How To Buy A Bicycle
It’s wonderful that people are looking to bicycles in these difficult times.
I’m biased. I’ve been cycle commuting since the last century, when I couldn’t afford a car. It caused confusion and generated sympathy; since then I’ve ridden and photographed bicycles in the Rift Valley, and the High Andes, and Nuneaton. I even wrote a book about it.
As a result, people who haven’t ridden a bike for years tend to ask for help when they need a new bike, and because I love hanging out in bike shops I usually said ‘yes’. It was usually a happy experience.
I can’t think of anything else you can buy which can make you both happier and healthier. What else turns cake into forwards motion, whilst you listen to birdsong? Who can feel sad on a new bike?
And compared to driving, every journey that you take by bicycle can with help with bigger problems, like the obesity crisis, catastrophic species decline, global warming, global conflict…pandemics, even.
No wonder us cyclists are so smug. I like sending a friend on a journey that will hopefully end up in a happier, healthier version of yourself.
But bike shopping has changed during the pandemic; so I’ve written this guide. I hope it helps. Upfront: I’m not a bike mechanic. Nor, in fact, a particularly practical or technical person. I get confused by cadence.
I do all kinds of riding: on and off road, in the city and in the countryside, but I veer towards cycling for transport. I don’t do Strava, energy gel or Lycra, unless that Lycra is concealed underneath baggy shorts, or your definition of energy gel includes the top bit of a pork pie. If you were looking to buy a full carbon road bike for time trials, or a $10, 000 to shred your gnarly local trails I can’t help. But you probably already knew that already, and consume a specialist publication for your needs.
Experienced riders probably know what they want; and to make this article genuinely useful for people on the lookout for a new bike, please add your thoughts and corrections in the comments section. Is your eBike working out for you?
Sadly I don’t get a commission or a free bike (although these would be welcome). But then I don’t think you need a whole load of specialist equipment, and the best bike for you is almost definitely not the most expensive bike in the shop. Your perfect bicycle isn’t the same as mine.
My experience of bike shops, incidentally, is that they are mostly good. You get a few snooty types, who are only interested in their own particular niche. But there are some decisions you need to think about.
How far do you want to go? At what intensity? On what kind of terrain? What do you want to carry? And what feels right?
Don’t buy a Bicycle Shaped bject
If I could offer you only one tip for your future bike, class of 2020, this would be it. Here’s what I wrote about BSOs, in the Bicycle Clip Diaries:
“People in the bicycle industry sometimes call [them] ‘bicycle shaped objects,’ or BSOs.
A bicycle shaped object looks a bit like a mountain bike, but when you squint you notice things like brake levers made of plastic, and heavy suspension that doesn’t work at all. They can only cope with light use, and loose moving parts make them dangerous at anything but walking pace.
I’ve noticed that this category of bicycle is becoming much more common in Africa, and around the world.
It makes me sad, because BSOs break down and can’t be repaired without replacing components in such a way as to increase costs beyond the purchase price of the bicycle itself. This is why respectable bike shops in Britain refuse to sell them, it’s not worth it for them to deal with the returns, repairs and fixes. Instead, people buy them in flatpacks from supermarkets or the Internet, then put them together with the forks pointing backwards and the brakes not working. Many are past economic repair within their first few miles.
A bicycle has something in the region of 250 components and 1000 parts. If you do the opposite of what Team Sky do with their marginal gains, and knock a little bit off the cost of each component, minus the cost of assembly, you are left with something nobody wants to ride. Instead of form following function, it follows the bottom line, chasing the lowest ticket price, which is the only thing going for these disposable bicycles. If you see a brand-new bike for £79, you know it’s a BSO. You can’t build a bike for that little without cutting corners.
People can’t be bothered with returning them, so they get dumped by frustrated owners and shipped to Africa from richer countries, where eventually people get annoyed with their crappy, unmendable bicycles and give up cycling for good.”
Lots of people bought BSOs in London, after the 2005 terror attacks made people edgy about public transports. They didn’t last, and were dumped in their dozens. It’s a terrible waste of resources.
Buy from a bicycle dealer, if possible. Don’t buy your bicycle in a supermarket or a cut price sports shop.
What kind of bike do you actually need then?
This is a big and obvious question, and needless to say the answer to that will vary. If you commute on a train in London at rush hour, if that ever comes to be a thing again, it’s a relatively easy choice. You need a small folding bike, which means a Brompton, if you can afford it. A few folders are as considered as good, but they cost as much.
