Buying a secondhand bike

[onebir]

A friend of mine bought a secondhand bike (50RMB) the other day at a dodgy market in dirt yard near panjiayuan. (I'll ask her for directions if anyone's interested)

But that place is a bit of a trek - does anyone know any other places in Beijing? I just don't think it's worth buying a new one when everyone i meet says they've had at least 5 stolen...

[gougou]

You should be able to find some lad selling second-hand bikes next to about any bike shop. Often, they seem to be tenth-hand rather than second-hand, so in the end I opted to buy a new bike for a bit over RMB 100. It did break a pedal beneath my feet twice, but I got it replaced without hassle (something I wouldn't necessarily expect of a second-hand retailer)

[md1101]

i went to buy a 'second hand' bike in xi'an once. they are mostly stolen which i knew so i felt bad to begin with. but when i saw how crook it really was i got turned off and didnt buy one. there was the kingpin sitting in his chair offering his bikes to me and at one stage i tried to bargain for a particular bike. i think i said 80 kuai or something but he wouldnt go below 100. then my gf said "but that lady there offered THAT bike to us for 60" thinking they were seperate dealers. (that lady did offer a bike to us for around that...). he said "who?!" found her.. and went off at her (just yelling at her). either i way i thought... i dont really want to support this so i left.

of course im sure there some REAL second hand places around...

probably just go with what gougou said though and pay a little more for a first hand one.

[ckc_ucl]

Does anyone know where I can buy a good quality pannier in Beijing? Or is that a daft question; are they just available at every bike shop (of which I presume there are many)?

[Radial]

Bikes are so cheap in china now... just go to your local Carefor or Walmart... I have been thinking about just buying a bike in each ciy I visit... use it for a few days... and then part it some where... Maybe it will still be there when I come back in a few months... but I don't really care...

[onebir]

the point of buying one secondhand isn't to save 50 kuai - it's because the thieves selectively target the new ones, so a secondhand one should be less hassle...

[onebir]

for beijingers, there's a cluster of places on dongsi bei da jie (东四北大街) maybe 50m south of dongzhimen nei (东直门内) dajie. there are two second hand shops on opposite sides of the roads selling lots of stuff, including bikes, and at least one guy outside the shop on the western who has bikes too. not incredibly cheap, but i got a reasonable one for RMB130.

[minipig]

Does anyone know of anywhere that sells Bromptons - new or 2nd hand?

[heifeng]

Are these 2nd hand bike places still around. 1 year can make a big difference.

Anyway, I would like to buy a second hand bike, but a somewhat decent one that can carry someone on the back of it without breaking the spokes. Any recommendations on where to go?

Or, if anyone wants to sell their bike, lemme know! thanks:mrgreen:

[simonlaing]

The other thing about new bikes is that after you buy them you should get them "tightened".

Most bikes sold knew have loose pedals and wheels as they are mass produced and expect to be tightened once they're bought . Often the store where you buy it will do it for you otherwise your local corner bike repair dude can do it.

I love riding around on bikes in China, it beats gridlock any day.

have fun,

Simon:)

[heifeng]

yes, thanks, when I actually find a bike I will be sure to do that...