Second-Hand Bike Advice - which one?

[FPL16]

Hi,

I was looking for advice on buying a second-hand bike. I haven’t cycled regularly for a while, but looking to get back into it. I would like to spend no more than £350 on the bike itself (accessories are part of a separate budget!). I live in London and will be using it mainly for commuting and also some weekend rides on groomed paths.

I’ve found these two second-hand: Trek Dual Sport 2 2018 https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/...-sport-bikes/dual-sport/dual-sport-2/p/23067/. This one has some scratches and the owner is asking for £250.

The second one is a Boardman MTX Hybrid - not sure which model, but the owner says it was bought in 2017. The owner also says it has only been used once but there is some damage to the seat, I think. I can't find the product details for this one anywhere despite lots of searches - any help with this would be great. The owner is asking for £330 for this one.

I have no idea which one would be better as I can't compare specifications! My priorities are the following:

- I'd like hydraulic brakes - does the Boardman have them?
- I'd like the bike to be fairly light (the Trek is around 12kg in a medium and both of these are a small).

Are there any major differences between the two that I should be mindful of? I have a feeling that the Boardman one is overpriced, but don't have much to go on due to lack of expertise!

Any guidance would be much appreciated

 

[Cycleops]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
They both look okay. I personally wouldn't go with suspension fork as they just add weight for little extra comfort but if you're happy with that then it's no problem.
First thing is does the small frame fit you? How tall are you and what is your inside leg? When sitting the saddle your leg should be about straight with the pedal at six o'clock.
Can't really tell from the low res pics but both look to have hydraulic brakes.
If the Boardman really hasn't had much use it might be a good bet.
Check them by riding and make sure the gears change cleanly. Ask how they've been maintained. Spin the wheels, are they true? Any noises? Tyres are they in good condition with tread? Are the spokes tight? Wiggle the cranks to feel for any play in the BB, just a little is okay but none is better. Look for any damage to the frame. Hold the front brake on and push the bars back and forth, any play here is wear in the head bearings. Any fails are bargaining chips.
Any extras included? Track pump, spares, good secure lock?
Good luck.

 

[Slioch]

Alternatively, you could buy something brand new for not a lot more money. A number of people on here have Decathlon bikes and say they're excellent value. It would remove a lot of the "worry" about buying something second hand which may or may not have a problem.

This one, the Riverside at £380, looks like it would tick most of your boxes.

One word of advice though, get something you can fit mudguards to. Your arse will thank you if you ride on wet roads

 

[vickster]

I’d forget suspension for your uses, completely unnecessary and means you can fit proper mudguards for commuting. Look for something like a Trek Fx, Specialized Sirrus, Giant escape, Whyte R7 range. Rigid fork hybrid with a 28/32mm tyre. Carbon fork and rim brakes will reduce the weight (do you really need discs for a London commute?)

 

[uphillstruggler]

Have a look at the decathlon hop rider 100, may be more than you need for less than the bikes you have linked to

Best of luck with your search

 

[FPL16]

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions - really useful.

I’m 5ft 3 with an inside leg of 29 so small should be fine.The Trek comes with Bontrager lights front and rear,power bank and phone holder. The Boardman comes with a bike pump and two new inner tubes.

I would much prefer a bike without suspension, but there are not many second hand ones that fit with what I’d like and I’ve been looking for a while. If there are any without suspension, there’s obviously less choice with pre-owned when all of this is factored in along with the right size. The ones I have found are then close to the price of a brand new bike give or take £50! I can stretch to about £400 so have been looking at some of the suggested models of new bikes as options also.

https://www.stows.co.uk/16406/products/2020-giant-escape-3-disc-hybrid-bike-in-grey.aspx

https://www.stows.co.uk/17421/products/2020-specialized-sirrus-10-hybrid-bike-in-purple.aspx

These are both around £50 cheaper than any other site, but the Giant is out of stock at the moment. Would someone be able to tell me what main differences are between them and whether that would justify spending the extra money on the Specialized bike - which would you go for? Are there any others I should consider in this price bracket? I plan to test ride both bikes once the Giant is back in stock.

