Senathon

When buying a bike from craigslist, what should I look for? I am trying to find a used gravel bike but unsure what to look for. I do know how to fit the bike and taking a test ride but that is as far a I know.

Also I don't want to overpspend on a bike that is not worth buying.

Shadco 

Go to a professional fitter and get the specs for what fits then research what is available that meets up. Will be worth it in the long run.

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Eric F

The first thing to do is establish a budget Then, educate yourself. Know what size frame probably fits you. Know what kind of frame material(s) and parts will fit your needs. Understand what make/model of parts are better than others. A good frame with mediocre parts can be upgraded into a good bike. A mediocre frame will always be mediocre, regardless of the parts.

VegasTriker

If you know the year, make, and model you can nearly always find the MSRP for the bike at Bicycle blue book. I pay no attention to the values they list but it will help you to dismiss ads that are asking too much compared to the age of the bike and the original cost.

BBB also often lists the specifications for the bike so you can know ahead what components you might get. It's pretty easy to find a hierarchy list online for Shimano and SRAM so you can decide ahead of time where the components are from cheap to expensive. These lists are usually listed separately for MTB and road bike components.
Example: Shimano’s mountain bike groupset hierarchy, from least expensive and technologically advanced to most, is as follows:

• Shimano Tourney
• Shimano Altus M2000
• Shimano Acera M3000
• Shimano Alivio M3100
• Shimano Deore M6100, M5100, M4100
• Shimano SLX M7100
• Shimano Deore XT M8050
• Shimano Deore XT M8100
• Shimano XTR M9050
• Shimano XTR M9100

urbanknight

With the understanding that you know what fits you (pay attention to geometry if you don't already), at a bare minimum:
Go through all of the gears to make sure they shift smoothly
Make sure the brakes work properly and without noise. Factor in worn pads and rotors/rim braking surfaces into your offer.
Make sure bearings are smooth and adjusted.
Look for rust and cracks, and any signs of abuse or neglect. This includes the frame, drivetrain, cables, and all fasteners.
Check for uneven spoke tension by plucking them and listening for similar pitches. Wildly different pitches could mean a damaged rim or improperly serviced wheels.
If you think you can fix any of the above, at least factor it into your offer for the time, effort, and risk.

Things I have been burned by:
Worn hubs. someone loosened the cones to make them spin smoothly, but they were crunchy when adjusted.
Worn bottom bracket. Again, they loosened it and I didn't notice the slight play during the test ride.
Cracked (carbon fiber) seatpost. I would have never thought to pull the seatpost, but got home and took things apart to give thorough maintenance and found a crack running from bottom to about 1.5" up.
Cut/shortened seat tube. A thick seatpost collar was hiding the angled cut, presumably to allow a shorter seat height (stoker on a tandem). Again, would never have though to remove it and check.

Bald Paul

Ask the seller for the frame serial number, if not listed in the ad. Explain to them that you want to check with local law enforcement to see if the bike has been reported stolen. If they balk, try to get as much info as you can, and turn them in.
If the serial number is listed in the ad, run it by the local PD, just in case.

urbanknight

and 99spokes is useful for looking up stock specs and geometry.

Senathon

Do you recommend any sites about learning more about bikes? Like what are the types of parts and recommend part brands for newbies? I do know that (from BikeLIne) I am a 56 and I want to get a gravel bike that can be switched to a road racer. I tried googling but I am getting pieces here and there, not all the info I am looking for.

I was not impressed with BikeLine before the rep was more intersted in selling $5000 bike(way out of my budget) to me instead of a lower entry bike($1000 to $2000)

veganbikes

A decent portion of the internet has loads of info on bikes. Your best bet is to find some local shops and test ride some different bikes.

If you are really desperate for Craigslist see if people will meet up at a bike shop and ask the bike shop beforehand if that is OK and what they would charge you to look over the bike and see what it may or may not need and condition. Don't ask them to give you a price on the bike unless they have offered that to you but at least get them to determine if the bike is safe to ride or at least what is needed to make it safe and then negotiate with the seller from there. Of course make sure the bike fits you and hopefully see if you can test ride it.

Be wary of stolen bikes and bikes that need a lot of work Craigslist can be full of that stuff and people who are buying and selling other peoples bikes they don't own is really bad.

t2p

I purchased 4 bikes during the past year and a half from Craigslist

There seems to be a shift to Facebook marketplace - but I have no personal experience

Fahrenheit531 

If only there were a forum. About bikes. Hmmm...

This way to Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational).

cyccommute 

If you have to ask, you probably shouldn’t be buying off Craigslist. The best way to learn about what bike to buy is to buy a few dozen bikes, get some feel for what quality parts are, etc. The problem with doing that is it takes years to decades to learn how to gauge the value of a bike from a Craigslist listing as well as how to assess problems in the field.

It would be better if you went to a shop and paid for their expertise.

Dave Mayer

You are looking for the hottest bike category in what has been for the last 3 years a sellers market. Adding to this challenge, at least in my market, Craigslist is a mess of overpriced dysfunctional obsolete stolen junk. 95% of the postings are for what should be landfill. At least half of the bikes have serious but subtle flaws that include cracked frames, major component incompatibilities and drivetrain wear that will require $300+ overhauls. And that is from what I can see, filtered through decades of mechanical expertise. There is likely really bad stuff I cannot make out from deliberately fuzzy photos and obtuse language.

