Help Purchasing Bike

Hopefully some experienced and knowledgeable cyclists are reading this and can help me a little in purchasing a nice bike.

I have gotten quite into running this year have recently started doing a bit more cycling and it is very enjoyable. It's just like running for me, wanting to go faster, further, and harder. However, unlike running cycling requires a bit more of knowledge in bikes. I have been using my Dad's mountain bike which is decent but I was wanting to upgrade to a nice road bike. I am wanting to purchase a used bike due to me not wanting to break the bank just yet but also want to choose a decent one.

Anyway, I have been looking around and have found one that looks fairly decent in my eyes. I have asked my partners brother who she says does a bit of cycling and he says it's not bad. I have also looked online at previous sales of this bike and they don't look like they are going for too much so I want to ask you guys. What do you think of this bike?

The bike itself is a CUBE PELOTON 2014 ROAD BIKE (see pictures bellow) with the asking price of £410
I have messaged the seller asking for a bit more information on the bike and he stated to me:

He has had the bike from new
The Bike has done about 10,000 miles
Done regular services and had parts changed as they wore out
Been serviced 2 weeks ago
New Brake Pads
Continental 5000s tired put on 1 year ago
Upgraded chainset few years ago to latest Shimano 105s and believe he added bigger rear cogs so climbing was a tad easier.
He also told me the bike has a number of scratches and that he has had 2 minor spills in the last 7 years (guess he means he has had 2 crashes on the thing)

I like the fact that he has given a lot of information on the bike and that he has been honest about quite a lot of things, such as the 2 minor crashes but like I say, I am not an expert in cycling so just wanted to see if there are any cycling experts / people that know quite a lot about cycling who can give me some ideas.

Images
Main Bike Images
-- https://imgur.com/a/jvbWODy

Bellow are additional Images I asked for that were not include above:
Chain set / Wheels / damage to bike
-- https://imgur.com/a/LMJu01h

are you sure walking is cheaper and burns jusr as many calories

are you sure walking is cheaper and burns jusr as many calories

It's hard to tell from those pictures however any damage looks superficial, if you do buy it the 1st thing you should do is to take it to a bike shop and get it looked over.

For its age, it looks a little on the expensive side (roughly half its original price), though second hand bike prices have been high during the pandemic. Though if it has been maintained and doesn't need any work doing to it, it's an ok buy.

Stupid question, have you checked the size and made sure it's a decent fit?

Cassette looks like it could be worn but it's hard to tell from the photo. Might be the angle/lighting/grease.

If you do go for it, check the fit in person first and do a once over of the components for damage. You can search online for a list of things you need to check.

Bear in mind that you'll need cleats and there may be other expenses.

Yeah it's pretty hard to find a decent price used bike that doesn't have any chips / scuffs so I'm not really fused about the paint much as it might help to reduce the price with an offer. Also yeah, that would be a good idea. Might sound dumb but by "get it looked over" do you mean paying for another service btw.

Also I have left a comment bellow asking about the correct frame size I require so if you have any insight on something like that it would be much appreciated. Thanks for helping.

Thanks for your reply. I was thinking that as well which is why I was going to offer around £335 to get the price down and yeah it has dramatically. Maybe in a few months (3-6) people who bought their bikes might not need them now the lockdown has ended and so there might be a surge on used bikes with little use on the market which would be good for people looking for a bike.

Also it's not a silly question at all. That is something that has been plaguing my mind for a good while as I am unsure on what size I actually require. If you look bellow I have left a question for all three of you helpful people asking just that, about what size I need. Thanks for helping.

Can I just ask you @throwaway456444 what makes you think the cassette might be worn out as I don't really know anything about bikes so it could be useful information in trying to spot bikes with worn out parts.

Also bellow is a question on the which frame size I might require. Would be good to get your insight to what you think as I am not sure. Thanks for helping too btw.

----------------------------------------
QUESTION ON FRAME SIZE

Hi Guys thanks for responding and for giving me some advice. I was thinking the other night about the bike and the sizing and if it might be the wrong size too so maybe you guys could give some advice here too.

The size of the bike is a 62 which is pretty large. I have never owned a proper bike before and am borrowing a mountain bike off my Dad which seems a bit too small. I know there is a difference between road and mountain bike frame sizes and how they are measure I believe but this is what I have for reference. I believe the bike is a frame size 17in and I have to have the seat cranked up literally all the way. The seat is definitely higher than the handle bars which I believe is pretty normal on a road bike but not really for a mountain bike but I'm not sure. For the record I'm 6ft 2in (188-189cm) with around 88-90cm inseam, and with the seat that high it allows me to fully extend my leg when the heel of my foot is on the pedal and a slight bend in the knee when in proper riding position. Would any of you guys be able to maybe give some ideas on a frame size for a road bike that might be best for me. I'm looking for a road bike with drop down's if that's important, not sure but thought I would add just in case. I know the best thing to do is to go to a bike shop and ask but I can't really do that at the moment and I don't believe there are too many local bikes shops in my area. Thanks in advance.

From the current size guide (cube peleton) a 62 frame would be your "default" size. The usual advice is to try it out, but if you've been using a small mountain bike, it may feel wrong, even if it's your correct size. Tbh, with a bit of adjustment you can make things more comfortable and you generally get used to the geometry, as long as it's not too far out. I'm 6'4, so getting a large enough frame is important. You'll probably find it feels too big when you try it out, but you get used to the different riding position.

