How to Score a Killer Deal on a Used Road Bike for Triathlons
IN THIS ARTICLE
Stealing a bike may seem like a crime (because it is)
Scoring a killer deal on a used bike feels like a crime (but it isn't)
When I swapped $200 for a basically-new Trek road bike with a stoned 19-year-old college student in Suburban St. Louis, I felt like I had committed a crime (I didn't).
As for the seller - pilfering his parent's underutilized belongings in exchange for easy weed-money may have actually been a crime.
I like to think he received prior authorization, but for all I know his dad is still pissed that I'm putting more miles on his bike than he ever did.
My husband and I planned to move across the country earlier this year. I thought that selling my bikes and later acquiring them would make for a fun cross-country reset.
This turned out to be a grave mistake.
By the time I finished unloading my quiver on Facebook Marketplace, our life plans changed. We decided to lock-in as Midwestern lifers and cancel our move to the coast.
My summer was free to pursue more fun activities, like signing up for a triathlon at the last minute.
The impulsive triathlon sign up left little time to train - I needed a bike, and fast.
I like to live on the wild side, which makes purchasing used items from internet strangers a great past time. With the clock ticking, I turned to Facebook Marketplace, which is more-or-less Craigslist but with fewer creeps and a lot more ads.
I spent my work day sifting through overpriced used road bikes and constantly refreshing the browser. I eventually snagged a great deal, a used entry-level Trek road bike that spent most of its life collecting dust instead of miles.
Check out the steps below to get acquainted with the steps to buy a used road bike for your next triathlon.
Anti-Advice: Try before you buy
Triathlons require a lot of gear, and a bike is often the most expensive piece of the kit.
I love encouraging people to take up cycling, but I also realize that triathlons are not for everyone. It's a good idea to try out the sport before committing to a new bike purchase.
You can get away with using a hybrid or mountain bike if you're doing a short-distance tri, like a sprint triathlon or a super-sprint triathlon. There's probably an old bike in your garage, and a tune-up at your local cyclery is a lot cheaper than any race-worthy road bike on Facebook Marketplace.
If you're getting up for your first triathlon and you don't have a road bike, try to borrow one from a friend or family. Then, if you end up loving the event, you can put the money towards a second-hand road bike that will support your racing for years to come.
Depending on your target race location, you can also look into renting a bike. Larger triathlons often partner with local bike shops to provide rentals for out of town racers and first-timers.
With that said, you still need a bike to train for a triathlon. If you don't have a bike at all, start your collection with a second hand road-bike.
Why you should buy a used road bike for your first triathlon
If you decide to buy a bike for your first triathlon, start with a used one.
New bikes are a blast - I've owned several over the years. They can also be cost prohibitive. And, if you're just getting started, you won't know about specific bike features that you want or value until you put some time in the saddle.
Road bikes are versatile - don't let their handlebars intimidate you.
Their bars support several hand positions, from a more relaxed and comfortable upright position (like a mountain bike or hybrid) to a "drop" position that allows for a more aerodynamic posture. They also have an in-between version called the "hoods."
This is all to say - you can still use your road bike to get around town or throw down on Strava even if you decide that triathlons are too complicated.
Don't buy a tri bike (for your first triathlon)
If you fall in love with the sport, feel free to go-all-in. Get fast, have fun.
If you're prepping for your first triathlon, you can punt on improving your bike's aerodynamics until your second (or third+) race. And unless you're already a seasoned cyclist, your biggest initial performance improvements will come from logging miles and improving your base aerobic capacity.
Did I mention that new tri bikes are expensive? Like, $$$$ expensive.
The used tri bike market is tight. Economics 101 - when demand exceeds supply, prices go up. It's a lot harder to find a good deal on a used tri bike than it is a used road bike.
Plus, you can always purchase clip-on aerobars to mount on your road bike. This is a great budget option to irk out performance improvements without dropping thousands on a tri bike.
Don't roll up to the coffee shop on a $5,000 tri bike
A road bike offers greater versatility than a tri bike. Buying a second-hand one for your first triathlon will continue to serve you in the future. Your road bike won't go to waste if you decide to take the plunge and purchase a dedicated tri-bike or high-end road bike down the road.
Having a less expensive second-hand bike let's you preserve your higher-end race bike. You can ride the "beater" in wet weather, or when it's otherwise impracticable. It's also great to leave indoors on a trainer.
Buyers Guide: Scoring a killer deal on a used road bike for your first triathlon
Aspiring cyclists routinely purchase bikes with intentions that exceed their motivations. This leaves plenty of pre-owned and gently-ridden bikes available at steep discounts on the used market. The challenge is being in the right place at the right time and knowing how to spot a good deal.
Buying your first road bike is tricky, especially when trying to save a buck while doing it. Most buyers have a few things working against them:
- Time crunch
- Used road bikes are way over priced
- Limited bike knowledge
Knowledge is power, and it's also the key to securing a great deal on a used bike.
My background in cycling predates Strava's 2009 initial release, so I had some idea of what to look for in a used road bike. With that said, I'm not a cycling expert, and I'm definitely not a cycling mechanic.
It's a good idea to know the basics of a road bike, but you don't need need to be an expert to find a bike worth riding.
To get started with the search, you only need to know a few things:
- Your bike size
- Where to look
- How much to pay
- What to look for during a test ride
1. Your bike size: finding the right bike fit
Road bike sizing is based on your height and inseam. Bust out your measuring tape and use the above chart to hone your initial search.
