How To Go Shopping for Cheap Road Bikes
Friday, July 16th, 2010Starting out road bike cycling it all looks very expensive, on paper at least. By the time you have invested in either lycra shorts or (assos) cycling bib shorts, and then found a cycling jersey to your taste, looked at road cycling shoes and decided which ones to go for, you may be already downsizing in your mind what type of road bike you can get your hands on with the remaining cash.
And don’t forget the helmet, pump, tools…
Anyway, all the clobber adds up to around £150 or more. And it could put your dream machine on hold for a while.
While you are saving though, you don’t have to put all that great exercise time on hold. Instead why not make a choice from a selection of cheap road bikes, then, when you can afford it, buy something a little more expensive?
These are your options, with the warnings.
Second hand is a great way to go, especially if you can find a friend who is getting rid of their’s. The problem is when you go elsewhere and you don’t know the history of the machine. It’s all too easy for someone to go and sell on stolen goods, so you need to be wary of small ads offering cheap road bikes for sale in newspapers, markets (some London one’s particularly), or those which have been involved in accidents.
For the same reason be wary of ebay and the like. You have very little come back if there is a problem. And even if the goods are legit, they may have been in a crash and that will weaken the structure resulting in a dangerous bike.
Look out for damaged welds, cracks, or evidence that codes/postcodes have been scratched out. Take along a UV light with you to run over the frame in case it has been coded somehow.
If you are buying a second hand cheap road bike then check all the components. Brakes should work freely; there should be very little buckle in the wheels and all the spokes should be of equal tension (squeeze them together gently to check this: I got that tip from the bike doctor app). Spin the wheels and make sure that they run freely: if they don’t, see if they rubbing on the brakes (fixable if there isn’t a bad warp) or if there something else going on, like the bearings need replacing.
Whilst you are checking the wheels, look out for dents to the rim or excessive brake pad wear. Both wheels should be in line with the bike frame – look from one end of the bike.
The seat post should be undamaged, and screws under the saddle in good condition.
Give the gears a good spin too, changing up and down through all of them, but remember not to push them to unreasonable extremes (e.g. largest crank with largest rear cassette cog). Make sure they change smoothly and evenly. Check the derailleur for any signs of small breaks or corrosion. Check each and every cog for wear or broken teeth. The chain should be clean too which will show someone has taken some care of it.
If you can, get a chain checker from somewhere like petracycles (see picture). You simply insert it on the chain between the links. If it goes into the holes, the chain is fine. If it doesn’t it isn’t. For a fraction under £6 it’s not only a
Chain checker
good investment for looking for cheap road bikes, but will last for as long as your cycling enthusiasm does!
The reason for all the above checks is that components etc. are expensive, and if you need to replace them it will be another chunk of cash, it adds up rather quickly.
If you can, get on the bike and give it a ride. According to Tejvan Pettinger who writes www.cyclinginfo.co.uk, it’s a great idea to try to ride with your hands off! You probably don’t want to do this if you are a total noob (or the seller is watching), but this will indicate a problem with the frame if you can’t keep going straight. Though if you can’t balance without your hands on the bars then the same could be said…good tip though.
Where else can you buy?
Sometimes, sadly, there are auctions for repossessed items. Check out locally for reputable sources. Ask your local bike shop if they can recommend anywhere too. The police may also have knowledge of the reputable dealers…and not so reputable!
Last season’s bikes are like cars or computers, they are a lot cheaper but still a good buy. Think of it this way, if you were in the market last year then that would have been the bike to buy, and it would last you a few years. So just decide that that is good enough still now! So end of lines are worth a check, as are bikes that have a great frame but lower spec components. You can then upgrade the components later.
OR you could buy a bike which has a cheap frame but higher quality components. Then buy an upgrade bike which has a great frame but lower quality components when you can afford it. Swap the components over and you will have one bike with great frame and high spec components for race days, and a lower spec bike for training/winter. Or sell the cheaper bike. Ask your local retailer if there are such bike ranges around and if you bought from them if they would do the work for you. I suggest looking at Scott road bikes.
There are a number of shops that deal part exchange. These will be reputable, but chat with a couple of local cycle groups to check what the ‘word on the street’ is. If they are mechanics then they should have made sure that the bike is ok before accepting it for resale. I predict more of these local shops dealing in part exchange will be seen as interest in cycling rises, and people keep upgrading.
Wiggle.com looks like a great option: they have ex-demo, cheap used road racing bikes at about 30% off.
The remaining place to look is at those places which hire out bikes. Doing some research on the net has proved fruitful, though you might find most places dealing in mountain bikes. Worth a look though. Most will be well maintained and about 18 months old.
And don’t forget, you can reduce the cost of set up further still by dealing with places that are part of the UK Cycle To Work scheme – up to 50% off. If you and your employer qualify, your bike choice must be less than £1000. So choosing wisely you could walk off with a reduced ex-demo end of line bike for a shade under £1000 limit (due to the reduction because it is end of line AND ex-demo), which then is reduced by up to 50%.
link: http://icyclelite.com/cheap-road-bikes/
