Of the nearly 100 stores I track, I rank Competitive Cyclist, BTD (BikeTiresDirect), Tredz, Merlin Cycles, and Bike24 as the best online bike stores for road and gravel cycling enthusiasts based on their prices, selection, customer satisfaction, and support.
Shopping at an online bike store saves time and money and provides the kind of product selection, delivery speed, and user experience many local bike shops can’t compete with.
I shop for bike gear. A lot. Bikes, wheels, components, bibs and jerseys, helmets, shoes, power meters, and all sorts of tires, cassettes, tools, and bike food are on my shopping list for new reviews and to keep me and my test bikes dialed in.
Fortunately, most of my shopping is done at one online bike store or another. Otherwise, I’d be spending a lot of time driving to bike shops within 50 miles of where I live. I could bike to them, look at all their bike gear, buy a few things, and strap them to my bike for the ride home. I could also hang out at their coffee bars, talking about cycling with the salespeople, mechanics, and other customers. But then, I’d never have time to write up new reviews.
Wait a minute; that sounds pretty good!
Since I have a family that I also like to spend time with and a budget that I need to keep to, shopping at an online bike store and buying bike parts online is usually my most time-efficient and cost-effective option. When I shop online, I can usually find the best prices on the range of enthusiast-level bike gear I evaluate for the In The Know Cycling reviews.
And if I go to the right online bike shop, I’ll get the kind of shopping experience that most bike shops just can’t deliver – from detailed product information to easy ordering of the bike gear I want that’s already in stock to fast shipping of authorized dealer products to great after-sales service.
The problem I run into, and I imagine you do too, is that there are soooo many bike stores out there selling bike gear and bike parts online, a lot of them you may have never heard of and those you may hear of for the first time when you do a product search. It can be hard to figure out which stores can be trusted, and which have the best prices, selection, and most satisfied customers.
The bottom line is it’s hard to know which are the best stores to buy from.
Fortunately, because I shop for bike gear and bike parts online a lot, I’ve been building this experience over the years. I follow prices closely across many online stores. I also get a good idea of the range of bike gear they carry and keep in inventory and periodically check into what their customers say about them from independent services that rate each store’s customer satisfaction.
To share what I’ve learned, I’ve reviewed and rated nearly 100 online bike stores and ranked the ones I recommend you shop at. They are based on prices, customer satisfaction, product selection, and reader support.
These ratings are data-supported, analytically developed, and only compare online bike shops that serve road and gravel cycling enthusiasts, those of us who are regular, committed riders who are serious and knowledgeable about the bike gear we buy. I update this review and ranking every quarter.
Here are my latest rankings:
Bike24
2220SuperstoreDE5Tredz Limited
(2)
2212ExtensionUK6Mantel
(3)
2210SuperstoreUK/NL7Slane Cycles
2210ExtensionUK8FuturumShop
(7)
2210SuperstoreNL9Performance Bicycle1221DiscounterUS10Bike-Components1221DiscounterDE11Sigma Sports1221ExtensionUK12Bikebug
1220DiscounterAU13JeJames
(2)
1220ExtensionUK14Planet Cyclery
1212ExtensionUS15JensonUSA1211DiscounterUS16Leisure Lakes Bikes
(2)
1211ChainUK17Tweeks Cycles1211DiscounterUK18Pedal Revolution
(2)
1210ExtensionUK1912GoBiking
(6)
1210ExtensionNL20Starbike
1110SuperstoreDE21Tree Fort Bikes
(1)
1110DiscounterUS22Hargroves Cycles
1110ChainUK23Brands Cycle & Fitness1110ExtensionUS24Pro Bike Supply1110DiscounterUSSource: In The Know Cycling, February 9, 2023 Unless noted, stores listed above ship internationally. Exceptions:(1)
Ships only to US and Canadian residents
(2)
Ships only to UK residents
(3)
Ships only to UK and European residents
(4)
Don't ship to UK and European residents
(5)
Ships only to European residents(6)
Ships only to Netherlands and Belgium(7)
Don't ship to US and Canadian residents
In The Know Cycling is ad-free, subscription-free, and reader-supported. If you want to help keep it rolling without any added cost to you, buy your gear and kit after clicking the store links on the site. When you do, we may earn an affiliate commission that will help me cover the expenses to create and publish our independent, comprehensive and comparative reviews. Thank you, Steve. Learn more.
