$500 Used Bike Vs $500 New Bike

To buy new or not to buy new... that is the question! Maybe you're looking for your first road bike or just want a new one, worry not! Armed with $500, Ollie set out to buy and test two affordable bikes, helping you make the right decision. Which bike is faster? Which is more comfortable? Which one is right for you? Sit back, take notes, and enjoy!

Welcome 0:00
The test 0:22
Budget new Bike 1:00
Budget old bike 1:37
Boardman test ride 2:33
Pinarello test ride 6:30
The results 11:18

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Which bike would you choose? Let us now in the comments 👇🚴

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📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sprint Cycling Agency

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[gcntech]

Which bike would you choose? Let us now in the comments 👇🚴

[buggen]

This is the content we want! Not 15k bike tests tbh 🎉

[marccale]

Much prefer this kind of "down to earth" content and it's nice to see GCN posting it. I find this far more interesting than the more industry-led content promoting the latest £15k aero bike that most of us would only get marginal benefit from riding.

[_MrSnrub]

Unbiased and unsupported. The video format of the people!

[BGS_]

A non sponsored GCN is a much better GCN😅

[anthonycoluccio]

Thanks Ollie for showing how enjoyable biking can be for the entry level rider by comparing bikes. I think sometimes we scare people away by the high end cost of bikes forgetting we once rode those lower tier bikes.
Great video

[stevenwilson]

I just found an incredible road bike at a garage sale for $200. Its an S-works, fully carbon fiber and all Dura Ace components. 10 years old now but still brand new. Man was a pro cyclists (not elite) and won a race that was sponsored by specialized when trying to make the Olympic team before he retired. He didn't make the team but got this bike and never rode it. I remember looking at these bikes in the bike shop windows thinking id never own one. I know its outdated but it was a 10k dollar bike when it was new.

[alanfreeman]

Ollie please carry out upgrades to the boardman and repeat the test, one upgrade at a time to see the difference each individual upgrade will make

[ivordavies]

I recently bought a 2016 Wilier Cento 1 SR with Campy 11speed and Zonda wheels with Conti 5000's for £600 (I went to his house and he had the original reciept) It may have rim brakes but to me it is a brilliant bike. Nothing new came close.

[_J.F_]

Theoretically you should always be getting a better deal for the same amount of money if you buy second hand over brand new. Worth mentioning though is that with second hand bike you can be looking around for ages to find what you want, have to spend quite some money on replacing worn out bits and/or just upgrading to the specs you want, and the second hand bike will usually always show signs of wear, or even damage, and often come without any warranty whatsoever. And lastly, depending on your geographical location, you can end up spending a lot of time and money going around to see these used bikes for real, or of course just hope that it is as shown in photos if you buy online. I personally think that the second hand market probably lends itself more to those who are very experienced with the mechanical aspects of a bike, whereas it could potentially end in tears for the novice first time buyer.

[vishwasmattur]

I've bought 3 used bikes now
Cannondale CAAD8 for $160,
Specialized Crosstrail for $100,
Cannondale CAAD10 for $150


I got 3 awesome bikes for the price of one entry level new bike.
There are great deals out there!

[GeirEivindMork]

Used - if you know what you are looking for and the value - is always better. BUT if you're new into the game and doesn't have anyone to lean on, far safer to go for a new one. the cost of just basic maintance is going to make the old one very expensive fast if it isn't been properly taken care of. Unless you do it yourself.

But one of my bikes, a storck I bought for $700. It was intended to be on the trainer 24h, but I've not had the wish to do that yet, because it's been such a wonderful bike to ride. So quick, nippy and fast. And I got a $6000 bike. I mean, bikes lose their value far faster than they lose their usefulness.

[Lolwutfordawin]

I am very impressed just how close these 2 bikes were in terms of speed. Was expecting the used bike to be a lot better at that price, just goes to show how much bike tech has advanced lately!

[supercoder]

My favourite GCN content is the non sponsored one! With the quality of presenters, and the entire crew, it's always top tier content.

Would definitely love to see more of it. I end up skipping all sponsored content anyways.

[TimR]

GCN Bingo 😂. Love it

Tire size is the unfortunate break point. If you’re happy with 28mm or smaller, there are so many GREAT older bikes at reasonable prices. But if you see 28mm as the minimum there are few options. I’ve got several older road bikes that I love. Some have modernized components for modern gear ratios too. But to run 32mm tires, I had to add a newer one to the stable. No other option. But I still ride the older ones. They’re still winners and would be a great value to buy today.

Another vote that most rim brakes (this century) on aluminum rims are more than adequate. Good disk brakes are better but unnecessary for anyone but Clydesdales in the mountains.

But for entry riders, the “bang for the buck” new bike is a fine choice. Lower risk. Fewer decisions. Just learn to ride and enjoy. Play on the next one.

[xosece]

these not sponsored videos turn out to be really good. I'd love to see more videos of bikes like hybrid bikes (Canyon Roadlite 6 2023) and so on, something different

[johnhutto]

This nicely highlights the difference in bikes from today versus ten years ago. It's definitely NOT all about rim brakes versus discs or electronic shifting versus mechanical.

I finally sold my 2011 Cervelo R3 because I couldn't fit tires wider than 25mm and the gear range was too narrow. I loved its ride quality and simplicity. However being able to run wider tires and gearing on my current bike is irreplaceable. 32mm tires have been so much more comfortable and grippy and the wider gearing range has completely opened up how and where I ride.

I think disc brakes are a wash compared to rim brakes. The feel is slightly different but I think rim brakes on alloy rims work just as well as discs if they're maintained properly. However being able to use carbon rims because of disc brakes is a huge improvement. They're much more comfortable and durable.

[jipasd]

I have zero experience with road bikes, but I think the lessons learned in MTB apply: when buying a used bike, you really need to know what you're getting. When buying something on a budget, it can even come down to worn chain/drivetrain, replace that and suddenly you could have spent a minimum of hundred euros on another bike. I also think that, as he said on the video, the new cheap brakes and groupsets work just fine, in this case the old one was in fact OLD, but I've fallen to the nostalgy trap in thinking some old - albeit at the time premium - junk would be superior to new stuff you can buy much cheaper.

[thomasparmenter]

Great content!
Owned that same Boardman model for 5 years now and done everything I’ve needed it to, from long rides to racing triathlons on it.

[Obsrvr]

I have been asking for this video in the past 2 years. Finally. Thanks GCN