Recommendation for a used bike shop?

MacDaddy

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I'm in the market for a decent used mountain bike (for somewhere around 400-500 pesos, in good shape, but that doesn't look good so that I can lock it up outside for a few hours).
I've scoured the board, but only found references to new bike shops - some of which I've visited, all of which are out of my price range.
I've also looked on Mercado Libre, but frankly that site is overwhelming - all the back-and-forth with each seller, schlepping out to wherever to see just one bike, etc. I'd much rather just go to one shop with a decent selection, try a few, and choose from there.
So - to make a long question short - can anyone recommend a good used bike shop?

Thanks in advance!
 
exactly what I was thinking... good places anyone? And rough cost expectation?
 
Similar to in the US, in Argentina, most bike shops sell both new and used bikes. Just ask the bike shop owner/employee if they have "bicis usadas." Most bike shops should have at least a few, or at least know of a customer that wants to sell his. This is how I purchased my bike. You can also try leaving your number, with a description of the bike you would like to purchase.
 
There's a shop near p. centenario --- bicicleteria Nodari Avenida Díaz Vélez 4686 that sells used and new bikes. You will not likely be able to find a decent mountain bike used for only $500 pesos unless you have a time machine and can turn the dial back a few years. Expect to pay closer to $1000 or more. Good luck and have fun, you'll never look back and regret your decision to purchas a bike here.
 
My husband is getting a recycled bike from a shop this weekend for $500 - he basically told the owner how much he was willing to spend and what kind of bike he wanted (de paseo con cambios - cruiser with gears)... let's see what happens... I'll keep you posted
 
Well, I finally found a decent used mountain bike, and thought I'd share my experiences of finding it with others on a similar hunt:

As evidenced by the lack of replies to this thread, there are no used bike shops in B.A. The new bike shops occasionally have one or two used bikes, but never more. I'm still trying to figure out where all the used bikes that one sees on the street are bought and sold. Perhaps Mercado Libre, which I had been trying to avoid, but is really not that much more of a hassle than trucking out to each of the bike shops to ask if they have any used ones in.

MizzMarr - with all due respect, it's definitely possible to find a decent used mountain bike under $1000 pesos. None of the ones I looked at were over $550. They were all 21-speed, mountain-bike style frame, handlebars, seat.. some with shocks, some without. No name brands, but I didn't really expect nor need that.

I'll list here some of the shops I visited in my quest, ordered by neighborhood:

around Parque Centenario: the shop called Nodari that MizzMarr mentions above is medium-sized.. they had two decent used bikes as of last week, one better than the other. They both needed a bit of a cleaning / tune-up. The better of the two was going for $450.

There is another bike shop not far away, on Díaz Vélez and Acoyte I believe. There was a line out the door, so i didn't wait around.. they look big enough that they might have used bikes.

Almagro: on Bulnes, just below Sarmiento, facing the park. This one is closed from 1-3pm, so I wasn't able to check out what they had. It looks pretty small.

Colegiales: on Ciudad de la Paz, between Lacroze and Teodoro Garcia. This is a huge shop - good for buying all your accessories - helmet, lock, etc. Be warned, they're closed from 2-3pm each day. But open until 8:30pm. They didn't have any used bikes when I asked and were not particularly friendly about it. But it looks like they probably do good repair work. They do have brand new "playeras" (beach bikes - upright handlebars, foot brake, no gears) for $450, which I thought was quite reasonable.

Also in Colegiales - at Superí and Virrey Olaguer - totally a neighborhood shop, run by a father & son. Nice folks, a bit disorganized, they mainly do repairs. Reasonably priced, although their repairs are not particularly thorough. They sell some new bikes (playeras again for $450, and "full damas" for $520. Love the name - picture a classic English bike for ladies to ride on with full skirts - they have a basket in the front, chain guard, fenders, the works). This shop sometimes has used bikes, but nothing at the moment. They have a lot of kid's bikes, for you parents.

Palermo / Colegiales / Chacarita: at Cordoba and Caranza. Small shop, looks like they probably have used bikes. In fact all of them might be used, judging by the place. Like stepping back in time. Never found out though, as I got tired of waiting for the one old woman taking 20 minutes to serve the guy in front of me.

Barracas / San Telmo - at Defensa and Caseros, by Parque Lezama - a medium/large shop, they had one used bike when I visited a week or so ago. I almost bought it for $450. It was clean, good components (Shimano shifters), good tires, true wheels, but there might have been something wrong with the rear hub - it stuck a bit, didn't spin totally freely. They're open 9am - 10pm.

I'm posting all this in the hopes that it inspires others to list the bike shops in their neighborhoods - whether they sell used bikes, if they offer reasonably priced (and quality) repair services, etc. Us bikers have to stick together!

Oh - bike helmets are going for $70-120 pesos. Locks sell for $45-55 for either a U-lock or heavy chain-type.

What I found ultimately is that like everything else, whether it be furniture or electronics, you'll get the best deal by buying from a foreigner about to leave the country. They're not interested in making money, just in getting rid of their stuff. These are usually advertised on Craig's List, but you have to have patience - they only come up once every month or so.

Now a question back - anyone know where I can buy bungee cords? I have a bike rack on the back, but need some bungees to strap things to it.
 
Great post by MacDaddy. I see you sorted Mercado Libre out. It'd be my #1 choice but yes, it can be overwhelming. Repair service:

Canaglia http://www.canaglia.com/

New Bikes http://www.bttbike.com/bici/6014-bikes

They might be worth a look. I sold my last bike some time ago and I can't assure things are the same now but the stores are still there and the service was very good in my time. Both stores were rather expensive in general but worth the extra money when it came to repairs IMO. You may want to check them out.

I'm trying to track down a guy from the long-gone Tonino Bikes store in Belgrano. The guy there was amazing. Repaired anything, never ripped you off and gave great advice on lots of things. I'll let you know if I find him.
 
MacDaddy said:
Anyone know where I can buy bungee cords? I have a bike rack on the back, but need some bungees to strap things to it.

Found them at Carrefour for $10.. look in the automotive / motorcycle section. Also found a stretchy net-type of bungee perfect for bike racks at Sodimac.. just $15.
 
I realize that the OP is looking for a used bike store, but just in case you are looking for a used bike as well, see the attached image.

We're moving to Peru in three weeks and need to sell one of our bikes. It's a Bianchi SuperCDH Pro mountain bike. We have used it on a daily basis in Buenos Aires, and for some low-level long distance riding outside of the city. The bike is in very good condition. It was serviced by Notari in Villa Crespo two weeks ago.

Price is US$100, helmut included. PM me if you are interested.
 

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