Road Bike Question
 

I am getting in to biking for exercise, and am looking to get a used road bike. I have been watching Ebay and see some stuff that I am interested in, i just have one question. How long do components last for? I have found a bike i want with 2K miles on it, is that a lot? How much longer will the 105 components on the bike last? I know the components are a lot of money to replace. If anyone knows, i would really appreciate hearing it.

it depends how the components were treated, and what they are. if they are high grade campagnolo components that were taken care of, they will last quite a while. if they are low grade components that were ignored, they won't. that said, if you need to replace components, you can get inexpensive stuff at various bike discount places, like nashbar or performance.

the most important thing about buying a bike is the size. if you get the wrong size, it will be uncomfortable and you won't ride it, you will have wasted your cash. make sure it fits. i hope this helps a bit. if you have any other questions about bicycles, please ask, i'll be glad to help.

Avoid Ebay and try to trade locally. There are probably local bike shops that can point you in the right direction. Unless you know a particular brand, then yeah, you are going to have the wrong size and be unhappy with your bike.

Look at Craigslist for your area and at the local newspaper ads. You can go check out a few bikes locally, and you won't have the hassle and charges of shipping.

Back to the original question: 2000 miles is nothing. That might put some wear on the tires but the other components should be in near new condition if the bike was taken care of.

I'd also agree that as a new cyclist you should see and try out what you're getting before you buy it.

you may want to head to a bike shop to check out some models and sizes, even if you're going to buy used. 105 components are Shimano's mid-level and are pretty solid. Actually they are very solid, just a tad weightier than the nicer more expensive stuff. Even better than that, if the bike has 105 on it it's less likely to be a piece of crap $500-when-new bike. Always welcome to PM me if you have questions.

I'll reiterate. Go to a local bike shop, and try on bikes, see if they have any used bikes for sale, but get to know a few people in the staff. When you buy a used bike (check craigslist, and see if there's anything for sale nearby that you can physically see before buying). After, or before buying the bike (even better) take it to the shop and have someone take a look over it.

i have friends who have obtained fabulous bikes from ebay--but they each knew EXACTLY what they were looking for. so what eerybody else has said about trying on bikes etc.: it's true. i can only repeat it.