Shipping

Shipping on all accessories is FREE to UK mainland addresses. If you live in the Highlands & Islands or Northern Ireland then please contact us for a price to ship to these areas - we will also need to take your order over the phone with a credit card. Alternatively you may send a cheque or pay by BACS (see below for details).

Bikes - you may have noticed we sell particularly long bikes! These are heavy and, when boxed up, extremely bulky. Each bike or frame carries it's own shipping price based on a UK mainland address (excluding highlands and islands and N. Ireland.) Shipping prices are displayed for each product.

Bikes are normally shipped on an overnight courier service. Depending on workshop capacity, bikes are usually despatched within 24 hours of your order being placed. Medium sized items are also sent by courier on a 24/48 hour service (depending on location and size/weight). Small items are sent by courier on a 3-5 day service. We strive to despatch all orders within 24 hours of the order being placed.

If you live in the more remote areas of the UK (as listed above) we will happily ship to you but we will need to amend the shipping costs slightly so please call or e-mail us for a specific shipping price for your address. We will need to take a credit card order from you over the phone for this. Alternatively you may pay by cheque or BACS (see below for details).

Bike Delivery Service

We will deliver ANY of our bikes fully assembled and ready to ride to your door at home or work for a flat charge of £30. Please contact us by phone to arrange this. We offer this service within an 80 mile radius of postcode FY8 4BX. If you live further away than 80 miles - contact us - we can work something out!

Within 20 miles of the above postcode we will deliver ANY fully assembled bike free of any delivery charge! We will also collect bikes within this radius - eg cargo bikes for servicing and Xtracycle conversion bikes. Sometimes we do this using a cargo bike - it's called practicing what we preach!

Packaging

You might notice that the packaging on your order isn't 'new'. This is because we try to re-use our own and other peoples' discarded packaging. This is good for two reasons; 1) Simple - we're recycling so less is going to landfill or being shipped to China for 'recycling' & 2) It does mean we can pass on some small savings to you - small - but we all like saving! We hope you continue to re-use the packaging once you have received your goods! In general our bikes come packaged in their factory packaging which we hope you will recycle!

International orders (parts and accessories)

If you wish to buy any accessories or parts please contact us listing what you wish to purchase and to which country you live in. We will obtain a shipping price (usually Airmail for smaller items) and let you know. You may pay by paypal, or by credit card by telphoning us on +44 (0)1253 739680. If our web-based payment system allows, we can in many circumstance set up international postage via our website.

Sending Bikes and Kits Internationally

Returns

If you bought something you don't like, doesn't fit or you just changed your mind you may send it back for a refund. If you have received goods which are faulty or damaged we offer to either replace the item (if in stock) or refund the full value of goods and postage. Please contact us within 48 hours of receiving faulty or damaged goods using our contact form so that we can arrange to sort things out. If you are returning goods because you simply changed your mind or because it doesn't fit - sorry we can't refund any postage costs either to you or for their return to us. In cases where you have changed your mind or the goods don't fit you must return the goods in original saleable condition with all original packaging and manuals to guarantee your full refund for the goods. Please inform us of change of mind/dont fit issues within 7 days of receipt of goods.

If you bought an Xtracycle Freeradical Kit from us and it turns out not to work with your frame/bike, we will refund but you will need to pay for return postage. All we ask is that the Freeradical Kit is returned with all original packaging, and manuals is undamaged, has not been altered in any way and is generally in original  saleable condition! This is part of the Practical Cycles Xtracycle 'What's to Lose' Promise!

Returns should be sent to;

Practical Cycles, 26 Warton St, Lytham, Lancs, FY8 5HA. Note; this is not our trading address!

Our general e-mail address is mail@practicalcycles.com 

Telephone - 01253 739680

Payments

We use Paypal  so you can bet that it's secure. You don't even need a paypal account to pay by Paypal anymore - just a credit or debit card. We don't store your credit card details or release any of your other details to any other party.

Pay over the phone by credit or debit card! This is great - especially if you'd like a bit of technical advice before you buy! We accept, cards bearing Visa, Mastercard, Visa Electron, Maestro and Solo signs.

We accept cheques! Please send your order via our contact form  and once your cheque has cleared, we'll send out your goods. Please make cheques payable to 'Practical Cycles'.

We also like bank transfers! Simply send us your order via our contact page - we will then confirm stock availability, final price and then you can pay us!  We will e-mail you our bank details.

Stock availability

Our website is always kept up to date with what we have in our warehouse, what we dont and what we can get to you from distributors or manufacturers in a few days. We don't hold Surly Big Dummy Frames in stock but these are despatched from the distributor within a few days. Bakfiets are all special orders due to the several sizes and gear options available. Popular colours and gear specifications can be despatched within 3-4 weeks from the UK warehouse - more unusual Bakfiets bike specs may need to be brought from the Dutch warehouse which takes a little longer. Tagas can be despatched flat pack anywhere directly from the manufacturer in Holland or they can be collected or delivered fully assembled - see 'Bike Delivery Service' above. Some child seats and hub gears are listed as in stock but not held in stock here - with these products we can generally despatch in 48-72 hours. We never knowingly advertise something as in stock when it is not in stock here or at the supplier  - we are consumers too and know how annoying  that can be!

Conversions

We charge £50 to convert your cycle to an Xtracycle. However, please note that from time to time extra parts may be required if a conversion is particularly tricky so we charge you for these. Most of the time things run smoothly though. 

Test Rides 

Please arrange an appointment - please use our contact form  (it's always best if you suggest some good times/dates for you). Our new Cargo Bike Studio is in Ansdell,  Lancashire which is about 10 miles from the City of Preston. Ansdell has regular trains and busses to the outside world and has one of those awful motorways not far away.

You are welcome to take any of our bikes on a test ride, however, to comply with our insurance conditions (not because we don't trust you) we require a credit card authorisation for the value of the bicycle and proof of ID (driving licence or passport).

Primarily we are an internet business AND with the added convenience that you can visit our Cargo Bike Studio by appointment to touch, feel and smell the bikes before you buy. We WILL answer your e-mail questions and queries about the bikes, stock  and compatability etc within 24 hours.

Cyclescheme

If you would like to buy a Cargo Bike from Practical Cycles through this scheme, please either call us on 01253 739680 or mail us via our contact form. We can't do Cyclescheme sales through the website (there's a paper form to fill in) but we can do it over the phone. We urge you to read more details on our CYCLESCHEME page.

VAT

All our prices include Value Added Tax at the current rate. We are registered for VAT in the UK - # 941 076 238 

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