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With a big shortage on new bikes a lot of us are now looking to the second hand market to find a road bike because you'll be able to get it faster and you may actually be able to find the model you want. So, we've put together a list of things you should either check or replace when you buy a second hand bike to ensure it's going to be safe and fun to use. There's nothing worse than a bike that doesn't operate smoothly so if you follow our tips then you should be set for a hassle free bike ride.
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00:00There are so many reasons to buy a second-hand bike. The huge amount of money saved is a major
00:05one, but with the continuing constraints on availability, buying second-hand can make it
00:10that bit easier to find the model that you actually want. It's also better for the environment to use
00:15a bike someone no longer wants rather than adding in yet more demand. But whilst the brand new box
00:21fresh bike only needs a little bit of adjustment to get you rolling, a second-hand bike does require
00:26that little bit more care and attention. So we've put together five things which we'd either check
00:31or replace on any second-hand bike. Let's get into them.
00:41You probably don't need us to tell you just how important functioning brakes are. The first thing
00:46to check is how much life is left in the pads. Whether they're rim brakes or disc brakes, chances
00:52are even if you don't need to replace them immediately, you probably will in the near future.
00:58As a side note, if you've got disc brakes and they sound noisy or feel underpowered, that's a sure sign
01:04that they've been contaminated with oil. You can try sanding the surface off or you can bake the oils
01:10out in the oven, but chances are you'll have to replace the pads. Just make sure to give the rotors
01:15a proper clean with specific disc brake cleaner or isopropyl alcohol before you fit the new ones.
01:22It's also worth checking the braking surfaces for wear, whether those are the rims or the rotors.
01:29These have a longer life than the pads, so you likely won't need to replace them,
01:33but it's certainly worth checking just in case. Finally, if your cable-actuated brakes are feeling
01:40spongy or the lever won't spring back as quickly as it should, that's a sure sign that the brake
01:45cables and the outer housing need replacing. It's very much worth splashing out here. Getting some
01:51top-level housing and cables will transform the braking performance, making them more powerful
01:56and easier to control. Now, they may be double or triple the price of some of the cheaper sets
02:02out there, but it still comes out to less than half a tank of petrol and there aren't many upgrades
02:07of that magnitude that can be had for that kind of price. If it's hydraulic disc brakes that are feeling
02:13spongy, that's a sign that they do need to be bled. Now, if you haven't done this before, it can
02:18seem
02:18rather daunting, but in reality, it's as simple as a syringe full of oil through the brake lines.
02:24It is a lot cheaper to do yourself than taking it to a bike shop, so if money is a
02:29consideration,
02:30it's a skill worth taking up. To sum up, you probably do need to buy new pads for your second
02:36-hand
02:36bike and there's a reasonable chance you'll need to either change the cables or give them a bleed.
02:41You probably won't need to replace the braking surfaces with new rotors or rims,
02:45but it is definitely worth checking.
02:52There are a few things in life more frustrating than a bike which doesn't shift gears properly.
02:57The first port of call should always be making sure that the cable tension is set correctly
03:02and then checking whether the neck hanger is aligned. Investing in what may seem like a big
03:08metal stick might feel like a bit of an extravagance, but really, they are so useful so often.
03:15If the gears still aren't shifting right, then you're probably going to have to replace the cables.
03:19Now, if your bike is sufficiently second-hand enough that you've got external cable routing,
03:23then this might be a job that takes you about five minutes per derailleur if you're practiced,
03:28or maybe 15 minutes per derailleur if it's your first time.
03:33If the bike has internal cable routing, depending on the model, it could take a professional mechanic hours to complete.
03:39Now, if you have the money, it might be worth saving your time here.
03:43If you're looking to save money, though, then there are kits out there that you can buy to make the
03:47process a whole lot easier.
03:49Definitely worth the investment for the time saved.
03:53It's also worth getting a chain check at all to see how worn your chain is,
03:57or you can use the time-honored method of pulling the chain away from the chainring and seeing how far
04:02it will go.
04:02If you can see a lot of daylight, then it's too worn and needs to be replaced.
04:07Do bear in mind, though, if the previous owner has been riding around on an extremely worn chain,
04:12they will have also accelerated the wear on the cassette and the chainrings,
04:16to the point that the shifting could be even worse.
04:20Unfortunately, this means that you may end up needing to buy a new cassette and chainrings,
04:25but it's worth using this as an opportunity to consider your gearing,
04:29if you need something a little lower or easier,
04:31or if you wanted tighter spacing for more even changes in cadence.
04:36As chainrings are typically included when you buy a new crankset,
04:39this could even be an opportunity to change your crank arm length.
04:43So, to sum up, adjust your gears, but also, it's probably going to be worth buying some new cables and
04:49outer housing,
04:50and if you're doing your brakes at the same time, then it does make sense to buy these together.
04:55Do check your chain, but you're probably going to need to buy a new one,
04:58and just bear in mind that you might need a new cassette and new chainrings.
