The Netherlands, Denmark, France, Sweden, Slovenia, and Japan is a real cycling countries. Everywhere you go cycling. In 2019, the largest bicycle shed in the world was even opened in the Netherlands. But despite a large number of bicycles, these means of transport still cost a considerable amount of money. That is why in this article we tell you 9 tips on how you can buy a bicycle cheaply. You will soon be riding around with a smile on your new cheap bicycle.
1. Choose offline, buy online
As with many things, you can also buy bicycles for the cheapest price online.
The reason that online bicycle shops are cheaper is often that they only have to rent a few buildings and have a central storage area containing all bicycles.
This saves a lot of extra costs, which can be passed on at a lower price. You also end up making less use of the services and other services they offer at online bicycle shops so that they only have to earn money from the sale.
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But buying a bike online is often a bit risky. You never know for sure whether the saddle is comfortable, whether the suspension works well and whether the bike rides well.
That is why it is best to look on the internet for models of bicycles that you would like to buy.
Afterward, you can visit a bike shop to test the bike for a short while. Does he like it?
Then you can purchase it online.
When buying a bicycle online, keep the following points in mind:
- Choose a provider with free delivery. That saves you 20-35 euros.
- Note the condition of delivery. Is it assembled, or do you still need to optimize your brakes and gears?
- Check for maintenance points for your bicycle and which warranty you have.
2. Compromise on quality (or not)
In fact, cheap is always expensive. In other words, if you buy a cheap bike, it will probably break soon. And in many cases, this is indeed the case.
You will eventually pay more than if you had spent a larger amount in one go. But sometimes you don’t have that amount, so you have to opt for a cheap bike with less quality.
Only choose this type of bicycle if you really only use it for cycling for a maximum of 5-10 minutes. For example to the station.
Cheap bikes with bad aluminum aren’t made for big rides. There are also many stories about breaking front forks and subsequent dental bills that turn out quite high.
So decide for yourself whether you go for a budget brand – often Chinese – or whether you pay a few bucks more for a cheap second-hand bike.
3. Use discount codes
In 2019 you can find a discount code for everything. Likewise for bicycles. When you search the internet for ‘discount code + bicycle’ you will immediately see search results of several major bicycle brands.
If you follow those pages you will see that there are mainly many new bicycles on offer, with the discounts of the codes ranging from 5% to 20%.
Are you planning to buy a whole new bike from brands such as Gazelle, Onion, or Giant?
if you are in Europe, Always check if you can use discount codes when you buy the bike online. A discount of 10% on a bicycle of 500 euros is still 50 euros that you save.
4. Take advantage of cashback discount
In addition to discount codes, there are also cashback discounts available.
These kinds of discounts are less common for bicycles, but a few times a year a bicycle brand participates in such a promotion.
Cashback promotions, it is primarily about buying the product yourself for the full price.
After you have scanned the receipt or invoice, send it to the manufacturer of the bicycle. Then they will refund part of the purchase amount to your account.
Gazelle is a brand where you see a lot of cashback promotions. By the way, don’t be alarmed by the prices you have to pay for the bicycles.
These are often well over € 2,000. As cashback, you will receive 200 euros back on the purchase price. Unfortunately, cashback promotions do not apply to second-hand bicycles.
5. Buy second hand
A good way to get a good bike is to buy a used bike. Of course, you can buy any bicycle cheaper if it is on Marktplaats, but there are some bicycles that are extra interesting.
Since the arrival of the electric bicycle, more and more people over 45 are making the switch to such a model. But, those people often still have very nice bicycles in the shed.
Older people in particular often buy very expensive new bicycles, which they then only use for a few hours a week. If they switch to an electric bicycle, then the old bicycle has to go.
Although many people return their bicycle to the bicycle shop, there are also plenty of people who eventually put the bicycle on the internet.
You can already ride a bicycle with 24 gears for 300 euros, while 5 years ago it still cost more than 2,000 euros.
