Buying a Second Hand Bike - Advice and Tips for ebay buying

No matter how much we think they’re worth it, bikes are pretty expensive when you get to the higher end models. A brand new, decent full suspension mountain bike will normally set you back at least £1,500 and for a quality component spec you can go far higher. Add to that the fact that you lose a huge percentage of that value in terms of resale price as soon as you wheel it out the door and you soon end up with a wallet full of scared looking VISA cards.

One way around the eternal cash woes though is to look at the second hand market. Since graduating beyond my first £500 hardtail I’ve always ridden second hand bikes, and while I’ve had a couple of problems along the way, the huge saving in cost far outweighs the disadvantages. High-end bikes are built to last, especially the frames, and if it’s been looked after and you make a decent inspection of the kit then there’s no reason why you should have any trouble. I thought I’d post a few tips on the blog that I’ve picked up over the last few years and this first one concerns ebay in particular.

Buying on Ebay

I’ve done a lot of shopping on Ebay in the past and, touch wood, I’ve never been stung badly yet. I know it’s entirely possible to be completely ripped off but I think with a bit of advice you can reduce the chances hugely. Obviously, buying on ebay is completely at your own risk but here’s a few tips based on what I’ve learned over 5 years on ebay shopping.

1. Check their feedback. This seems obvious but it’s ebay’s prime way of avoiding dodgy sellers, and it works. I would never pay £600 for a frame from a seller with less than 10 feedback. Make sure you only pay the big bucks to folks with over 40 or 50 in their feedback rating. Obviously there are sellers out there with less who are completely trustworthy but I just don’t think it’s worth the risk.
2. Read the ad carefully. I always trust a well written ad far more than one with tons of spelling and grammar mistakes. From experience you get far better service from those that can write a decent ad, and the description tends to be more accurate. Hastily and badly written ads seem to be far more likely to include lies about the quality of items and completely miss out the fact that, say, the back derailleur is knackered.
3. Do some research. The prices on ebay can vary wildly, but it you know what kind of bike you’re looking for you can watch a few of them and see what they go for. You’ll notice that there’s an average price for everything, but sometimes individual items go for far more. Be patient and don’t bid above the average. You might have to wait another week or so but other bikes of the same spec will come up and you’ll get them for a better price.

Good and Bad experiences

My worst experience of ebay shopping centred around the first full suspension bike I bought. I spent £600 on a 3 year old Specialized Stumpjumper and despite my worries, it turned up a mere 3 days later. I discovered straight away though that the back derailleur, a Shimano XTR rapid rise, was completely knackered and needed replacing. Further inspection showed me that the chain rings were in pretty bad nick too, and a quick test ride produced copious amounts of chain-suck. All in all, I wasn’t best pleased with my supposed dream machine. I fitted a new XT derailleur and rode the bike for a few months, but I just didn’t get into it after my initial disappointment and sold it locally soon after, losing a bit of money (around £150) when I did so due to the derailleur, damaged chainset and general condition.

Coincidentally my brother had bought a very similar machine at exactly the same time and received his in perfect condition. He got a bargain of a deal, the bike arriving with a higher spec than mine and looking like it had hardly ever been used. He did get his dream machine and is still riding it today.

How to tell the difference between the two is a tricky one though, and to be honest, apart from sticking to the three tips above, I’ve not sure what else you can do. You can save a lot of money though and get yourself an awesome bike so, as long as you can afford the risk, it might be worth it.

Obviously, you can entirely bypass these dilemmas by buying locally and making a good inspection of the bike before buying. You lose the variety and choice gained by shopping nationally though, and could spend months trying to find the perfect bike. It can be worth it to bypass the risk however, and the prices can be even cheaper. Anyway, look out for a separate post on that subject in the future, and good luck with the ebay shopping!

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