Commuting point to point elsewhere?
I started out commuting on a cheap mountain bike, because that’s all I could afford, and it did a 10 mile round trip just fine.
They are upright, tough, and solid, with plenty of gears, and a safe riding position that is unlikely to scare people who haven’t written for a while. Obviously you can also go off road at the weekend. And do little jumps over speed bumps. I know a former cycle courier who wouldn’t consider anything other than a mountain bike (with smooth tyres, AKA ‘slicks’). I still ride my mountain bike on the streets: the wide tyres and solid feel make it the perfect platform for toddler haulage.
But it was heavier than it needed to be, and therefore slower. And the tyres wore out quickly, meaning an early upgrade was required.
It’s a personal choice, but I think it’s much more logical to commute on a bicycle built for roads. A road bike, then?
Kind of; but in the confusing world of bicycle marketing a road bike tends to mean something specific, a sporty lightweight number, with skinny tyres, the kind of thing associated with competitive cycling. When I cycled 10 miles each way in London I used a drop handlebar an ‘entry level’ road bike, called a Specialised Allez, for reasons of speed. It was great for the job, but lots of riders who haven’t cycled for years find skinny, high pressured tyres and the low slung riding position, a bit intimidating.
I find road bikes fun to ride, you really feel the road on these fast, rigid, lightweight bikes. But some are so sporty that they don’t have enough space for mudguards and racks, particularly at the more expensive end. Personally I wouldn’t dream of regular, year-round commuting on a bike that didn’t have pannier racks and mudguards. This is a question of preference.
I would not dream of carrying a laptop on a backpack on a bicycle, because it made my sweaty and achey. Just as most bike messengers would not dream of using a panner rack.
In general, you have to pay for these as extras, and it gets expensive. My current Ortlieb panniers have been doing a good job for a decade or so, although I’ve had to mend them a bit. They cost more than a BSO, and cheap ones won’t last long if you commute regularly.
A city bike or hybrid might be a better bet for riders who don’t have far, and for whom low maintenance is more of a factor than speed. In general they are a bit more sedate than a road bike, but not as solid as a mountain bike, and don’t feature drop handlebars. They share some heritage with the gents’ (and less frequently ladies’), roadsters which were the default bike for much of the last century. A few models will feature mudguards, and racks as a standard.
Pashley sell some nice city bikes, and they last for decades.
They suffer from an image problem; sensible bikes that go for miles, based on a design that hasn’t changed much for years, aren’t so trendy. But at the sportier end, are cooler bikes, sometimes called urban bikes.
The Cannondale Bad Boy 1 is the latest in a classic line of edgier, more expensive hybrids. It looks great, and has an internal hub which is a sensible decision; maintaining external derailleur gears is a pain if you ride throughout the year, as the gunk from the road grinds through your chain and gear mechanisms. But it costs $2000, and doesn’t take standard pannier racks.
Around the world there are a few quirkier options for urban practical commuting which are worth looking into.
Suburban Tokyo is famed for its mamacharis, ‘mama chariots’, sensible and solid city bikes, which have built-in locks, mudguards, racks, and child seat/s. Men ride them too, and they are just about possible to buy outside of Japan. There’s a Mamachari shop in London, for example.
‘Dutch bikes’ are the European equivalent and harder to come by in the UK and North America, but if you want to commute without thinking about maintenance, they are a good, solid choice. As I say in the Diaries:
Also known as omafiets, meaning ‘grandma’s bike’, they feature an upright ‘step through’ design. They are relatively fast and work well on the roads and paths most of us use in European cities nearly all the time. They don’t pretend to be able to get you up a mountain, which isn’t an issue in Holland, but they don’t mind a pothole or strong headwind. They can even withstand a few head on collisions with stoned British stag tourists.
They have mudguards, too, and the fully enclosed chain guard means you don’t need bicycle clips at all. In fact several people who ride mountain bikes in a city would probably be happier on one of these Dutch bicycles. They seem to epitomise a bicycle culture which doesn’t feel like a bicycle culture. They suit a country where riding a bicycle feels like a normal thing, which has always been done, and an extension of a Calvinistic, simple Dutch way of life.
That’s commuting covered; but what about riding for leisure and fitness? It’s more complicated, because it’s harder to predict where you’ll want to go; you might do fewer miles, and only in good weather, or you might want to go further, faster.