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Do you want to buy really cheap second-hand bicycles? Then search for keywords such as ‘station bicycle’.
These are often bicycling with minimal extras, but which you can still cycle on. You can often find these bicycles for less than 100 euros.
Do you want a good and cheap bicycle, but you are not quite sure about second-hand bicycles? Then you can also take a middle course. Some websites sell refurbished bicycles.
These are second-hand bicycles that have been completely overhauled by a professional bicycle repairman. Old parts have been replaced and you can use them again for years.
The costs of these types of bicycles are around 300 to 500 euros. Then you have a bicycle that used to cost more than 1,000 or even 2,000 euros.
6. Save money on kids’ bikes
Children’s bicycles are always in demand. It is therefore also advisable to buy a second-hand version for children’s bicycles.
These bicycles are only in use for one or two years before you resell them. It would be a real shame to buy it brand new.
Used children’s bicycles always look like new and they also retain their value well. Can you buy a second-hand children’s bicycle for 50 euros?
Then that bike will probably still be worth 50 euros in a year. Your child will ride an (almost) new bicycle, so you don’t have to pay anything for it.
With the next bike, you can do exactly the same until your kids have to ride an adult bike.
They then lose their value much faster, although the value of such a bicycle still remains around 80 to 150 euros.
7. Use financing or lease
Can you really not spare any money for a bicycle, but do you still want to buy a new bicycle, preferably also electric? Then you can use financing.
At Gazelle, for example, you can take 4 years to repay your bicycle.
For example, in those 48 months, you pay off 60 euros per month on the loan. In exchange, you can already ride the bike and after 4 years the bike is fully paid off.
Please note that this loan costs a lot of extra money. At Gazelle, for example, you pay 6.9% interest for financing. On a bicycle of 3,000 euros, you pay more than 440 euros in interest spread over 4 years.
The final amount is 3,441 euros. Buying a bicycle on installment is therefore not exactly a saving, but it is one of your options if you currently do not have the money for a new bicycle.
It is also possible to lease a bicycle at, for example, Swapfiets.
You also have no unexpected maintenance costs and you simply get another bike if, for example, you have a flat tire. It is true that the bicycle never becomes your property.
8. Cheap folding bike
Are you looking for a folding bike? For example, because you drive to work by public transport and therefore want to take a bicycle with you? You can of course also save on folding bicycles.
Many people sell their folding bicycles on Marktplaats because they change jobs and therefore no longer need the bicycle.
And because folding bicycles are not that popular, it is a lot easier to buy a cheap second-hand folding bicycle.
You have to be careful when you buy cheap folding bikes. Brands like Xiaomi and stores like Decathlon offer cheap folding bikes. But according to some users, those bicycles are sometimes broken within six months.
Those people then buy a folding bicycle that is twice as expensive, and they ride it for several years without any problem.
So you have to pay attention when you buy a good bike and not only pay attention to the price.
Folding bicycles consist of various sensitive parts and are generally a lot less sturdy than a bicycle with a normal frame. The very cheap folding bicycles can therefore be dangerous in some cases.
9. Negotiate the price
Whether you buy a bicycle second-hand or new from the bicycle shop, the price can always be reduced.
You should not just buy the more expensive bicycles without asking for a discount or extras.
Perhaps you will get a nice discount, you will receive free service with the new bicycle or you will receive a nice tire pump to take home.
Buying a bicycle is actually like buying a car from a dealer. You are a customer who likes to come home with the best. The seller wants to earn money for the business and is, therefore (often) willing to give you an extra discount.
Decide in advance what kind of discount or extras you would be satisfied with. This will help you immensely in negotiations with the seller.
Buying a bike is easier said than done. Of course, you can go to the nearest bike shop, but chances are you will come home with an overpriced bike.
Fortunately, you now have 9 tips with which you can score a cheap bicycle that you can hopefully enjoy for many years to come.