Pro-Tip: Sign up for a free MyVeloFit account
For a more involved (and potentially more accurate) measurement, check out MyVeloFit.com. Their site helps people find specific road bike makes and models that will fit their individual body proportions and riding style.
Once you complete the initial account setup and body scan, you should be able to navigate to their "Sizing" page, which let's your search for specific bikes.
Here's the example sizing details for a Specialized Allez Sprint:
How to search for your bike size
Once you figure out the right size, search with phrases like:
- road bike 56cm
- bike 54cm
- trek 52cm
(Swap out the search term with your specific frame size)
Keeping the search general will help highlight all of the potential local bikes that fit your budget and frame size. Of course, you can search for a specific make or model if you're already pledging allegiance to a specific brand.
2. Where to look for a used road bike
I stopped using Facebook before it was cool, back in 2012. A shifting classifieds market brought me back a few years ago. Craigslist has more tumbleweeds than posts where I live, and all of the local cycling deals moved over to Facebook Marketplace.
TLDR: Use Facebook Marketplace to find a bike
Should you buy a used bike on eBay?
As with many things, "it depends." But, I generally advise against it - especially for tight budgets and first-time second-hand bike buyers.
If you're reading this article, you're trying to save money as you get into triathlons.
eBay sellers often charge $100-$200 to ship a bike.
Unless you're buying a higher-end used bike, $200 is a significant percentage of the total purchase price.
For example, with a $500 bike budget, you may end up spending between 20-40% on shipping alone. Even with inflated local prices, you're likely better off scouring Marketplace for a good deal.
The cost of shipping your first bike rules out online options. I recommend avoiding BuyCycle and other specialized bike-selling sites until after your first triathlon.
When you're ready to upgrade, buying a used road bike online can be a great option when sourcing a high-end bike - saving $4,000 on a bike makes paying an extra $200 in shipping a drop in the bucket. You'll also have a better idea of what to look for, which makes the process less intimidating and error prone.
3. How much should you spend on a used road bike?
Finding a used road bike: not hard
Finding a used road bike at a good price: really hard
There's a couple factors that combine to make securing a used road bike at a good price a challenging endeavor.
First, people way overvalue their bikes.
There's often a disconnect between the price that people want for their bike and the bike's actual value.
Cyclists develop intimate relationships with their bike. They spend a lot of time together.
The fond memories of happy miles in the saddle makes their bike exceptionally valuable to them, but that doesn't translate into value for anyone else. Watch out overpaying for a used road bike - people charge extra for their memories, but their memories won't help you go any faster.
Second, good bikes sell quickly, especially when they're priced right.
There are way more people who want to ride nice bikes than there are willing to shell out the cold-hard-cash required to buy them. This creates a strong used market in most areas of the United States.
The pandemic also threw the entire bike market out of wack and drove up prices, just like with used cars. It's possible we will start to see the glut of bikes purchased during the pandemic bring used bike prices down over the next few years. Time will tell!
Pro-Tip: Buy a bike with rim brakes to save money
The future is now: Disc brakes are here to stay. The pro peloton rides with disc brakes. They perform better than rim breaks, especially on wet roads.
You'll pay a premium for used road bikes with disc brakes. But, you don't need disc brakes for your first road bike. Slowing down is the enemy when racing, so it's best to avoid using your brakes during a triathlon anyway.
Cyclists managed with rim brakes for decades. If you want to stretch your budget further, opt for rim brakes. As an added bonus, rim brakes make DIY maintenance easier, which is another way to help save on cost.
How to avoid overpaying
Check out BicycleBlueBook.com's Value Guide to get a pulse on a reasonable "private range" for whatever bikes you're considering. Then, compare the prices with your local market.
If the seller's asking price aligns with your budget, Bicycle Blue Book, and doesn't seem to out of wack with local asking prices, it's worth taking a look at.
But act fast! Good deals tend to go quickly.
4. What to look for in a used triathlon road bike
When meeting a seller, ask lots of questions to get a feel for the seller's relationship with the bike. If they're the original owner, they should be able to provide you a comprehensive history of issues and upgrades.
It's good to ask the seller about the bike's maintenance history, too. Some riders regularly take their bikes to a local shop for maintenance. Others don't even think to apply chain lube until it breaks.
Look for nicks, dents, scrapes, and scruff on the bike. You'll want to understand if this bike has been subjected to hard living or easy miles. Visible wear and tear on bike is a good indicator of the condition.
Carbon Note: If you're buying a bike with a carbon frame or carbon components, find out if they've ever crashed the bike. Carbon bikes are susceptible to damage that can be hard to notice, and that damage can still lead to catastrophic failure, ie crashes and injury!
Pro-Tip: Kick the tires
You gotta kick the tires when buying a used bike. After a thorough inspection of the frame, fork, and various components, take the bike for a spin around the block. Shift through the full range of gears. Hit the brakes. You'll quickly get a feel for the present condition of the bike - like if it shifts smoothly and is capable of a stopping.
If the bike feels good to ride, appears to be in reasonable condition for the price, and you like the vibe, don't hesitate to pull the trigger.
On the other hand, if the bike isn't as advertised, negotiate or walk away.
Trust your gut!
New Bike Day
Once you score a road bike, take a celebratory lap!
And then be prepared to drop some more cash on cycling shoes and clothing to make the miles ahead fast and comfortable.
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Happy riding!
The Author
Alex Z.
Writer, Runner, Dev
Alex is a maximalist, and that’s what led him to triathlons. Swimming, biking, running–why choose one when you could do all three? But as a chronic upstart, he found there were many hurdles to getting started. Through Gatebreak Endurance, he shares information and tools to help anyone achieve their goals.
