Probably after housing and the car, the purchase of a bicycle is one of the most important and complicated decisions for a cyclist. It is not only a price issue, but many other factors involve the decision: the geometry of the picture, the components, the size, the type of use to be made, the typology of routes in the area where Live ... It is not easy to decide between a bicycle or another model.
In addition, it must be taken into account that a bicycle is not sunglasses or socks that if in two months they stop likes or discover that you do not look good you can give them away and buy others. When a cyclist buys a bicycle, he does it to use it every weekend for at least one or two years. In many cases 3 and 4 times a week. This makes the process of deciding which bicycle to buy is not quick or simple.
To add more complication to the decision, the process of buying a new bicycle in a store forces to spend a lot of time visiting different establishments to compare brands, models and prices. It is a process very similar to buying a car visiting dealers. Bicycle stores usually have a very limited offer to 2 or 3 brands. In practice this means that a cyclist spends a lot of time and displacements to travel different stores to find his ideal bicycle. What if in your town there is no store that distributes the bicycle brand you like?
This is why more and more cyclists look on the Internet. Especially in second -hand pages, pages and applications, where the offer is very wide and prices are more competitive. However,
Buy a second -hand bike online Add a plus of difficulty and endless risk.
Main risks between individuals
Buying a second -hand bike online is a complicated, uncomfortable and full process. If you buy it to an individual you will have to stay with it and make the necessary kilometers to see different models. In addition, if the seller lives on the other side of the country you will have to agree on the form of shipping and payment. And you will never know the real state of the bicycle until you get home and use it.
How do you know it's not a stolen bicycle? What if what is selling you is a satisfaction? The seller says that his bicycle is in perfect condition but ... how can you know? What if you send the money by transfer and do not send you the bicycle? What if you receive the bicycle and the second time you go out with it you discover that it has damages that the seller hid you? What if they deceive you?
In most cases you have to trust the seller's word, and even if it is an honest seller on many occasions, he can even know what the real state of his bicycle is and even if they think that everything works correctly can have damage and hidden wear that only a specialized mechanic can detect.
In addition, most web pages and second -hand mobile applications do not inspect the products they sell and that increases operations with stolen bikes, falsifications or components in poor condition.
These types of pages and applications charge the seller for publishing their ad or uploading it to the first positions of the catalog, but do not inspect the bicycle to guarantee the buyer that it is in good condition, that it is not a falsification or that is not a stolen bike . In the event that there is any problem with the transaction they also offer guarantees and the claim processes are unreliable.
If you are going to buy a second -hand bicycle online we always recommend having some kind of guarantee on the state of the bicycle. It's like buying a car, you can take a look and everything seems good, but the reality is that you will never have a 100% reliability if a mechanic does not check it.
That is why in Tuvalum we facilitate the process of
Buy a bicycle used on the Internet without risks, since we take care of everything you need to receive it at home with the guarantee that everything is correct. You do not have to worry about payment, shipping or the state of the bicycle because we already take care of covering all these necessary operations for you.
Tips for a safe purchase
If you are going to buy a second -hand bicycle online the main recommendation is to have some kind of guarantee on the state of the bicycle. It is like buying a car, you can take a look and that everything seems good, but the reality is that you will never be 100% sure of its state if it does not check it a mechanic. And the last thing you want is to go out with your bicycle and that at the 10 kilometers of the notes that makes a strange noise when braking, that the change is not fine or that the direction revolves badly.
1- Buy in sites that offer a mechanical certification
The previous example is something that happens very frequently, so the main advice is always to buy a second -hand bicycle that has some type of mechanical certification to rule out hidden damage. That is why in Tuvalum we reviewed all the bicycles used to check its status, verify that it is in the state described by the seller in its ad and make a general tuning of the transmission and braking system. In this way you have the guarantee that a professional mechanic has certified it for your tranquility. This is what differentiates us from other websites and mobile applications from second -hand ads.