If you don’t see an online bike shop you know or have heard of on the list, it likely didn’t make the cut. About 2/3rds of the stores I track don’t usually because their product selection is limited or their customer satisfaction ratings are meh or worse.
A full explanation of how I came up with this ‘Best’ list, what the ratings mean, and the names and reasons why those who didn’t make the list follows.
Based on all I’ve learned from reading your comments and reviewing the results of an opinion poll I’ve run on the site about online stores, I developed four basic criteria about what matters to you to rate each online bike store – Price, Satisfaction, Selection, and Support. Here’s an explanation of each and how I came up with the 0, 1, and 2 scores you see in the ratings above.
We want to buy bike gear at stores with the lowest net price. The net price includes the product’s base price, additional shipping costs if the online bike shop charges them, and any taxes included in the price.
The stores are rated on Net Price as follows:
0 – Limited discount. Net prices are usually the same or within 10% of the price recommended by the company that sells the product. This price is often called the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) or RRP (recommended retail price). In the US, this is often also called the MAP, or minimum advertised price, the price at which stores agree to advertise the product or risk voiding the agreement to sell the company’s line of products. MAP is legal in the US but not Europe and most other countries.
1 – Modest discount. Net prices across many current model year products are typically 10% to 20% off the MSRP/RRP
2 – Deep discount. Net prices across many current model year products are typically 15% to 40% off the MSRP/RRP
Sales and value-added taxes are added depending on where you are having the product shipped, so while they add to the net price, they aren’t different from one store to the next.
Many readers also ask about the import costs of buying at a UK and EU-based online store and shipping it to the US, Canada, or another non-EU country. You want to know the net price of something you buy at the EU-based online store versus what it would cost you if you bought it at an online or physical store in your country.
First, because customs services rather than stores impose import fees, it’s not something I can use to compare stores. Second, because each country imposes import duties and taxes differently, at different rates, only above a certain declared product value, and irregularly or infrequently, it is difficult to include import charges in a rating system, even when comparing stores based in one country versus another.
However, importing bike gear can be part of what it costs you to buy from a specific store, so it’s worth digging into it so you know what it might cost you.
First, the better online bike stores and places to buy bike parts work with shippers who have figured out how to work with customs to minimize or avoid charges. For example, some stores will break up sales and shipments of high-priced items (like your front and rear wheels) or declare shipment values below the level that triggers customs involvement. You can do this yourself by keeping the total invoice on the items you purchase on any order below the amount that will trigger import charges.
Also, some stores use shippers with processes that move their packages through the system without interruption. Living in the US, I have only ever had one package come from overseas charged by customs. I stopped using that store!
Second, if you are concerned that you’ll end up paying more from an online store if your package does get stopped and charged, you can do a basic calculation to determine if you are better off buying from a store in your home country. Add the cost of getting charged by customs to the net price of the product and compare it to the net price of buying it at an online store or bike shop in your home country.
Here’s an example. Say you live in the United States like I do and want to buy a wheelset that retails for $1200 at a local bike shop in the US. Let’s say the same wheelset sells for $1000, including delivery from an online store in the UK, a discount level typical of the difference between a local bike shop in the US and an online store in the UK.
If the wheelset from the UK store were to be stopped by customs, it would run about 11% more when you figure in the import duty and handling fee. My net cost then comes to $1110 from the UK store. I’d pay $1260 at the bike shop, including a 5% state sales tax.
Depending on your state, US online stores may or may not charge sales tax for goods delivered to you. Their pricing, selection, and service are often better than local bike shops. So for this same wheelset, it is worth comparing the cost of buying it from a US online store versus the customs imposed charges of a UK store.
Effective 2016, US Customs raised the value of goods you can import into the country to $800 without being subject to charges. Now, you won’t have to worry about import charges for anything you buy below that amount.
At a minimum, we want online bike shops that we can trust and aren’t taking a risk buying from. Ideally, we want stores that will provide an excellent customer experience from the moment we click onto their site and through every step in the buying experience – learn about, order, deliver, and stand behind a product.
Treat us the way we would expect to treat ourselves. Nothing less. We’ve got our riding to focus on and want an outstanding, hassle-free store experience.
The stores are rated on Customer Satisfaction as follows:
0 – Unacceptable/Unknown. Despite price or other factors that may initially attract you to a store, you run too high a risk of being dissatisfied shopping at a store with this rating. On average, customers rate the store less than 4 out of 5 stars meaning they’ve racked up a fair amount of average, poor, or bad ratings, or there is not enough customer satisfaction data available on this store to reach any conclusion about it.
