumtree, spotted a few bikes like the Rockhopper and the Cannondale SL3 as well as an SL5, but im not sure it's a good idea buying 2nd hand.

any pointers would be appreciated, most of the models i have checked are 2011 going for between £180-300 again not sure if that's good value, when new i could pick something up for £550-750.

any help or any other brands you would reccomend me take a look at would be a great help.

Comments

  • anonmouse
    anonmouse Posts: 102
    It depends on how confident you are at spotting problems or if you know someone who can. If so its the best bet for value for money.
  • Plyphon
    Plyphon Posts: 433
    With 2nd hand, don't kid yourself that the price you pay will be all you spend.

    Unless you drop on REALLY lucky you'll still spend a bit on the bike either

    1: Fixing slightly worn things
    2: Changing things to suit your personal tastes
    3: Just general hole-in-pocket syndrome.

    That said, you can get a lot more bike 2nd hand, if you're prepared to forgo a warranty and are a bit savvy fixing things.

    When I bought a new mtb I left it stock for months. When I bought my 2nd hand mtb I spent a further £200 odd setting it up fully to my own tastes, swapping bits I simply did not like, and regular bearing & fork maintenance.

    What bike do I like more? The 2nd hand purchase, by far.

    So you have to weight up what available on the 2nd hand market against what you really want. I was lucky in that the bike I found for sale was exactly what I wanted bar one or two components.
  • felix.london
    felix.london Posts: 4,067
    Don't understand why you felt you needed to change stuff on the used bike but not the new one?...just cos it was older?..doesn't make sense to me.

    I bought my DH bike for half the new price and it was a year old (€4K bike for €2K..happy days) - I've changed from the stock 38t ring to a 34t - would've still done that if it was new. I will change the Elixir R brakes to Shimano Zee this season - would've still done that if it was new
    "Why have that extra tooth if you're not using it?" - Brian Lopes

    Votec V.SX Enduro 'Alpine Thug' 2012/2013 build

    Trek Session 8
  • Ciar
    Ciar Posts: 28
    Plyphon wrote:
    With 2nd hand, don't kid yourself that the price you pay will be all you spend.

    Unless you drop on REALLY lucky you'll still spend a bit on the bike either

    1: Fixing slightly worn things
    2: Changing things to suit your personal tastes
    3: Just general hole-in-pocket syndrome.

    That said, you can get a lot more bike 2nd hand, if you're prepared to forgo a warranty and are a bit savvy fixing things.

    When I bought a new mtb I left it stock for months. When I bought my 2nd hand mtb I spent a further £200 odd setting it up fully to my own tastes, swapping bits I simply did not like, and regular bearing & fork maintenance.

    What bike do I like more? The 2nd hand purchase, by far.

    So you have to weight up what available on the 2nd hand market against what you really want. I was lucky in that the bike I found for sale was exactly what I wanted bar one or two components.

    I agree completely, I am trying to pick up a Cannondale Sl3 or a Specialised Rockhopper, but they really aren't that many around, in all honesty I am sitting here wondering if i should go buy some 29's and wheels and just use those on my Hybrid which is the Cannondale CX4 quick, or just wait and purchase a new bike.

    I understand the upgrading an 2nd hand bike, bought a single speed and ended up doing work on it, to make it how i wanted it, now going to sell it on as i don't need it any longer.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Why one of those, you'll get more for your money with a lesser known brand bike with the same components on it, the Rockhopper frame (all that is different in reality) isn't worth £100 more than say a Carrera Vengeance frame (made by the same people in the same factory).
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Ciar
    Ciar Posts: 28
    Why one of those, you'll get more for your money with a lesser known brand bike with the same components on it, the Rockhopper frame (all that is different in reality) isn't worth £100 more than say a Carrera Vengeance frame (made by the same people in the same factory).

    Been out the game for a very long time, so I have lost all knowledge of what's waht, but that's very useful info cheers.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Depends on your budget, but Carreras, Voodoos (Halfords - though Voodoo isn't their own brand), Pinnacles (Evans) and Rockriders (Decathlon) all offer better VFM than the 'big name' brands and because of the pereception of many offer even better value used!
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Ciar
    Ciar Posts: 28
    Will make sure i check out those brands as well, thanks for the help mate..
  • Plyphon
    Plyphon Posts: 433
    Don't understand why you felt you needed to change stuff on the used bike but not the new one?...just cos it was older?..doesn't make sense to me.


    Number of reasons really:

    1. I *really* hate red "bling" bits.
    2. Certain smaller parts were worn through normal use.
    3. Certain parts were in perfectly good condition to sell on, then buy the part I really want.
    4. Bearings, seals, fork oil, cables, and so on.

    It really wasn't too much I changed - the 2nd hand bike still offered fantastic value.

    When you buy a complete bike, all the parts colourways tend to match and it has much more of a "complete" feel - which is why, myself, I did not change much on my complete bike.
  • grey_area
    grey_area Posts: 28
    Don't kid yourself that there aren't many good second hand bikes around. My wife and daughter won't go near the road with me so in the last 2 weeks I've just kitted the whole family out with 2 Rockhoppers and an SL2 for £100 more than an SL2 from Evans. Infact my SL2 looks like it hasn't gone more than a mile, if that.

    In total I've had to spend £20 on new grips and £25 on a new cassette and that was it. Oh and I had to walk away from one deal cause it was obviously nicked - just watch out for that one.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Indeed, what it needs is some luck and patience.....and bikes needing some work often save more than the work costs if you DIY!
    We got the sons Spesh P1AM for just over £100 as the gears wouldn't index, after fitting a spare 8speed cassette instead of the 9sp fitted (8 speed shifters!) they worked just fine....he's now using the 9sp with 9sp shifters!
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.