The Best of The World Wide Web

Posts Tagged ‘bikes’

The reason that bicycles have been a hit all over the world is because they have quite a simple design. In practice this means that parts are easy to build and can be replaced with relative ease should they go wrong. However, there are some elements of a bike that are difficult or expensive to fix, and if you buy a second hand bike that has not been checked over well, you could lose a lot of money. Below we look at some of the more serious issues you can find on second hand bikes, and the ones that crop up most often.br /
br /
Badly Rusted Frames. Before checking anything else, make sure the frame is in good condition. This is literally the backbone of the bike and if its not in good shape it spells trouble for the whole bike. Unlike a href=http://www.extremesportstrader.co.uk/buy/snow/snowboarding/ target=_blanksnowboards/a and a href=http://www.extremesportstrader.co.uk/buy/water/surfing/ target=_blanksurfboards/a that boast watertight protective sheaths, push bikes rarely have any more than a couple of coats of paint. Therefore, when this paint begins to flake, the metal is exposed to water and rust can eat right through the frame. Dont even get on the bike until your happy that the frame is free from all but superficial rust.br /
br /
Front and Rear Suspension. Bikes are still being made that do not have suspension, but as their are millions of bikes that do it is worth commenting on. Get on the bike and give the suspension a bit of a work out to see if everything is in order. If there is any hindrance of the performance, such as sticking or excessive noise, get it checked out properly buy a bike expert. Likewise, if there is fluid coming from the top or the base of the suspension, this could mean that the seals are damaged and will need replacing. This is the sellers responsibility, but you could do it yourself if they are willing to bring down the cost of the bike.br /
br /
Strength of Wheels. Admittedly the wheels are rarely the greatest expensive to replace on a href=http://www.extremesportstrader.co.uk/buy/dirt/mountain_biking/ target=_blanksecond hand bikes/a, youll find that a problem effecting one wheel, will almost always effect the other. Spend some time testing the strength of the rims and looking for serious rust, as well as inspecting the spokes. If a bike has been ridden for a while with some damaged spokes, there is a high chance that excess pressure will have been put on the others, and the whole set might need replacing.