Barletta

Question
I am thinking about getting a used Bartletta 18" mountain bike, just for tooling around in this summer. I am 5'8". Asking price is $40 and she says everything works. Good choice?

Answer
Hi Bud,

I am not familiar with the Bartletta and the only information I can find on the web is some advert of people selling them or asking questions about them. So let me give you some general tips about buying a used bike, be it a $40 machine or a $4000 wonder.

*How is the overall appearance? Is the paint in good shape or are there a lot of nicks and chips? Pay close attention to the chain stay on the drive side (the tube that runs from where the cranks are held to the rear gear cluster). It is common to see nicks in the paint here from the chain hitting the stay but look closely between the chain rings (front gears) and the stay. If the bike has had chain suck problems you may find some big gouges there. I have actually seen holes in the stay.

*Apply and release the brakes; do they operate smoothly? There should be no binding or catching of the cable either on application or release. Do the brakes grab the rims firmly and evenly? Make sure the pads are centered on the rims and not so high as to rub the tires or too low that they are in riding below the rim.

*Apply the front brake only and move the bike back and forth. Does it feel solid, or is there noticeable looseness? If there is looseness it could be a poorly adjusted headset (the steering bearings). This may need just a simple adjustment but it could mean bigger trouble and the need to replace the headset if it was ridden that way for too long. If the bike has front shocks installed the looseness could be coming from the shock and some play is normal, it should not be excessive though.

*Pick up the front of the bike by the frame and use one hand to move the handlebars back and forth; it should feel nice and smooth without any binding. If it feels notched or rough it may mean new headset time.

* With the front wheel off of the ground spin the front tire. You will be looking for a few things while it spins. Make sure the wheels are true - no side to side movement and no excessive up and down movement (hop). Watch for this at the brakes and not by staring at the tire. The wheel should also spin smoothly with no grinding or other noises. If you can, while the wheel is spinning, touch the outside of the quick release or the axle bolt (away from the spinning spokes or brake rotor!!!) You should not be able to feel any roughness transmitted to your fingers while the wheel is spinning. Do the same with the rear wheel - remember it will only spin in one direction. The rear will have the "clicking" sound of the rear gears so don't mistake that for hub noise.

*With the wheels stopped and back on the ground grab the top of the tire and see if you can move it side to side. There should be no movement.

*Check the tires for wear. Even if those little "hairs" are still on the tire from the casting process this doesn't mean the tire is in good shape. Pull one of those "hairs," it should offer resistance and elasticity and not be dry and brittle. Look for aging cracks in the tread area of the tire. Make sure the tires are inflated properly before you head off on a test ride.

*Like you did with the wheels when they were on the ground grab the crank arms (where the pedals are) and see if you can move those side to side. Again, there should be no side to side movement. Spin the cranks backwards slowly - they should spin freely with no binding. If there is binding it could be coming from one of two places - the bottom bracket bearing (where the cranks attach to the bike) or the rear gear cluster.

*While turning the cranks backwards check the movement of the chain through the derailleur (the rear gear changer). The chain should run free and smooth through those two little wheels. There should be no skips or catching while doing this. Check the chain for lubrication at this point. It should have a light glistening of lube and not caked up with years of using too much lube. And on the other side it should b free from rust.

*With the help of an assistant check the shifting. Have your helper pick up the back of the while you spin the cranks forward. Reach up to the shifters and run though all the gears one at a time. The shifters should find each gear crisply and without hesitation. The same goes for the front gearing too. Try all the gears in all the combinations: small ring up front all the gears in back; middle ring - all the gears; big ring - all gears. In the extremes - big ring in front an big gear in back and small/small - you may get some rubbing on the front derailleur and this is not uncommon - those combinations should be avoided anyway.

If you are satisfied up to this point go for a test ride. (There is a whole lot more on bicycle fitting and I won't go into it here - it is just as long!) The test ride of a used bike is a moving check of what you just went through off of the bike, and also how does the bike feel to ride. The bike should be fairly comfortable right from the start and you should be in a position that you feel you could be in for a long ride. Granted, adjustments can be made for your comfort but you want to start with a good base line.

Check the brakes while riding. Not by just grabbing a hand full and stopping quickly, but slowly and smoothly pull the levers. You should stop smoothly and firmly and not with jerking or questions about being able to stop. Shift through all the gears as you get up to speed (if you felt comfortable about the brakes!) The shifting may have worked nicely with no load but it should also shift nicely when loaded. If you are confident in your ability raise you hands off of the bars - check to see how the bike tracks (does it go straight) and see if there are any shimmies with no weight on the bars. Only do this if you are confident about the bike and your ability!!!

I know this was long winded but hopefully it will give you confidence when buying a used bike. $40 may seem cheap but if you have to spend another $200 to get a reliable bike you would be better off to go to a bike shop and seeing what they have for inexpensive bikes. Cheap bikes are often just that... cheap.

Good luck!

Tad