Mountain bikes are an obvious choice. Most don’t see mountains, of course, and many are over-engineered for the average rider. ‘Full suspension’, that is suspension on the forks and frame, is unnecessary for a most riders for example. It makes the bike more expensive, complicated, and heavier and needs more adjustment and maintenance.
It’s only worth it if you are going off road, in my opinion. Especially on younger kids bikes, where suspension can slow the journey. Whereas front suspension bikes, sometimes called hardtails, can be more forgiving.
If you know you are going to stick to roads and cycle paths, road bikes are more logical. You’ll go faster, further. I’ve got both, and like lots of keen cyclists, I’ve got a ‘beater’, an old bike which has been retired and is old and knackered enough to hopefully deter thieves.
But if I had to have just one bike, for everything, it would probably be a mountain bike. Mine’s a low to midrange hardtail: it’s a stable toddler carrier, and I like getting off road. It’s loads of fun
If I still lived in a bigger city, and didn’t have to transport offspring, I’d probably go for a road bike for my one bike. With a titanium frame, if I were richer, and only if I had somewhere safe to keep it.
Support your local bike shop
Ideally you should try the bike out and get up-to-date advice from your vendor. The classic advice is that you need to sit on it, pick it up, ride it. You generally get a free service after a few weeks. New bikes need a bit of mechanical bedding in, and the adjustments are best done by an expert.
But some bike shops are currently busy or closed, others are chronically short of stock. I’ve just come back from an unsuccessful bike shopping trip, and one local bike shop guy, described the situation as ‘carnage’. Another said there are waiting lists until September. All I want is a ladies mountain bike, size small, for my stepdaughter. A year ago this would have been easy.
So you might have to go mail order. I’ve bought bikes this way before, and it horrifies some bike people; it certainly goes against most buyer’s guides.
Some people spend £450.00 on a specialist bike fitting service, involving wind tunnels and cameras.
Needless to say, it doesn’t have to be that complex. In fact some bike firms are mail order only. Most mainstream bikes come in sizes XS to XL and provide a size chart. I know that I’m a large frame size for most manufacturers. And if you aren’t sure, borrow a friend’s bike. My teenage Specialised Allez will look a bit different from the latest version, but the frame size hasn’t changed that much.
If you buy from a reputable dealer like Wiggle, Planet X, or Chain Reaction, say, it will be mostly put together already — you just fit the wheels, handlebars and pedals.
It’s really easy to do, if you’ve got the tools. Sometimes they come supplied. Double check the manufacturer’s size charts, because tube sizes do not correspond to rider size in the way did a few decades ago.
Finally, some people go all irrational in bike shops and fall in love with something impractical they can’t be without. It can even work out. It happened to me and a Mongoose once, and I think that the more you love your bike, the more you’ll use it.
Buy new if you can afford it
Obviously buying new is usually not usually good economics, and we are destroying our planet by our careless overconsumption of finite resources.
But second hand prices on decent bikes can be very high, and based on RRP rather than current price. Pre Covid, ‘last year’s models’ were sold off at a big discount, especially less common frame sizes. I’ve often shopped for bikes on Gumtree and eBay and spotted bikes which are more expensive second hand than bought new at a discounted rate.
It seems this could be changing, due to the pandemic. Bicycle prices seem much higher than usual as supply is limited, and there has been a surge in demand. Many popular models are completely sold out.
But second hand prices are high too. I’ve seen some overpriced tat on Gumtree lately.
Bear in mind that components and maintenance work are normally expensive and less frequently-discounted compared to a complete new bike. Things like tyres and the drive train — the cogs, chain and gear bits — wear out. That could easily tip you over a hundred quid, which might be the difference between new and second hand.
This is especially true for kids bikes, which take a hammering.
Consider your co op
Covid 19 has hit a lot of us hard, including me. If you can’t afford a shiny new machine, bicycle co ops are stepping up to the plate and mending, fixing, and restoring old bikes. Some of them will teach you maintenance and stock spare parts, and places like the Bristol Bike Project have a track record of doing amazing community work whilst sticking it to the man.
Check out community pages and bike organisations like Sustrans too. They’ve been lending bikes out to key workers.
Don’t buy a stolen bike
I’ve had seven bikes stolen over the years, and someone nicked my stepdaughter’s bike from our front garden a couple of weeks ago.
