road bike for sale

The Best Way To Sell A Used Bike – Bike Exchange

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It all began with a friendship and some BMX back-street biking as kids 

Over 11 years ago childhood best friends and avid cyclists Jason Wyatt and Sam Salter decided to create a website for selling bicycles online.
It was a radical move for those days, but one they were confident would become so resource-rich for the bicycle world.

 

How big is BikeExchange? 

11 years later and these two friends head up BikeExchange, the world’s biggest online marketplace for buying a selling everything bike. Spanning ten countries around the globe, BikeExchange receives more than 2-million global visitors each month who are looking to buy, sell, or search for new and pre-loved bikes, bike parts and accessories for sale from private sellers and bike shops.

 

How do private sellers list their second-hand bikes on BikeExchange? 

BikeExchange makes it really easy in a particular for private sellers to upload their second-hand bikes and sell them, currently for no charge at all. By setting up an account in minutes, members just select from an incredibly straightforward menu of drop-down options, following the prompts until their ad is built. All they need is the essential information and some catchy photos.

 

How is EXACT cycle involved with BikeExchange? 

All private adverts are vetted by the BikeExchange team in an effort to ensure no suspiciously-acquired items are uploaded to the marketplace. BikeExchange’s UK marketplace also strongly advocates EXACT cycle, so sellers can upload their certification and make note that their bike comes with peace-of-mind assured through EXACT cycle accreditation.
BikeExchange then helps private sellers quickly and easily locate stores in their area who will provide EXACT cycle Quality Assurance Certificates, making this whole process as easy, cost-effective and fast as possible.
BikeExchange is fast becoming the go-to place for private sellers to upload their bikes and bike parts for sale in the UK.

Preloved – The secondhand market place

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Preloved began in 1998 and has grown to become one of the largest classified advertising sites in the UK with hundreds of thousands of adverts in over 500 categories. They have over 6 million registered members, buying and selling every week in over 500 categories.

We caught up with Lauren O’brien, one of the trading managers at Preloved, and asked her about Preloved and the future of buying and selling online.

– Who are you and what do you do?

We are the UK’s Most Trusted Online Marketplace, Preloved. We began in 1998 and have since have grown to be one of the largest classifieds advertising sites in the UK with over 850,000 ads on site.

Preloved is a website where you can list items for sale, as well as find second-hand items at a fraction of the price of new. The power of second chances and new beginnings is why our mission is to become the UK’s most loved and trusted community of creators, buyers and sellers.

– What do you/the business want to achieve this year?

Preloved want to help spread the word that second-hand isn’t second best and, in turn, reduce the UK’s landfill problem. We also want to connect people with unwanted items to the people who want to give them a home. As a business, we want to continue to grow our community and help support responsible buying and selling on our site.

– What changes are exciting you in the world of second-hand buying and selling?

Seeing the general public find a new excitement for second-hand and the way it can support us to give the environment a helping hand, is something we’ve especially loved recently. It’s great to be leading the charge on something that is so exciting and having a positive impact.

 

– What is the most interesting thing someone has ever sold on Preloved?

We’ve sold everything from a plastic two and-a-half foot donkey, a papier mache moose head and a Tuk Tuk autorickshaw.

– Where do you see the future of the online second-hand marketplace?

We see more and more people selling and buying second-hand as a result of making more considered purchasing decisions. The online second-hand marketplace is on cusp of a buying revolution and huge growth as people make the switch to reduce their environmental footprint.

 

Preloved is supporting EXACTcycle in our efforts to make buying and selling second hand bikes safer. You can find more about that here.

Preloved social media handles: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

EXACTcycle social media handles: Facebook, Instagram

BikeRegister – 5 Questions

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We recently caught up with James Brown, MD at BikeRegister, and asked him some questions about their business and the world of cycling. Read on to discover more about  plans for the future from the UK’s national, Police approved, bicycle marking & registration scheme.

Who are you and what do you do?
James Brown, Managing Director of BikeRegister

What do you/the business want to achieve this year?
We want to help drive down cycle theft, and it’s a two pronged attack. We believe Police Forces around the UK need to refocus on the significant issue of cycle theft. Virtually all Police Forces have taken their foot off the gas in the last 3 years when it comes to preventing and detecting cycle crime. With a crime like theft of pedal cycles, when you move from dedicating significant resources to such a problem to virtually zero resources, it’s going to have a big impact on the numbers. The 2nd part is getting the major retailers to help. Marking and Registration of bikes at point of sale is vital to tackling cycle theft and retailers can relatively easily implement this, but at the moment choose not to. Hopefully 2018 will be the year this changes.

“Police Forces have taken their foot off the gas in the last 3 years when it comes to preventing and detecting cycle crime.”

What is exciting you in the world of cycling?
The changing mentality around Cycling for all. We are a long way behind the Scandinavian and Benelux countries still, but it’s exciting to see the start of that transformation. London is a great example where a lot has been done in the last few years, but there’s lots still to do.

What was your favourite bike you have ever owned and why?
BMX Piranha XL because it was just so cool, and was the first bike to give me independence.

BMX Piranha XL – Very Cool

If you could go for a ride with 2 people, cyclists or non-cyclists, who would they be and why?

Stephen Fry and the Commissioner of the Met Police Cressida Dick. I’ve always been a big fan of Stephen Fry, and would love to share a Sunday afternoon cycle ride with him. As the first female commissioner of the Met, working her way all through the ranks, and being in charge of Policing the capital in such challenging times, I would be really interested to chat with Cressida Dick.

