Skip to main content

3 great reasons you should never buy a used mountain bike

Buying a new mountain bike over a used one is a safer option

Four used mountain bikes lined up
Travis Reill / The Manual

There are a lot of different things to consider when you are considering getting a mountain bike. For many, the decision will ultimately come down to price. 

Recommended Videos

To save money, some may buy an entry-level mountain bike with cheaper components, intending to upgrade those components. Others turn to classified ads to find a good deal on a used mountain bike.

And while a used mountain bike will be cheaper than a new one, you could end up paying more in the long run. 

A mountain bike with damage to the paint

Warranties

A quality mountain bike typically isn’t cheap. Depending on the build level (how nice the components that come on the frame) you are considering, a new mountain bike can be upwards of $10,000. 

Spending several thousand dollars on a mountain bike may be hard to swallow, but fortunately, your new bike will have a warranty. Mountain bike warranties cover any manufacturer defects that result in damage to the frame. 

But, as you may have guessed, the warranty that covers a bike is, in most cases, only applicable to the original owner. That means that if you don’t have receipts showing that you purchased the mountain bike, the frame manufacturer won’t warranty damages.

This very thing happened to a friend. A few weeks after purchasing a used bike, he was mountain biking when he noticed a creak coming from the bottom bracket. He took it apart and regreased it, but the noise continued. Upon taking it apart again, he found the origin of the noise—a small crack in the frame around the bottom bracket. 

Since he wasn’t the original buyer, the manufacturer, who admitted it was a defect, couldn’t do anything for him.

A set of used carbon fiber mountain bike wheels

Safety

My friend found that this crack in the bottom bracket housing was not caused by him. He had only purchased the mountain bike a few weeks before and noticed the sound on his first ride. The damage was from the original owner, who sold him the bike.

And the original owner was likely unaware the mountain bike was damaged at all. The only way my friend found out was after he took it apart twice and carefully inspected the area. Creaks, groans, and other noises aren’t uncommon on a mountain bike.

Luckily, the damage was found before it worsened and caused a crash. There are many different working parts on a mountain bike that could all have issues. These issues may result from one mountain biking excursion but not show themselves until another. 

Simply put, when you buy a used mountain bike, you are taking a stranger’s word that the bike is “fine”—and it may not be. You could be rolling the dice.

My Specialized Stumpjumper with Forge + Bond 30AM carbon wheels

Price

There was a time when rolling the dice on a used mountain bike may have been worth it. A year-old bike in your local classifieds might save you over a thousand dollars. And, for the most part, the bike was in good working order.

Fast-forward to 2024, and that savings are pretty negligible. Let me explain.

During the pandemic, mountain biking saw a boom. People looked for an activity to get involved with, and mountain biking seemed like a great option. Demand for mountain bikes went through the roof, so much so that manufacturers couldn’t keep up. 

With high demand, mountain bike manufacturers continued to pump out supply, trying to hit the numbers they saw. The problem was the demand eventually went away, leaving manufacturers stuck with tons of products.

And what happens when production is high but demand drops? That product goes on sale. 

Right now, the mountain bike industry is offering sales like never before. We’ve seen 40% off, buy-one-get-one, and even 60% off deals on mountain bikes. This means that a brand-new mountain bike may only be a few hundred bucks more than one on the used market. 

It’s probably a good idea when considering buying a mountain bike to spend a few hundred more to get a new bike.

Preparing to wash 2 mountain bikes

Used vs. new mountain bikes

Buying a used mountain bike comes with a set of risks. While you can inspect the bike and perhaps even take it for a test ride or two, there is a chance you might miss something. And the thing that you may have missed may be the thing that causes a catastrophic crash.

That crash could result in an expensive repair/replacement of a component. Or, you could also have the police show up at your door because the mountain bike you bought was stolen.

Buying a new mountain bike doesn’t have any of those risks involved. If a part is faulty, the manufacturer’s warranty will cover you. In many cases, if you purchase from a bike shop, the shop will have an additional warranty.

But, what it comes down to most is price. You buy a used mountain bike because you can save money. 

In 2024, save your money for another week or so and buy new.

Travis Reill
Hi! I'm Travis, a teacher turned stay-at-home dad turned freelance writer. Mountain biking is my passion. Fortunately, I've…
3 duct tape camping hacks: Why it should always be in your hiking or camping kit
Stick to duct tape while camping — here's how
Closeup of two friends setting up a tent in the woods.

One of the most useful scenarios for duct tape is out in the wilderness, but it can be tricky to figure out how to store it. One of my go-to ways is to simply wrap several feet of duct tape around an old credit card or a sturdy piece of cardboard. I've also seen people wrap duct tape around their water bottles, but that's never appealed to me since it can be a bit of a mess to clean. Regardless of how you do it, taking some duct tape with you might just make or break your next camping or hiking trip. Here's how.
3 uses for duct tape while out in the wilderness

Patch repairs with duct tape
Sleeping pads pop and nylon tears. We've all been there, and duct tape can save the day! It's great to have duct tape on hand to patch a hole or close a gap in my tent. If you happen to accidentally tear your sleeping bag, a patch of duct tape will get you through it. Reinforce broken straps, seams, zippers, or even sole separation in your shoes and you'll make it home all right.
Duct tape in first aid
When thinking about duct tape, first aid might not always come to mind. However, duct tape is great in a jiffy for splint support if you or someone in your party ends up breaking or spraining something. With a piece of clean cloth or gauze, you can create a makeshift bandage in an emergency. You can also use a small square as blister protection if your shoes start rubbing your feet raw.
Using duct tape as an organization tool
While masking tape might work a bit better in this case, duct tape can still be used to label and tag gear or mark items. That said, nothing is better than duct tape if you want to seal an open liquid container. Duct tape can also be used to keep loose cords, tent poles, or stakes bundled together in a pinch.

Read more
This popular Great Smoky Mountains trail will be closed for 18 months — where to hike instead
You won't see this Great Smoky Mountains Favorite for another 18 months. Here's why.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Laurel Falls Trail is a popular destination at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Seeing over 300,000 hikers annually, it's one of the park's most iconic trails. While Gatlinburg was largely spared by Hurricane Helene, Laurel Falls Trail has become unsafe due to loose, broken pavement and other safety hazards. This is largely because the trail hasn't been repaved at all since the trail was made in 1963. The National Park Service is committed to the safety of this trail, so the park has funded a rehabilitation project to give Laurel Falls Trail a well-deserved makeover.

This project will be extensive. The National Park Service reports that they will be making huge upgrades to the trailhead parking area, expanding it by about fifty parking spaces and adding a designated pathway with a guardrail to connect pedestrians to the trailhead. They will also be repaving all of the trails and installing new educational signage along the way to provide wayfinding, bear safety, and Leave No Trace guidance.

Read more
Going to Mount Rainier National Park this winter? Here’s what you should expect
No sledding this year at Mount Rainier, but here's what you can do instead
Mount Rainier National Park in the winter

Winter is almost here, and Mount Rainier National Park is gearing up for the 2024-25 winter recreation season with updates to its schedule. Starting Tuesday, November 12, new access guidelines were put in place to help visitors make the most of their winter adventures. Here’s what you need to know:
2024-25 Winter access at Mount Rainier National Park

The Paradise area will be available for four days a week, from Friday through Monday. You'll be able to drive there on these days, but the road will be closed for the rest of the week. The National Park Service has also announced that due to limited staffing, sledding will not be available anywhere in the park this winter. While this is unfortunate, there are still plenty of other activities to choose from.

Read more