5 Cheapest Ways to Buy a Satisfactory Bicycle

If you're searching for buying a bike, this information should help you find a bike right away, so you can begin an enjoyment or get back into cycling. First of all, you have to know that it depends on so many things: What is too expensive? What sort of riding do you do? What is important to you on a bike? And it also decides on a budget first. After thinking these factors above, here are five cheap ways to get a bike for your reference.

Buy online

You should search online first whether you purchase online or not. Use the Google to search specific brands’ similar bikes and compare them. For example, if you can afford an aluminum frame endurance bike with Tiagra groupset, check Trek, Cannondale, Canyon, Rose Bikes or local brand’s websites and compare prices and other specifications. If the prices are similar, and they come with the same groupset, compare other components like wheelsets and brakes and decide accordingly.

The website Craigslist would seem like a good place to start but be found to be very hit or miss to find bikes that are the right size. If you’re not in a hurry, you might just keep your eyes on those feeds for bikes that are posted occasionally.

You can buy through discount online retailers - eBay and Bikes Direct. You’ll find bikes on these two places in all price ranges, which can be considerably cheaper than retails prices for bikes with a similar level of componentry. However, you will not be buying “name brand” bikes like used in professional racing.

Buy bike online

When you decide on your lovely new bike, you can check online bike shops like Merlin Cycles, Wiggle, Chain Reaction Cycles, and Evans Cycles. They usually have great deals and you can order online, or if you have their shops nearby you can go pick your bike and have a bike fit as well.

Second-hand or abandoned bikes

You may visit a second-hand market where you are able to buy a bike with low price but you must be careful about the quality of the bikes. A lot of larger cities in the US have police bicycle auctions every few weeks. Especially if you’re handy with bikes, a lot of times you can walk out of the police warehouse with a great deal on a bike. Buy it second hand or build it yourself from second-hand parts. In fact that it’s not about the bike, it’s about the engine. In addition to the second-hand market or local flea market for a cheap bike, the second hand through eBay, specialty sites, and Facebook groups can give you excellent prices on great bikes - however buying second hand will usually void the frame warranty.

buy bike

As the second hand has been mentioned, but with a caveat: only buy second hand if you are triple sure it will fit you. Also, you can find the abandoned bike. Find some neighbors who have one or more junky bikes in their garage, yard or shed that they want to throw away. Fix one up and ride! If you find more than one, you can take all the best pieces from each machine—i.e. make one good bike out of two busted ones. Sometimes you can find some really sweet machines that have been sitting around almost untouched and now they’re yours for the picking!

Buy in Local Store

If you are going to a store, simply ask what the best price they can do it for is. They may say that’s the best price or (more often) they will knock something off. This will even work on heavily discounted items - never let your pride get in the way of a bargain. It is best if you have cycling friends gets around, so you can ask friends to keep an eye out. Furthermore, if you are familiar with components and brands the best place to go is a pawn shop. At local pawn shops I often see bike brands or series’ mislabeled. If you know what things are worth and they don’t do their research when pricing a bike, you can make out pretty well. If you don’t know much about bikes, ask a friend who does to help you. You should be patient if you decide to buy a second-hand road bike, there may not be good deals at the moment of your search but it doesn’t mean there will not be any.

buy bike

Buy in Autumn or Winter

Another great way to buy a bike, if buying new, is to buy in fall or winter when the volume is low, and shops are trying to clear old stock. During October to November, many shops will have sales and you can probably knock down the price of a bike a good bit. Aim for the older model of previous years. Often last year's model will be the same as this year's, except for different paint. Purchasing new bikes, you can always save a lot of money by buying the previous years’ model but still, you find useful and also with low price. (which is often still labeled as this years’ model anyway!). The bike shops are looking to move on their old floor stock with new bikes coming in. During winter, for example, people tend to sell their bikes because they cannot go out for rides or they may need the money and weather are not good to ride their bikes anyway.

Find Some Organizations

Some organizations are available, such as Bike Library in Iowa City and Bike Swaps. The Bike Library repairs donated bikes and offer them to the public. Bikes are priced with a deposit and checked out for six month periods. If a bike is returned in good condition within the checkout period, the deposit will be returned to the user. Essentially, the Bike Library allows you to rent a bike for free, after submitting a deposit and assuming that you don’t damage it. If you do decide that you want to keep the bike, you just don’t get your deposit back. It’s very simple, and it has grown greatly in popularity since it began. Also, look for “Bike Swaps” in your area. People bring in bikes they want to sell, the shop advises on any work that should be done in order to improve the chances that it will sell, and they suggest a price - but it’s ultimately up to the seller to decide. on the swap day, there are hundreds of bike available. In addition to the ones brought in by the public, the shop adds their overstock of last year's models at a good discount. At a big enough swap, you’re likely to be able to get something at just about any price point, ready-to-ride or in need of a little work (which can save you some more money if you’ve got access to bike tools and are good at searching and bidding on eBay for good deals on parts that might be a little hard to get).

buy bike

Nowadays there are so many ways to buy a road bike without paying too much. So, if you’re searching for a new bike, I hope the above information helps a bit. Hopefully, you will be able to find a bike and start riding soon. Cycling is tons of fun, and you don’t have to be serious about cycling and to pursue the fast, so truly enjoy it.