05:08As with buying any bike, it's pretty unlikely that the stock saddle is going to be a perfect fit for
05:14you.
05:14You might be selling your current bike to back finance the new second-hand one,
05:19in which case you can just swap the saddles over and save yourself the money.
05:23Otherwise, you'll be having to shell out for another saddle, which you know works for you.
05:27Now, new bar tape almost goes without saying.
05:30For something that can look and smell quite so bad and cost so relatively little to replace,
05:36it's amazing how many people go without,
05:38and how many people will splash out on new wheels whilst keeping the tape sane for the entire season.
05:45As for your final contact point, you probably don't need reminding,
05:49but you're probably either going to need to swap in or buy new pedals.
05:58Now, we're coming to the upgrades, which can potentially be left for a little longer
06:02after the initial purchase of the bike.
06:05Definitely do check the tyres for heavy wear, but generally, there will still be some life left in them.
06:11That said, a set of lightweight, fast-rolling tyres really does transform the feel of a bike,
06:16in terms of the performance and also just keeping your consumable components refreshed.
06:21New tyres are a great investment.
06:24But even if you're not obsessed about speed,
06:27it's unlikely that the tyre spec'd will have the right balance of puncture protection
06:31or be optimised precisely for the terrain that you're riding.
06:35Should you wish, you could also take the opportunity to go tubeless,
06:39if the bike isn't already set up as such.
06:42You'd get the benefits of greater puncture protection,
06:44the ability to run lower pressures,
06:46and a decrease in rolling resistance and weight,
06:49although the technology does work best on those wider tyres.
07:00Finally, your bearings.
07:02Now, they do tend to last quite a long time,
07:05but equally, that means that it's an area that can get neglected.
07:08Now, we'll look at the bottom bracket first,
07:11which is the bearing which allows your cranks to spin,
07:14and we'll probably also protest the loudest if it's worn out,
07:18especially if the frame is designed for press-fit BB cups rather than threaded.
07:23It is worth noting that it is possible to get thread-fit bottom brackets for press-fit frames.
07:30Now, this consists of two parts that screw into each other,
07:33and this means that you don't need to hit them in and out of the frame,
07:37which makes maintenance a whole lot easier.
07:39Although, you will need a specific BB tool to screw them in,
07:42as with any threaded system.
07:45And, of course, you will need to get the current BB out in the first place.
07:49Now, a bike shop is usually best for that job.
07:52Your wheel bearings may need servicing,
07:54especially if you can wobble the wheel from side to side.
07:57On cheaper wheels and some select high-end ones,
08:00these tend to be cup and cone bearings.
08:03Now, to service them, you'll need some degreaser,
08:05some fresh lithium grease,
08:07and potentially some new ball bearings if the current ones are worn.
08:10It's a little fiddly and does require some specific spanners,
08:13but the tools are cheap,
08:14and once you've done it a few times,
08:16you do get a pretty good knack for it.
08:18Wheels with sealed cartridge bearings will need a specific bearing puller
08:22and a drift for slamming the new ones on.
08:25These kits tend to be rather expensive,
08:27and we wouldn't advise trying to bodge this.
08:29If in doubt, a bike shop is definitely best here.
08:33Finally, there's the headset bearings,
08:35which are the ones that allow your handlebars to move.
08:37These protest the least
08:39and don't have so much of a negative impact on your speed,
08:42so they are something that are often really neglected
08:45and can be really quite corroded
08:47by the time you get to replacing them.
08:49But it is very much worth doing,
08:52not least so that rusty grease
08:53doesn't keep seeping down your fork.
08:56To sum this one up,
08:57you'll know if your bottom bracket needs replacing,
08:59and if it's a press fit system,
09:01it is worth thinking about getting a thread fit system as a replacement.
09:06Wool bearings need swapping if they wobble
09:07or they feel gritty when you spin them,
09:10and if they're cup and cone,
09:11that's great because they're cheap,
09:12but they are then fiddly to work on,
09:15whereas the sealed cartridge ones,
09:16although nice and easy to maintain,
09:19you do need some expensive tools.
09:21Headset bearings can get forgotten,
09:23so it's really worth checking them.
09:25If you're unsure,
09:26a bike shop is always your friend.
09:28To recap,
09:29in descending order of importance,
09:31check and replace the parts of your brakes,
09:34then do the same for your gears.
09:35Get the contact points,
09:37those being your saddle bars and pedals,
09:39set up as you prefer,
09:40then check the tyres and bearings for wear.
09:42They'll either need replacing immediately,
09:44if so,
09:44or can be a nice little upgrade later down the line.
09:48So there we have it.
09:50If you've bought a secondhand bike recently,
09:52did you follow any of these tips,
09:54or do you have some of your own that you'd like to share?
09:57Do drop them down below.
09:58If you enjoyed the video,
09:59drop it a like,
10:00subscribe to the channel for more content,
10:01and I'll see you again very soon.
10:14for more content,
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