Many thanks

 

[vickster]

Are you male or female? Either way, a small mens bike might still be a bit big for you.
How about this, right size, great colour, good deal, but mech discs
https://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/catalog/product.php?CI_ID=21401&Item='Merida Speeder 100 Hybrid/Commuter Bike - Red'
Or £30 more with hydraulic brakes
https://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/catalog/product.php?CI_ID=35051&Item='Merida Speeder 20 Disc 2018 Hybrid/Commuter Bike'

big reduction but £420, down from £700! Great components, carbon fork for lightness
https://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/catalog/product.php?CI_ID=18599&Item='Marin Fairfax SC4 Hybrid Commuter Bike - Grey'

 

[vickster]

Your links don’t work by the way

 

[Cycleops]

That Marin as linked above by Vicky is brilliant value for the money. You can often get bargains like this when retailers are left with small sizes and they want to move them on quickly.
Only downside might be that you'll have to build the bike, a bit daunting if you haven't done it before. I should take it down to your LBS and ask them to do it, they might change you around £40-50 but it will ensure everything is set up correctly and it's safe.
Get it bought before they get sold out!

 

[FPL16]

Are you male or female? Either way, a small mens bike might still be a bit big for you.
How about this, right size, great colour, good deal, but mech discs
https://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/catalog/product.php?CI_ID=21401&Item='Merida Speeder 100 Hybrid/Commuter Bike - Red'
Or £30 more with hydraulic brakes
https://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/catalog/product.php?CI_ID=35051&Item='Merida Speeder 20 Disc 2018 Hybrid/Commuter Bike'

big reduction but £420, down from £700! Great components, carbon fork for lightness
https://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/catalog/product.php?CI_ID=18599&Item='Marin Fairfax SC4 Hybrid Commuter Bike - Grey'

Female and just a little over 5ft 3 but not by much! Thanks for these - I really like them, especially the Marin but with paying for the build, it’s out of my price range. I don’t live near an LBS and checked with a couple of bike shops round here. They quoted the price as £40-45 to build any of those 3 bikes. That puts each bike over £400 without any accessories.

 

[vickster]

I don’t know that you need to pay to build? Usually it’s just a matter of straightening the bars, adjusting saddle and putting pedals on.
You’ll probably want to budget for a wsd saddle on the bikes you’re looking at.
Maybe call or email and see what semi assembled means in reality
Who did you check with if you don’t live near a bike shop? (LBS)

 

[FPL16]

I don’t know that you need to pay to build? Usually it’s just a matter of straightening the bars, adjusting saddle and putting pedals on.
You’ll probably want to budget for a wsd saddle on the bikes you’re looking at.
Maybe call or email and see what semi assembled means in reality
Who did you check with if you don’t live near a bike shop? (LBS)

I misread LBS to take it as Leisure Lakes Bikes and couldn’t edit the post once sent!

I checked on the website earlier (below) about the build/delivery and it would be £450 in total if they were to build it fully. But it means collecting from Oxfordshire.

Bike Builds
Will my bike arrive built
Bicycles sold through our website are sent semi-assembled in manufacturers packaging, and need to be built when they arrive. This helps to keep our prices low and ensures that the products arrive safely and in first class condition.

We are not able to send built bikes in the post.

The assembly work that you are responsible for is as follows:

• Fit front wheel, pedals, handlebars, stem, reflectors , seat and seatpost
• Check and adjust bearings
• Check and true wheels
• Check and adjust brakes (including hydraulic disc brakes)
• Check and adjust gears
• Check crank bolts, bottom bracket, chain rings and pedals
• Check and adjust headset
• Check and adjust bars/stem
• Inflate tyres
• Check work to ensure that all bolts are tight and parts correctly positioned
• Test ride

This is not an exhaustive list of requirements and is designed to give you an indication of what may be needed, and to help you assess whether you can build the bike yourself.

