So, getting back to the original question - should you buy a used bike? Absolutely! There have always been people who need to buy a new bike every year or two. There are also lots of people who decide to get into cycling, spend a fortune on gear, and then discover that riding a bike isn't really their thing. Their bike either ends up being an expensive laundry rack, or they sell it, often for far less than they paid for it.

The want ads are full of great bikes that have been hardly used, priced at a fraction of the new price. Unlike cars, bikes are pretty simple and it's easy to tell if a bike is damaged or worn out. If you're not an experienced cyclist, take someone who is with you when you look at a used bike. Examine the bike for obvious damage. Look for marks on the pedals and brake levers because they'll often show if the bike has been crashed. If the bike has a steel or aluminum frame, you can easily check the frame alignment with a piece of string (there are videos on YouTube that show how to do this). I take a chain check tool with me when I look at a used bike. If the seller says he only rode the bike a few times but the chain checker indicates a heavily worn chain, he may be stretching the truth (and the chain) a bit. If there's a computer on the bike, look for the total mileage. It's not guaranteed, but if the computer shows 10,000 km, it could mean that the bike was used much more than the seller admits. Check the chainrings and cogs for wear. If the bike has been used a lot, the teeth on the chainrings could be worn to points, and the teeth on the cogs, especially the first, second, and third largest could have a little hook worn into the back edge. Check the rear derailleur hanger to make sure it hasn't been bent in a crash. If the seller brags about being a racer, I might be a bit leery about buying a bike from them because racing puts a lot of stress on a bike and hard crashes are a common occurrence.

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