Everything Wrong With My £400 Cannondale! (How To Service a Used Bike)

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If you're buying a second hand used road bike make sure to watch Jim's tips for the essential things to look out for, using my £400 Cannondale CAAD 12 as an example
I bought a cheap Cannondale • I Bought a Cheap Canno...
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[@davidarthur]

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[@davidadammichaelchen]

Excellent video!

[@allegrobrio968]

Jim is very impressive. He was systematic in examining the bike, and his explanations were very clear and informative. It's obvious that he's a very capable mechanic, and he was an excellent choice for this video. Bravo!

[@jimthebikeguy]

Thanks!

[@blaze1148]

He has his own Channel.

[@becyk_du_quebec]

Love Jim as a mechanic, hope he reads the comments and see how much love he totally deserves :)

[@jimthebikeguy]

I do.

[@chriswintermute1518]

Appreciate a good bike mechanic that doesn’t look to up sale just because the bike has some mileage on it.

[@StanEby1]

Top notch content. Jim, the bike guy, was thorough and articulate. His explanations and methods of testing are some of the best content I've seen. It is such a joy to see a true master mechanic at work. Can't say enough good things about this vid. Good camera work too. All the best.

[@peterharrer3261]

Just great when Jim comes on. He brings a level of expertise that is much a appreciated. The whole inspection of the CAAD was so professional with lots of useful pointers that I will incorporate into my own restorations. Thanks all!

[@kevinbourke4038]

What an informative/interesting video. I am a 76 yo retired m/mechanic, and a keen cyclist, I learned so much watching this, just goes to show, never stop learning, and then teach others. Brilliant. Greetings from Melbourne. Australia. Thankyou so much.

[@mracer8]

For $400! I will take it without the wheel! A bargain!! btw, the 4 bolt stem/bar setup although sound nice to be equal tension/travel, in the real world it really doesn't matter a single bit as long as the 4 bolt are not over tight/loose

[@MieseType1985]

Guys you missed the most important bit on that bike Wear of the carbon fork on the upper bearing seat … The clamping ring there tends to grind a ring on the carbon steerer tube Really like to have the opinion from a expert here. Maybe you can make a short video on that … Best regards

[@Jacob99174]

Love this bike mechanic

[@flomotion6165]

Jim is simply the Bob Ross of Bike Mechanics 👍😀

[@jimthebikeguy]

I will take that thanks 👍

[@dsonyay]

Hahahahaha. Yes

[@HypocriticalElitist]

This is an incredible level of detail. Way beyond the superficial listicle crap you often find. This is Calvin Jones level content.

[@nopy99]

The most important thing is making sure it's not a stolen bike

[@jasonwu9287]

I feel like an apprentice learning from a master. Loved the explanations with demonstration.

[@stevedee311]

Agree that Jim is the best mechanic to show you exactly what is needed, calm, cool dude that knows his stuff . Brilliant.

[@gja2000]

Great video David. Great info not only in what to look for when shopping for a used bike but also when looking over your current bike(s) for any possible issues.

[@ZanderLexx]

Excellent video. Even a beginner can follow this video and make a decision without worrying to much. And yes any second bike requires some parts to be changed. For example I recently bought a street bike and the first and only things I checked were the frame to be in good condition, the fork as well with no play , no bends of the frame, I've checked the hubs(but the seller was already a carrying guy and checked and lubricated all the hubs(crank and wheels). Also I looked at the wheels to be in order. IN my case I didn't cared too much about the gears and breaks because I swapped them with new ones anyway. But please take another matter into consideration: make sure that even if you love that bike, the way it was kept and used, make sure it the right size for you . Test it and feel it . I did it and now I am really happy with my purchase but if you don't take in consideration this fact none of the repairs could fix that. Well more or less, because you can 'play' with the saddle height/position with the stem and handlebars, but only so far. Too much playing with these settings could put you in a bad state where you also spent money on the sizing matter and can't ride your bike comfortable.

[@vojtechpilar5809]

I'm surprised a couple of things were not mentioned. 1. seat post and saddle - one of the worst things I've experienced was to try to loose a sized seat post. 2. Headset play/bearings - so common to be rusty or neglected. Excellent video though! Jim is awesome!

[@retard8333]

I've seen many setup videos for shifters, but this was the first time someone mentioned that the cable condition has a influence on the downshifting. Thank you very much for this video.

[@joe78377]

Great display and knowledge of buying a used bike. Thank you, Jim.

[@tail_lamp7538]

Great video this, really helpful tips and comments from Jim. More of this type of content would be excellent.

