Need advice choosing bike (second hand or new)

[froze]

are you saying that a used bike can't make it 700 miles in 2 weeks? a used bike depending on prior use which most are lightly used are good for at least 50,000 miles. for the kind of money you want to spend you can get a better bike used than new IF you know what your looking at, if not then take along an experienced bike person.

 

[steveindenmark]

I cannot see why a second hand bike cannot be relied on to ride 700 miles on. Surely it depends on what second hand bike you buy. I have a Koga World traveller in excellent condition. You could ride round the world on it. If I sold it to you it would be second hand.