Buying Used Mountain Bikes

Mountain biking is one of my favorite activities. Nothing quite beats the thrill of riding some tight, smooth singletrack and being outdoors. In fact, this was the precise subject of my first, not very high quality hub. Ah, the memories. However, as great as mountain biking is, nothing can change the fact that it is quite expensive. Annoyingly, excessively, and inexcusably expensive. Tiny little metal parts that seem simple enough will start taking big bites out of your paycheck. Your free cash will begin to disappear at a rate proportional to the appearance shiny doo dads on your bike. In fact, the only thing more expensive than owning a mountain bike is buying a new one.

However, much of this edge can be removed by buying a used mountain bike, which just so happens to be the focus of this hub. A used bike can often ride as well as a new one once it is tuned up, at a fraction of the cost. However, when you are shopping for a bike, there are some things you will need to consider. This hub will cover where you can buy used mountain bikes, how to choose the right one, and how to make sure you’re getting a good specimen.

First of all, where in the world to you even get a preowned mountain bike? As it turns out, these days the answer is “almost anywhere.” The old standby, paper classified ads, can still yield some good results, but don’t stop there! Craigslist, if you have an active one in your region, will open up a whole world of used bikes for sale. These can often go quite fast, though, so you need to be watching out.

Here is a tip for all you RSS users. If you aren’t an RSS user, please go read up on it, I’m sure there are some lovely hubs about that will tell you all you need to know. Back to the tip: do a Craiglist search for the bike you desire. Let’s say it’s a Specialized Stumpjumper. When you do this search, you will see an RSS feed for the search. Save this feed to your favorite reader, and you will be updated instantly when a new bike is listed, allowing you to get a jump on the crowd. Totally the way to go if you’re savvy enough to implement it.

If Craigslist isn’t your thing, the world’s largest online auction site is sure to have some good options. I would give you a demo here, but their recent policy changes have made the use of their capsules a bit iffy. Their loss, IMO. At any rate, they have many used bikes for sale, so you can pretty much find anything you are looking for. Just be careful who you buy from, especially if the bike is being shipped.

So, how do you tell if the bike is in good shape? Well, the real key is to first make sure that the frame is solid. Inspect all of the welds and joins, making sure there are no cracks. Inspect all of the tubes for dents. If the bike is full suspension, take a good look at the linkages and bearings/bushings, making sure they move smooth and do not seize. Then, move your attention to the other bike systems: shifting, brakes, crank/pedals, etc. If anything needs to be fixed, note it and use to bargain the price down as compensation. If you aren’t sure what to look for, bring a bike whiz friend along to help you out.

So, this basically sums up the process I use to buy a used mountain bike. Best of luck with your shopping!