Buying a Bike

Tons of people ride bikes in this town. Not one of these people and want to join them? Pull up a chair and get ready to learn what you should look at when buying a bike!

Determine your needs. Are you planning on traveling to France to ride in their little race, or are you just tooling around town?

If you like that new seat smell, there are several stores in town that sell bikes. Shop around a bit, several of the stores will allow test rides, and all of them can offer helpful advice.

Buying a used bike offers several advantages.

• Older mid-ranged bicycles are of higher quality than today's mid-ranged bicycles
  

• Older high-end bicycles are affordable and will continue to run for many years
  

• You're recycling. Very very literally recycling. With all the benefits to the environment.
  

• Won't contribute to the Magna Sink effect

If you know nothing about bikes and are afraid of buying the wrong thing, bring a friend who does. They'll often be happy to help you find a bike.

The Bike Auction is another way to obtain a bike. You may want to head over to the Davis Bike Collective after you buy an auction bike, or if you just want to put one together for yourself. Pretty much all of the bicycle shops in town will do repairs for you. APEX Cycles & Service and the Davis Bike Exchange sell used bikes already cleaned up. If you want to browse the internet, there's always Craigslist, which has a forum for bikes for sale. Bike Forth also has the parts necessary to rebuild an old bike.

Also check out the "Bicycle Shop Alternatives" on the Bicycle Shops entry.

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