If you can't afford to buy a new bike, purchasing a used bike is an option. But you must know what to look for when purchasing a used bike. If you do not know what to look for you could end up making a purchase you will regret. Here you will learn what to look for and how to avoid the 3 most common mistakes people make when buying a used bike.

There are many places where a person can buy a used bike today. Each weekend there are garage sales in every community. Go early since that is when the best items usually get picked up, if you are going to buy a used bike from a garage sale.

You can also acquire secondhand bikes on Craigslist or on eBay. As you will learn by reading further, never buy a bike sight unseen. What may sound like a perfect deal in an ad, can turn out to be a disaster when you truly see and ride the bike.

You would like to make certain the bike will be a design that will suit your needs is the first consideration you want to keep in mind. Just because it has two wheels and you can ride on it, doesn't mean it will do what you want it to. There are different types of bikes and each one is built to be operated in certain situations.

There are road bikes, mountain bikes, bikes designed for racing, for touring and for cruising. There are even bicycles that are hybrids that combine features and make sacrifices in other areas. A racing bike, as an example, may not be the best pick, if you plan to be riding casually around your residence.

The second thing to do is to give the bicycle a thorough, visual inspection.

Look at how it has been maintained. If there is a lot of rust and corrosion around the chain and gears, that is not a good sign. If the tires, as another example, are cracked or rotting that is another sign of neglect.

Here are things to look for during a first visual inspection that will give you an idea of how the bike has been cared for and how much work it will need to be safe for you to ride:

• Check the condition of the brakes, the cables and pads. Check to see if they work.

• How does the chain look? Does it run smoothly? Are there any teeth missing in the gears?

• Do the handle bars feel secure?

• How do the tires and rim look? Are the tires worn? Are they properly inflated? Do the wheels spin true without wobble?

• What does the frame look like? Is there much rust on the bike? Does the frame look solid or is it bent?

• How do the pedals look? Is there any wear or damage with the pedals that will need to be repaired?

Keep in mind that this is a secondhand bicycle you are buying so it will not be in very great shape. However, a thorough evaluation will tell you how much it will take to get it up to safe operating condition and how much you might want to spend on it.

The third important thing to do is take the Hitch Mount Bike Rack for a thorough test ride. Most people just ride it a few feet in a quick circle or two. You should ride it for a longer distance and be able to really test out the gears, the brakes, the saddle the steering and the overall feel. You want to make sure you feel comfortable on the bike.