Is this worth Buying??

[alex_cycles]

Certainly patience is a must.

Patience, willingness to walk away, willingness to take a punt, willingness to do some repairs or tweaking.

I've bought four used bikes in the last nine months. All of which I am happy with. The most recent was a 2021 Specialized MTB (still current model) which sells new for £525. It was listed at £200, but the photos and information on the listing were so crap that I had to ask questions and do some detective work to figure it out. Even then I thought it might be 'dodgy', but when I went to view (1 hour's drive away) it 'felt right', so I bought it.

There was some minor paintwork damage and the Derailleur hanger was significantly bent, but those were easy fixes for me. Reckon I could sell that bike for £350 tomorrow, but I'm going to play with it for a while first.

There are some good buys to be had, but you're always taking a bit of a punt. Can be good fun though. I treat it as a bit of a game.

What does annoy me though is the number of listings which don't state the size of the bike. And don't get me started on incorrect specs.

 

[Chislenko]

Patience, willingness to walk away, willingness to take a punt, willingness to do some repairs or tweaking.

I've bought four used bikes in the last nine months. All of which I am happy with. The most recent was a 2021 Specialized MTB (still current model) which sells new for £525. It was listed at £200, but the photos and information on the listing were so crap that I had to ask questions and do some detective work to figure it out. Even then I thought it might be 'dodgy', but when I went to view (1 hour's drive away) it 'felt right', so I bought it.

There was some minor paintwork damage and the Derailleur hanger was significantly bent, but those were easy fixes for me. Reckon I could sell that bike for £350 tomorrow, but I'm going to play with it for a while first.

There are some good buys to be had, but you're always taking a bit of a punt. Can be good fun though. I treat it as a bit of a game.

What does annoy me though is the number of listings which don't state the size of the bike. And don't get me started on incorrect specs.

To be fair though a lot of people selling will not be "bike people"

A lot of people who purchased a bike "on a whim" and who don't know their SPD's from their STD's!

 

[ColinJ]

What does annoy me though is the number of listings which don't state the size of the bike. And don't get me started on incorrect specs.

To be fair though a lot of people selling will not be "bike people"

A lot of people who purchased a bike "on a whim" and who don't know their SPD's from their STD's!

Or the bikes were stolen from owners who DID know the size, and their SPDs from their STDs...?

 

[huggybear0]

That’s the problem from my experience looking for a bike there are so many sellers who just don’t seem legit. When asked about the bike they don’t know anything or want to meet in a carpark.

 

[ColinJ]

That’s the problem from my experience looking for a bike there are so many sellers who just don’t seem legit. When asked about the bike they don’t know anything or want to meet in a carpark.

I have heard of people asking for cash in such scenarios. You turn up to buy the mythical bike and they promptly mug you for the money!

 

[alex_cycles]

That’s the problem from my experience looking for a bike there are so many sellers who just don’t seem legit. When asked about the bike they don’t know anything or want to meet in a carpark.

Well that's all part of the filtering process that makes it a bit frustrating. It usually takes me a few weeks to find
what I'm after, but if it were too easy it wouldn't be an achievement

 

[biggs682]

Patience, willingness to walk away, willingness to take a punt, willingness to do some repairs or tweaking..

There are some good buys to be had, but you're always taking a bit of a punt. Can be good fun though. I treat it as a bit of a game.

What does annoy me though is the number of listings which don't state the size of the bike. And don't get me started on incorrect specs.

All very true .

 

[PaulSB]

I'm someone who generally prefers to avoid online purchases from any source other than a known retailer. I far prefer real world shopping and I probably only make half a dozen online purchases a year.

I've been following this thread and it confirms for me buying a bike online, new or secondhand, is very difficult unless one is well informed about so many different aspects. I've never bought anything secondhand from eBay and never will, far too many rogues around.

If I was the OP I'd stop looking, find a good LBS and go from there. Value isn't always determined by price.

 

[Juan Kog]

or want to meet in a carpark.

I agree this can raise concerns, but the seller might not want a complete stranger to know where his/ hers other bikes are kept .

 

[Cycleops]

I agree this can raise concerns, but the seller might not want a complete stranger to know where his/ hers other bikes are kept .

Hmm, that’s a good one.

 

[AuroraSaab]

Buying from ebay and Gumtree is fraught with issues, I agree. I have been lucky with my 3 bikes bought like that as the sellers were all genuine blokes. Not everyone is good at writing ads but if it doesn't feel right then don't proceed.

 

[alex_cycles]

I have heard of people asking for cash in such scenarios. You turn up to buy the mythical bike and they promptly mug you for the money!

So you make arrangements with that possibility in mind and don't allow yourself to go into a situation that makes you uncomfortable.
Of my 4, I've only once been inside someone's house. Once back garden. Twice front garden/driveway. To be honest I prefer not to go inside someone else's house to a completely uncontrolled environment.

At the end of the day if something feels wrong, get the hell out of there pronto. Gumtree suggests...

Don’t provide any money until after you’ve met them in person and had a chance to inspect the item. We recommend that you meet during the day in a busy, public location like a coffee shop.​

If you feel nervous you can always take someone with you. The other thing you can do is park round the corner and leave the money in the car until you've inspected the item. Or have a second person holding the money and get them to bring it over when you phone them (getting a bit cloak and dagger here - but you get the picture - TAKE CONTROL).

 

[alex_cycles]

Buying from ebay and Gumtree is fraught with issues, I agree. I have been lucky with my 3 bikes bought like that as the sellers were all genuine blokes. Not everyone is good at writing ads but if it doesn't feel right then don't proceed.

Yes in the case of my MTB the "not very good at writing ads/taking photos" worked to my advantage. It was a very genuine seller, but the ad was so bad that nobody else bothered to enquire and I got a bargain (I almost didn't bother myself). With a well-written ad and good photos they could have got at least £100 more.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The cash can be because the seller doesn’t want the buyer disappearing into the ether with the bike to find a cheque has bounced or PayPal gets reversed etc.

 

[ColinJ]

The cash can be because the seller doesn’t want the buyer disappearing into the ether with the bike to find a cheque has bounced or PayPal gets reversed etc.

And/or to avoid paying ebay fees on the sale?