Buying a Bicycle on s

Voodoorada's Guide to Buying a Bicycle on okay

For many of us, buying a bicycle begins with a search on okay. This is because of the wide and varied selection of new and used bicycles than can be found here, from the latest carbon-fiber racer to that vintage old Colnago that we dream about.
Of course, there are several things to consider when looking at bicycles being offered on okay, the least of which is the asking price. In this guide I will try to outline what you should be aware of when purchasing a bicycle from a seller here on okay.
Starting the Search
We'll assume you've already decided what type of bicycle you would like (road, mountain, gefort, recumbent, etc). Now you're ready to begin your search on okay for that perfect bike. If youneed some help deciding which type of bike is even right for you, consider reading my other guide on that subject, found here: Buying a Bicycle
You'll begin your search by going to theCycling Sectionof okay. You'll notice on the left side of the page are different links, such as Apparel, Mountain Bikes and Parts, etc. You can use these links to search more specifically for an item, which will narrow the results so you will not have as many pages of product to sort through. For example, if you wanted to search for a Trek road bike and entered "Trek" in the main Cycling category, you would get results for Trek road bikes, mountain bikes, helmets, clothing, and all manner of Trek accessories. But if you will click the Road Bikes and Partslink on the left before doing your search, then only Trek bicycles listed under this category will be displayed, making your search easier.
Narrow the Choices
Once you've decided what type of bike you want and found several results by searching, you can begin to narrow your choices down. The first thing I look for once I find a bicycle I am interested in being listed by a seller is that particular sellers feedback rating. As with any auction, make sure you are buying from a reputable seller. In addition, even if they have 22 positive feedbacks, they might be all from buying on okay, and not selling. I would take this into consideration before paying this seller several thousand dollars for a bike. Of course, a seller like this may be gepletely reputable, but I am just advocating caution on your part.
Second, check out the auction itself and the description of the bike. Does the seller sound knowledgeable about the bike he/she is selling? If the seller is listing a brand-new bicycle for $2500, using a stock picture pulled from a website, and has little or no feedback rating, again I would be wary. However, if there is a fully detailed description of the bike, multiple pictures of the actual bike, and solid feedback for the seller then the best bet is that the bicycle and seller are for real and you will get what you paid for.
gemon Listing Mistakes
A lot of people who sell their bicycles on okay are not necessarily knowledgeable about those bikes. The most gemon error I see when people list their bikes is the size. A lot of people think in old school terms when listing their bicycle. They are used to hearing bicycles called "26-inch" bicycles, and think this is the size of the bike. But this is the standard size of mountain bike wheels, and has nothing to do with frame size. Mountain bike frames are measured in inches, while road bike frames are usually expressed in centimeters (cm). You also need to find out how the seller measured the bike as well, as there are a couple different methods.
One of these methods is center to center, and the other is center to top. These are gemonly expressed as "C-C" or "C-T". Center to Center means the measurement is taken from the center of the bottom bracket (axle that the crankarm spins around at the bottom of the bike) to the center of the top tube. Center to Top means the bike is measured from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube, where the frame ends and the seatpost begins. Realize that a 60cm bike measured center to center is larger than a 60cm frame measured center to top.
So if the auction does not express these explicitly, email the seller and ask what the measurements of the bicycle are and how the bike was measured.
Details, details, details...
Ok, hopefully we won't get bogged down on this part. For some of you this may not even matter, you just want the bike and it will work fine for you no matter what. But for those who are looking for a perfect fit from their bike, they need to know more than just the frame size. Other details the seller should have listed about the bike include the following:


Stem length