For the price of a one-month Metrocard, you can set yourself up for years of cheap commuting and good fun on a streetworthy and safe used bicycle. If you’re not careful, however, you could be buying yourself a one-way ticket to hell. Buying stolen bikes is not only mean and wrecks your Karma, but it also increases the chance that your own bike will be stolen. So read on for answers to frequently asked questions about used bikes.

Should I Buy A Bike Off the Street?
No. Do not buy bikes from random street sellers — odds are it’s stolen. Even the local bike “entrepreneur” with a regular spot on your block could be dealing in hot bikes. Ask questions, lots of them.

How Bout A Bike Shop?
Maybe, but unlikely — most shops don’t bother with them. “The economics of the bike market, with rents being what they are, makes almost any used bike sale not from a Recycle-A-Bicycle questionable,” says Charlie McCorkle at Bicycle Habitat. There are exceptions, so ask your local shop owner. For example, at the end of the summer season each year, for example, Metro Bicycles sells off their rental fleet of mountain bikes and hybrids, while other shops sell bikes never picked-up from repair for the cost of whatever labor and parts were put into the bike. And there are a few stores that specialize in used bikes, including Bikeworks and Bikes By George, both in the East Village/Lower East Side area.

Where Else Can I Go?
Sometimes the classifieds —like in T.A. magazine or other club newsletters. Buyer beware though-many who are trying to sell their own late model bikes tend to overvalue them and will ask for far too much. Your best bet are the not-for-profit Recycle-A-Bicycle shops, not only for the good bikes but because the proceeds benefit their educational programs which teach NYC kids about all things bicycle. RAB’s East Side number is 212-260-7055; uptown is 212-569-2760.  You can also try a Police Auction [please note that the police now only auction bikes in lots of 10 - update February 25, 2003].

What Should I Look For in a Used Bike?
First: choose the type of bike you need. If you’re riding in Manhattan or just to the train, you’ll do fine with a one speed or three speed “cruiser.” If you go over a bridge, your commute is probably a little longer, so you might want a bike with more gears.

Next: check the frame. If there are any dents or cracks in the frame or fork, move on.

Third: make sure it fits. No matter how good a deal a bike is, you’ll never get your money’s worth if it is too big or small. Stand straddling the top tube. If you have less than an inch of space between your body and the top tube, or if you have to lean very far over to reach the handlebars, the bike is too big. If you can’t raise the seat enough to get a nearly-but-not-quite-full extension of your legs with your feet on the pedal, it’s too small.

Fourth: the shake, rattle and roll test. Make sure the wheels and pedals and handlebar spin freely. Holding onto the brakes, rock the bike back and forth. Then try to move the pedals towards or away from the frame. If in any of these tests you feel a clicking or a grinding or a kerchunking or a wobble, find another bike. These are all things that happen in the course of a bike’s life and can be fixed, but they’re not things that you want to find in a used bike. When these parts are too worn, they show it by not staying tight and they must be replaced and the labor and parts can cost as much as the bike. 

Used Bikes on the Web?

Well, you can’t do the shake, rattle, and roll test online. But there are a number of auction and classified sites with bicycles available. You can find everything from a Schwinn Stingray cruiser to a LeMond Titanium mountain bike. Please e-mail us if you find other good sources.

GreatUsedBikes.com  - reconditioned used bicycles (tune-up, new tires, new tubes, new brakes)
- guaranteed
- free delivery in NYC

Bicycle Trader:
Online classifieds with bikes and accessories.

eBay:
Has "user" bikes and accessories grouped together under Sporting Goods; also has older bikes under Collectibles.

Excite Auction:
Bikes and accessories grouped together.

Excite Classifieds:
Allows you to search by specific kinds of bicycle

Performance Bike Shop:
The longtime mail-order shop features bike auctions on its website.

Yahoo Classifieds:
Go under General Merchandise, Sports and Recreation.

Yahoo Auction:
Divided into categories such as: bikes, accessories, parts, collectibles.

NYC links:
www.lootusa.com 
www.newyork.
craigslist.org

Used Bikes in a Bike Shop?

Bikeworks, formerly The Hub, and Spoke & Strings sell used bikes. They each have a web site:
- Bikeworks
- Spokes & Strings

More Advice

Bike Guru - Buying Online by Pete Ruckelshaus

May 1996 T.A. Magazine: Buying a Used Bike