Buying Used vs New

A lot of people looking to buy a new road, commuter or mountain bike are often faced with the same question, should I buy second hand or new? While the appeal of second hand bikes often lies in the pricing, there can be some hidden costs down the road. While buying new may be more expensive for the initial purchase, warranty and after sales give you piece of mind. 

Second-hand bikes can often seem like they are a bargain but, if you don’t know what you are checking for replacements can cost more than the bike itself. You may not know when the suspension was last serviced, how long the drivetrain has been on the bike, or whether there may be a crack in the frame. 

A full-suspension service is going to cost around 300-400 dollars and if there is something severely wrong with suspension that will jump into the 700-800 dollar mark at least. A worn chain may only be 30-40 dollars but, if the cassette has been worn it can cost between 40 and 90 dollars on a commuter. High-end mountain bike or road bike cassettes can cost as much as 500 dollars. If the frame bearings, headset bearings, or bottom bracket bearings are worn the labor alone will be in the hundreds.