How do you tell a good used bicycle from a useless one?

[Popoki_Nui]

In looking for another used bike, here are things to avoid:

a bike more than 27 lb
steel rims
a one-piece crank
anything made in America in the 70s (the above 3 criteria probably exclude it)
bolt-on wheels

Hey! The [Reynolds 531/Campagnolo equipped] Falcons I rode in HS had steel rims w/ bolt-on hubs, as did many other fine bikes: Peugeot, Raleigh, Bianchi, Crescent, Bianchi, Schwinn. The Falcon I have now has them too. Light, strong, and true after almost 40 years of use. Old school, yes, but nothing wrong with steel rims!!