1 – Very Satisfied. While there may be a few aspects of the shopping experience that didn’t thrill some customers, they rate the shopping experience very highly overall with at least a 4 out of 5-star rating.
2 – Overwhelmingly Satisfied. These are stores that the overwhelming number of customers rate very highly and would have no reservations recommending to anyone. A high 4-star rating is typical of these stores and less than 10% of their customers have called them average or worse.
If the online bike shop rates a 0, it doesn’t appear in my rankings. I haven’t recommended it and won’t link to it on the site. You may think I’m setting the bar high for customer satisfaction. You’re right. There are too many online stores with great prices and very satisfied customers to mess with those that are only average or good at best.
Several stores that rate 0 don’t systematically poll their customers, don’t use one of the independent services, or don’t have enough feedback to conclude you should or shouldn’t shop there. That tells me that customer satisfaction or transparency about how satisfied their customers are isn’t high on their list of what’s important to them. That crosses them off my list of stores I want to shop at.
Here are the stores I’ve rated 0 because there’s no or too little feedback about them from independent services: Amain Cycling, BicycleBuys, BicycleWarehouse, BikeBling, BikeExchange, Bikesale.com, BikeSomewhere, Bob’s Bicycles, Canada Bicycle Parts, Excel Sports, Glory Cycles, La Bicicletta, Mike’s Bikes, Bike Closet, Pushys, TBSM, Torpedo7, Total Cycling, TourCycling, Universal Cycles, Westbrook, and Worldwide Cyclery.
Here are the stores I’ve rated 0 because there is sufficient feedback to conclude that their customer satisfaction level is average or worse: 4theBike, bikebug, Alltricks, bike-discount.de, BikeInn, Bikester, Cycle Surgery, Evans Cycles, Lordgun, ProBikeKit outside the UK and US, Probikeshop, R&A Cycles, Rose, and Wheelies.
Several rating services collect customer satisfaction data and publish the results. I lean on TrustPilot and Google Customer Reviews as these are the most credible services I have found in my research. Occasionally they disagree; when they do I put a premium on what customers have told TrustPilot because of the quality of their feedback.
There are other rating services like Feefo and BizRate that I no longer consider in my evaluation because some aspects of their approach to collecting and displaying the data are not as comprehensive, independent, or transparent as those done by TrustPilot and Google. When those or similar services make up the bulk of the Google aggregate rating, I also disregard that.
Some services like eTrusted Shops provide a money-back guarantee for consumers under a specific policy. That’s nice if you have a problem, but having this service says nothing about how satisfied customers are with the store. Others like GeoTrust or Trustwave tell you a site complies with specific procedures for secure credit card use but nothing about how happy customers are doing business with the site.
I don’t consider Facebook, Yelp, or other social media ratings of stores. These are not collected independently of the store or have any validation process.
I look at all of this customer satisfaction rating data for the stores to develop the 0, 1, or 2 ratings you see above.
We want to buy from online bike stores with a good range of the products, brands and models we road and gravel cycling enthusiasts ride, wear, and use. Many other stores cater primarily to recreational or mountain bike cyclists, triathletes, hikers, runners, etc., but carry a few lines or products that enthusiasts might buy. Finding what most enthusiasts look for at these stores is like finding needles in a haystack. Your time is better spent going to stores specializing in selling needles and very little hay.
We also want to shop at stores with the enthusiast’s selection of products in inventory when we want to buy them rather than having to order them and wait for the dealer to deliver them to the store and then to you. We can all do that locally.
The stores are rated on Selection as follows:
0 – Poor Selection. Very few brands and models are used by road and gravel cycling enthusiasts
1 – Limited Selection. A good range of products or models from a few major brands (3-4 or less) enthusiasts favor in each of the major categories (bikes, wheelsets, components, apparel) or many major brands but a limited model range or inventory in those brands.
2 – Broad Selection. Many (>4) of the major brands that enthusiasts favor in each category have a good range of models and a good inventory ready to ship.
How do I determine these selection ratings? First, stores that sell primarily recreational level bike gear, close-out or older goods, sell just one category like bikes or vintage bike clothing, or cater primarily to triathletes or MTBers are ranked 0. They aren’t stores we’ll find a lot at and aren’t worth searching for gear. I haven’t listed these in the table above.
