If you are a vintage lover on a budget then buying a second hand bike is definitely the way to go. Not only do they have character and retro charm but you can get some incredibly well built, reliable bikes for a fraction of their original price….and for all you green goddesses this is taking re-cycling to a whole new level!
5 CycleChic recommendations for second hand shopping
1. Camden Cycles
They specialise in re-conditioned bikes, this means all second hand bikes are fully repaired so there is no chance of being sold a dodgy set of wheels. You can get some great brgain here, the baby blue retro racer pictured above was on sale for the bargain price of £69.
2. Recycling in Elephant Castle is another good second hand bike shop
They will let you test ride but can be a little pushy so perhaps take a friend for moral support.
3. Ebay - go for bikes that are in your area or you may find you are spending more on getting the bike to you than you do on the actual bike. Ensure there is a good photo of the bike and plenty of information and if possible try and have a phone conversation with the seller to be sure you know exactly what your getting.
4.Gumtree is great as It's London based and you can get a bike for as little as £20. Same tips as above though, ensure you see a picture and get all the info before you buy.
5. Re-Buy-cycle is a great website specializing in retro, vintage bikes, you can buy online.
The LCC website has a list of all the bike shops in London that sell second hand bikes. Some sell more than others so make sure you phone the shop before you turn up.
4 comments:
Thanks for your research for how and where to buy secondhand bicycles in London.you made my journey to work quick, safe, healthy and most important very cheap. I was thinking to buy a seondhand bicycle for a long time but could not find one even trying from local news papers and searching them online near my area. I made four or five very odd time visits to some kids who was trying to sell some ...... bicycles through Gumtree. I think most important thing is to test ride and get familiar with bicycle before you buy. I been to few shops recomeded by you but they dont seem intrested to sell me a secondhand bicycle. Finaly bought my dream ride Raleigh Chiltren from Camden Cycles for £60.00. These guys are doing great stuff and they are realy helpfull in real terms. They happily gave me first free serivce with this price as well. They are very conveniently located near Mornington Cresent Tube Station and have large selection of secondhand bicycles of almost every type and price. I would recomend Camden Cycles to anyone who is looking for buying a secondhand bicycle in london.
Thanks for your research for how and where to buy secondhand bicycles in London.you made my journey to work quick, safe, healthy and most important very cheap. I was thinking to buy a seondhand bicycle for a long time but could not find one even trying from local news papers and searching them online near my area. I made four or five very odd time visits to some kids who was trying to sell some ...... bicycles through Gumtree. I think most important thing is to test ride and get familiar with bicycle before you buy. I been to few shops recomeded by you but they dont seem intrested to sell me a secondhand bicycle. Finaly bought my dream ride Raleigh Chiltren from Camden Cycles for £60.00. These guys are doing great stuff and they are realy helpfull in real terms. They happily gave me first free serivce with this price as well. They are very conveniently located near Mornington Cresent Tube Station and have large selection of secondhand bicycles of almost every type and price. I would recomend Camden Cycles to anyone who is looking for buying a secondhand bicycle in london.
Hi Jhon Paul - So glad you found your dream bike.. I love the old Raleighs, you'll have to send me a pic (caz@cyclechic.co.uk) Camden cycles is such a good place for affordble second-hand bikes and yes such helpful and friendly staff, it really makes a difference.
Hope cycling in London with your Raleigh Chiltern is going well. Keep in touch
I too bought a classic Raleigh from Camden Cycles! I couldn't agree more with your comments about them being helpful. I got a Raleigh Reynold 501 (or so the sticker says - i'm no expert). Tragically, my back wheel has been nicked so I'm out of action for a the moment.
Love the blog, by the way.
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