Secondhand bike for a beginner?

smileyhou12 · Postby **smileyhou12** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 10:22 am

I'm looking to start training for a novice triathlon. I don't currently have a bike so I will need one. The bike legs are only small and I haven't ridden a bike in a very very long time. I don't have much cash to splash on a bike at the moment so I was looking at secondhand bikes for the training period and then I will probably upgrade if I decide I want to compete. I've found an old Apollo St Moritz on Gumtree for $40. Is it worth me just buying a cheap secondhand bike for now, or should I just try to stretch the budget a bit and get a new bike? My budget will only be around $300 though...

Any ideas/advice will be much appreciated!

Ross · Postby **Ross** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 12:45 pm

The second hand bike for $40 probably won't be much good and A $300 new bike won't be much better. You need to revise your budget up considerably or pick a cheaper sport.

2wheels_mond · Postby **2wheels_mond** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 1:28 pm

It's difficult to find a second hand bike for you without knowing how tall you are. However, if you're around 170cm (+ or - 5cm, say) this could be a great deal for a first bike:

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/yeronga/ ... 1063728329" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

slidetaker · Postby **slidetaker** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 1:32 pm

Conversely, you get pretty decent second hand steel racer with tri-bars for $300...It will get you into shape and you will know whether you like it or not.

If not, just resell it, you won't lose too much money as you buy second hand....

Jean · Postby **Jean** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 2:15 pm

A $40 wonder is not the way to go. You'll have to get closer to your $300 limit and look for second hand. Your success in that direction will depend on where you live (big cities = lots of bikes, outside them things are harder), being a bit patient, knowing what size you are looking for, and as someone who probably doesn't know much about bikes, finding someone to help you identify what is or is not reasonable value.

koshari · Postby **koshari** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 4:22 pm

Depending on your mechanical aptitude (as they often need a bit of tweaking) occasionally the odd bikes come up often in unpopular sizes like a <45cm frame but it's likely your event will arrive before anything decent comes up for $40. 100-200 range occasionally yields better results if your happy with flat bars or down tube shifters. But keep in mind spares add up quickly if you buy locally and take ages to come from abroad.

smileyhou12 · Postby **smileyhou12** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 7:01 pm

Thanks for all of your replies! I'm 170cm tall. My budget will increase to $400 to $500 in a few months but at the moment it is very tight.

I won't be doing any more than 15-30km for the first few months. I just need something that can get me through a couple of months of basic training before I can afford to spend a little more. I understand this is an expensive sport but I'd prefer to have something rather than nothing for now. There's always the option of just doing the swimming and running for now but I feel like even a few kms on a basic bike is better than no cycle training at all...

This is the new $300 bike (RRP $399) I was looking at: http://www.99bikes.com.au/apollo-villa-womens-2014" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2wheels_mond · Postby **2wheels_mond** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 7:11 pm

If you're around Brisbane like the Apollo on Gumtree is, the one I linked above will be lots, lots better than anything you'll find new.

smileyhou12 · Postby **smileyhou12** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 7:44 pm

2wheels_mond wrote:If you're around Brisbane like the Apollo on Gumtree is, the one I linked above will be lots, lots better than anything you'll find new.

Okay I'll look into that one further, thanks! Are there any pressing questions I should ask the seller?

koshari · Postby **koshari** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 9:12 pm

Just looked at the one 2wm linked. Very good buy IMO if it's convenient for you. 10 times better than the Apollo commuter from 99 bikes if you gonna compete and train.

As for any question to the seller, the only one I can think of is if he will hold it until your financial!

smileyhou12 · Postby **smileyhou12** » Tue Dec 02, 2014 10:21 pm

I've organised to go and check out the bike tomorrow morning! Anything in particular I should look for to make sure it is in good working order? Sorry for all the questions... If I'm going to spend a fair amount of money I want to make sure I'm not buying something that'll break on me!

koshari · Postby **koshari** » Wed Dec 03, 2014 7:24 am

you can just check for the obvious big ticket items-
-obvious frame damage,
-big woofs in the rims
-brifter functionality
-bent/broken rear derauiler/hanger
other items are generally covered in general maintenence of the bike such as cable/brake adjustment.
pads,bartape,tubes and tires are generally considered consumables.

bychosis · Postby **bychosis** » Wed Dec 03, 2014 7:47 am

koshari wrote:you can just check for the obvious big ticket items-
-obvious frame damage,
-big woofs in the rims
-brifter functionality
-bent/broken rear derauiler/hanger
other items are generally covered in general maintenence of the bike such as cable/brake adjustment.
pads,bartape,tubes and tires are generally considered consumables.

Frame damage: looks straight, no big dents, no cracks particularly around the joints.
Rims: lift the wheel of the ground and give it a spin. Watch the rim near the brake pad to see if there are any wobbles or dents.
Brifters: either pedal and changes gears, or pop the rear wheel off and change gears to see if the shift changes up/down for the range of gears. Ie enough clicks for the no of gears.

smileyhou12 · Postby **smileyhou12** » Wed Dec 03, 2014 7:54 am

Thanks so much, I really appreciate the help! Fingers crossed it all works out well today and I should get paid tomorrow so I could have myself a bike very soon

brawlo · Postby **brawlo** » Wed Dec 03, 2014 2:51 pm

Hopefully not too late, but you should have a really good look over a brand new bike at a bike shop. The purpose is to see what new running gear looks like. Pay particular attention to the front and rear gears and chain. Then, if they've got a nice bike mechanic, he/she might be able to show you some running gear that is shagged. It's then up to you to assess the bike you're looking at. At such a cheap price, you'll most likely have to spend some money on it. My sister's friend talked down a Giant OCR3 to $80 that someone was trying to sell for $300. It ended up needing $200 in bits and also my time to fix up. It was never worth $300, but it wasn't a bad buy at the discounted price.

smileyhou12 · Postby **smileyhou12** » Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:38 am

brawlo wrote:Hopefully not too late, but you should have a really good look over a brand new bike at a bike shop. The purpose is to see what new running gear looks like. Pay particular attention to the front and rear gears and chain. Then, if they've got a nice bike mechanic, he/she might be able to show you some running gear that is shagged. It's then up to you to assess the bike you're looking at. At such a cheap price, you'll most likely have to spend some money on it. My sister's friend talked down a Giant OCR3 to $80 that someone was trying to sell for $300. It ended up needing $200 in bits and also my time to fix up. It was never worth $300, but it wasn't a bad buy at the discounted price.

Thanks for the tips! I ended up talking it down to $150. I took it in for a service and the only thing it needed was a new tyre. Other than that it seems like a good buy!

2wheels_mond · Postby **2wheels_mond** » Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:58 am

Bargain! Enjoy it.

koshari · Postby **koshari** » Sat Dec 13, 2014 9:17 pm

yeah good buy, now get out and clock up some Kms