Secondhand Bikes

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

In the Sept. 18-24, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

IF you want to buy a decent bike at a reasonable price, the best opportunities lie in the secondhand market. But there are qualifications. You must be able to wait until the right bike comes along. You have to learn enough about bikes to be able to analyze them carefully yourself or have a knowledgeable friend who is willing to come along to check out the more likely possibilities for you. You have to be cool enough to avoid buying on impulse.

A good way to locate secondhand bikes is to check the bulletin boards in bike shops and classified ads. Garage sales are also good sources.

Do some checking before you bother to make a special trip to look at the bike. Ask about the frame size. Thoroughly check over the bike you are thinking of buying. Ride the bike around, paying attention to the operation of the bearings. Spin each moving part independently, checking for binding, sticking, hesitancy and grinding noises. See if the headset (the front steering assembly bearings) produces a series of hesitations when it is turned under load. Such catching indicates brinelling (pitting) of the bearing races. Pick up the front of the bike and drop it to see if there is any rattling of the headset when the bike bounces. If there is, it is out of adjustment and you should pull the headset apart to check for brinelling. Any bearings that show any stickiness should be pulled apart and checked. Make a list of everything that needs to be replaced and the estimated cost.

Be sure to check the frame alignment. The simplest overall alignment test is to ride the bike with no hands. A properly aligned bike tracks easily, rather than pulling to one side or feeling as though it is about to swerve out of control. If the wheels are properly trued, the rims should be equidistant to from the fork blades and the chainstays. If one side is closer to the other, reverse the wheel to see whether the fault is in the wheel or in the frame. If the short side remains next to the same frame member, the error is in the frame. Stretch a string around the front of the head tube and back on either side of the bike to the read of the dropouts. The string should be the same distance from the seat tube and down the seat tube on each side. The cranks should pass the seat tube and down tube at exactly the same distance, otherwise the bottom bracket shell is not oriented exactly at a right angle to the plain of the main triangle.

Look at the frame for dimples, paint blisters, or other evidences that the bike has crashed.

One last note on buying a secondhand bike is to ask for the bike’s original sales slip and get a signed receipt. Many people won’t have them but try your best not to buy a stolen bike. Bicycle theft is a major problem for all of us who ride and you owe it to your fellow cyclists and yourself not to reward the thieves. If you come across a suspicious situation, report it to the police then follow up later to see whether they investigated. Most police departments do not tale bike theft very seriously and they won’t begin to move unless they feel the pressure from irate citizens.*