The only thing more certain than a hangover during Freshers’ Week is the sight of new students wobbling all over town on their new bikes; cycling up one-way streets and terrifying hapless pedestrians. There is something in the air at Cambridge which inspires those who have never cycled before (and who never should cycle) to buy a bike and pedal around like a kid riding without stabilisers for the first time. However, in order to experience this rite of passage, you must first purchase a bike (and preferably not one off the back of a van for £10). I’m here to take you through the basics and prevent you from cycling away on a rust-machine, which will dump you into the Cam when your brakes fail.

1. Why buy second-hand?

Generally speaking, I’m all for buying new but, unless you are a keen cyclist or have more money than sense (not uncommon in Cambridge), it’s often better and cheaper to buy a used bike that’s built to last. The key thing here is budget. You should be able to get a good used bike for £75-£100. If your budget is a lot higher than this, then it might be worth looking for a new bike, but remember that the sight of a shiny new bike in October in Cambridge is the equivalent of Christmas arriving early for bike thieves.

2. Where should I buy my bike?

Cambridge is home to a bewildering array of bike shops – seriously, if you close your eyes and point your finger at the map, you will in all likelihood land on one. Some of the better places are hidden away in obscure side streets with sexy names like Laundress Lane, so have a look round to see what’s available. Don’t be afraid to haggle – October is open season in the bicycle trade and naive, young students are ripe for the picking. Ask around to find out what the normal prices are before you buy a bike or any other accessories. (Do you really need that bobble-headed dog for your basket?)

3. Which type of bike?

It helps to have some idea of the sort of bike you want. Roughly speaking, Cambridge bikes can be divided into three groups: classic sit-up and beg (not what you teach your dog; this means having handlebars that curve backwards, so that the cyclist can sit straight rather than hunching forwards), various forms of mountain bike (hard to see the need for a mountain bike in England’s flattest city) and racing bikes or ‘fixies' designed for madmen who want to go faster than the cars (and sometimes aeroplanes, as they go soaring, sans bike, over car bonnets and bollards).

4. What’s my size?

Having seen a bike that looks right you need to check a few things. Firstly, is it the right size? If the frame is too big for you it’s going to be a real struggle and if it’s too small you’ll look foolish (think Homer Simpson at Clown College). When you’re sitting on the saddle you should be able to get both feet on the ground, but should be on the edge of being on tip-toe.

5. Is the bike in good nick?

Well-maintained bikes shouldn’t squeak or rattle (although this would appear to be a pretty standard bike-soundtrack) and the tyres should look in good condition (no frayed bits or other obvious damage). Chains and gears should look clean and have a thin film of oil (not thick clumps of black grease or brown rusty spots). Get the seller to prove that the gears and brakes work and if possible ask to go for a short ride to check it all feels okay before you hand over any money.

6. It’s those little extras that make a difference

A good bike lock: Cambridge has a really high rate of bike crime, so don’t risk leaving yours unlocked. It might seem okay to put a £5 lock on a £50 bike, but if you’ve just paid £200 it’s better to get a tougher lock. In general D-locks are tougher than cable locks, but some cheap D-locks are childishly easy to break. Give bike thieves a proper challenge and look out for locks that are approved by Sold Secure (http://www.soldsecure.com/), as this means they’ve been tested to see how hard they are to break. You also should register your bike with your college porters and that way, when you stumble out of Cindies and can’t remember what your bike looks like, they’ll have all the details on file.

Lights: use them.

7. Don’t become another statistic!

There has been a lot of media debate about whether a bike helmet keeps you safe or not. It may look and make you feel like a cyborg and ruin your hair-do, but lives have been saved by wearing one. Likewise with staying visible: you may look like a builder in a hi-vis smock, but at least you won’t get run over by a taxi.