In case you were wondering where some stores went that you might have heard of or showed up in your Google searches, here are the stores I rated 0 for selection for the reasons I just mentioned: 99 Bikes, Bikesdirect.com, BobShop, Cambria, Colorado Cyclist, CyclesUK, Cycledivision, Modern Bike, Nashbar, Planet X, Power Meter City, REI, Ribble, Rutland Cycling, Sun & Ski, Trisports, Winstanleys.
Stores are rated 1 or “Limited Selection” if they have only a few brands enthusiasts ride, carry only a few models of a large number of enthusiast brands, or carry only a limited number of a larger range of brands or models in inventory.
For example, an online bike shop with an Ultegra groupset but only in one or two combinations of crank lengths, chainset and cassette ratios would rate 1 for selection. If they only carry a couple of the major wheelset brands and a lot of less widely distributed, often national brands, I would rate them 1. If they sell a wider selection of brands and/or models but you usually need to special order many of these, what they really have is limited and rate a 1 in my book.
There are undoubtedly financial and marketing reasons that some online stores use these strategies, but if you don’t look closely you might think they have a better selection than they actually do.
If the store has exactly what you are looking for in stock at a good price and has good customer satisfaction ratings, it is perfect. That’s the store for you for the product you are looking for. It doesn’t matter to you if it is one of only a few in the sizes, ratios, standards, colors, etc., made in that model. It’s just that the stores I’m ranking 1 are limited in what they have compared to those that carry much more stock and sell a standard range of options in a given model.
The “Broad Selection” stores I rank 2 typically carry at least a third to a half of the brands that make the range of products that show up in my reviews, the models within those brands that we enthusiasts ride, a good range of options in those models, and carry a lot of it in their inventory rather than having to go back to their distributor to get it when you want to order it. They also often carry smaller brands that are well regarded and for which the manufacturer limits their distribution to stores they have found will service their products well.
According to polls I’ve run on the site over the years, cyclists read our bike gear reviews first and foremost to “get in-depth reviews and recommendations on gear I’m planning to buy.”
A smaller group of you read the site either to do some initial research or confirm what you’ve decided to buy is the right choice. Very few read the site to keep up on what’s happening in bike gear. That’s good because I don’t offer the kind of press-release coverage of new gear that most ad-supported cycling publications do to keep their advertisers happy.
Knowing the overwhelming number of you are here on your way to buying something rather than merely browsing with no intention to buy in the near term, I work hard to provide you regularly updated links to the highest-rated stores – those with the lowest net price, in-stock listings for each product in my reviews.
I also make sure to link you to those online bike shops that give you exclusive price discounts and codes as readers of this site or that provide the site a commission when you buy through the red links on the site that go directly to the stores and their product listing pages for the gear we’ve reviewed. Those commissions get plowed back into the cost of running the site and buying gear that we review. This enables me to keep the reviews independent of industry influence, free of advertisers and the potential bias that can come with them, and keep the site free of subscription costs.
Quite a few readers have commented that they want to buy from an online bike store that will give them the best deals and that supports In The Know Cycling’s unique and independent approach to cycling reviews. So, I’ve come up with a Support rating aligned with those objectives.
The stores are rated on Support as follows:
0 – No Support. The store offers no discount to In The Know Cycling readers and provides no commission to the site for sales through links from this site. Those links are in black.
1 – Average Support. The store offers no unique discount to readers, but it supports this site at the same level it supports other sites. Those links are in red.
2 – Strong Support. The store provides this site’s readers with exclusive deals and/or more support than others. Those links are also in red.
For context, I’ve also listed one of a half-dozen categories describing the business model the online bike shop uses to run its business. This is an informational description only and doesn’t figure in the store rating or ranking.
The good news is that there are many business models that online bike stores are using to be successful and provide you the combination of price, service, selection, and support you want these days. Some models may suit you better than others and can help you choose between them.
Here are brief descriptions of the model designations in the chart above.
Superstore – These online cycling stores are very large and have massive purchasing power, allowing them to sell products typically for 20-40% below the total retail price and sell all over the world.
Premium Service – Need to talk with a bike gear expert? Put a premium on speedy delivery, no-hassle returns, and great customer service? These stores set themselves apart with their service while still offering good discounts.
Discounter – These stores offer good discounts, some as much or more than the Superstores though many only in the 20% range. Some discounters also offer very good service though not to the level of the stores in the Premium Service category.