If you going into this cold, without expert advice as to function and fit, there is a good chance that you'll buy and then have to discard 3 bikes or more until you get enough knowledge to pick something that sort of works. You need a bike shop on this one, and the willingness to pay for their expertise, and then the pocket to buy a new bike.

katsup

I wouldn't give a seller the serial number. They could register it under their name, report it stolen and you'd be stuck proving it's yours or be forced to hand over the bike.

In person, I don't mind them checking.

Senathon

This is why I am very hesitating about buying stuff on craigslist unless I am very knowledge about. Buying bikes, I am not. The requests I been posting is for cheap(walmart) bikes that I will only use a few days(2 or 3) a week for 20 minutes a day indoors(I have a trainer). I am keep being referred to either to go a local bike shop($2000) or buy on craigslist.

I am interested in buying a good bike (like Canyon) down the road after I resolve more medical issues, but I wants something more indoors that is in a bike form with gears(I rather ride a cheap bike instead a exercise bike).

livedarklions

Why not just buy new from Wal-Mart then? You aren't going to save much buying used, and they're not durable, so used is pretty likely to be in bad shape.

Senathon

Then let met report my previous post about asking which one I should get: These three bikes, I had tried them at Walmart and feel comfortable with them.

I am working nights and watch security screens for 12 hours a day and was planning to buy a super cheap bike with a trainer. I want to get a bike that if it stolen, I do not have a lot of investment..

Which one would you choose?

1. Kent Genesis 700C Bohe Men's Gravel Bike

2. Vilano TUONO T20 Aluminum Road Bike 21 Speed Disc Brakes, 700c

3. Kent 700c Nazz Men's Gravel Road Bike, Black

livedarklions

None of the above actually, but my preferences aren't the issue. Decide on the basis of fit and price, and whether or not you want a triple chain ring. I doubt you'll notice any other difference in quality for the use you're putting them to, and they're all very low end components.

Bald Paul

Which is why I register my bike serial number when I purchase it and keep my sales slip.
The idea is that if you ask for the number to check with local PD, and the seller knows the bike is stolen, they will hang up faster than if you were calling about their car's extended warranty.
The other option is to tell them you'll meet at a safe place, like the parking lot at the local police station, and while you're there checking over the bike, they can run the serial number.

DonkeyShow

Buy the cheap one that comes with a trainer.

Iride01 

Don't limit yourself to craigslist. In my area craigslist mostly just brings up way overpriced bikes that the seller is asking what they cost new. My D-I-L in Colorado did get a very excellent deal on Facebook market place a couple years ago.

Don't buy a bike that you can't afford to have turn out to be a bad purchase. That way, if for some reason it's not the bike for you, you can simply get another bike and find out if that other bike is the bike for you.

IMO... Best way to buy the right bike new or used is to have experience with a lot of bikes. So get started.

Inusuit

Some posts make buying a used bike sound more complicated than brain surgery. There is certainly the possibility of getting burned on Craigslist. I agree that the OP, if he is satisfied with a WalMart bike as a first bike, should just go there and buy a new one. That comes with a couple of caveats. First, there is no guarantee that the minimum wage employee who assembled the bike did it correctly. My step son was injured when the front wheel came off a Target bike. I wasn't smart enough at the time to check it out.

Second, some shops will not work on big box store bikes, but they might be willing to take a look at one to insure it is at least safe to ride. My local shop is kind to riders with this kind of bike, other shops may not be. Third, see the second. If you have problems with the bike, WalMart probably won't help you and the local shop might not do so either. Fourth, I think it unlikely that you will be able to satisfactorily convert a WalMart gravel bike into a road racer.

You say you have a trainer already, so I think you should buy the new WalMart bike you like best. Then save your money for a Canyon when you discover you enjoy riding and are ready to move up.

3alarmer 

...you don't need a gravel bike, or even a road bike, to use for 20 minutes a day, three times a week, on a trainer. You will be fine with something older, pre "gravel bike" era. Steel or aluminum frame works fine on a trainer indoors. Mostly you need to be careful about mechanical condition and stuff like tires and cables that might need replaced. All CL bikes are not alike in this respect. I would try to find someone more knowledgeable to help me look at the bikes on your local CL, were I in your shoes.

A lot of people responding on this forum will presume a level of mechanical expertise that you have not yet developed.

Local bike shops used to sell used bikes that would have been checked out and worn or old parts replaced. Most no longer do so, and lot of them are no longer in business. There are bicycle co-ops, like the one I have in my city, which recondition older bicycles and sell them cheaply. Those can be a good place to shop, if you have one nearby. Costco sells bikes that are maybe a quarter step up from Walmart, but I think they are mostly into selling electric bikes right now. A lot of the bicycles on your local CL would be fine for your needs, but it's pretty hard to help you with a purchase like this over the internet. Not everyone advertising on Craigslist is out to sell you a lemon, but unless you are equipped with a certain level of mechanical expertise, it's a jungle.

livedarklions

I think you might have this backwards. I'd be more comfortable texting or emailing them the serial number because if they then report it stolen, I can show the police when I gave them the information. I might have a hard time proving they actually met with me.and got the serial number in person.

dedhed

Half the people selling bikes on C/L or FB marketplace couldn't find the serial number if it hit them in the face