Get Out, Get Active – Cycling

Looking to Buy A Bike?

Take a look at our handy guide below…

What Kind of Bike?

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.

What to Look For

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!

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.

Where to Buy

Buying Second Hand

Leeds Bike Mill: This is a great place to buy (or donate!) second hand bikes. They recycle old bikes, do a full service and then sell on at affordable prices to new loving homes. The majority of the bikes they sell are hybrids and cost about £60-£150.
(E: info@leedsbikemill.org, T: 07729 895510)
Recycle, Hyde Park: Situated off Victoria Road, they sell revamped second hand bikes at good prices.
Yorkshire Cycling Sales: This handy little Facebook group is where you can find bikes and parts sold in the local area.

Buying New

Online: 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! Woodrup Cycles in Kirkstall is a great trader in the local area.