Looking for bike deals? Do you love a bargain? Sure you do! It’s just human nature. Getting a great discount makes us feel good about ourselves.
And what can be more delicious than scoring a massive deal on your dream bike?
Over the years our team members bought many bikes. It appears we have very understanding partners indeed. Now, some purchases we made were pretty bad. But nevertheless, we learned a lot about buying bicycles.
In this post, we’ll share our top tips about finding great bike deals. Our advice is aimed at the UK market, but the main ideas can be applied anywhere. We will not get into the topic of how to select a bike or should you just pay a full price to support your local bike shop. We’ll simply help you find a great bike deal.
One last important thing to add is that we are not in any way affiliated with the sites mentioned below.
Finally, here are our tips on how to find great discounts on bikes.
Bike deals websites
There are several websites in the UK featuring bike deals. Daily they collect deals from multiple online stores. They categorize these deals and present them in a format that is easy to sort and search. This saves you a lot of time going to each and every online store they list. Instead, you just visit one site.
Here are cycling deal websites we like.
Bike Bargains
Probably the most popular bike deals website in the UK.
Top tip – Twitter
Follow their Bike Bargains on Twitter to receive daily deals.
Bikesy
Top tip – Twitter
Bikesy also has an active Twitter account.
Top tip – Women’s Page
Bikesy has a dedicated page with deals specific to female riders.
BikeRadar bargains
Dealclincher
Drawbacks to bike deals websites:
- Store selection
These sites run by making a small commission from online stores on each purchase. So every time you click a link and get redirected to one of the stores, they’ll earn some money if you end up buying something. That’s fine, of course. At the end of the day, they’re providing you with some value. However, this is also the reason why they will only list stock from stores they have a partnership with. While these usually include many major retailers, there are also a lot of stores that are missing. For example, smaller online sellers or brand stores. - Lack of notifications
The majority of bike deals sites don’t offer notifications. A feature where you could register, select what you are looking for and then get notified about it in the future. So this means you’ll still have to check the sites actively every day while hunting for a deal.
Bike Deals on Amazon
Don’t forget the largest store on Earth, Amazon. They have an enormous selection of cycling products. A lot of these come from third-party sellers and are made by no-name brands, but perfectly functional. However, they also list well-known equipment that you would otherwise find in cycling shops.
Amazon prices are competitive, and they are known to offer excellent discounts. Not to mention the free next day delivery if you are a Prime member. Prime might save you a few quid when buying cheaper items, compared to online cycling shops which typically charge postage for small orders.
Top tip – track Amazon prices over time
Amazon price trackers monitor millions of Amazon products. You choose the ones you want to follow, and it will alert you when prices drop. Try
Online cycling stores offering bike deals
Not all stores can be found on aggregator websites. It is, therefore, worth visiting more online stores individually. We cannot list them all, but here is a good list of online cycling stores in the UK.
On top of over 30 online stores mentioned on the list, we would like to add two.
- Planet X
They mostly sell their own brand of bikes. Their prices are fantastic, to begin with. But boy oh boy do they know how to offer incredible deals. They are famous for it. Sometimes they literally discount stuff by 90%. - Decathlon
Another great budget seller. They have a considerable purchasing power allowing them to source out components on the cheap. Even at full price, their bikes are usually equipped with a higher level of components than those in the same price range anywhere else on the market.
One way to keep up with deals from numerous online stores is to subscribe to their newsletters. Some will even give you a discount immediately after you subscribe. And all will send deals to your inbox frequently.
Top tip – coupons
Some stores allow you to submit promo codes at checkout for special discounts. A straightforward way to find these is by using an extension app for your web browser. Once you open your shopping basket, the app will check if there are any coupons applicable to that specific site. Such apps like Honey don’t always work, but then sometimes they do.
Online marketplaces/classifieds
New or used bikes can be found on popular online marketplaces. Private sellers list them, but sometimes even business. Some of the well-known retailers also have their outlet stores on eBay for example.
- eBay
Huge selection from all corners of the UK. Obvious issues are shipping costs, safety and lack of returns. - Facebook Marketplace
You can find bikes from local sellers giving you a chance to inspect them before buying. We find that prices on Facebook Marketplace are often lower than on eBay. Also, a lot of sellers are willing to negotiate, there is less competition from other buyers and no wasting time on bidding. - Gumtree
Also great to find bikes locally. Similar advantages to Facebook. It is however known for listings of stolen bikes. So be careful, and always ask for proof of purchase.
The great thing about online marketplaces is that you can easily setup alerts. You will be instantly notified if the bike matching your description appears in the listings.
Top tip – negotiating
Most sellers start with a bit of a higher price and are willing to negotiate. Negotiating is a useful tactic on Facebook Marketplace. This works especially well if the ad has been published some days ago and the item is still unsold. Start gently, be human and honest. Don’t be rude and aggressively make silly offers from the start.
Top tip – save for later
On Facebook Marketplace you can save an item you like. This way you’ll get notified of any changes. For example, if the seller lowers the price. Maybe then you’ll be motivated to buy or negotiate harder.
Forums
There are a lot of online communities of cyclists which have classifieds sections. The most active ones are, of course, the best. Once somebody lists a bike for sale, other members will usually comment on the bicycle and its price. This can be very useful in deciding if it’s a good purchase.
- LFGSS
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed community is simply amazing. It is incredibly active and full of members willing to help. It has a genuine community vibe, and a lot of people sell their bikes with special discounts to other members. The only problem is that ads are all thrown into broad categories, so you’ll have to invest some time searching.
- Facebook Groups
There are many groups on Facebook created for buying and selling bikes. Some are even specific to certain regions or cities. Road Cycling Buy & Sell UK is a good and very active group to check out first.
Top tip – ask for help
Members of forums and Facebook groups are usually very passionate and knowledgeable about bikes. Most are willing to help, offer advice and even sell things at a discount. If you cannot find what you are looking for or you actually don’t know what bike to get, just ask. Publish a new post describing what you are looking for. You never know what people are hiding in their garages.
Is it really a great deal?
The more you research, the more you’ll know if the price for a specific bike is unique. It’s always a good idea to simply do a Google search and check the prices from other retailers in Google’s Shopping section. Also, use a price comparison website like PriceSpy. Not only will this service show you current prices, but also price history.
Conclusion
Buying bikes at advertised retail prices is for suckers! There is simply no need for it.
If you invest a little bit of time and have some patience, you’ll find that literally every object of your cycling desire can be purchased at a great discount. Use the strategies we presented to score some amazing deals now!
Have other ways of finding great discounts?
Found some great bike deals using our tactics?
Let us know.
