Maybe you’re looking for a cheap bicycle for your commute. Or maybe you’re trying to get in shape without having to pay $250 a month for a gym membership.
Whatever your reason for wanting a cheap bicycle, you’re probably not going to feel welcome at a lot of bike shops and cycling communities.
Never mind that bicycles are the mode of transport of the peasant class in China. In Singapore, it’s a status symbol, so be prepared to be judged if you forsake the $2,000 all-carbon, 25-speed monster for a $100 “market” bike.
That said, there are several bicycle shops (and online marketplaces) in Singapore where you can buy a reasonably priced quality bicycle under $700.
5 best cheap bike shops in Singapore
Bicycle shop | What they specialise in | Starting price |
Carousell / Togoparts | Used bicycles of all types & in all conditions | $50 |
Aleoca | Cheap basic cruisers and folding bikes | $139 |
Decathlon | Cheap but decent quality bikes of all kinds, good selection of kids’ bikes | $200 |
Rodalink | Polygon bikes (Indonesian brand known for affordable mountain bikes) | $449 |
My Bike Shop | Branded folding bikes, e.g. Dahon, Tern bikes | $600 |
Hup Leong | Merida bikes (specialise in road bikes but also has hybrids) | $643 |
Carousell / Togoparts — used bikes galore
A used bike is the way to go if you’re looking for a really cheap bicycle that you won’t mind locking up at the MRT station overnight, and the two best marketplaces for used bicycles are Carousell and Togoparts.
If you’re not fussy, you can find tons of used bicycles for sale on Carousell in all styles and conditions. The majority of these bicycles are from people who have simply lost interest in cycling, are forced to declutter, and/or have kids who outgrew their bikes.
Basic “market” (cruiser) bikes for adults generally hover around $50 to $100, but you need to check if the condition of the bike is actually decent, or if it veers more towards “bicycle carcass stolen from HDB void deck”. It’s good to budget about $50 more in case you need to swap out or fix the tyres, brakes, chains and so on.
Cycling forum Togoparts also has used bikes for sale, but because it’s for hobbyists, prices tend to be higher and people are more concerned about the brand here. On the positive side, sellers — if they are genuine sellers and not parts-flippers — tend to maintain their bikes better.
It goes without saying that before you deal, be sure to check the used bicycle very thoroughly. Here’s a very comprehensive used bike checklist to refer to.
Aleoca — basic market cruiser bikes
Given the risks of buying a bicycle second hand, you might want to opt for a brand new bike instead. Although they have increased their prices of late, Aleoca is still the most affordable bicycle brand in Singapore.
The cheapest Aleoca bicycle in the market for you to get around with at the moment is their Hi-Ten Steel Folding Bike which goes for $139 on their website. It’s not as ultra-portable as the fancier folding bike brands down this list, but it’s cheap, functional, and gets the job done.
If foldable bicycles aren’t for you, Aleoca also has their classic City Bikes which retails for $149 on their website. These won’t win awards but they’re a functional way to get around your neighbourhood.
Location: Giant Tampines, Giant IMM, or online through the Aleoca website or LazMall store.
Decathlon — bicycles for all ages & sizes
Decathlon is a great place to look for a cheap bicycle in Singapore, especially if you find that Aleoca-type bikes are too flimsy for you. I’d recommend Decathlon over Aleoca if you’re on the larger/taller side because the bikes are designed and tested for ang moh sizes.
Decathlon bicycles start from about $200 for city bikes and entry-level mountain bikes. But to get a better selection, you might want to increase your budget to $300, which will open up more options.
Also worth considering are the bike accessories, which are really cheap — locks, baskets, panniers etc. going from $10 to $30.
If you’re shopping for your kid, Decathlon also has an excellent range of children’s bikes. They may be more expensive than the generic kind you can buy from Giant, but they’re better quality.
Location: 230 Stadium Boulevard (Decathlon has several outlets, but the Kallang megastore is best for bicycle shopping)
Rodalink — cheap Polygon mountain bikes
Rodalink is a small chain of specialty bicycle shops that’s an upgrade from shopping at Decathlon or Giant. You get better customer service and information because they cater to the more experienced bicycle enthusiast crowd.
