There is an article on the Grauniad website about how to buy a bike:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/may/19/buying-bicycle-saving-money

Am I missing something, or there NO useful information in that article, beyond the blindingly obvious?

It’s in a section of the paper entitled “saving money” rather than “cycling”. But I agree, apart from the How to Haggle tips, there’s not much there.

should be in a section of the paper called “how to make a complete tit of your self” …..

there is haggling but filling people with the heads that they are going to get mudguards and a helmet AND a heft discount on a 400 quid bike …. they wonder why alot of highstreet (and non just bike shops) are going to the wall…

i notice how they dont mention that when you get your cheap bike of the internet you will be required to build it…….and we all know what a hash the non cycling public can make of that ! (forks on backwards..pedals in the wrong cranks , QRS used as wingnuts etc ….)