2- Make sure you are not buying a stolen bicycle
Many second -hand applications and websites that do not physically inspect the products that are sold and it is easy for stolen bicycle transactions to occur. If you have no record that this is not so, after a few months you can end up having a problem with the police and the seller has disappeared.
That is why in Tuvalum when we check a bicycle we take note of the serial number. In this way we avoid the sale of stolen bicycles and falsifications. Thanks to our system we have helped recover stolen bicycles.
If you buy a bicycle used on your own, make sure you have the visible serial number. This reference, equivalent to the cars frame number, is usually indicated in the lower pedalier. If the serial number is erased or that sticker has been eliminated, it is an indicative not to trust.
3- Don't be seduced by the price
Although you buy a bicycle depending on the budget you have, it is important that your choice between one or the other does not depend exclusively on the price. We often let ourselves be seduced by the possibility of having found a bargain in the second -hand market and we forget that sometimes it can be expensive.
When choosing which bicycle to buy it is important that you take into account the use you are going to give to the bicycle and how much value can lose over time. You may be looking for your first mountain bike and you may discover that the Mountain Bike no longer like it. Or you have improved your level so much at that time that you will need to change bicycle for another one of a higher range. In both cases you will have to sell it and it is good to buy now something that you can amortize within 6, 12 or 18 months in the event that you need to resell it.
4- Do not buy a bicycle with outdated components
Some second -hand bicycles that are sold on the Internet have components that are outdated or will be soon and it is very likely that in a few months it will cost you to amortize it in case of resale.
In Tuvalum we recommend that, unless you look for a low -end bike, do not buy bikes with 10 -speed cassettes or less. It is preferable to spend a little more on a rear change of 11 or 12 speeds, which is what most demands the market.
In road cycling it is also preferable
CAMPAGNOLO. Bicycles with lower ranges change groups shine worse and lose more value over time. In case of doubt we also recommend choosing a bicycle with disc brakes instead of Zapata brakes.
In mountain cycling, choose a bike with 29 ”wheels -except that you want to practice enduro or descent, where bicycles with 27.5” wheels offer good performance. Do not buy a bicycle with 26 ”wheels. If you enter your budget, choose a bicycle with monoplat transmission.
5- Antiquity is important to a possible resale
If you buy taking into account a possible resale of the bicycle in the future, we recommend buying a bicycle less than 5 years of use if it is from Mountain Bike and with less than 7 if it is a road. In this way it will be easier to amortize it in a future resale than if it is a bicycle of 8, 9 or 10 years. In addition, you will have more current components and your maintenance status is probably better.
6- Take into account the type of routes you are going to do with the bicycle
You'll
Buy a mountain bike and doubts between two options that have a similar level of equipment: one costs 1,000 euros and another 1,200 euros. Which one do you prefer? This doubt is very frequent and on many occasions the error of solving it is made depending on the price.
It is very important that before going to the market you know very well what kind of use you are going to do with the bicycle, because it is not the same to buy a Mountain Bike in an area where the routes you are going to do are enduro to buy it if you live in A quiet area with few technical demands.
Not all bicycles are equal and within the same segment there are different modalities and geometries adapted to a specific type of use.
If you buy a mountain bike, it is important that you know if the routes you are going to do are of the type
Cross-Country, Trail or Enduro. If you buy a road bike you should also meet
The differences between a great background, climbing or aerial bike.
Remember that the bicycle you buy are going to use it every weekend during the next 12, 18 or 24 months.
7- Do not expose your personal data
When you buy online from an online store, such as Amazon, you are sure that your payment data, your personal contact data or your address are processed safely. However, when you negotiate with a private seller in a forum or the chat of a web page you run the risk that this unknown seller has access to your data: your email, your phone, the account number from which you make the payment for Transfer, the address where the bicycle will send you ...
On the Internet every day we expose ourselves to scam attempts and offer our data to any stranger involves the risk that they can be used to perform phishing.
