toastyasian

Mtb noob here, looking to pick up my first mtb. Buying used and trying to decide between a 2017 stumpy comp carbon (~$1800) and a 2022 stumpy comp alloy (~$2300). The 2022 looks like it has pretty low mileage. The 2017 also looks like it's in decent condition from the pictures, but the owner just replaced their dropper post, pedals and drivetrain, which suggests it is a lot more heavily used? From what I've read online, the carbon frame saves ~2-3lbs of weight? Is the more modern geometry and lower mileage worth the extra $$$, or is the carbon frame a better choice, despite being older?

veganbikes

They both could be good they both could be bad without seeing the bikes it is hard to tell. In the end if you buy these bikes you get ZERO warranty and with Specialized for the original owner you get a lifetime warranty on the frame which is quite nice.

Carbon is a great frame material and can potentially be stronger but if things are damaged or in bad shape it can get expensive. How many times has the shock and front fork been serviced? The 2022 might be OK but the older bike could not have been serviced. Pedals are a common replacement and replacing chain, cassette and chainring is not a bad thing because leaving them on and wearing them out just wears out everything else and causes more issues.

However since you are the only one with minimal knowledge on the two bikes you are the only one that can answer your questions. We cannot see them, we cannot inspect them you need to see if they will meet up at your local bike shop and have an experienced mechanic take a look. Also a good final thought is do the bikes fit you? If they don't fit none of this matters.

Wileyrat

IF they fit, and that’s the big one, my personal preference would be the newer alloy bike. As a noob, you will fall off, probably often, and I wouldn’t subject a used carbon frame to that abuse. Also, frame geometry has come a long way in a short time period, and what will probably be a slacker frame will do you better with the added stability.

toastyasian

both bikes fit and are the same size. When buying used, is it pretty standard to have it inspected by a shop before purchasing?

veganbikes

If you don't have the knowledge and know how to inspect a bike then yes if you do have that knowledge then you probably won't need to go to a shop. However many people don't know and don't go and overpay for a bike that needs a ton of work or has little value or both.

Not saying these bikes are that case necessarily but I had a customer recently buy some random no-name folding bike and way overpaid and it needed a good deal of work we did the bare minimum safety work and all in he probably could have bought the same quality thing for the same price new.

Canker

As somebody with a carbon FS bike I'd much rather have newer geometry than save the 2lbs and only the front triangle is carbon on the 17 anyway. You are going to feel the geo way more than the 2lbs.

2old

IMO, the 2022 is by far the superior choice, since (obviously) the carbon has many miles. However, with the glut of bikes in stores and rampant deals (especially Black Friday), you might take a look at new.

toastyasian

This is super helpful, thanks! I keep hearing about the weight benefits of carbon, but in this particular case I wasn't sure how "worth it" the 2lbs would be versus the new geo.

toastyasian

I wasn't sure how useful the warranty was, from what I read online the warranty only covers defects, though some people seem to report spesh is generous when it comes to replacing breaking parts.

When I talked to our local shop to see if they could check the bike over, they said there's a general checkup they perform before giving quotes on cost of tune-ups, but if I was willing to wait a few days they can do a much more thorough check. The seller in this case isn't willing to leave the bike in the shop a few days (even if I pay for the extra check). Are the routine checks the shops do before giving tuning quotes generally good enough to catch the big flaws? I've read about cracked frames, are those really obvious just by looking or do you need extensive checking to find those?

I've tested the 2023 versions of both bikes (in their respective size) and they both fit well, though obviously the 2017 I need to check in person as the geo has changed since then. I just wanted to get other people's opinions on the relative advantage of either bike before trekking out to try it in person since I have to travel a bit to get to either bike.

veganbikes

Yes warranty is for manufacturer defects but my B.B. cracked on my old Langster (11 years old at that point) and they replaced it with a new frame. It does pay off more than people realize. Certainly many bikes go without ever needing it but when you do having support behind you is great.

Generally the brief checkover will give you a better idea of things. They can always miss things that you would notice while cleaning the bike and doing the tune up but more than likely they can find the major issues and let you know and if you bring them something nice to drink or eat or maybe just a little cash they will be much appreciated if they don't already have a fee for these checkovers and will earn some good points.

