BUYING SECOND HAND

[Goodfella]

Hi. Just bought a second-hand but EXCELLENT condition Specialized Venge today. And, even though I am not keen on buying second-hand carbon bikes, the second-hand market does offer some good deals, at savings that would simply have gone into the pocket of new bike dealers. I explicitly told the seller that I am NOT in the habit of buying stolen or dodgy bikes. He assured me that the bike was completely above-board and if there were any problems I could come straight back to him. How does one really know, because I would hate to be riding around on a bike that has caused someone else pain and suffering,

 

If you guys have any advice on this, please post. (also, I am happy to post a pic of the bike I bought, on this forum) 

 

This may also be a good way for our other buyers of second-hand bikes to ensure that they are riding legitimately bought bikes, and tighten the noose on bike-thieves.

 

Regards,

Meredith 

[Harryn]

Yes, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that the bike is legit, for both moral and legal reasons.

 

What I did is ask the seller where he bought the bike, and i asked for a copy of the invoice. He could not find the invoice, but he told me where he bought and serviced the bike, and I checked it out, even though he immediately struck me as a straight up guy. The plus was that the LBS knew the seller and the bike well, and were able to assure me that it was well maintained from birth.

 

 

This works well for complete bikes, but I suppose the acquisitive authentication of parts are much more difficult to verify.

[Donnerweer]

Sorry if this is off topic but do you guys know who to use to ship a bike in SA(for the budget conscious out there)

[Vetseun]

Sorry if this is off topic but do you guys know who to use to ship a bike in SA(for the budget conscious out there)

A tip.

There are very good people here on the hub. Ask if anybody is travelling from where the bike is located to where you are or nearby. You will be amazed how helpful people around here are. And you will know that the bike will be transported with care.