To buy a bike online?

[Softlysoftly]

Want to get DD1 a bike for her third birthday next week and am struggling choosing one.

Don't want to break the bank for a toddler bike so I'm thinking a good bike would be cheaper online but am nervous about picking something from an image that turns out to be a flimsy plastic peice of shite. Particularly as it has to be pink .

So AIBU to risk buying online or is somewhere like Halfords a better bet?

[Softlysoftly]

Piece - I before e except after c apart from weird which is weird.

Sorry Mrs Haigh

[youonlysingwhenyourewinning]

Go for a balance bike!

[BikeRunSki]

Go to a local bike shop. Not a chain, not online. They will help you find one that fits properly and is well built. They'll put it together safely for you, and give up a check and service after a few weeks. They'll get to know you and be nice to you when you need a wheel changing in time to come. They will not have any crap to sell you - you are talking about what is known in the trade and amongst bikers as "bicycle shaped objects". They may even have a selection of 2nd hand bikes if £££ is an issue, and if they know you, might buy back in tiem to come.

[Jodidi]

I'm planning on buying dd2's bike online for Christmas. We're also informed that it should be pink . We'll probably be going for a balance bike if we can find one that doesn't break the bank.

[GhostShip]

We send hundreds out each day and have very happy customers so YANBU to buy online :)

[GhostShip]

Halfords are shite.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

"I before e except after c"

Its a rule that doesn't work :)

Have a look in the local bike shops for one that you like then search for it online.

[gothicangel]

what ghostship said! with HUGE bells on

a friend bought a bike from them halfords from thier bikeslut aka bikehut and they had put the forks on back to front, the brakes were not fitted corectly and nor were the pedals, its a bloody good job i know my bikes and told her before she let her ds ages 15 out on it!

in second a little bike shop,

[Groovee]

I think it was sterling house a bike shop online that we purchased bikes from. They were reasonable and sturdy bikes.

[VivaLeBeaver]

You can research reviews for the bike you're looking at online to make sure its not an awful bike. I've done that before and then bought online without problems.

[TheUnsinkableTitanic]

ahhh BoneyBackJefferson - not good advice re go to the shop to get advice then buy online

that's what you are paying for - personal service - finding out what suits you

they will stand over it and sort out any problems ie flat tyre, new wheels

in my dealings they have always been cheaper than online as they throw in extras

GO TO YOUR LOCAL BIKE SHOP

[BikeRunSki]

Guy from our local bike shop was lured to a new branch of a bike chain, that also does mail order. He was the only qualified mechanic in the shop. If he wasn't available, bikes would be sent out with forks backwards, brakes unattached and loose pedals. He asked for proper tools to build the bikes, and was told to do what he could with what they had and that there were in the business of selling bikes, not building them up (they are delivered from the manufacturer partially built) . This was a huge household name bike chain, who portray wholesome family fun and sporting prowess.

He left after three weeks.

[Leena49]

Just reserved one at halfords. I'm going to see it Tuesday. I too felt nervous about just buying on line so this is best option for us.

[GhostShip]

Bikerun don't tar all with the same brush. We're a leading bike shop and have lots of mechanics

[VivaLeBeaver]

I've just been to Evans today to pick up a new, expensive bike. Crap service but at least the bike mainly seems to have been put together ok. Quite a few things needed tightening when I got home but no backwards forks, etc. though a spindle that holds the back wheel on fell off as they wheeled it out to me. They didn't notice, I had to point it out to them and then they had to get a new one as they couldn't fit that one back on.

My main gripe was that there was no offer to show me how to adjust the saddle, handlebars, etc. I could do with the handlebars going up a bit. There's an instruction manual, great. It says "ask your dealer to show you how to adjust your handlebars". Yeah, they're 40 miles away now.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Oh and it had no pedals. I had to point that out as well. Lots of muttering about whether it should have any or not from them. They decided it should after consulting the computer and begrudgingly put some on.

It wasn't ready on time either and I kept having to put money in the meter for the car which annoyed me.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Yanbu, as long as you buy it online from a real bike shop with an online presence.

Do not buy from Sterling House!

[GhostShip]

A lot of the more expensive bikes don't come with pedals so I can understand that bit, and the not showing you how to do stuff. Why didn't you just ask?

I don't work for them by the way.

[manicinsomniac]

YANBU at all. I always buy bikes online. And not from a shop either, only ever ebay or gumtree. They're fine. And cheap.

[VivaLeBeaver]

I didn't ask because by teh time I'd waited 90mins for my bike to be ready, and they knew I was coming and had told me the bike would be ready on Saturday. I had run out of time on the parking meter, didn't have time to ask anything as was worried about getting a ticket. I'd already topped the meter up twice and had run out of cash.

Bike wasn't ready when I got there and they couldn't start doing it right away because they had a delivery to sort out first. I'm sure I'll work the handlebars out! I wasn't really thinking about handlebars at the time either as it wasn't till this afternoon after I've been for a longer ride on it that I've decided I need to adjust them.