Bike buying guide:

 

Road Bike

Fast, efficient and light: These are seen by purists as the only proper type. But often these carry a higher price tag than a hybrid and aren’t half as versatile. You can purchase a fairly good standard road bike for a couple of hundred pounds second hand or £300 new.

Hybrid Bike

The all rounder: Ideal for a little bit of everything, a little off-road and easy riding on the roads too. Ideal for city riding with many gears for hills and thicker tyres than a road bike providing more grip in winter. If you’re not too bothered about speed or efficiency, this might be the one for you!

Mountain Bike

Suspension and bigger tyres: You only need one if you plan to stay off-road, while they are completely capable of riding on the road it won’t be easy going. Designed specifically for tackling bumpy muddy tracks with thicker tyres and suspension, getting a decent model can be more than an entry level road bike.

Buying Second Hand

There are plenty of barely used ones out there to choose from. Maybe get a friend with some bike knowledge to take a look? Here are some key things to look out for:

  • Do not be tempted by cheap mountain bike lookalikes, if it has full suspension and costs £150, avoid at all costs.
  • Correct frame size, ebicycles size guide can help you find the right one for you.
  • Damage to the bike, i.e. bent frame, buckled wheels, you can check these by looking at the bike from behind
  • Rust on the frame, if this goes deeper than the surface then it will cause serious problems to the bike’s integrity, walk away!
  • Get a test ride and see how it feels, if the pedals are crunching this would require a trip to a bike shop to fix, however some clicking gears should be easily fixable!
  • And finally, just as a safeguard, ask questions about the bike’s history. Avoid buying stolen item as best you can, this could lead to problems later, as well as funding the criminal!
  • http://www.camdencycles.co.uk/our-bikes/secondhand-bikes/cat_192.html

Buying New

Can sometimes be very overwhelming looking at the bike’s ‘specifications’ and only the real experts know what it all means so don’t worry! A little search around the web, especially at reviews will put you in good stead to find a great deal.

  • We recommend Wiggle.com. In terms of advice, cheap accessories and a huge range of bikes, you probably can’t do much better than this site.
  • In store: Bike shops can be a great place to find what is right for you and get some great advice, however, you might pay a little more and find yourself with something you don’t really need!

Avoid theft

Around 20,000 bikes are reported stolen in London each year. Follow the tips on the transport for London website to lock thieves out and ensure your bike remains safe and secure.

www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/cycling-in-london/avoid-theft

 

 

 

Bike Hire Guide

Don’t want to commit to buying your own bike just yet? Check out the options for hiring bikes in London instead:

Santander Cycles

There are more than 10,000 Santander bikes at over 700 docking stations situated every 300 to 500 meters in London.

How it works:

  • Go to the nearest docking station terminal with your debit or credit card and touch the screen to begin

  • Select 'Hire a cycle', follow the on-screen instructions and take the printed release code

  • Type your five-digit release code into the docking point's silent keypad and pull the bike out when the green light appears

  • Adjust the saddle height and you're good to go!

  • To return just push the bike firmly into any empty docking point - You must wait for the green light, which will show that the bike is securely docked.

    Cost:

    Santander Cycles is for short trips so, once you have paid the £2 bike access fee for 24hours, the first 30 minutes of each journey is free. Longer journeys cost £2 for each extra 30 minutes.

For longer journeys

London bicycle hire - www.londonbicycle.com/hire. Hire a range of bikes from as little as 3.50 per hour. Based on the Southbank

On your Bike - www.onyourbike.com/rental.php. Hire a range of bikes, including electric bikes from 18.00 per day. Based near London Bridge tube station.

Cloud9cyles - www.cloud9cycles.com. Single speed bikes for hire from 25.00 per day. Closest hire option to UCL, just off Gower street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last updated 8 years ago Read time 3 mins