The specifications of a bicycle

In general, it is good to know the specifications of the bicycle you are interested in. If you discover a shop selling a bicycle way below the price of other shops, hopefully, it is because it is doing a great promotion to draw customers in and not that they have replaced expensive components with cheaper brands or models.

The same applies if you are buying a used bicycle. You would want to buy a second hand bicycle because the components have been upgraded. You can haggle on the price if you know that the original components, which were better, have been replaced.

Here is another point to take note of when you are buying a bicycle for a child. Bicycles for children are usually supplied with mudguards installed. If you don’t see them, they are likely removed by the retailer to be sold separately. Australian brand bicycles for children will usually be supplied with coaster brake and bell installed.

Some brands have websites with specifications of their bicycle posted online. Some distributors supply their bicycles to their retailers with tags that include the price and specifications.



You know that you are getting a real discount on the price if every components/model indicated on the tag are still on the bicycle.

If you want to know the specifications of a bicycle, you need to know:

1. the brand of the bike.
2. what kind of bike it is, eg, MTB or roadbike, etc.
3. the tyre size, eg, 26″ or 27.5″ or 29er or 700C.
4. the model name or number of the bike.
5. if possible, the year of manufacture, just in case some components have been changed for later models.

Do a search for “specifications (brand name) (type of bicycle)”, and you should be able to find the models that are available if they are posted online. If you are able to find their facebook page and it is actively managed, you can post a message there, to find the specifications of the bicycle you are looking for.

Is it a good idea to buy a used high end carbon road bike?

Many people buy bicycles without checking on the warranty provided for the frame or its components. Eg, I have customers requesting us to repair their hydraulic disc brake and gears on their new bicycle which should still be under warranty.

If you want to buy used bicycles with carbon frames, find one from companies that offer the best warranty. Eg, manufacturers from China like XDS, provides 3 years warranty on their carbon frames and 5 years warranty on their alloy frames for the original owner. Trek offers only 2 years warranty for carbon frame but lifetime warranty on other type of frames. I read that they also have a loyalty program, whereby they will offer a discount to replace damaged carbon frame.

These warranties are for manufacturing defects, so the warranty will be voided if you have an accident which damaged the frame. However, companies like Calfee provide 10 years warranty for carbon frame repairs from the original date of service. They will even perform an inspection for second buyers of their used frame and perform any repairs which are covered under warranty at no additional charge.

So, if you still intend to buy used carbon frame bike, you may want to check with the owner the kind of warranty he still holds for the carbon frame. Then you will have to negotiate with the seller to see if there is a way you can get him to assist you in getting this warranty claim should you face a problem after riding it.

Note though that you may like the carbon frame but not like the components already installed. The next question to ask the seller or discover for yourself is whether you will be able to find spare parts for its components during repairs. It will be time consuming and costly for you to replace parts that are difficult to find, especially if you intend to maintain a complete groupset.