The Student Room Group

Buying a bike for uni

I'm looking to buy a bike for uni but I don't know anything about bikes :biggrin:

What should I be looking out for and what price should I be paying?
Reply 1
Original post by pleasedtobeatyou
I'm looking to buy a bike for uni but I don't know anything about bikes :biggrin:

What should I be looking out for and what price should I be paying?


First of all you need to know how much your willing to spend, and then second what type of bike you want/need. I would recommend a hybrid bike because they are cheaper than road bikes but are still good on road. Try something like this if your looking for something cheap >>> http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_922789_langId_-1_categoryId_165534
Things to think about
- a hybrid will be what you want if you want to commute (rather than race or go off road)
- if you are going somewhere with hills, get as many gears as possible. Truth be told, it's much nicer to have lots of gears anyway, even if you are somewhere flat.
- go for a decent second hand bike over a bottom-end-of-the-market new bike, if you have a low budget (what is your budget?)
- make sure you get a bike that fits you - anything that doesn't fit will be uncomfortable and inefficient to ride
- Halfords are notorious for having crap products and staff that don't know the first thing about bikes. Support your local independent bike shop instead - you'll get better service and a bike that actually works for you
- buy a D-Lock, not one of these wispy cable things. Otherwise, it will get stolen.
Original post by Origami Bullets
Things to think about
- a hybrid will be what you want if you want to commute (rather than race or go off road)
- if you are going somewhere with hills, get as many gears as possible. Truth be told, it's much nicer to have lots of gears anyway, even if you are somewhere flat.
- go for a decent second hand bike over a bottom-end-of-the-market new bike, if you have a low budget (what is your budget?)
- make sure you get a bike that fits you - anything that doesn't fit will be uncomfortable and inefficient to ride
- Halfords are notorious for having crap products and staff that don't know the first thing about bikes. Support your local independent bike shop instead - you'll get better service and a bike that actually works for you
- buy a D-Lock, not one of these wispy cable things. Otherwise, it will get stolen.


Thanks for the info, I will definitely try an independent bike shop.

My budget is a maximum of £400, although I would prefer to spend more in the region of £200-300.

Are there any special features for different brands of bike or are they all the same?
Original post by pleasedtobeatyou
Thanks for the info, I will definitely try an independent bike shop.

My budget is a maximum of £400, although I would prefer to spend more in the region of £200-300.

Are there any special features for different brands of bike or are they all the same?


£300-400 should get you something perfectly nice to ride, albeit not top of the range. You should have a good range of options, assuming that you're of average-ish height.

I'm afraid that I've only had one bike as an adult, and I inherited that, so I've got limited knowledge of what the various bike brands offer, truth be told.
I'd recommend 'Trek'. Very good bicycle manufacturer and as a previous poster said, they make good hybrids. Although they can be very pricey, I'm sure you could find one in the region of £200-£400


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