They steal because they can sell them. Some people don’t mind buying a dodgy bike, but I’m fairly sure that some people don’t realise they are buying something stolen. Ask lots of questions; people should know how much it cost and where from, even if they didn’t buy it new.
Sob stories about reasons for sale can be a giveaway; I once busted a guy who was flogging on a load of bikes, each with a different improbable reason for why he had to make the sale. I found this out by doing a search on his phone number after becoming suspicious: he didn’t seem to know anything about the bike he was selling, and it was too cheap.
Watch the small print…
Especially on the groupset, which is the brakes and gears. Don’t scrimp, is the consensus; they will last longer and shift better, requiring less maintenance. And the bits — the shifters, brake levers, front and rear brake calipers, front and rear derailleurs, crankset, bottom bracket, chain, and cassette — all add up.
Most are made by Shimano, and on road bike go from the bottom 2300, then up to Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, Ultegra SL, to Dura Ace, Di2… by the time you are at the very top end it gets lighter, but is incredibly expensive.
Bear in mind you can upgrade components, in fact some you will have to replace, as they wear out. Set aside cash for this too.
If you do loads of wet and dirty miles your rims will be worn down by brakepads, for example. Disk brakes are better, in my opinion, because they save your rims and work better, albeit they tend to be heavier and need a bit of servicing.
Nearly all bikes are made in China and Taiwan these days; so you might want to ignore main brand loyalty. A Raleigh isn’t really English, nor a Bianchi Italian, nor a Cannondale American. They are all* made in China.
Don’t necessarily pay as much as you can afford…
The more you pay with road bikes the lighter it gets, but other things start to happen too, like the geometry gets tight which means you can’t put on wider tyres.
They start taking out the holes you need n order to put panniers and mudguards on. Mudguards don’t look cool, but neither does a brown stripe down your back. Unless you are sure you are only going to do fast exercise rides, you might want to think about something less sporty.
Never leave your bike out, if you can avoid it. Even during lockdown. I’ve had several stolen over the years so clearly don’t learn this lesson myself, and I had a kid’s bike stolen from my front garden last week. Even a good lock will only stop a determined thief for a few minutes.
So set aside some cash for a lock, mudguard, lights, and waterproofs if you are commuting all year round. It can get expensive…
Consider your cargo
I travelled the world looking at utility bikes, and delved into the history of the bicycle; and upon my return I noticed something strange.
“Many bikes for sale on the high street in Britain have no real capacity to carry anything at all. A bicycle with no portage capability is a piece of sporting equipment — and there’s nothing wrong with that.
But one of the reasons why cycling is seen primarily as a sport or a hobby rather than a transport mechanism is because bicycle manufacturers are involved in a technological arms race over things like weight and number of gears, instead of things like ease of maintenance, life span, and ability to carry things.
Having said that, bicycle portage of all kinds is enjoying a mini revival after decades of being overlooked in the West. It’s no longer just idealistic hippies. There’s a cargo bike festival in Holland, and you can get cargo bikes handmade in Portland or Brooklyn. In certain New York, London and Paris postcodes, taking your kids to school on a cargo bike is now seen as cool rather than dangerous.”
Cargo bikes are big heavy things that can carry stuff, from children to furniture. They can replace a family car. Perhaps they are the future?
They certainly have a place; so-called ‘last mile portage’ by bicycle looks set to continue its upward trend now that the streets are relatively free of polluting death machines, as you will learn to call your car. But they are expensive, and it’s a commitment to a particular riding style that you might not like.
For your first new bike in a while, it’s probably a step too far. But I would always recommend a pannier rack; I use rear panniers only, although with the advent of the bikepacking category of bikes, there are a whole load of new, sportier attachments for luggage.
Phone a friend who already rides
If you can’t go with the person to the shop, get their advice before you buy. Someone who knows you well, and who knows about bicycles. You might not listen, and they may have so many bicycles that the idea of owning just one bike confuses them. But it’s good to have back up from someone who knows you.
Your next bike can feel like a big, emotional decision. Of all the weird stuff that people have bought during lockdown, a bike should be one thing that you don’t regret. But don’t get stressed. I’ve had a lot of fun on crappy bikes over the years. You can always upgrade later.
Enjoy the ride.
This article contains extracts from the Bicycle Clip Diaries. More details on my website. First edition paperback is currently free to key workers, bike shop staff, and the unwaged, please text for details.; and as an Amazon eBook elsewhere in the world.
Words and pictures © Nick Raistrick, cover art by Ric Marry.