That is why when you buy in Tuvalum you are sure that your personal data will not have any particular seller. Your shipping address will be confidential and we will only know it and the transport agency. And your payment data are encrypted by security protocols.
Basic checks that you must make to a bicycle used before buying it
In Tuvalum we certify the bicycles used to check its status and put a tuning before sending it to the buyer. But if you are going to buy a bicycle on your own and you prefer to keep the seller to see it in person, we recommend that you make basic checks:
Visual inspection: Check the pedalier and the shell
A visual inspection is essential to rule out the possibility that the picture has cracks, cracks or blows that have damaged the structure and can compromise their safe use. Finding fissures in a picture seems easy, but there are three areas that often most buyers forget to check and it is important to look at them in detail, especially if you are going to buy a carbon bicycle.
Check that the lower part of the pedalier, and especially the area where the connecting rods are placed, has no crack or fissure, however small.
Also look at the clamp that serves to fix the armchair to the picture, often fissures are produced in that area of the painting due to an excess of tightening of this piece.
If the bicycle has a portabidon, check that the screw that set this accessory to the box have not caused a crack in the carbon.
Verification of slacks: wheels, direction and pedalier
Check that the wheels turn uniformly without oscillations; An excess of slack can mean a problem of the bearing or the wheel of the wheel and will involve an extra repair cost if it is necessary to replace pieces. Also notice that the handlebar rotates gently without slack in the direction. In the pedalier, slacks in the connecting rods are also frequent, it is sometimes an incidence that is fixed simply greasing and pressing the cranks again but on other occasions it can be a reflection of serious damage to the pedalier. And repairing a pedalier is not cheap.
Transmission check: Change without jumps or pulls
It is important that all marches change synchronized without giving jumps or pulls. If, when the change command is taken, jumping may be due to several factors: that the diversion is mismant, that the chain has exhausted its useful life, that the wiring is weeding and needs to be replaced or that it is necessary to replace some piece of the transmission .
Brake check: Does not emit noise or vibrations
Another mechanical system that you must check are the brakes. Make sure that when the brake handle acts, it does not reach the end of its route; If this happens, you need to make a brake fluid change (if it wears hydraulic disc brakes) or a wiring change (if they are mechanical or shoes brakes). It is also important to verify that the bicycle brakes effectively without emitting strange noises or vibrations. With a simple visual inspection you can check if the shoes have reached the end of their useful life or if the brake discs have grooves and have lost thickness, a sign that you must change brake consumables.
Suspension verification: blocks in all positions
In a Mountain Bike bike, suspension is one of the most sensitive mechanical elements, since its repair or replacement of its pieces entails an important economic expense. That is why it is important that you check that the suspension fork does not lose oil and that the bars are not scratched. You should also verify that the suspension blocking works correctly in all positions.
Motor and battery diagnosis
If you are going to buy an electric bicycle, always ask for a diagnosis of the engine status and battery. It is important to check the cycle of loads that has been made. Make sure the engine is not slowly.
In the European Union Electric bicycles cannot exceed 25 kilometers per hour of speed using only the assistance of the motor, otherwise they would enter the category of mopeds. Some bikers slow the engine so that the force delivered by electrical assistance exceeds this speed. In doing so they considerably reduce the useful life of the engine and battery. If you buy an electric bicycle that has been manipulated to slow the engine you run greater risk of breakdown and replace an engine or battery is not something cheap.
All these checks will help you rule out serious damage, although it does not prevent you from ruling out other hidden damage that the bicycle may have. As with the purchase of a car, to be 100% sure of its wear and statement, it is necessary that the bicycle be reviewed by a professional mechanic.
In Tuvalum we certify the bicycles used to check its status and put a tuning before sending it to the buyer. But if you are going to buy a bicycle on your own and you prefer to keep the seller to see it in person, we recommend that you make basic checks:
