How to spot a pressure washed s/h bike?

[LittleSkink]

Many years ago I worked in a bike shop and at least once a week we had someone in complaining that their bottom bracket / headset / hub bearings had packed up - sometimes they wanted it fixing under warranty

Often with those you would get to the bearings and find a gunky rusty mess - from the pressure washer they swore they hadnt used :facepalm:

So, we have been looking at s/h bikes recently - I always try and suss out how the owner washed the bike, the only place I check are cassette / rear derailleur for grease free evidence of an over vigorous cleaning

But wonder what tell tale signs other people look for?

 

[66 triumph daytona]

Dead giveaway for me are spotless hub flanges on conventionally laced wheels(impossible unless jet washed),shiny jockey wheels etc.

 

[mattr]

Lifted sticker edges, or completely missing ones.

It's fairly hard to completely remove stickers, jet wash makes it easy.

(FWIW doing a jet wash clean properly does no damage to anything, it's the idiots who do the damage. They'd probably do just as much damage with a bucket and sponge)

 

[LittleSkink]

thanks folks, more good tips

so, $64,000 question - would you happily buy a s/h bike with an absolutely minty rear cassette / mech?

I have found a bike that would be ideal for our next needs, thing is it looks for all the world like it was given a very "thorough" clean to me

Its an hours drive so whether I go and look at it is down to what the chap/chapesse says on the phone - and whether I believe them . . .

 

[gwoods1210]

Re:

If it looks as though its to ckean your probably right thinking its been jet washed, try and haggle and allow for what danage may have been dine in the price.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I think you're being paranoid. As Matt R says "doing a jet wash clean properly does no damage to anything, it's the idiots who do the damage" and from photos you may be looking at a nicely cleaned bike which some people will feel is the standard they'd expect if they were buying. You can't judge by the various criteria (yours and others above - without looking 'in the flesh'. Nevertheless, I thought it was an interesting thread - worth starting.

 

[Woz]

I think you're being paranoid. As Matt R says "doing a jet wash clean properly does no damage to anything, it's the idiots who do the damage" and from photos you may be looking at a nicely cleaned bike which some people will feel is the standard they'd expect if they were buying. You can't judge by the various criteria (yours and others above - without looking 'in the flesh'. Nevertheless, I thought it was an interesting thread - worth starting.

Ditto, well said. To add, as a matter of course to buy a s/h bike w/o giving all moving parts a service yourself is potentially asking for trouble too.