Agree with you on the price. If it's been looked after I'd guess something £300-350 would be reasonable. For ~£600 you're looking at a new, lower end (decent) boardman/decathlon(btwin). They'd have a lower spec gears, but as a starting bike, it probably wouldn't make that much difference. At ~£400 for the 7 year old second hand cube, they'd be worth considering. At ~£300+ for a decently maintained cube, Id go for that.

Cheers for your insight. The only issue with this bike is that it is not located where I am. I in a remote area meaning that there is less opportunity for me to find bikes. It's hard to find bikes located where I am and in the size I think I require. For this bike if I wanted to go round and have a look at it, it would cost me about £30 just to travel there which is expensive considering I might not even like the bike.

Stating this I have recently come across a bike that is located where I live. I don't know the frame size yet but not much information has been given about the bike and I'm not sure what years / make it is. The bike itself is a SPECALIZED ROUBIAX ROAD BIKE priced at £500 (see images bellow).

The information provided states that:
the bike has 18 gears
carbon fibre frame
disc brakes
armadillo tyres
zerts suspension inserts.

Images Of Bike - https://imgur.com/a/d5MVDzL

Just wanted to see if you knew anything about this bike and what it is worth before asking about frame size, history and extra pictures in case it's not really worth it. Thanks for your help again and for getting back to me quick too.

Another quick question is that I know one frame size doesn't fit all, a small in one brand might be a medium in another. If I was going to go for another brand of bike would the frame size differ that much?

Tbh, your liking a particular bike will change after you've started riding one, so don't get too hung up on that. That roubaix looks above the (carbon/discs) cube and I've had a couple of speshs and they're one of the main brands. Price is decent. Tbh, I just look at the size guides for the bike which are easy to Google and fairly reliable. As long as it's about right, you can adjust things to get comfortable. Your comfortable position will probably change if you use it regularly.

The roubaix seems both newer and better than the cube. For £500 it seems a good deal. Make sure you get a good lock for it :-)

56 would have been too small and not surprising the Roubaix went quickly for that price. Keep looking/see if you can get a bit knocked off the cube?

Hi mate. Just getting back to you on the bike situation as you seem to be very helpful to me. The Cube Bike got sold but I'm not too devistated as I wouldn't of been able to go see the bike anyway due to travel complications. However I have found another bike and and just want to ask you what you think.

The Bike:

Giant Contend SL 1 2019 - £550 - (images https://imgur.com/a/YVyfmEE) // (link to bike on giant's website- https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/contend-sl-1-2019)

The bike itself looks very good. I spoke to the guy and he said he had bought it off his friend as his first road bike last summer and rode it about 3 times before putting it in the shed for winter. He told me the bike was too bike for him and that he just couldn't get used to it.

The only thing I am unsure of is the size of the bike. The size is an XL which I am not sure is too big for me. I look on Giant's Website and for this bike they say that for a man of 6ft 2in and 34-35in inside leg (which are my measure measurements) they say that a large is the right size. Here is a link to the table that I am looking at on their website - https://imgur.com/a/Krq3Dne (You can find this on the website that I linked above too).

I wanted to ask you what you think. I have already gone to have a look at the bike but the person selling it didn't have an allen wrench on them so couldn't adjust the seat. I said that I would come round again tomorrow with one to adjust the seat to give the bike a go as I know that is one of the best ways to determine what the bike feels like but I have nothing to compare it too as I haven't used a road bike before and would like to compare it to a large but can't really do that.

I've been looking into effective top tube length to try to determine what size frame I need and on bike radar (https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/sizing-and-fit/road-bike-sizing/) it says I need a 58-60cm effective top tube but on the Giant Website for the large (which it recommends me) it has an effective top tube length of 57.5cm and the XL has an effective top tube length of 59.5 so I fit in the XL according to that website but Giant recommends other wise.

So basically what I want to ask you is what do you think of the bike and do you think this is the correct size for me. Thanks for all your help by the way. You have been really helpful and friendly.

Hard to say, but from your description of your measurements, a L would fit you better then an XL. Try it out, but if you've not really ridden a road bike before, you won't know whats comfortable in the long run.

Note that you can fiddle with the seat position as well as height to improve comfort, but I wouldn't do that when trying it out.

Yeah that is what I was thinking. Also yeah I get that. It was just that it was so low that I could barely fit in it. The guy selling it was fairly shorter than me and as you can see from the pictures he had the seat all the way down.

I think you are right about the size. I think the large would suit me best but I will still go have a look. I've read online that it's usually best to go a size smaller if you are between sizes as it's a lot easier to make a smaller bike more fitting as you can adjust the saddle higher, add in a longer stem for the handle bars etc.

Thanks for all your help and I'll get back to you if I have any more questions.

If the saddle is all the way down and you're struggling, that probably tells you something.
Note though that people (don't cycle too much) often have the saddle too low. A rough guide is when you're cycling and the pedal is at the lowest, your heel (straight leg) should be just touching the pedal. Obviously that means when you (normally) have the ball of your feet on the pedal, your leg is a bit bent.