BUY A
USED BIKE
in simple
HOW TO
1
3
Choose a bike type for your needs:
steps
Fit is super important!
With each type of bike there are different considerations to your fit.
A road bike doesn’t have to be uncomfortable or hard on your back, and a cruiser doesn’t have to be super wide and hard to steer.
Before you buy a bike make sure you know the kind of riding you want to do.
Road Bike
Mountain Bike
Road bikes are a classic design of bike built to handle their respective
riding styles.
Mountain bikes are built for the purpose of off-road riding.
They use an entirely different wheel size from the other bikes
(mostly).
There are several types:
Racing: faster and responsive, they have less tire clearance and
cannot take much weight
Touring: compared to a race bike of the same size, touring bikes
will be longer, heavier and more stable. Capable of taking
large tires, racks and fenders
Cyclocross: prinicpally designed for off-road races, ‘cross’ bikes
are popular commuters do to their handling, mid-range
length and tire/fender clearance
Track: a true track bike has a fixed cog on the rear wheel and
no place to mount brakes or water bottles; however,
recently more single-speed or ’fixie’ bikes have these
bosses
Expect large and knobby tires, wide-gear ratios and suspension.
While comfortable, suspension will use up a rider’s energy as it
bounces.
There are three main types:
Full Suspension: this is the ‘classic’ idea of a mountain bike.
Heavy, it has the ability to absorb impact on
both front and rear ends of the bike. Best suited
to 100% off-road use, and primarily sport as
suspension requires regular service
Hard-Tail: only contains suspension in the front fork, these
bikes will be faster and better suited for high
speed off-road handling
these are still designed for off-road use,
Rigid:
maintaining the wide tires and wide ratios, but
they are best suited for fast, jump/drop-free
riding
Hybrid Bike
City/Cruiser Bike
Designed to offer a mix of comfort and performance. Hybrid bikes
share designs with mountain and road. Unlike a rigid mountain bike,
they have a shorter length, road-sized wheels, narrower tire clearance,
smaller gear ratios and soft grips. These will have rack and fender
mounts that are easy to install.
This is a common commuter bike as it is versatile and easy to maintain.
These bikes are designed with simplicity in mind. Simple gear
systems, often a coaster brake and practical considerations like
fenders, chain guards and baskets allow the casual rider to hop
on and off without much thought. Often painted in stylish colours
and marketed to urbanites. Suitable for short-range commuting
and seawall ambles.
2 Look for a Used bike
Buying a used bike can be a process. Places like The Bike Kitchen or Our Community Bikes exist to make it simple and easy - these bikes are
guaranteed to be safe and rideable.
We only recommend looking yourself if you are experienced with bike mechanics, feel comfortable assessing bikes and have lots of
resources to turn to.
We can’t search Craigslist for you, but we’re here to learn together at a Purple & Yellow night or take one of the Intro to Mechanics classes
offered at various places around town. We like to keep ours as cheap as possible!
Online
Bike Shops
Craigslist
The Bike Kitchen
vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bia/
thebikekitchen.com
6138 Student Union Blvd. - UBC
604 827 7333
Kijiji
Our Community Bikes
Pinkbike
kijiji.ca/vancouver
pedalpower.org/our-community-bikes
pinkbike.com/buysell/
3283 Main St. (at 17th Ave.)
604 879 2453
3 Inspect your newly-found used bike
If you have decided to brave the world of buying used bikes via classifieds, you will have to do some inspection.
Firstly, make sure the bike is not irreparably damaged. Then consider the price of your purchase.
Remember that any ‘good deal’ will likely need lots of repair work. This is always a hidden cost! You may want to add the practical things:
fenders and a rack. Also consider the ongoing maintenance your bike will need.
Frame/Fork
Check for cracks, dents or bends, especially around the joins
of the frame. In a crash the rear-triangle may become out of
alignment.
Make sure the frame size fits you well - there should be ~1 inch
of clearance between your seat and the top tube when standing
over the frame. Consider your bar width and reach. There
plently of online frame size calculator tools.
Wheels and Tires
Check that the wheel spins smoothly make sure there’s no
wobbling or hissing sounds and no sudden stops.
Feel the curvature of the rims for excessive wear. Check the
tire for wear, frays and cracks, especially on the sidewalls.
Brakes
Check for rust on the brake levers and for wear on the brake
cables.
Brakes should open and close smoothly and not rub the surface.
Look for wear lines on the pads.
Seat Post & Saddle
Ensure the seatpost is not seized. You should be able to adjust
it to the right height, so long as the frame is the right size.
If you can, grab the axle and check the hub for bearing wear.
Other Bearing Systems
Grab the front brakes and check the headset. Spinning the fork
will help identify wear.
While biking, your leg pushing down should be almost straight
from seat to pedal, slightly bent.
Check the cranks for play and spin slowly to feel for bottom
bracket wear. Older cranks may be harder or impossible to remove.
You can adjust the position of a saddle slightly, but these two
pieces may need to change to ensure proper fit.
Spin the pedals and make sure they don’t wobble about on
their spindles.
Drivetrain/Gears
The easist part to fix, but most likely to be warn, check while
riding the bike (or simulating pedalling motion). Check for
smooth shifting from gear to gear.
A rusty chain can be replaced, but too much rust on the rear
cassette/freewheel will mean replacement.
Look for shark-finned gear teeth, and bent chainrings.
It’s easy to bend a derailleur hanger, but the cage might also be
damaged, adding cost. Check both front and rear parts!
Tips
Try out many different bikes.
Talk to someone experienced if you are unsure about
anything. Read lots!
The interenet is a great resource, especially the complete
sheldonbrown.com.
Drag an experienced friend with you, then buy them dinner! :)
At The Bike Kitchen we do free safety assessments, so when in doubt,
bring it by and we’ll look over it to make sure it’s in riding shape!