The 2023 is pretty nice and if you can swing it, go for it. Everything is new, all the warranties are valid and you get at least one tune up with the shop and maybe other perks.

toastyasian

Wow, that's crazy they replace an 11 year old frame for free. Will get some snacks for the techs.
So the 2022 bike is selling for $2100, and the cheapest I could find the 2023 one was $3,999 (I saw a $3,499 for Black Friday but it was the wrong size). The owner says the bike has ~40 miles on it. Assuming they are being generous on their mileage estimate, is $2100 about right or too expensive?

I checked the bicycle blue book site (bike forums doesn't let me post URLs yet) and they gave a quote of ~$2179 for that bike in "very good condition", for what that's worth (do real mtb people use that site as a guide?)

frdfandc

$2100 is a good deal for a barely used 2022 bike. Skip the older bike. You'll thank yourself later.

veganbikes

It broke at a weld so not really crazy, it was a defect that didn't show up for a while but it was there just lurking in the shadows waiting for a commute home luckily I recognized the sound some how and knew exactly where it was which was totally out of the blue and I don't know why or how I knew it was the B.B. I made it home just fine and stopped riding the bike but at that point I was already looking to replace it with a nicer steel frame and then they gave me a new one so I just built it up basically the way I would have built whatever steel frame I was going for and am just waiting for a period where I can get my new dream of a titanium frame but that won't be for a while and it will mainly just be a further upgrade in the already upgraded parts I put on the other bike.

It's not a terrible price if the bike is well kept but 40 miles but the bike is left outside even for a year could trash it or maybe it was inside near a water heater or chemicals or something (which would be noticeable right off the bat generally) BBB is a good resource but every market can be different and everyone is willing to pay more or less for something depending on a lot of factors. it is a good starting point but I would always try to get the best price I can.

biker128pedal

Some are very generous. I went through five mountain bike frames from Raleigh years ago when they had a life time warranty. Each time Raleigh provided new parts like seat post where the old one would not fit. Trek offered to replace my 13 year old Madone frame with an Elmonda a couple years ago. I’d have had to bought the direct mount brake calipers and press fit bottom bracket. All my other parts would transfer. For the Trek the rear drive side drop out broke. This was fixable by Trek but they found a crack in the carbon top tube hidden under the paint. I opted for credit and paid the difference for a Domane SL6.

That said there is a risk the manufacturer will reject the claim. A good shop will advisor you.

If you go used the 2022 will have newer geometry. More recent component tech.

Kapusta

Another vote for the modern geometry trumping the 2-3 lbs weight difference.... by a long shot. I would not have believed how much difference it makes until I bought a bike with modern geo. And you can always upgrade things like the fork if you really get the big to do so.

That said, I am seeing the Stumpy Comp selling new for under $3000. Performace has some for $2800. $2100 used seems steep.

frdfandc

I just checked Bicycle Blue Book for the value on an excellent condition 2022 Stumpjumper Comp Alloy. Private sale price average for this bike is $2200-2300. So it's priced consistent with what BBB is recommending. Kinda hard justifying another $400-600 for a brand new bike, when this one is basically brand new.

Kapusta

A) I take BBB with a large grain of salt. Also keep in mind that used (and new) bike prices have plummeted drastically since the beginning of 2022.
B) What is a warranty on FS bike worth to you?
C) A lot of things could be wrong with or in need of maintenance on a 1 year old bike depending on who owned it. If you really know what you are looking at in a used FS bike, and are a good mechanic, that may not be an issue. Are you such a person? How do you know it is basically brand new and not ridden much?

Anyway, its up to you. Its a good bike in any event.

frdfandc

I am such a person who can do everything from a complete build from a pile of parts to a simple cable swap. As for it being basically brand new, the OP stated that the bike has approx 40 miles on it. I've seen new bikes with more miles on it than 40 due to the test rides. A bike with 40 miles or less is considered like new in my book. And since that frame failures are not a really commonplace issue due to manufacturing defects and more failures happen from user error, I'd personally save the cash and get the like new bike in a heartbeat. But that's me. Take the extra cash and buy some upgrades like wheels and fit components.

In my experience BBB is fairly reliable in it's pricing guides, but you're better off selling your bike privately vs trading in. Last year I sold my 2014 Roubaix Expert privately and got more than what BBB was quoting, including the upgrades I did. Similar to an automobile. Trade in is always lower than private sale pricing due tom the fact that those used cars and bikes get a markup when being resold. Businesses need to make money off their investments as well. Do I think that trade-in values should be higher? Sure, but everybody does. That's why KBB and BBB were established. To create a balanced value difference between trade-in and private sales. But YMMV.