Chain – Usually a well-known, large chain of cycling or outdoor stores, these sell bike gear, often focusing on bikes, at both their physical stores and online stores. This allows you to see, touch, or even ride display models before buying. Customers order online and get their gear shipped to their home or the store for pick up, what’s called “click and collect.”
Extension – These are typically stores with a single location or a small number of stores in a concentrated geographical area that see an online storefront as a way to extend their business further to reach customers far beyond their physical location, sometimes with a unique combination of high-end or niche products.
Marketplace – Amazon and eBay also sell new bike gear online with just about every consumer product under the sun. Smaller cycling brands will use these online goliaths when looking for a large distribution channel or marketplace without losing profit by going through a distributor who then sells to a retailer. You will also see online stores that only sell through Amazon and eBay that specialize in buying bike gear from major brands in deals that smooth out the brands’ inventory. Note, I only link you to new product listings from stores with Amazon’s 4* or 5* rating and eBay’s Top Rated Plus buyer ratings.
There are also many large cycling brands like Specialized, Trek, Giant, and Cannondale, and some of the smaller ones that sell directly to consumers online and through their own branded physical stores and bike shop dealers. Most sell just their own gear online and at full retail price, but occasionally, they will discount a line of theirs that is being discontinued and sell it through their online ‘outlet store’ at a discounted price. I have found no customer satisfaction data on these stores and have not included them in the lists above.
* * * * * *
Is there an online store you have used or are curious about that isn’t one of the nearly 100 in the table or mentioned elsewhere in this post? Please let me know in the comment section below, and I’ll check it out.
If you’ve benefited from this review and want to keep new ones coming, buy your gear and kit after clicking the store links in this review and others across the site. When you do, we may earn an affiliate commission that will help me cover the expenses to create and publish more ad-free, subscription-free, and reader-supported reviews that are independent, comprehensive, and comparative.
If you prefer to buy at other stores, you can still support the site by contributing here or buying anything through these links to eBay and Amazon.
You can use the popup form or the one at the bottom of the sidebar to get notified when new posts come out. To see what gear and kit we’re testing or have just reviewed, follow us by clicking the icons below.
Thanks, and enjoy your rides safely! Cheers, Steve
Follow us on
Before asking me about a store you are interested in,
Add the store’s URL to these links:
For Trust Pilot – https://www.trustpilot.com/review/
For Google Customer Reviews – https://www.google.com/shopping/ratings/account/lookup?q=
If they have less than 4 stars with at least 100 reviews or no matter how many stars with less than 100 reviews, I don’t recommend you shop there. Any other rating system – Facebook, Yelp, Testsieger, eTrusted Shops, etc., etc.- are not independent rating services. Ignore their ratings. Thanks, Steve
Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.
Buying a great bike almost feels like winning the lottery. Finding the right one for your needs is a whole other thing. How much do you have to spend? Luckily, we're recommending not only some stellar wheels but also some stellar bike retailers to buy your soon-to-be new ride.
Numerous retailers are restocking inventory year-round to keep up with growing demand. Most retailers understand the plight of at-home sizing, so you won’t have to search too hard to connect with a live customer service agent or pull up a comprehensive online diagram to help you find the perfect fit. They can also inform you of the difference between dirt bikes, mountain bikes, folding bikes, road bikes, electric bikes, and more, so you can find the right model for you.
Ready to take your transportation up a notch? We’ve found the 11 best places to buy bikes online from retailers like REI, BikeExchange, Huffy, and more.
Credit: GT/Schwinn
Dick's Sporting Goods offers free shipping, free assembly, and the freedom to explore your city on a new solid bike.
From mountain bikes to cruisers to hybrids, shopping for bikes at Dick’s is made easy through its user-friendly navigational tools. Simply narrow down your preferred wheel size, brand, frame size, color, and the like, and you’ll be a click away from your dream bike. Each product page is complete with a “frequently bought together” section, which can help you stock up on biking necessities you may have overlooked, like a bike rack, kickstand, or water bottle cage. Customers agree that delivery is fast and efficient.
The best part about shopping for bikes at Dick’s? You’re eligible for free assembly, whether you buy online, in-store, or pick it up, which means less work for you. Plus, with its price match guarantee policy, the store will match the price if you find your bike cheaper elsewhere.
Shop for bikes at Dick's Sporting Goods
Credit: Electra/Cannondale
Staffed by outdoor lovers just like you, you're always in good hands when shopping for bikes at REI.
