Trustworthy Facebook bike sales?

[Matthew_T]

I have liked a few pages on FB which are dedicated purely to the sales of bikes in the local area. It is more of a classified type of thing as either individuals or people who collect bikes/upgrade them can sell them on.
Most of them are going for under £100 and there is the odd cheap racer for just over that. I am looking for a new racer to replace my commuter (its very old) so only want something very cheap (dont have the money for a nice new one). Most of the bikes are 2-3 years old which is fine and very local.

If I were to buy one, I would definately have a look at it before hand and check online to see if it was stolen.
But in general, are FB sales trustworthy? They are from real people after all.

 

[Summerking]

As an advert for a bike sale I see it as no different to an ad in a paper or in a shop window, you get their number, ring them up and check them out and if you like the sound of the bike and more importantly the sound of them you arrange to go and see it at their home (no car park sales)and judge the bike for yourself. The fact that it is advertised on Facebook doesn't mean they should be trusted more than any stranger selling a bike.

 

[biggs682]

should be ok

 

[jayonabike]

Make sure you clearly state what size your after. You don't want to get there and it be to large then have the hassle of having to write a thread about it on here.

 

[sidevalve]

If a bike seems to be too good to be true it probably is ie £500 + bike for £50 should ring a warning bell. Otherwise it'sjust like any other ad or even E Bay. E Bay is always worth a look BTW as at least sellers do have to post pictures of a bike their selling. Not something they might want to do if they've just stolen it.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Just a thought; if the frame of your commuter is sound, how about rebuilding and upgrading it yourself?

If I recall correctly, you already changed the rear wheel for a freehub type with 7 speed cassette & spacer, so upgrading to 8 or 9 speed would be relatively easy. You could source the parts and tools as and when you have money available then do the build at your leisure.

The advantages of doing this are: 1) You already know the bike will fit you. 2) You know the provenance and usage of the bike so no nasty surprises at some point in the future. 3) You'll learn useful skills for looking after your bikes in the future.

A bike you've customized yourself will always be special even if it isn't worth a huge amount.

 

[Matthew_T]

Just a thought; if the frame of your commuter is sound, how about rebuilding and upgrading it yourself?

If I recall correctly, you already changed the rear wheel for a freehub type with 7 speed cassette & spacer, so upgrading to 8 or 9 speed would be relatively easy. You could source the parts and tools as and when you have money available then do the build at your leisure.

The advantages of doing this are: 1) You already know the bike will fit you. 2) You know the provenance and usage of the bike so no nasty surprises at some point in the future. 3) You'll learn useful skills for looking after your bikes in the future.

A bike you've customized yourself will always be special even if it isn't worth a huge amount.

If I had a bit more money then this would be an option. However, if I were to rebuild it this is a small list of what I would need:
Compact handlebars
front and rear wheels
bar tape
pedals
shorter stem
seat
probably a new chain
new bottom bracket (after doing diagnostics on the clicking sound)

This coupled with doing it in my own time would probably cost more than a £100 bike. I have seen the quality of bikes on FB and most of them seem quite good. I had my eye on this one but its a bit too big for me.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

If I had a bit more money then this would be an option. However, if I were to rebuild it this is a small list of what I would need:
Compact handlebars
front and rear wheels
bar tape
pedals
shorter stem
seat
probably a new chain
new bottom bracket (after doing diagnostics on the clicking sound)

This coupled with doing it in my own time would probably cost more than a £100 bike. I have seen the quality of bikes on FB and most of them seem quite good. I had my eye on this one but its a bit too big for me.

That's fine. It was just a suggestion.

It might still be worth pricing up the parts to see how it actually compares.

 

[Matthew_T]

It might still be worth pricing up the parts to see how it actually compares.

Thast the project for this week then.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Thast the project for this week then.

Also...

If you buy a used bike, all the parts are used.

If you take a goodish frame you like and add new parts to it, you have what feels, rides and lasts like a largely new bicycle.

Good luck whichever you choose to do.

 

[Matthew_T]

Compact handlebars = £13.50
front and rear wheels = £14+£28
bar tape = £4
pedals = £17.50
shorter stem = £15
seat = £15
probably a new chain = £5
new bottom bracket (after doing diagnostics on the clicking sound) = £10 (need to establish what type).

I will also need a new front tire = £12

Which makes the total rebuild cost at least £134 which excludes problems I might have with the BB (havent replaced one ever).
So it is about the same price as a newer bike when working with the cheapest parts available.

 

[smokeysmoo]

So it is about the same price as a newer bike when working with the cheapest parts available.

Except you would of course gain invaluable knowledge once you'd completed the strip down and re-build of your own bike, and you can't put a price on that.

Also, things like stems, bars, saddle, pedals etc you should be able to swap, trade, pick up for cheap via a quality forum such as CC

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Compact handlebars = £13.50
front and rear wheels = £14+£28
bar tape = £4
pedals = £17.50
shorter stem = £15
seat = £15
probably a new chain = £5
new bottom bracket (after doing diagnostics on the clicking sound) = £10 (need to establish what type).

I will also need a new front tire = £12

Which makes the total rebuild cost at least £134 which excludes problems I might have with the BB (havent replaced one ever).
So it is about the same price as a newer bike when working with the cheapest parts available.

I suspected the costs might be closer than you thought. Your choice now.

If you go for the rebuild, fitting a new sealed bottom bracket is very easy. The one you have is most likely to be a square taper, but you'll need to check to be sure. If it's a standard British thread (which it almost certainly will be) the drive side has a left hand thread, so will need to be undone clockwise. To find out the size required you need to know the width of the BB shell (probably 68mm) and the axle length.

 

[Matthew_T]

I suspected the costs might be closer than you thought. Your choice now.

If you go for the rebuild, fitting a new sealed bottom bracket is very easy. The one you have is most likely to be a square taper, but you'll need to check to be sure. If it's a standard British thread (which it almost certainly will be) the drive side has a left hand thread, so will need to be undone clockwise. To find out the size required you need to know the width of the BB shell (probably 68mm) and the axle length.

Thanks. When I have some free time I will use the god bike to go to work and work on my old one. Its just a matter of waiting until I have the money to rebuild now (just bought a new camera and driving test is coming up).
I want to have a decent bike for when I start college again in September, so plenty of time between now and then.