What is Cyclesite and how does it work?

Cyclesite is a UK marketplace for buying and selling used bikes. Sellers photograph the bike's serial number when listing, and we check it against stolen bike databases before it goes live. Buyers browse for free, message sellers, and pay through Stripe with escrow protection. Listing fees start from £10.99.

Is it safe to buy a second-hand bike on Cyclesite?

Yes. The serial number photo that sellers provide when listing does two things: it proves the seller physically has the bike, and it lets us check the serial against stolen bike databases. If the bike comes back as reported stolen, the listing is blocked. Payments go through Stripe with escrow, so your money is held until you confirm you're happy. If something goes wrong, our dispute team can step in. You can also check any bike yourself for free at cyclesite.co.uk/stolen-bikes.

How much does it cost to sell a bike?

Listing fees start from £10.99 for a standard listing. Auction listings may include additional fees. There are no hidden charges, and you can see the full pricing breakdown on our pricing page before you list.

What bikes can I find on Cyclesite?

Everything from road bikes and mountain bikes to electric bikes, gravel bikes, hybrids, kids' bikes, and folding bikes. You'll find popular brands like Specialized, Trek, Giant, Canyon, Cannondale, and Brompton, plus smaller and boutique brands. Listings cover the whole of the UK, with bikes available in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Bristol, and hundreds of other towns and cities.

How are payments handled?

Secure payments are available through Stripe. When you choose to pay through the platform, your money can be held in escrow until you've confirmed the bike matches the listing. Buyers and sellers can also arrange payment directly if they prefer.

Cyclesite vs BuyCycle Comparison

Cyclesite is the UK's trusted bicycle marketplace with seller profiles and ratings, quality listings, and stolen-bike verification. Unlike BuyCycle, every listing on Cyclesite is automatically checked against stolen bike databases. Cyclesite uses transparent listing fees from £10.99 (vs BuyCycle's Percentage of sale (3.5% commercial)), with optional Buyer Protection shown up front at checkout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does buycycle operate in the UK?

Yes, buycycle serves UK customers as part of its pan-European marketplace. There is no UK stolen-bike verification and the audience is spread across several countries. Cyclesite is built specifically for the UK market with automatic stolen-bike checks and a UK-first audience.

How much does buycycle charge?

buycycle charges a percentage commission on successful sales, 3.5% for commercial sellers on bike listings at the time of writing, with separate rates for parts and accessories. Cyclesite charges a flat listing fee from £10.99, with optional Buyer Protection and secure delivery shown transparently at checkout.

Is buycycle or Cyclesite better for UK cyclists?

buycycle suits sellers targeting a wider European audience for premium road, gravel or mountain bikes, with built-in shipping coordination and a post-delivery inspection window. Cyclesite is UK-first, with automatic stolen-bike checks, a flat listing fee from £10.99 and support across every bike type from commuters to race machines.

Can I sell commuter or entry-level bikes on buycycle?

buycycle is oriented around premium performance bikes and is not the natural home for commuters or entry-level listings. Cyclesite supports every bike type, from commuters to race machines, on the same platform.

Cyclesite vs BuyCycle

Where's the best place to buy or sell your bicycle?

Cyclesite

BuyCycle

Here, we compare online bicycle marketplaces Cyclesite and BuyCycle.

*Comparisons based on publicly available information as of 13 April 2026. Fees and features may change, check each platform for current pricing.

Seller fees

From £10.99

Percentage of sale (3.5% commercial)

Stolen Check

Yes

UK Focus

Yes

Bike-Specific

Yes

How is Cyclesite different to BuyCycle?

Cyclesite

Cyclesite is the UK's trusted bicycle marketplace, connecting you to private sellers and buyers across the country. Every listing is automatically verified against stolen bike databases.

BuyCycle

buycycle is a pan-European marketplace for pre-owned bikes, founded in Germany in 2020 and now active across the UK and several European countries. The platform focuses on higher-end road, gravel and mountain bikes, with buyer protection, secure payment handling and a short post-delivery inspection window built into the model. For sellers, the main considerations are the fee structure and the target segment. buycycle charges a percentage commission on successful sales (3.5% for commercial sellers on bike listings at the time of writing, with separate rates for parts and accessories), and the platform is oriented around premium bikes rather than entry-level or commuter models. UK listings are part of a wider European marketplace, so buyers and sellers need to account for cross-border shipping on many transactions, and there is no verification against UK stolen-bike databases.

Stolen bike verification

buycycle does not check listings against UK stolen-bike databases.

Cyclesite advantage: Every Cyclesite listing is automatically checked against these sources before it goes live, grounding provenance for UK buyers.

UK-first vs pan-European

buycycle is a pan-European marketplace. UK listings are part of a wider audience, and cross-border shipping is common on many transactions.

Cyclesite advantage: Cyclesite is UK-first: GBP pricing, UK locations and local collection as the default, with shipping as an option rather than a requirement.

Transparent listing fee vs percentage commission

buycycle's model is a percentage commission on successful sales, higher-value bikes pay more in absolute terms.

Cyclesite advantage: Cyclesite charges a flat listing fee from £10.99. For a collection-only sale that is the total platform cost; if you opt into Buyer Protection with secure delivery, the fee is shown up front at checkout.

Cyclesite Strengths

Percentage commission on successful sales (3.5% commercial rate at time of writing)
Oriented around premium bikes, not designed for commuter or entry-level listings
No verification against UK stolen-bike databases
Pan-European rather than UK-first
Cross-border shipping is common and adds cost

BuyCycle Strengths

Built-in buyer protection with a short post-delivery inspection window
Secure payment handling and shipping coordination
Pan-European reach for sellers targeting a wider audience
Detailed listings with component specifications
Focus on quality pre-owned performance bikes

Frequently Asked Questions

Does buycycle operate in the UK?

How much does buycycle charge?

Is buycycle or Cyclesite better for UK cyclists?

Can I sell commuter or entry-level bikes on buycycle?

Compare Other Platforms

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Join the UK's safest bicycle marketplace. Every listing stolen-checked. Transparent pricing from £10.99. Built for cyclists.

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