BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I don't think it makes much of a difference whether 100 people rode a bike once, or one person rode a bike 100 times.

I wouldn't buy a used bike unless I knew what I was doing in terms of being able to make any repairs it would need, and how to inspect a bike to make sure it is a solid ride.

I haven't bought a NEW bike since I was in high school almost 20 years ago, but I worked in bike shops most of my growing up and through college so I feel comfortable with that and always score good deals on rides.

Bikes are pretty darn resilient and last a very long time even without proper maintenance — if it is a shop quality bike vs. a department store Huffy.

By and large rental bikes aren't abused like buying a used mountain bike from someone who actually shreds the singletrack would be. I don't know what the typical client at Golden Triangle is like but whenever I see people on rental bikes they are typically leisure riders, tourists, or people just out for a casual stroll.

I'd assume you would be fine, just make sure to check over everything from the shifting, smoothness of bearings like the bottom bracket and headset, inspect the frame over for dents, bends, or any deformities in the metal, look for things like broken mounting threads etc on the frame that are not repairable and even things like the shape of the tires, brake pads, wheel trueness, etc etc.

Grab the spokes on each wheel and check the spoke tension by feel and see if there are any really loose spokes or anything indicating that the wheel has been beat to crap and brought back to true by throwing the spoke tension completely out of whack (some super tight and some really loose) so the wheel tracks true between the brake pads (you will be snapping spokes in no time as you ride).

If you buy a bike with a front or rear suspension make sure the seals are good, they hold pressure (if an air/oil shock) and the stanchion tubes are not loose.

Check the rear derailleur and hanger alignment by eye and see if there are any signs of it being bent / straightened or weakened in any way as that will render your bike useless if it snaps off and is not replaceable. Look for gouges or scrapes on the rear derailleur that would indicate the bike had been crashed or thrown down to the ground on the drive-side.

I would assume a shop with mechanics selling used bikes would make sure the bikes check out well for liability reasons alone and for their general reputation.

I won't even sell a bike on craigslist without making sure it is fully ready to ride and all dialed in unless I fully indicate that I had not done so in the ad. I would hope that an actual business would go a step or two beyond that.

make sure things like the seat post clamp are not worn out, especially where the quick-release bolt goes through the frame and there are no signs of excessive wear or fatigue on those parts that are CONSTANTLY being re-adjusted too by every new rider that gets on the bike.

That is definitely one problem I have repeatedly heard people complain about with rental bikes (the lack of an ability to properly raise / lower the saddle, or worn out quick release bolts that don't hold tension.

My opinion is based on a hunch, proven by innuendo - I think the yearly mileage on these bikes is rather low considering they are rented by ‘weekenders’ who probably do no more than the paved trails up and down the river. They therefore never see hills or much in the way of rain or snow. They are probably also well maintained by the staff at the rental shop since they want the people who rent them to return for future rentals.

One negative I can think of is you don’t have a LBS helping you with fit. The other negative is that some users may have ridden the bikes cross-chained not knowing any better. So buy one and replace the chain if it is stretched – still probably a good deal.

rzod, interesting post. I was biking on the trail past the rental place on Monday and they were taking pics of a bike. I wondered if they were preparing it for sale. It seemed like it had gotten some attention as it was very clean and looked like the mechanic was the one taking the pics.

I bought one from them at the end of last year. I use it as intended when i bought it....as a backup bike. I have no complaints.

I bought one from them at the end of last year. I use it as intended when i bought it....as a backup bike. I have no complaints.

Thanks, all. This happens to be a mountain bike. Does that change your feelings on how it may have been used (or abused)? Based on my research it seems like a great deal. I just don't want any nasty surprises.

The bike probably never got dirty. Adam's checklist sounds like good advice. Also, don't forget to just ask the staff questions. I'm sure they will be honest and upfront with any issues they know about broken components, etc. I'm sure they buy these bikes wholesale, and the cost of storing the bikes and the labor cost of going over them again in the spring is not much different than buying new bikes every year.