My first “London” bike purchase was a second hand bike when I was a student. I saved a ton of money and bought a bike I would not have been able to afford first hand. The two problems I faced were making sure the bike is not stolen and getting a good deal.
Note: This is taken from the London Cyclist eBook: A guide to Cycling in London which is freely available to newsletter subscribers. Click here to find out more.
Where to Buy Second Hand Bikes in London?
- Gumtree classifieds in London and eBay are classics though be careful about stolen bikes
- In a bike shop – the LCC maintain a good list of bike shops in London that sell second hand bikes.
- In a police auction – Frank G Bowen run the London auctions
- Classified ads in newspapers and magazines
How to Be Sure You Are Not Buying Stolen Goods
You don’t have to be a criminal detective to know when the bike you are looking at is stolen. There are obvious signs to look out for:
- See if the person who is selling the bike is suited to it.
- Look for the bicycle frame number. This is located underneath the bike. If this has been scratched off it is a tell-tale sign of a bike theft.
- Meet with the person at their house not in a location such as an underground station. If they refuse they may be selling stolen goods.
- Ask for identification
- Ask for an original receipt of when the bike was purchased. If there is no receipt then perhaps they have an original manual
If the owner of the bike has also been smart enough to use BikeRegister then you can use their smartphone app to check the barcode or frame number.
Getting a Good deal on a Second Hand Bike
It can be helpful to have someone with you who knows a thing or two about bikes. Also try and get a test ride. Here are some things you should be looking for:
- Correct frame size – if it doesn’t fit you then there is no point in buying
- Rust – on the chain and on the rest of the bike. The chain can cheaply be replaced but rust on the rest of the bike can be a problem.
- Dents – both on the frame and forks
- Tyres – Are they worn out? They will need to be replaced.
- Sprockets and gears – do the gears keep skipping, do the components look worn out? Replacing them can be a costly exercise.
- Do a full M check – check all the classic areas: bolts, buckled wheels etc should all be assessed. Some things can be fixed cheaply but can quickly raise the price of what seems like a good deal
Have you had any experiences with buying second hand bikes? Leave a comment..
Hi,
I have never bought a second hand bike but have always where possible done a part ex with the bike shop I was buying the new bike from.
They would tell me what the cost of any repairs to it might cost and I usually got about £40 for the old bike and the person buying my old bike got a good deal on a fully serviced bike.
So a bike shop would be my advice to anyone thinking of getting a second hand bike.
Call me I want
Hi, I own a bike which has been used only a couple of times so its almost as good as new. There is a basket attached together with a chain & lock. Pls call or if you email me I can provide a picture of it.
John
020 73512711
Hi John, I called your number. Please call me on 020 7456 8700 and ask for Renu Kaul.
I am interested in your bike.
Thank you.
You forgot to mention Freecycle – that’s where I got all 3 of the bikes that I currently own. All of them needed some work, but I didn’t have to pay a thing!
Hello, thanks for the info – buying second hand bikes is daunting if you don’t have technical knowledge.
I bought a really nice second hand bike from Squeaky Chains. http://squeakychains.com
They also have 4 vital tips for checking out if a second hand bike is good to go:
http://squeakychains.com/tips-for-buying-second-hand-bikes/
Hope you find this helpful.
Squeaky Chains no longer sell second hand bicycles. I rang them this morning in hope of purchasing one today!
Go for it- first bike was second hand 3 or 4 speed Sturmey- Archer, second bike again second hand, paid a fiver, went from Newcastle to Inverness via Great Glen and back-
first trip to France was on 10 speed second hand bike.
Local papers often have a section in the back advertising pages-
Carpe- Diem!!
I might add look to see if the bike frame is postcoded the same as the seller’s address, and if not why not?
If the bike is an old or vintage bike and the chain is rusty then replacing it might not be so cheap and easy. An old chain will wear down, and the cogs at the rear will wear down with it. This means a new chain will not match up to the gear teeth on the back and the chain will skip. This means that the cassette/freewheel and possible the whole back wheel will need replacing too.
To be honest, if a chain is that rusty, it means the bike has most likely been stored outside the majority of the time.
Bikesoup also seems like a decent second hand bike platform. Not loads of London classifieds on there yet but it has sweet functionality.
I bought 2 of my bikes ( 1 city bike and 1 folding bike ) at http://www.bikestotown.com, they have hundreds of bikes and offer free delivery all over EU.
Good article, but no mention of using your smart phone to check if the frame number is registered on bikeregister.com
This also checks the police register of stolen bikes too, and warn if a bike is stolen.
Adding this in now 🙂
Hi,
I am having a foldable bicycle which i have just used for 3 months. It is in good condition. I want to sell it for 90 pounds.
Please call or mail me i can provide you picture.
Thanks
Brij
hi
I want to see pictures of your folding bike . I want to buy it if it in good condition as you said
Just trying to get a coment to you of any used 29er mountain bikes for sale
Hi there,
Good article but a little out of date now; any idea who runs the Police auctions now?