What to pay attention to when buying a used race bike? - the one with thin tires :) Thanks for advice guys! I ask because I am a beginner in bikes, but I would love a faster bike. Now I have a very slow mountain bike, and mostly use it to travel from town to town.
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3Are you asking about what features to consider, or how to assess the condition of a used bicycle? – Argenti Apparatus Oct 08 '18 at 00:41
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This question has several answers that deal with bikes in general. https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/743/what-should-i-look-for-when-buying-a-used-bicycle Road bikes are not really different from the rest, except that you have to check whether the combined shifter/brake levers work and don't have to care about suspension. I don't know if this is a duplicate target. – StefanS Oct 08 '18 at 06:38
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2Possible duplicate of What should I look for when buying a used bicycle? – David Richerby Oct 08 '18 at 09:04
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It should be noted that narrow tyres and drop handlebars do not necessarily make a faster bike than wide tyres and a flat bar. – Andy P Oct 08 '18 at 12:16
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@AndyP both of these help with speed on smooth-ish roads. – ojs Oct 08 '18 at 20:38
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- There are lots of bikes with skinny tires that aren't necessarily racing bikes.
- As with any bike, new or used, you want to make sure the bike fits you. A bike that can be made to fit with new handlebars/stem/saddle might be worth it, but that's a decision you'll need to make.
- Has the bike been well-maintained? Is there rust or corrosion on the frame or parts? Is everything tight that should be tight? Do all the rotating parts turn smoothly?
- Has the bike been crashed? Is the paint basically intact? Is anything bent?
- Possibly harder to determine unless you're knowledgeable about bikes, but does the bike have parts that will be difficult to replace if/when that becomes necessary? Sometimes there are evolutionary dead-ends in bike technology (although I can't think of many in recent history).
- Most importantly, do you enjoy riding it? It's a good idea to test-ride as many bikes as you can to get an idea of what you like and dislike.
Even if the bike isn't perfect for you as-is, it may be close enough that with some replacement parts, it'll be a good bike for you. You'll need to decide how much extra you're willing to spend to bring it up to that level.
Adam Rice
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Just a comment: When coming from a sedate MTB it could be hard to accurately judge road bike seating positions. Any road bike will feel light and bent-over. – Michael Oct 08 '18 at 08:40