Advice on buying a second hand bike

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DD (age 9) needs a new bike. Looking on line I think she needs a 24 inch one. We don't cycle very often, but it's nice to go out time to time. I've seen a few bikes for sale on Gumtree and Facebook, that would save us a fortune, but I don't know much about buying bikes. What should I look for when buying a second hand bike? Any tips on how to avoid stolen ones?

Look for a good brand like Islabikes or Frog although it depends on your budget. They last for ever and are usually bought new by families who know how to take care of them. If you can stretch to a good second hand brand like these you will possibly get all your money back in 2 years as they hold value well. If you don't believe this see completed sales on eBay-it's quite an eye opener. I would also say look at 26 " wheels for an Islabike as they tend to fit differently - not sure about frogs. Avoid anything too heavy or supermarket brands and the components are cheap and won't normally last more than one child. Good luck 🚴‍♀️

You can usually avoid stolen ones if you ask questions about how old it is - How much use- where is it from. If you get one word or vague answers then they don't know. Also avoid people selling lots of bikes (unless a bike shop/business) and those who use photos from the internet and not the actual bike. If you get chance to inspect it turn it over and look for it's reference no (will be underneath between the pedals. You can then check a few websites online to see if it's been reported stolen.

maybe go and sit on a bike in a bike shop to get the right size?