Shopping at flea markets is a popular activity among pedal enthusiasts: online or through friends and acquaintances, people search for the latest product at a great price. But how do you approach a potential bargain when it comes to wheels, and above all, how do you avoid the risk of them turning into the most classic of "soles"? Let's explore this together in the following lines.
Buying a “used” racing bike component means exposing yourself to various types of risks.
You've seen a pair of wheels at an online marketplace: they're shiny and brand new; the advertiser claims they've only done a few miles and says they're considering upgrading to a better model. Your mouth waters, anticipating the bargain price. What should you do? Sure, the price is attractive... but keep in mind that the wheel and its components are products subject to wear and tear. If you buy one, this presents you with a series of risks, which you should be aware of.
1. Risk of performance reduction
A used wheel may have excessive play in components like the hub, which ensure smooth rolling on the road. You may also feel the wheel vibrating or bouncing, or hear unpleasant noises. It may have been poorly maintained: in this case, you'd be dealing with a product with significantly lower performance than the same model purchased in new packaging from your local shop.
2. Economic risk
Another significant concern is your wallet. Buying a pair of used wheels, perhaps of dubious origin, could leave you with a nasty surprise, negating what initially seemed like a savings. You could also be forced to spend a lot of money at the repair shop to resolve any mechanical issues or (in the worst-case scenario) have to replace the wheels prematurely, thus ruining your deal. Thinking ahead, perhaps it would have been better to play it safe and buy new racing bike wheels.
3. Danger to your safety
A used wheelset with poor performance will also negatively impact your safety on the road. Let's assume for a moment that the braking surface is excessively worn, perhaps due to the use of brake pads that aren't compatible with the model in question: purchasing such a product could expose you to prolonged or delayed braking, one of the most common causes of falls and collisions, especially when going downhill or on wet asphalt. Certainly not the best way to end a day, right?
“So you're telling me it's better not to buy used wheels?” (Not really)
The world of carbon wheels is vast, and there are products of all types: the most important manufacturers today offer excellent full-carbon wheel models, also offering a guarantee of quality in materials and assembly. The wheels you can find on the market are therefore safe and high-performance when new, but we certainly can't bet on who owned them or how they cared for them: you might find a cyclist who has actually ridden a few kilometers, taking great care with cleaning and maintenance, but you could also come across a dishonest seller.
So how can you be sure you're not making the wrong purchase? The advice we can give you as a manufacturer is to only accept "guaranteed" used wheelset pairs, meaning products still under warranty or for which the seller offers a genuine guarantee of conformity. This is the only thing that truly protects you, at least financially, when buying a used product.
To check if a wheelset is under warranty, we recommend having the person offering you the deal show you an original copy of the wheelset: if they're a dedicated user, you'll see that they've certainly considered keeping it!
If you're thinking of buying new wheels, we invite you to take a look at our online shop .
Conclusion
Cycling wheels: new or used? It's well known that buying used exposes you to some risk, which, as we've seen, you can partially avoid by choosing wheels that are still under warranty. Buying used wheels in excellent condition can be a good way to test the quality and performance of a carbon wheelset if you haven't owned one yet.
However, once you've tried carbon and found it's right for you, our advice is to invest in new products that can give you a truly top-notch driving experience and safety rating.
