Our guide to buying the right bike

If you can describe what you want to do with your new bike, you'll make things much easier for yourself and us.
Different bikes are intended for different types of riding and some are very specific to their purpose. However, most bikes are pretty versatile – you can ride to work, to the shops and round the hills on the same bike.

If your goals are a bit sportier, but still on tarmac, then you should be looking at road racing bikes. These have drop handlebars for a variety of hand positions and aerodynamics, and are more of an aggressive riding position than a hybrid.

If you want to head out onto the trails and get a little muddy, then a mountain bike is the way to go. With 3 different wheels sizes to choose from and the options of suspension and disc brakes the range of bikes is huge.
In the last few years we have seen a rise in mountain bike options, now offering 26" wheels, 650b (27.5) and 29" wheels. Along with disc brakes, rear and or front suspension.
Don't however get drawn in to thinking that all bikes with disc brakes and suspension are going to be the best performing and most comfortable bike because this isn't the case.Price plays a big part in it, cheap discs wont work any better than a good set of old fashioned v-brakes, and as a rule only worry about the rear suspension if you plan on riding downhill tracks or the slightly more expensive all mountain/x-country bikes that have had a lot of money time and technology spent on them to aid riding. On the road or light trail they will only slow you down, make the bike heavier and of cause waste your money.

If you're planning 'mixed-mode' trips, like a commute that involves a train ride, then a folding bike may be perfect for you.
You can't sneak a full-size bike on a rush hour train or under your desk. At the luxury end of the market, lightweight folders with suspension can be almost as quick and comfortable as regular bike. If your budget doesn't stretch to the top end of the folding bike market you can get a very compact easy to ride folding bike and a very reasonable price from a number of the brands we stock. As always price reflects quality and with folding bike this is always worth considering. Quality isn't just ease of riding in this case but also ease and efficiency of folding.

Not confident of your fitness or want a little help getting up the hills? Take a look at electric bikes. The latest advances in battery and motor design mean that electric bikes offer a genuine advantage especially when it comes to easing hills and zipping away from the lights.

Childrens bikes come in all different sizes and colours, shapes and weights. The best way to insure correct sizing is to bring them along to sit on some and let them get a proper feel for it. We do stabilizers that will fit on any bike with or without gears so if they aren't yet confident enough that isn't a problem.
Balance bikes are also an option, without pedals they can scoot along and gain confidences and the balance required to ride a bike elimination stabilizers altogether

There's nothing better for building bike-handling skills and all-round having fun. Bmx bikes suit all ages. Proper bmx's are the toughest of bikes and because one size fits all you never grow out of them.

We also sell trikes and these too come in different sizes, although unlike a normal bike where most people will need to touch the floor a trike will hold itself up so only the reach and feel of the trike is normally important