REI is a true one-stop shop for all things outdoors. As a co-op, its lifetime $30 membership grants you (among many other things) the ability to save up to $400 on bikes. Its superior fitting services are great, though thanks to its handy online bike fitting guide and virtual outfitting service with an expert, you can shop for a bike from the comfort of your home.
Assembly is included when you pick up your bike in-store, and while it isn’t if you opt for delivery, most product pages include a comprehensive video to guide you through the process seamlessly.
REI’s prices vary vastly, depending on the brand and model—you can snag a top-shelf Cannondale electric bike for over $4,000, for example. But its bestselling options, ranging from step-through bikes to mountain bikes, are all well within the $300 to $500 price range.
Shop for bikes at REI
Credit: Retrospec/Fuji
With over 1,500 brands and 6,000 products on offer, BikeExchanges gear and bike selection is unmatched
BikeExchange’s concierge quite literally takes all the guesswork out of finding the right bike for you—simply pop in a few details like height, budget, and type (road, hybrid, mountain, etc), and it will hit you with suggestions based on the current inventory. For more casual questions, you can use a chat box to speak with experts while you shop online as if a retail clerk were right there with you. And you’ll likely need all the assistance you can get—at the time of this writing, BikeExchange’s website contains over 4,000 bikes for sale, ranging from hardtail and full-suspension mountain bikes to road, cyclocross, and gravel bikes. Bikes are shipped partially pre-assembled with major parts like the fork, frame, suspension, crank, and rear wheel intact.
Shop for bikes at BikeExchange
Credit: Huffy/Mongoose
Save big on all the best bike brands at Walmart.
There's value in shopping somewhere we're all familiar with—especially when making a major purchase like a bike—and Walmart happens to have a user-friendly interface to help you navigate its massive selection of bikes. Sort through categories like BMX, folding, electric, and cruiser bikes, wheel size, brand, and, in true Walmart fashion, deal type. Most of the bikes you'll find are made for casual use.
Walmart has all your bases covered on the product page: You can add on at-home bike assembly for an extra $49, along with an Allstate-powered protection plan for either three or four years, which covers mechanical and electrical failures and malfunctions as well as 24/7 live support. Reviewers love Walmart’s "forever warranty" policy and that you can use Affirm to pay for your bike over the course of three, six, or 12 months.
Keep in mind that certain bikes come from third-party sellers, which you can spot beneath the “Sold and shipped by” tag under the product icon on the main landing page. These sellers often operate under different policies, so always double-check where your bike is coming from before buying, see what other customers have to say about a given seller in the reviews, or look for the “Pro Seller” icon above the seller on the product page to ensure you know what you’re getting into.
Shop for bikes at Walmart
Credit: Charge
Thanks to Charge's powerful motor, you'll never want to go back to a basic bike again.
As a proud owner of the Comfort bike, I can ride long distances—up to 50 miles on a single charge at speeds up to 20 miles per hour—without a single pang of back or neck pain thanks to the bike’s unique upright position and pillowy leather seat. Pressure sensors detect the air level in your tires, so your bike will never tire out on you mid-ride. While I was confident I wanted the Comfort option due to my chronic back pain, you can always request a test ride at a location near you before you settle on your favorite option. Their bikes are by no means cheap, but monthly installments with Affirm (interest-free if paid within six months) do help soften the blow.
Though Charge’s bikes do require some assembly, instructions are easy to follow and building only takes around 10 minutes. The bikes are attractive and made for those with back pain—you can transport nearly a duffel bag’s worth of belongings or groceries on the rear shelf, marvel at the handlebar display featuring your speed and miles left on your charge, and fold your handlebars and pedals in for easy storage and transportation. Charge understands e-bikes are new territory for most riders, so it helps you acclimate with a helpful beginner’s guide.
Shop for bikes at Charge
Credit: Sole/State Bicycle Co.
Target makes shopping for bikes as easy as household items.
Target is notorious for being the place you shop with no list, “just vibes.” But given its wide bike selection, you’re going to want to be a little more intentional. Luckily, Target makes it easy with its bike buying guide, assisting you in choosing the kind of bike you need, along with the likes of appropriate seat width, frame material, handlebar height, gearing, and more. Most of these bikes are on the lower end and are better for casual riding.
What’s unique about Target’s interface is that you get a highlight reel of each product right on the landing page without having to click on it, allowing you to compare bikes and add them to your cart right then and there. This is helpful if you’re the type to accumulate far too many open tabs on your browser.