“Marking and Registration of bikes at point of sale is vital to tackling cycle theft”

 EXACTcycle and BikeRegister are working together to help reduce the number of stolen bikes bought and sold online. By purchasing a bike with an EXACT cycle certificate you are Virtually eliminating the possibility of purchasing a stolen bike.

5 Questions: with Tom Caldwell

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Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Tom Caldwell and I point cameras at people for a living. Usually at mates doing wild stuff on bikes.

What do you want to achieve this year?
This year I’d like to launch the 3rd British Pie film successfully, travel to a few places that have been on my list for a while, create and scheme some more wild video ideas, and ride my bike (lots).

What is exciting you in the world of cycling?
I’d say seeing lots of up and coming British shredders is quite exciting in the riding world. As if the scene wasn’t already amazing, it just keeps getting better and better.

What was your favourite bike you have ever owned and why?
I think my favourite bike is my current one. An Orange Alpine 160, I’ve had it for years now and I’ve had such a good time on it. British pride.

If you could go for a ride with 2 people (cyclists or not) who would they be and why?
I’d love to try and keep up with Loic Bruni. Emphasis on try, as I’d get dropped like a sack of spuds. The second would have to be Karl Pilkington. I’ve no doubt that would be hilarious.

 

If you want to stay up to date with Tom’s daily antics then you can find his facebook here  and his website here

Our social media handles can be found here: Facebook Instagram

 

Photo credit to Ben Winder & Tom Hardwick

Did Sir Bradley do it?

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A report published by the digital, culture, media, and sport select committee (DCMS) states that Sir Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky had “crossed an ethical line.

This reports follows claims that a ‘mysterious jiffy bag’ that was delivered to Wiggins, following the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine, contained more than the claimed legal decongestant.

According to team Sky the package is supposed to have contained Fluimucil which is used for the treatment of a build-up of mucus or catarrh, however is not a prohibited substance. The DCMS report states that this may not be entirely true and the sealed package contained a very different substance.

It’s been alleged the package contained triamcinolone. A substance used to treat the effects of asthma and allergies that Wiggins is a known sufferer of. Wiggins has a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) that permits him to use during competition. He was granted TUEs to take triamcinolone shortly before the 2011 Tour de France, his 2012 Tour win and the 2013 Giro d’Italia.

Former Team Sky Doctor, Roger Palfreeman states “Systemic corticosteroids are widely abused in some endurance sports, where they are used for a number of reasons. Anecdotally, they are thought to result in the breakdown of adipose tissue [fat], particularly when combined with high volumes of endurance training. This effect is used primarily in endurance sports where the power-to-weight ratio is an important determinant of performance”.

Wiggins said in a statement: “I find it so sad that accusations can be made, where people can be accused of things they have never done, which are then regarded as facts.”

Despite the damning accusations in the report, no hard evidence has been found to support the DCMS claims. The time old saying of innocent until proven guilty does not seem to be the case here with the report clearly set to tarnish the names of those involved. Evidence or no evidence.

Sir Bradley Wiggins  during training at the Rio Olympic Velodrome.

In many ways this seems like a bit of a warning to both British cycling and Team Sky. It highlights the scrutiny they are now under and the level of accountability they hold. Whilst the clean up of the sport can only be a good thing its difficult to dispute the effects a report like this has on the cycling industry as a whole. As new bike sales fall and businesses such as Evans cycles reporting a loss in revenue its hard to see how a report like this will help.

 

So, did Bradley do it? Despite the accusations in the DCMS reports, I am a believer of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ however, I will leave you to decide what you think.

To find out more here is the link to the DCMS report:

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The Cyclist Cafe

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All cyclists know that coffee and cake go hand in hand with cycling. Its historical, like bread and butter, or ant and Dec. but why do we love them so much and what is the attraction of a cafe that keeps us coming back?

As cyclists we are creatures of habit. We are often found at the same coffee shops on the same Sundays with the same group of mates, but things have been changing over the last few years.

Previously if you wanted to get a shot of caffeine and a slice of home-made cake we would go to the most suitable cafe in whichever town we were passing through. The cafes that attracted the biggest crowds often had an outside seating area, so we can keep an eye on our steeds as we re-fuelled.  However, a new breed of cafe is emerging, a cafe designed with the bike in mind.

So, what really is the difference between a cycling cafe and a cafe that cyclists go to? I believe the devil is in the detail, for example. A cafe local to me has reached out to a few of the local clubs and is offering them discounted coffees on their weekly rides. Others fit secure bike lock areas outside the cafe to encourage us 2wheelers in. The savvy ones are even swapping out their big slices of carrot cake for more healthy energy focused options, such as coconut energy balls or healthy flapjacks. I have even seen cycling branded energy gels for sale next to the till in one small cafe up in the peak district

It’s not just cafes that are making the change. As online prices get cheaper and cheaper, more independent shops are looking to diversify their offering to cyclists. One way many of these shops are achieving this is, you guessed it, by having a coffee machine.

In theory it’s a great idea, but good coffee and the right environment is hard to achieve. That being said, there are some fantastic shop/cafes out there. One of the best bike shop coffees I have had is in Twenty3c near Milton Keynes. Free WIFI, bike parking, and plenty of new bikes to drool over whilst you check your Strava times. Its a fantastic environment.

What does the future hold for our beloved mid ride coffee stop?

I believe that the cafes that will succeed in attracting us cyclists will be the ones who genuinely offer a great coffee at a great price and serve it with a smile. A relaxed environment incorporated with some simple cycling touches will go a long way and keep cyclists, coming through the door. There is a risk that if a cafe tries too hard to be “cool” to cyclists then they may start pushing us way. Either way coffee, cake and cycling are a match made in heaven and the threesome is here to stay.

Let us know what you think. Which is your favourite coffee shops and why?

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