[@donaldduck5731]

So I’ve been riding around on my CAAD8 Cannondale for ages, love it, 70 miles to the globe pub in London last weekend, yes gears are a bit (not so good). But I’ve just purchased a new 105 rim group-set, and will buy new wheels DT-Swiss or Hunt. But as an astronautics engineer and someone who’s done engine strip downs and gearbox switches, in cars etc, I feel I have zero skills to fix/upgrade my bike compared to a seriously competent bike technician. This guy knows his stuff,.

[@ameasureofpipps]

I could listen to Jim all day

[@dancohen-tv]

This is great thanks. Would be interested to watch a similar video with a really badly worn bike that needs new components.

[@brighta7815]

Jim did a good job with the assessment of the bike and everything he said was quite educative... Now I know what to look out for when getting my next bike...👍🏾

[@huntsolofighter4265]

Rear Derailleur install & setup request. The front derailleur vid is the best vid there is! Gradual, methodical, clear and concise is the way to go.

[@amandajane8227]

Excellent run through of the steps to take when starting a bike service. Did all these steps last weekend servicing my bike.

[@faosa73]

Speaking of safety, on a caad12 you need to look under the bottom bracket area to check if the plastic cover where the cables pass is the original one ( made entirely of plastic) or if it has been replaced by the part with a metal piece that will stop the cable cutting into the plastic and eventually cut your spindle

[@jragonwriter6316]

Terrific information! I'm realizing how lucky I was when I bought my last used bike, and I feel so much for savvy for the time that I'll buy my next one!

[@mugendrewable]

Great video! That bike is a crit rocket!!! The drivetrain set my ocd off!!! Cables, housings, chain, cassette, tyres and brake shoes please. And a deep deep cleaning. The cracking is in the decals that is under the clear coat paint.

[@peterpoterstein6686]

Great video with a very competent mechanic

[@DilbertMuc]

An advice to your mechanic: if the sides of the rims are a bit oxidized it means that the bike hasn't been used for quite some time. Either it has very low mileage or it spent lot of time in a damp cellar. The best check for side rims is a penny and a check if one can see through. And side cracks in the rubber are not always of concern if the upper mantle is good, as many brand new Schwalbe tires happen to do this after only 2-3 months after being mounted properly. My brand new Schwalbe tires had cracks in the walls after 3 weeks, I got them exchanged by Schwalbe and the new ones developed the same side cracks after 2 months and then I used them for another 10.000km without any issue, with correct air pressure, of course. The rubber is only skindeep over the carcasse and it is not the rubber, but the carcasse that holds the tire together. - I have serviced many bearings and if there is a wiggle then most of times it is not worn out bearings but rather loose konus screws that were not tightened in the factory. - If the shifting cables are shiny but hard to use then most of time there is absolutely no need to exchange them. Just take them out and wipe off that awful white Shimano gunk slime that they put on in the factory. After a few years the Shimano grease tends to get incredibly hard and sticky in the cable housings and shifters. WD40 is your king to remove it. After cleaning and lubing it with "wet" chain oil most of the time it is like new. - If the chain is good, but rusty and the flopping DORK DISC is still mounted including spider webs, then you certainly have a bike that was ridden several times around the block and then forgotten in the garage for ages. Happens so often. 😅

[@jackhargreaves1911]

I’m rebuilding my Giant SCR 3.0 before donating to a good cause. I thought I knew what I was doing until I watched this video. I’ve learned so much. Thank you.

[@simonguard5087]

More important than your £400 bike - Jims tache is back!

[@robbe_895]

When he starts to talk about the stem bolts you know he is a wise man 👍

[@mattkavanaugh5623]

What a great video, full of practical advice and tips. Thank you!

[@michaellarkin6158]

Damn JIm knows his stuff. I always learn something from his videos

[@markludke3554]

Great video. In the US (especially since COVID) used bikes are a common thing - great to see the experts weigh in.

[@JakeMay]

Really informative video and a nice tone and mood

[@malcontent510]

Such a valuable exercise and explanation. Thanks very much.

[@dsonyay]

Great bike, great mechanic. All it really needs is a really good cleaning and some nice premium tires and it’s good to go. I get some light weight alloys or maybe some very lightweight carbon wheels, about 30mm deep for each.

[@Sparkythedudeful]

Good vid chaps. I would also add a quick headset check by taking the bike off the stand, holding the front brake on and rocking to feel for play in the headset. Also moving the bars from side to side to feel for any roughness or stiffness. 👍

[@gearoiddom]

Second time seeing a Jim video. Knows his stuff.

[@lauro9215]

This guy has really mastered the art of explaining things.