Target’s prices are notoriously fair to begin with, but you can take advantage of even more savings with its RedCard, which offers you 5% off everything (yes, even bikes), free shipping, as well as an additional 30 days to return or exchange your item. You can tack on Allstate's two-year bike protection for an extra $49, which includes mechanical defects and wear and tear coverage with no deductible, or pay in installments with Affirm.
Shop for bikes at Target
Credit: Polygon
Bikes Online cuts out the middleman so the savings end up in your pocket.
It’s not hard to see why Bikes Online has become one of the most popular destinations for all things cycling and gear. Consistently garnering rave reviews from customers for its superior customer service and fast shipping, Bikes Online serves as an affordable alternative to standard sporting goods shops. As a direct-to-consumer retailer, it cuts out the importer, distributor, and bike shop, allowing shoppers to get warehouse prices.
Finding the right fit is simple with its Bike Fit Calculator, which is available right on the product page. Additionally, it offers a model comparison chart so you can see exactly how your model in question stacks up against other varieties in the same line.
You can also take advantage of the buy now and pay later option by selecting PayPal as your payment method for purchases above $99. From there, you apply for PayPal interest-free credit, get approved in seconds, and can take up to six months to pay it off in installments of your choice. All bikes come delivered pre-assembled for free.
Shop for bikes at Bikes Online
Credit: sixthreezero/Schwinn
Your go-to online retailer is about to be your destination for your new favorite bike.
Though it can be overwhelming to sift through what feels like endless inventory, it helps to start with Amazon’s algorithm-generated list of best-selling bikes. From there, you can narrow down your search to include bike types like cruiser bikes, fixed gear bikes, BMX bikes, and more. Most of the bikes available are geared towards more casual riders, too.
Unlike other more obscure retailers, popular bike brands on Amazon garner up to several thousand reviews—many of the reviewers are specific in both their criticism and their praise—which can help you vet the bike’s quality and shipping process. Like Walmart, be wary of third-party sellers, and when you can, purchase directly from the brand itself.
Shop for bikes at Amazon
Credit: Huffy/Ozone
Academy sells discounted bikes made to last for seasons to come.
For an affordable bike from a reputable brand, look no further than Academy, which carries everything from comfort bikes to road bikes to hybrids. Though the retailer sells bikes on the lower price end, self-professed “bike snobs” claim to have found their dream bike at Academy for well under $200. Best of all, Academy will match your price if the bike is sold cheaper anywhere else.
While product pages are pretty bare-bones, you get all the information you need to make an informed purchase, like features and benefits, dimensions, customer reviews, and a Q-and-A section worth checking out to see if someone had the same question as you. Academy’s product pages’ minimalism could be considered a bonus if you’re the type to get overwhelmed by specs and flashy diagrams. Plus, all in-store pickups (or in-store purchases) are eligible for free assembly.
To save even more on your new bike, sign up for the Academy Sports + Outdoors credit card, which grants you $15 off your first purchase, 5% off all future purchases, and free shipping on orders over $15.
Shop for bikes at Academy Sports + Outdoors
Credit: Huffy
Skip the middleman and buy bikes directly from the source at Huffy
Huffy has become almost as synonymous with bikes as Kleenex is to tissues—that’s how strongly it has upheld its reputation since its inception in 1892. The brand is sold at several major retailers, but there are numerous reasons to shop straight from the source. Plenty of popular Huffy models are available at considerable discounts, including the Montview Men's 700c Electric Comfort Bike, which can be had for a $1,000 discount.
Complete with how-tos, assembly, sizing, and buying guides, its blog is full of use bike know-how for novices and experts alike.
Shop for bikes at Huffy
Credit: Huffy/Tour de France
At Home Depot, expect quality bikes at affordable prices.
While you’re browsing Home Depot for a new light fixture or can of paint, you should also head to its bike section, which features a robust selection of reliable and recognizable brands like Huffy, Tony Hawk, and Kawasaki. Most bikes cost less than $400, making Home Depot an all-around affordable choice whether you’re a casual urban rider or a competitive cyclist.
Shopping for kids? Home Depot is rife with exciting Disney-, Angry Birds-, and Frozen-themed options they’ll love showing off around the neighborhood.
Home Depot is quicker to launch Black Friday deals than most major retailers, which means you can get a head start on bike shopping during the fall or off-season when biking isn’t as top-of-mind for most folks and save in the process.
Shop for bikes at Home Depot
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.