Everything Wrong with my £400 Specialized Tarmac

Getting a pro bike mechanic @jimthebikeguy to inspect my £400 used Specialized Tarmac and tell me everything that is wrong with it, and how much it will cost to make it roadworthy. I wasn't ready for this!

CONTENT
00:00 Intro
00:26 Inspection
38:74 Verdict, rating and cost to repair

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[gabrielcarlothomas]

Really enjoyed watching Jim work. As a bike mechanic myself, I enjoyed his no-nonsense practical style.

He saw an issue, and he told you the reason/hypothesis why it happened, how to mitigate it in the future, and the options going forward.

I didn't hear him complain like a lot of mechanics/YouTube personalities that a chain is worn out or a BB needs replaced, and the bike industry is here to ruin all our lives. Just a person doing his job well. That was refreshing.

[statosphereonline]

Hey David, Jim is a great guy to have in your videos. Great personality, well spoken, clear and good advice, and very satisfying to watch him work his magic.

I still go back to his front and rear mech adjustment videos if I have an issue. Legend!

More pre-owned bike rescue and resurrection videos, please!

[neilrobinson]

Hardly the end of the world that the chain, cassette and chainrings +BB bearings need changing. Kind of what I would expect on a cheap second hand bike.

[MrChippinator]

I realized a while ago that when you buy a used bike you’re basically buying a frame set. It’s still a great deal but on my current bike, which I bought used, I have replaced pretty much everything at this point.

[davidcarino]

I pick up bikes like this all the time. First thing I do is take it completely apart usually new headset, new BB, cables good tune up! Need to be handy to save a lot of money on these older bikes.

[DilbertMuc]

Even at a full restore at EUR 700, - you still get an excellent carbon race bike. What can you get from the stores at €700? A low-end alu bike with 8spd Claris. Even Decathlon can't produce anything at this price point.

[nycdrummingstar]

Without a doubt give it life! Shimano just sponsored a video on gcn that did exactly the same thing;135mm QR rear wheel and rim brakes. Even though everybody online has moved on to disc brakes the real world is still on rim brakes and bike that don't have thru axles, Awesome video!

[gearsofmedicine]

Awesome video, I wish all mechanics were as detailed and comprehensive as this gentleman; nonetheless, awesome learnings from this video

[mlafleurhua]

Jim is terrific and a great addition to your videos whenever he is on. His input made for a terrific video. That being said the core takeaway from the walk through is that what you purchased is a great foundation for a low cost, high performance, everyday rim brake bike. It can be reconditioned and kept on the ride at moderate cost surely for 2-3 years, possibly even 5-6, but eventually parts will become difficult to source. So before embarking on this reconditioning project, the question to ask is what level of disk brake bike could you buy for a reasonably comparable price and would that offer a better riding experience that the reconditioned tarmac.

[simmooz]

I’m sorry - the suggestion not to keep the bike because its rim brake is a bit silly. In ten years time you’ll still be able to get brake pads and rim brake wheels. Just like you can still get mtb v brake pads and 26inch rim wheels and tyres! Although thinking about it is the mechanic just being a wum

[lesliereissner]

This seems pretty reasonable. In the case of my last two used bikes (a 1994 C40 and a 2004 Lemond Tete de Course) I figured that the cassette, chain and tires would need replacing as standard wear items. Taking a mid-spec Tarmac up to 800 GBP+ makes sense if you plan to ride it for some years as none of these bicycles will have much in the way of future collector value.

[Jacob]

I’m a big fan of Jim. Really enjoy his contributions!

[philipjamesparsons]

Lots of insight from Jim. Pretty much standard service items to be honest, albeit with a headache bottom bracket. There are still loads of rim brake wheels for sale new and used. So, I would not worry for ten years.

[AlbertBuckinghamEllison]

So I'm selling an SL4 bike at the moment. £1000 Dura Ace, Ultegra, carbon/alloy wheels etc. £1k old race bike. It's interesting to see this from the other side. I've been very transparent on my ad. listing components that are worn or approaching end of life and priced accordingly. The bike rides extremely well and the frame including bearings etc are all in good nick. So £400 is a steal for that whole bike, essentially you are buying a frameset that has old components on it that are bound to be worn otherwise the owner wouldn't be selling it off.

Even if it wasn't judged 'safe to ride' by the mechanic I wouldn't care. As long as the carbon appears in good condition, it hasn't been in a crash then I'd take it! Spend another £800 and build it up into an awesome rig.

[IronHorsey]

Absolutely worth the investment to see this bike at its best. 👏🏽🚴‍♂️

[aveedub]

I pretty much look at a second hand bike as merely a frame purchase to up -grade. I bought a £225.00, 2013 Giant tcr alu rim brake bike 2 years ago, decked out in tiagra 9 spd. Binned everything apart from frame and now sporting Ultegra 11spd mechanical drivetrain, new Mavic wheels, new stem/handlebars, giant carbon seatpost, lightweight 3d printed saddle and finally 28mm contis. This bike was only intended as a spare bike whilst in England and has served me well. Mostly everything was sourced off Ebay new or slightly used and only the wheels were a non Ebay buy. Nothing wrong with doing a project, but this then led me to buy a brand new Carbon pro TCR and Defy shortly after as i was impressed by alu TCR ride quality. I haven't been disappointed in any of these bikes!😁😁😁👍👍👍

[eto]

If it's in good knick, value is determined by the buyer and seller. If the owner enjoys it, there's a lot of value. If it doesn't fit their purposes, there is very little value.

[lostboy]

Oh boy that David is just about the most helpful bike video you have ever uploaded IMHO, thank you very much indeed.Jim really is the man when it comes to bike mechanics, I found this so helpful and and so fascinating well done, bravo.Also thank you very much Jim I would love you to service my bike sir, total respect👍

[c]

A very good video re bike check/maintenance. Get Jim on more often. Quick, thorough and easy to understand, straight to the point

[npdf]

Great to see Jim back on the channel 😊 always great to watch.. Pete 🚴🏻👍