[@jaywhitney789]

Loving the carhartt Dungarees 😎🤙🏽

[@thomasoei7089]

Great video! Did Jim check the headset for tightness and bearing rattle?

[@jeremyrichards8327]

You didn't mention the headset bearing having mentioned water damage.I bought a s/h carbon bike on an auction site and when it arrived the bottom headset bearing was rusty in two pieces as you could feel the roughness from turning the bars. The bike came from Scotland so possibly water and salt were to blame. Went right through the bike after that and even had the cassette apart to clean and reassemble. I actually use the inner ring quite a lot by the way. Check to see if pedals are seized on the crank (or seatpost is seized in position) ?

[@ctrlzyx2]

Yeah, all this. Having recently restored a flooded bike I agree 100%. If moisture is in play you need to check all bearings. Rubber seals will usually save a bearing if enough grease is present. Shielded bearings will not hold up as long if moisture gets in. On my bike the surprise came in a seized rear hub bearing. It spun just fine on the repair stand. But one of the cassette carrier bearings was frozen but still spinning on the rear axle like a bushing. Had I ridden it the load of my weight would've worn the axle. Rear hub has 4 bearings. 2 for the wheel and 2 for the cassette carrier.

[@urouroniwa]

Wish I could upvote twice!

[@stephencolton299]

Jim's vid on setting up an ultegra 11 speed front derailleur helped save my hair from being pulled out😂

[@eamonncoady9823]

Excellent informative content. There's a trade for every job for a very good reason.

[@sherichander]

Would love to see this being cleaned up and tuned as well as new components and upgrades put in. That too in a detailed video.

[@carlosmotta6537]

This video is gold!

[@Membrillo81]

14:43 I live surrounded by mountains. I spend a significant amount of time on the small chainring. I'm pretty sure I use it a lot more than the big ring.

[@davidurbat1740]

Jim needs an own channel 🙌🤘🚲

[@Javi_C]

Very informative, thank you.

[@leoahearn7382]

I’ve got the caad10 variant. Love it. Keeping an eye out for a disc brake variant now. M

[@meadows408]

Thanks, great instructional video.

[@aemiliadelroba4022]

Wow 🤩 Lots of details , Nice 👍

[@chriswood1474]

400 quid for a ultegra cadd 12 is a bargain, I ride one of these and they are great. Definitely upgrade the wheels. One thing I had an issue was with the carbon seat post seizing to the aluminium frame.

[@mattvjmeasures]

A very informative video. Thanks very much.

[@user-xg2dk7ff2k]

Jim is bloody brilliant

[@braz46]

Maybe it doesn't make a difference but Park Tool Chain Check sheet recommends moveable pin between the inner plates.

[@Daniel-dj7fh]

Would also have been curious to know what to look out for on those dropper shifters, I've got a handlebar shifter on my Triban RC100 atm and would like to get an integrated shifter in the hoods. No idea what to look out for tho

[@intarcus425]

Great content!

[@youtellme18]

Great video. Just wondering, I have a 5mm scratch on my bike that's down to metal. Do you know what sandpaper grit 8 should use to sand it

[@hazychris]

Having used @jimthebikeguy to sort out a few niggles on my bikes, I can vouch that he's as thorough, lucid and helpful as this clip portays!

[@jimthebikeguy]

Cheers Chris.

[@biturboism]

I have a red Canyon, from new, with the exact same groupset and wheels. This felt like time travelling to the future 😂

[@brankog7]

Mavic krsyriums, great wheels. Underrated

[@randomname8442]

When’s the final review episode coming?

[@Pat14922]

Not sure I'd do much. New tyre, maybe 2. Check brake shoes and replace , if not sued for couple of years. Thorough clean and lube on drivetrain, front , rear derailleurs, chain and rear sprocket. Closer inspection on all cables, replace if necessary .New bar tape because that's always nice. Check front headstock bearings fro play / grinding. Then do a bike fit for me , and ride it 😀😀

[@melbman43]

This video was really interesting, thanks Jim. what could really go wrong with a CAAD12 anyway? just a few pounds to service this bike and a really top bike that's not even ten years old.

[@leonardfairground5937]

Surprised he didn’t check for headset play and maybe see if the seat stem was seized.

[@LlewynDaviesTheThird]

Really helpful

[@philipjamesparsons]

It clearly hasn't been ridden much, so the paint damage is surprising. My Caad10 is 12 years old, winter ridden and gets left wet in the garage. The paint work is still good. What could have happened to this paint?

[@markusseppala6547]

Left unused outside in the sun. Someone probably bought it for general fitness, did a few rides and got bored.

[@philipjamesparsons]

@@markusseppala6547 Possibly left outside on the balcony of an apartment block?