Don’t be too put off by the professionalism though, because Rodalink does carry some relatively cheaper bicycle brands, most prominently Polygon bikes, an Indonesian brand famous for making really affordable mountain bikes.
Now, if you’re into mountain bikes, you’d know how crazily expensive these can get in Singapore – well into the thousands. Frankly it’s a little shocking how obsessed Singaporeans are about MTBs, given, uh, our conspicuous lack of mountains.
Well, good news for broke MTB enthusiasts! A basic Polygon mountain bike will set you back “only” about $449 at Rodalink. Alternatively, Polygon also makes city cruisers starting at a slightly steeper cost of $599.
Locations:
- 166B Upper East Coast Road Singapore
- 18 Boon Lay Way, #01-98D Singapore
My Bike Shop — branded folding bike specialist
Unlike mountain bikes, folding bikes actually make sense in Singapore. MRTs are ubiquitous, which means that all you need, really, is a little vehicle that you can take with you onto the train.
While you can buy a cheap one from Aleoca or Decathlon, if you want a branded foldie such as a Tern bike, My Bike Shop is probably the best place to go. They carry probably the best range of foldies in Singapore and allow you to test-ride them.
The downside is that branded folding bikes aren’t cheap — My Bike Shop’s bikes start at at least $600 a pop. On the other hand, they offer a free “tune up” warranty for 2 years and certain parts are completely free to replace within that period.
Read more: 7 Best Bike Shops in Singapore for Affordable Foldable Bicycles
Locations:
- 213 Henderson Road, #01-06 (My Bike Shop)
- Blk 9 Yishun Industrial Street 1, North Spring Bizhub (My Bike Shop Too)
Hup Leong — Merida road & hybrid bikes
Don’t be fooled by Hup Leong’s homely name and the fact that it’s been around since 1968 — this Merdeka Generation bicycle shop in Singapore actually sells rather upmarket bicycles rather than the kind that uncles and aunties ride to the wet market. Oh and it has a rather slick online store as well.
Most people come to Hup Leong to look for Merida bicycles, a Taiwanese bike manufacturer that makes more affordable (but good quality) versions of traditionally-expensive mountain bikes and road bikes.
While most of the bikes at Hup Leong cost above $1,000, you can also find Merida’s most affordable series, the comfort-focused Crossway hybrid (MTB-meets-urban-bike). The older the model, the cheaper it gets. So it’s possible to score a 2020 Merida Crossway for as little as $452 and a 15-V model for $482.
Apart from selling Merida bikes, Hup Leong also does bike repairs and it’s well-known for excellent customer service and knowledgeable staff.
Location: 51 Chin Swee Rd, #01-107
Wait a miiiinute, just how expensive do bicycles get in Singapore?
Wondering why famous brands like Giant bikes and Canyon bikes aren’t on this list? Well, these are bike brands that cost THOUSANDS of dollars and strictly for hobbyists. In no possible worlds would they ever be considered “cheap”.
But if you really want to goggle at the price tags and pet sleek two-wheeled works of art that you can never hope to own, you can always visit Tay Junction for Giant bikes.
German manufacturer Canyon bikes is another extremely hot brand that Singaporeans are absolutely ga-ga over. What’s even crazier is that you can only buy them online, and every purchase is customised to your body type and measurements.
Each bike costs a cool few thousand pounds each, and shipping to Singapore is estimated to be about $500 a pop. You do the math yourself, because I’m scared the result might actually be higher than my net worth.
Which credit card should you swipe?
As you can see, buying a bicycle in Singapore will run you at least a few hundred bucks — not exactly loose change.
This is when you’d whip out one of these “unlimited” cashback credit cards that everyone should have for one-off purchases like bikes.
Below are two of the most commonly-accepted ones. You get a decent 1.5% or 1.6% cashback off the total with no hoops to jump through.
Don’t have one yet? Apply for a new credit card and you can get freebies from us. Here’s a compilation of the Best Credit Card Promotions 2021 — Free AirPods, CapitaLand Vouchers & More.
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