Buying a bike from us isn't a matter of turning up, picking something, paying and going away. We have a constant backlog, and each bike is made up to suit the buyer.
 
We are also not that cheap, with most bikes being in the £200 - £300 range. We are good value for money.
 
If you are thinking, "that's too much", please read this from the Association of Cycle traders about supermarket bikes.
 
The best way to buy is to read this page to the end, then phone us.
 
The first thing to decide is what the bike is going to be used for. There is no bike that can do it all. No bike will be good on and off road. Very few bikes are fast and comfortable. No bike is cheap and durable. The only way to get a cheap bike that can easily be carried to the top floor of a tenement is omit some major parts, like the wheels. The best analogy is shoes. Most people have different shoes for different places, dress shoes for the office, trainers for running, safety shoes for the building site and so on. No one pair is perfect for every need.
 
For commuting, the best bike is something with big wheels and a few gears. like a roadster or sports bike. These are also good for going along the canal and most other "off road" use. We often combine the best features of the two.
 
We have other kinds of bike listed here.
 
The second question is size. Like shoes, bikes have to fit. Some websites will have charts and calculations. These are only a guide. What we do is get the customer to stand over something and see what the clearance is. (When you visit, wear trousers and flat shoes.) The rest of the fit may be fine tuned later.
Your overall height will give some indication of what size you need. Please quote this in feet and inches, as our staff are old and don't think in metric.
 
Once you have some idea what you want, phone up to see if we are likely to have what you need in stock. If we have something, then you can find out a good time to come in and make a choice.
 
It's in the nature of the secondhand bike market that we only have what we have. A shop selling new bikes can always order in a bike in the right size, we have to wait and see what comes in. (Unless you want to throw money at your needs and order a new frame and have us build it up)
 
About the worst thing to do is turn up and just ask for "a bike". "What, like this one?" "No, not like that one, you know, a bike"