buying a used bike

[juliabug]

I'm a beginner triathlete and don't know much about bikes except that my cheap hybrid isn't going to cut it for my Oly this summer. Someone in my local tri club is selling this one. I rarely see used bikes in my size but I don't really know what I should be looking for. What say you bike gurus.

portland.craigslist.org/clc/bik/4903007652.html

[sadlebred]

Don't buy your first bike used. You have no idea what you want, need, what fits, etc. Just because it is "women's specific" doesn't mean it will fit you. Please go to a couple of local bike shops. They have bikes at all price points. They can help fit you to a bike. No matter how great of a deal a bike is, you aren't likely to ride it if it doesn't fit. I can recommend portlandbicyclestudio.com/. The owner, Molly Cameron, is great! She's a huge supporter of women's cycling and will get you on the bike you need. (She's a long time cyclocross racer, too!)

See the link below for some info. LMK if you have any questions.

[juliabug]

Thanks! I went to a local bike shop a few weeks ago but was completely overwhelmed and the sales person was nothelpful. I'll visit your recommended shop and try again!

[sadlebred]

Visit a few shops that are near you! Don't stop at 1 or two. Portland is a bicycling mecca! There is a bike shop on every corner!

[Susie]

I agree with what sadlebred said.  A few additional thoughts:

1.  On that bike specifically:  9 speed Ultegra/105?  I don't actually know how old that makes that bike, but it's seen some years.  Shimano 105/Ultegra is currently 11 speed, and was 10 speed when I bought my road bike in 2010.  I would be wary of buying a used bike of that age for a couple reasons.  First, I wouldn't want to do it if I didn't feel confident in my ability to assess its condition (which if you're not a bike person, you're not).  Second, I'd rather not buy a bike that's already incompatible with current (or last gen) components.  Obsolescence happens fast enough without starting out behind the 8 ball before your first mile.

2.  Size.  How do you know what your size is to know which bikes are your size?  It's probably true that a 44cm frame would be roughly appropriate for someone about 5'0", but it depends on your proportions and the bike's geometry.  I am 5'2" and my three bikes are 46cm, 48cm, and XS.  You really need professional fitting assistance to figure out what geometries and sizes are right for you.  Just looking at standover height and "if you're this tall it'll fit..." only might (at best) get you the right sized bike. 

3.  What size wheels does it have?  At 44cm frame size, some bikes have 700c and some may have 650c wheels.  I had to get 650c wheels on my XS tri bike; I couldn't find one in my size that fit and had 700c wheels.  But it would not have been my choice if I had a better option.  It's sort of annoying to have different wheels/tubes/tires for my tri bike than my other bikes (and everybody else's bikes).

4.  When you start visiting shops, IMO the things you want to learn to "speak" first are components and frames.  You want to learn about Shimano's line from Sora to Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, to Dura Ace, and maybe SRAM's line from Apex on up.  (I prefer Shimano so I know it better.)  You want to learn about compact double chain rings vs. triples (that's how many gears you have on the front chain rings; I prefer compact double.)  You want to learn about frame geometries, and the pros/cons to different materials that frames are made out of (generally carbon and aluminum).  Mostly you want to test ride different bikes, and learn what you think about different components and frame feels.

Then after all that, you finally buy