SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
From my own secondhand purchase experience, a lot of bikes that could be 25 or 30 years old, may have only ever covered a relatively low mileage in all that time and can still be found in excellent mechanical & cosmetic condition on the used market. Many bikes are bought new with all the usual good intentions of getting fit, losing weight etc, but the novelty wears off long before the bike actually sees any significant amount of use. Those cyclists on here who report riding several thousand miles a year on their bike and who wear out chains and freewheels regularly are about as far removed from an "average" cyclist as it is possible to get. Many owners will only ride their bike infrequently, only ever in good weather, only on short undemanding rides, and may only cover a few tens of miles a year. They are never going to wear a bike out to the point of it becoming a mechanical wreck no matter how many years they own it.
Although buying blind always carries a degree of risk, this can be mitigated by a careful assessment of the seller's description and pictures and by not overpaying, thereby leaving some spare cash in the purchase pot. The only significant maintenance spend I have ever made on used bikes is tyre replacements, and then mainly for increased puncture protection for longer rides. I have a whole pile of ratty looking old tyres that came with used bikes that I am gradually wearing out on local hack use where I am not going far away from home. If I was prepared to take greater risks with punctures I could have probably avoided most of my tyre replacements too, although there comes a point at which the inconvenience of tyre problems outweighs the benefit of saving cash spend.
Although buying blind always carries a degree of risk, this can be mitigated by a careful assessment of the seller's description and pictures and by not overpaying, thereby leaving some spare cash in the purchase pot. The only significant maintenance spend I have ever made on used bikes is tyre replacements, and then mainly for increased puncture protection for longer rides. I have a whole pile of ratty looking old tyres that came with used bikes that I am gradually wearing out on local hack use where I am not going far away from home. If I was prepared to take greater risks with punctures I could have probably avoided most of my tyre replacements too, although there comes a point at which the inconvenience of tyre problems outweighs the benefit of saving cash spend.
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If you like it , it fits and will put a smile on your face then go for it. 
