Buying A Bike From A Bike Shop vs. Buying Online

Choosing a Bike

July 16, 2018

Buying a bike today couldn’t be easier. You’re no longer limited to styles and models that are available at shops near you. The Internet has opened up opportunities to find just the perfect cycle for the way you ride and it offers access to so many brands.

Just 10 years ago, we didn’t have anything close to the choices we have now. The bike-buying routine went something like this: 1. Visit the one or two bikes shops in your city. 2. Sit on a few bikes. 3. Purchase the best of the handful of bicycles (which might not even be a bike tailored to your exact preferences and needs).

Now, the availability of bikes is incredible. Your options for buying a bike online are beyond imaginable, including looking at dozens (or more) beach cruisers and hybrid bicycles, comparing style, color, size, weight and various attributes all without leaving your house.

You can read bike reviews and blog posts talking about the best features of bikes. After you’ve done your research, it’s time to purchase a bike from the myriad of choices. Then, you sit back and wait for delivery.

If you buy a sixthreezero bike, you can even take your cycle for a test ride and send it back if it’s not right for you.

Let’s break the pros and cons of buying a bike from a shop and online down a little. Here is our “Buying a Bike for Beginners” guide:

Buying a Bike at the Bike Shop

When you buy a bike at the bike shop, you’ll probably get to sit on the bike and get a feel for how it suits your body. You can evaluate the weight of the bike, feel the materials and look at the cycle’s quality.

Many bike shops offer ongoing service with their bicycles, too. So, if you have a problem with your bike, you can bring it to the person who sold it to you for a fix. Hopefully, the bike seller will be familiar enough with the bike brand to offer reliable service.

The downside to buying from a bike shop is, of course, selection. You don’t have near the choices as you do online. Bikes from bike shops sometimes cost more too. There is greater overhead when running a brick and mortar store, which bike sellers add to the price of the cycle.

Buying a Bike Online

There are different ways you can buy a bike online. You can purchase a cycle directly from the manufacturer, such as when a customer buys a sixthreezero bike. This is a great way to buy a bike because you’re getting a product directly from the company who made it. You’ll likely get more information about the bike’s specs and helpful details about how the bike suits various riders.

Buying from the manufacturer often means you get better support and better prices. There is no middleman to go through. You can communicate your needs directly to the maker of the bike and you don’t have to pay inflated prices for the company’s overhead.

What are the downsides to buying a bike while cozily seated on your couch? You might not get to test ride your new cycle. It could be a matter of “buy it and be stuck with it,” unless you purchase from sixthreezero.

We let you test ride our beautiful bikes including our popular sixthreezero Paisley Single Speed Women's 26" Beach Cruiser Bike and sixthreezero Scholar 3 Speed Women's 26" Beach Cruiser Bike. Any bike you buy from us comes with a guarantee that you’ll love it or get your money back.

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