We strongly recommend that the bike is taken to a certified technician/local cycle shop to be assembled. Typically this may cost in the region of £30-40. A qualified mechanic will be able to complete some of the more specialist tasks (such as wheel check and true, and hydraulic disc brake adjustment) that are required as part of the assembly process.

If you decide to take the bike to a specialist in a semi-built state, please make sure that you do not over-tighten any bolts beforehand, this simply ensures that all the components are in an un-damaged and fully adjustable state.

Important
It is especially important that you check your bicycle before each ride in the first 6 weeks of ownership, and continue to do so regularly after this period.

This includes ensuring that all the bolts and parts attached to the bike are tight and correctly fitted before you ride it, as any problems that arise from use of the bicycle with loose bolts or parts are maintenance issues and will not be covered by warranty. We also recommend that you take your bike to your local bike shop for a service every 6-9 months to ensure that it is kept in good working order and to maximise the life of your bicycle.

Pedals are left and right side specific, and will be marked R or L to identify which side they should be fitted to.

Any additional items supplied must be fitted in accordance with manufactures instructions i.e. lights, locks mudguards etc.

Built Bikes
It is possible to collect a bike fully assembled from our stores in Banbury or Bicester.

We are not able to send built bikes in the post.

You can do this by using the 'Click and Collect' service on the website or going into the store directly and deal with the in store teams. If you want to buy one of the bikes listed on our website fully built and ready to ride, a build charges applies dependent on whether it is discounted or not:

• Any full price bike - No build charge
• Discounted bike under £1000.00 - £30.00 build charge
• Discounted bike over £1000.00 - £50.00 build charge

If by adding the build charge onto the price of the bike it is taken above the full price, we simply charge the full price. Bikes collected fully assembled from our stores include:

• Assembly by our experienced mechanics
• 6 week safety checkover
• 20% off any future labour charges, including servicing
• Free safety checks for 5 years between January and March.

 

[Cycleops]

I don’t know that you need to pay to build? Usually it’s just a matter of straightening the bars, adjusting saddle and putting pedals on.
You’ll probably want to budget for a wsd saddle on the bikes you’re looking at.
Maybe call or email and see what semi assembled means in reality
Who did you check with if you don’t live near a bike shop? (LBS)

From discountcyclesdirect site:

Will my bike arrive built
Bicycles sold through our website are sent semi-assembled in manufacturers packaging, and need to be built when they arrive. This helps to keep our prices low and ensures that the products arrive safely and in first class condition.

We are not able to send built bikes in the post.

The assembly work that you are responsible for is as follows:

• Fit front wheel, pedals, handlebars, stem, reflectors , seat and seatpost
• Check and adjust bearings
• Check and true wheels
• Check and adjust brakes (including hydraulic disc brakes)
• Check and adjust gears
• Check crank bolts, bottom bracket, chain rings and pedals
• Check and adjust headset
• Check and adjust bars/stem
• Inflate tyres
• Check work to ensure that all bolts are tight and parts correctly positioned
• Test ride

This is not an exhaustive list of requirements and is designed to give you an indication of what may be needed, and to help you assess whether you can build the bike yourself.

We strongly recommend that the bike is taken to a certified technician/local cycle shop to be assembled. Typically this may cost in the region of £30-40. A qualified mechanic will be able to complete some of the more specialist tasks (such as wheel check and true, and hydraulic disc brake adjustment) that are required as part of the assembly process.

Maybe you could get a local "mobile" cycle mechanic to do it who might be cheaper than a shop. Check your local rags or classifieds.

Where are you? Maybe someone on this forum who lives nearby could help out?
Be a shame to miss out on such a great deal

 

[vickster]

Blimey, that is a lot...ah well

My recent Rutland purchase was fully built and PDId. Maybe they have something?

At the moment, unless a key worker, I'd say it'll be difficult to get this sorted

@FPL16 whereabouts are you in London?

 

[vickster]

I found this in a 15" and heavily reduced

https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/bike...muter-urban-bikes/ridgeback-element-2018-bike

Sounds like they assemble rather more than the other - worth a call to ask
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/help/delivery/ordering