*EDIT* won’t be buying, thank you for all the assistance. Now back to searching for a 61cm tri bike….
Current college student getting into Ironman. Found this P3 on marketplace for $750. Seller got it at a bike swap so no documentation on repair. Wanted to field opinions before I make a 5 hour round trip to go check it out. Thank you!
by LJSell
17 Comments
Functional.
Looks great, but unfortunately that doesn’t mean much. Someone who knows what they’re doing would have to examine it in person to confirm that it was done correctly. There’s no way to tell just by looking at it.
$750 for the wheels ain’t bad but I wouldn’t buy someone’s carbon repair especially if they know nothing about it
If it was my bike, I couldn’t NOT THINK of this every time I’m about to bomb down a 17% decline at 40+ miles per hour. I like the peace of mind that a structurally sound frame gives me in such scenarios.
If I already owned the bike and it was crashed and repaired I’d probably ride it no problem.
But absolutely no chance I’d be buying it. Especially for $750
Probably fine but I’d never do it without a paper trail and probably bringing it by where the repair was done to be shown in detail and talked through it.
With the added kicker of a 5 hour round trip? No. It’s an old bike, old components, and personally the carbon repair would be a total nonstarter for me unless you could somehow get it checked out before buying.
I’m not even sure some of the best carbon repair experts can say with certainty from a picture whether a repair was 100% good. You’re better off saving a bit more and buying a more modern bike.
it looks OK, but it’s hard to say how confident I am in it without seeing it, knowing who did it, or knowing how exactly it was repaired. was it shrink taped, vacuum bagged….??
Don’t buy if not repaired by an expert. Not worth the risk
That looks like one of those do it yourself repair kits. I would avoid at all costs. A professional carbon repair is pretty reliable on the other hand.
That would be a hard no for me
Like you need a Steel bike.
Please don’t
It looks like I’d offer whatever the parts alone are worth to you.
It *looks* fine, but that doesn’t mean it is. I’d pass.
Hey, I work repairing carbon fiber bicycles. Depending on the damage, it may or may not be enough. If it’s a small hole or a superficial dent,for example, because the chain, a single strip of carbon fiber impregnated with resin and baked in an oven for few hours at around 100-120°C will suffice.
But if it’s a crack or serious damage, I often use two or three strips of carbon fiber layered on top of each other, creating several layers of reinforcement. In cases where there’s a hole, I usually fill it with dry carbon fiber, using cyanoacrylate glue, to create a hard base and provide a solid support under the repair( sanding it to level it), in addition to the two or three strips of resin-impregnated carbon fiber. It all depends on the extent of the damage.
If you decide to buy it, I recommend checking the repair by gently pressing (with your fingernail or the cap of a pen; you don’t need to apply much pressure, just enough to lightly touch the surface) to make sure you don’t feel any soft spots underneath of the repaired zone. I’ve seen repairs done over holes without sealing them first, which makes that area weak and soft.
You can buy a brand new bike or gems on marketplace for that much.