[@ska042]

​@@philipjamesparsons Very plausible. The paint issues might come from UV and heat cycling, and it's got some rust/oxidation but it clearly hasn't just been sitting in the rain, if that was the case everything would look way worse. It's been somewhere kind of in the elements but at least protected from rain. A balcony, a carport, a shed, something like that.

[@tomgraveling8123]

Nice video guys one of the best I've seen. But as a mechanic I'm crying, you didn't check head set nor free hub body😢 how is star nut or compression thingy are the drop outs aligned. Is the frame bent. Nice quick check but c'mon safety is critical you said it but didn't check it.

[@Ergilion]

As I read the signs - the chain is dirty but if it's the same chain the bike was sold with and since it's not worn much it means the bike probably doesn't have much mileage on it. It was probably not stored in good conditions because the tires are gone and the paint is cracking. But otherwise it should be fine. But why did the owner install an aftermarket stem and handle wrap? Probably because he tried to make it longer or shorter and in the process experitmented with wrapping the bar. But still this is weird because people who don't wear out their chain through several seasons with no lubrication tend not to notice the bike is long or short for them and tend not to experiment with aftermarket parts on their own. Maybe the guy got sold this stem and wrap at the same time he bought the bike itself. That would explain it all.

[@ImpreccablePony]

I'm saving this video for future reference.

[@malcontent510]

HED Ardennes Black - excellent quality wheels with a _textured_ braking surface

[@tenjho101]

caad 12 ultegra for 400pound ?thats so impressive.. its around 2.5x that here in australia. i bought a caad optimo tiagra for this price 1 year ago

[@brookes79]

I think they should check the head set bearings on that awesome handlebar moustache 😂

[@fhowland]

Great video. That's an amazing bike for only $400 pounds!

[@jayare8424]

Didn't you make a video on this before? when you purchased it. 🤔🤔

[@davidarthur]

This is the full length version of Jim going through the bike in detail as requested when I used a shorter version in the original video

[@chrisrebbeck]

Exactly this

[@lsantilli]

At around 6:50, when you were talking about a “parts wash” - what do you typically use as a parts wash solution?

[@DilbertMuc]

Usually one takes expensive dedicated cleaners like Muc-Off or others. A cheap substitute is "kitchen power cleaner" from the drugstore, which is more or less the same at a fraction of the cost. I use those from LIDL or ALDI and get best results.

[@jimthebikeguy]

Generally i use a small amount of bike specific cleaner from muc off, or mint products or similar. Only a small amount though, and never use degreaser as it is too harsh.

[@megustasonia]

I didn't know Michael Biehn was fixing bike!

[@whizler]

I'd love to see this bike sent over to your British mates at Bikespeeds for a thorough tune-up and video!

[@stefanthegerman3575]

I bought a pinarello trevio yesterday in very nice original condition for 500€

[@DontForgetTheMusic]

need a video with the bike all cleaned up

[@nb-ii2rb]

Is it easy to put new groupssets on old new bikes like this or are new groupssets not compatible?

[@yonglingng5640]

The mounting standards are pretty much the same, so even the latest groupsets are still compatible with the CAAD12. However, depending on the groupset you run, you may have some componentry restrictions for the rest of the frameset.

[@barrykearney-luc7232]

How much did Jim charge you for the service?

[@kevmcl73km]

I would check the SEATPOST is not seized free before buying any bike

[@B-A-L]

£400 still sounds like a lot of money for a bike to me but then I remind myself I spent £200 on a TI Raleigh Europa racing bike in 1983 when I was 17...

[@eziyac393]

jim is awesome

[@Reflec999]

Hey! I've watched this before like months ago!

[@davidarthur]

This is the full length version of the shorter edit used in another video

[@matthewlewis9356]

Excellent

[@tomedward8652]

Where do I find a Caad 12 like this one for £400? Certainly not eBay, they are more like £800 in worse condition.

[@yonglingng5640]

Maybe the previous owner undersold it?

[@zaramodo09]

Its hard to expect perfect bike for 1/4 price

[@sasman63]

I have the same bike for sale 😂 it's a great bike and easily on par with carbon frames.

[@yonglingng5640]

The only answer for me: Full service. Almost all used bikes I see being sold never had a full service prior to being sold.

[@markswales8923]

Ok, missed a big one the headset bearings tension, movement.

[@davidarthur]

Yeah we covered that but didn’t make the edit otherwise the video would have been an hour long 🤣

[@jimthebikeguy]

I love this guy; he is so handsome, his dungarees are amazing, and he talks with such passion about derailleurs. Must be a total ladykiller.