Quick buying guide
Our quick guide can help you choose the right type of bike for your needs:
Hybrid |
Ideal |
Ideal |
Ideal |
Suitable |
Ideal |
Suitable |
Unsuitable |
Step-through / urban
|
Ideal |
Unsuitable |
Ideal |
Suitable |
Ideal |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Road bike
|
Ideal |
Unsuitable |
Suitable |
Ideal |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Mountain bike
|
Suitable |
Suitable |
Suitable |
Unsuitable |
Ideal |
Ideal |
Unsuitable |
Tourer / Cross
|
Ideal |
Ideal |
Ideal |
Ideal |
Ideal |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Folding bike
|
Ideal |
Ideal |
Ideal |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
BMX |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Ideal |
Electric |
Ideal |
Unsuitable |
Ideal |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Unsuitable |
Buying a bike
The general rule of thumb when buying a brand-new bike is, the more you pay, the better the bike. That said, a good-quality new adult bike can cost from as little as £200-£250. Anything less than this and the bike is likely to have poor quality parts with the potential for safety to be compromised. Ultimately, a cheaper bike could lessen your enjoyment and put you off cycling all together.
We recommend buying a brand-new bike from a reputable specialist. There are many independent cycle shops and cycling specific chain stores in Northamptonshire that can offer expert advice on choosing the right bike for you and help make sure the bike is set up correctly.
Bike shops
Some of the better larger chain stores that stock good quality bikes and can offer reliable advice include Halfords, Decathlon and Evans Cycles. There are also many reputable online specialist cycling retailers.
Cycle to work scheme
Another option for purchasing a new bike is through a cycle to work scheme, allowing you to spread the cost and save you money. Visit our
Cycle to Work page for further details of how these schemes work.
Second hand bikes
It is also possible to buy a good-quality second hand bike for the fraction of the cost of a new one. This
Cycling UK article gives a wealth of tips on what to look for.
The
Umbrella Fair Bicycle Recycle Project, based at The Racecourse Pavilion in Northampton offers donated bikes that have been refurbished and given full check over at very reasonable prices.
Look out for forthcoming sales from Northamptonshire Police’s Cycl-opps programme, which takes recovered bikes and uses young offenders to fix them up before they are sold.
There are also a number of auctions and re-use centres around the county that often have an array of bikes, frames and spares for sale and, of course, there are plenty of online sites offering everything from basic mountain bikes to renovated vintage models.
Bike hire in Northamptonshire
You don’t even have to own a bike to enjoy cycling in the county as there are several places where you can hire a bike:
Cycle hire