How to spot a pressure washed s/h bike?

LittleSkink · Jul 15, 2015

Many years ago I worked in a bike shop and at least once a week we had someone in complaining that their bottom bracket / headset / hub bearings had packed up - sometimes they wanted it fixing under warranty

Often with those you would get to the bearings and find a gunky rusty mess - from the pressure washer they swore they hadnt used :facepalm:

So, we have been looking at s/h bikes recently - I always try and suss out how the owner washed the bike, the only place I check are cassette / rear derailleur for grease free evidence of an over vigorous cleaning

But wonder what tell tale signs other people look for?

66 triumph daytona · Jul 15, 2015

Dead giveaway for me are spotless hub flanges on conventionally laced wheels(impossible unless jet washed),shiny jockey wheels etc.

mattr · Jul 15, 2015

Lifted sticker edges, or completely missing ones.

It's fairly hard to completely remove stickers, jet wash makes it easy.

(FWIW doing a jet wash clean properly does no damage to anything, it's the idiots who do the damage. They'd probably do just as much damage with a bucket and sponge)

LittleSkink · Jul 15, 2015

thanks folks, more good tips

so, $64,000 question - would you happily buy a s/h bike with an absolutely minty rear cassette / mech?

I have found a bike that would be ideal for our next needs, thing is it looks for all the world like it was given a very "thorough" clean to me

Its an hours drive so whether I go and look at it is down to what the chap/chapesse says on the phone - and whether I believe them . . .

gwoods1210 · Jul 19, 2015

Re:

If it looks as though its to ckean your probably right thinking its been jet washed, try and haggle and allow for what danage may have been dine in the price.

Ajax Bay · Jul 19, 2015

I think you're being paranoid. As Matt R says "doing a jet wash clean properly does no damage to anything, it's the idiots who do the damage" and from photos you may be looking at a nicely cleaned bike which some people will feel is the standard they'd expect if they were buying. You can't judge by the various criteria (yours and others above - without looking 'in the flesh'. Nevertheless, I thought it was an interesting thread - worth starting.

Woz · Jul 19, 2015

Ajax Bay":2sc7mhmv said:
I think you're being paranoid. As Matt R says "doing a jet wash clean properly does no damage to anything, it's the idiots who do the damage" and from photos you may be looking at a nicely cleaned bike which some people will feel is the standard they'd expect if they were buying. You can't judge by the various criteria (yours and others above - without looking 'in the flesh'. Nevertheless, I thought it was an interesting thread - worth starting.

Ditto, well said. To add, as a matter of course to buy a s/h bike w/o giving all moving parts a service yourself is potentially asking for trouble too.

How to spot a pressure washed s/h bike?

LittleSkink

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66 triumph daytona

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mattr

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LittleSkink

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gwoods1210

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Ajax Bay

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Woz

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