What to pay attention to when buying a used race bike What to pay attention to when buying a used race bike? - the one with thin tires :) Thanks for advice guys! I ask because I am a beginner in bikes, but I would love a faster bike. Now I have a very slow mountain bike, and mostly use it to travel from town to town.
There are lots of bikes with skinny tires that aren't necessarily racing bikes.
As with any bike, new or used, you want to make sure the bike fits you. A bike that can be made to fit with new handlebars/stem/saddle might be worth it, but that's a decision you'll need to make.
Has the bike been well-maintained? Is there rust or corrosion on the frame or parts? Is everything tight that should be tight? Do all the rotating parts turn smoothly?
Has the bike been crashed? Is the paint basically intact? Is anything bent?
Possibly harder to determine unless you're knowledgeable about bikes, but does the bike have parts that will be difficult to replace if/when that becomes necessary? Sometimes there are evolutionary dead-ends in bike technology (although I can't think of many in recent history).
Most importantly, do you enjoy riding it? It's a good idea to test-ride as many bikes as you can to get an idea of what you like and dislike.


Even if the bike isn't perfect for you as-is, it may be close enough that with some replacement parts, it'll be a good bike for you. You'll need to decide how much extra you're willing to spend to bring it up to that level.