Cyclesite vs Bike Club
Subscribe to a kids bike, or buy one and sell it on?
Here, we compare online bicycle marketplaces Cyclesite and Bike Club.
*Comparisons based on publicly available information, last updated 15 June 2026. Fees and features may change, check each platform for current pricing.
Who owns the bike
Yours outright
vs
Theirs, always
Four years, three sizes
Around £185
vs
A little over £550
Cost for a second child
Nothing extra
vs
Doubles
Stolen bike check
Yes
vs
No
How is Cyclesite different to Bike Club?
Cyclesite
Cyclesite is the UK's trusted bicycle marketplace, connecting you to private sellers and buyers across the country. Every listing with a frame number is automatically checked against stolen-bike databases, and anyone can run a frame number through the free bike checker before buying.
Bike Club
Bike Club is a kids bike subscription service founded in 2016. You pay a monthly fee, the bike arrives at your door, and you swap it for the next size up as your child grows. It is the largest service of its kind in the UK and also operates in Germany and Spain, with bikes from Frog, Woom, Forme, Cube and others in its fleet. The model is genuinely circular. Bikes come back, get refurbished, and go out again to another family, which means fewer bikes need to be built. For a parent who does not want to think about sizing, servicing or reselling, it removes the entire problem in exchange for a monthly payment. The trade-off is total cost and ownership. Across a balance bike, a first pedal bike and a geared bike, a subscription comes to a little over £550 over four years on a service that charges for final collection. Buying the same three bikes used and selling each one on lands closer to £185, because specialist kids brands hold their value on the second-hand market. You also never own the bike, so a second child pays the full subscription again rather than inheriting it. Bike Club does not offer a buy-out at the end.
Owning versus renting
A subscription is a hire agreement. You pay monthly for as long as your child rides the bike, and at the end it goes back. Bike Club does not offer a buy-out, because keeping bikes in circulation is the whole point of the model.
Cyclesite advantage: A bike bought on Cyclesite is yours. Keep it for a second child, lend it out, or sell it whenever you like and put the proceeds towards the next size.
What four years actually costs
Across a balance bike, a first pedal bike and a geared bike, a subscription comes to a little over £550 including a final collection fee, or nearer £520 on a service that includes collection.
Cyclesite advantage: Buying the same three bikes used and reselling each one lands closer to £185 with servicing included, because Frog, Islabikes, Squish and Woom hold their value second-hand.
The second child
A subscription charges per bike. Two children on subscription costs twice as much, for the whole time they are both riding.
Cyclesite advantage: A bought bike passes from the older child to the younger one at no extra cost, and you can still sell it at the end.
Where a subscription genuinely wins
If a £180 outlay in one go is difficult but £10 a month is manageable, the four-year total is not the number that matters. Servicing is handled, there is no outgrown bike in the shed, and no selling to do.
Cyclesite advantage: We would rather say this plainly than pretend otherwise. If you would never get round to reselling the outgrown bike, a subscription is the cheaper of the two things you would actually do.
Cyclesite Strengths
- Costs more over four years than buying used and reselling each bike
- You never own the bike, and there is no option to buy it at the end
- A second child pays the full subscription again rather than inheriting the bike
- Some services charge a collection fee of around £30 to £35 when you finish
- Kids bikes only, so it does not cover the rest of the family
Bike Club Strengths
- No upfront cost, which matters more than the four-year total for many families
- Servicing and wear items are included for the length of the subscription
- Size swaps are handled for you, with no reselling admin at all
- Genuinely circular: bikes are refurbished and re-rented rather than replaced
- Good brands in the fleet, including Frog, Woom, Forme and Cube
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a kids bike subscription cheaper than buying?
Usually not. A subscription across three bike sizes works out at a little over £550 across four years, while buying the same three bikes used and reselling each one lands closer to £185. Subscription wins on convenience and on spreading the cost, not on total price.
Can you buy the bike at the end of a Bike Club subscription?
No. Bike Club is built around keeping bikes in circulation and refurbishing them for the next family, so there is no buy-out option. You are renting rather than working towards ownership.
What is the best Bike Club alternative?
It depends what you want to change. Baboodle, Wuva and Pedal Plan are other UK subscription services with similar mechanics. If what you actually want is to stop paying monthly, buying a used bike from a specialist kids brand and reselling it when outgrown costs less over four years and leaves you owning the bike.
Is a bike subscription worth it for two children?
Rarely. A subscription charges per bike, so two children cost twice as much, while a bought bike passes from the older child to the younger one at no extra cost and can still be sold at the end.
Do used kids bikes hold their value?
Bikes from brands built specifically for children hold their value well on the UK used market. Frog, Islabikes and Squish have the strongest second-hand demand, with Forme and Woom also sought after. Supermarket and unbranded bikes hold almost no value.
Compare Other Platforms
Ready to Try Cyclesite?
Join the UK's trusted bicycle marketplace. Frame numbers stolen-checked. Free to list during launch, no commission on classified sales. Built for cyclists.