Last updated 17 September 2026
This policy explains what personal information abouteBikes collects when you visit the site, why we collect it, and what you can do about it. It is written to be read, not to be skipped.
Who we are
abouteBikes is an independent website operated from the United Kingdom. We are the “data controller” for the information described here, which means we are responsible for deciding how it is used.
For anything to do with your personal information, including any of the requests described below, contact us at [email protected].
What we collect
Information you give us
If you send us a message through the contact form or by email, we receive your name, your email address, and whatever you put in the message. We do not ask for anything beyond that, and there is no account to register for.
Information collected automatically
Like every website, our web server keeps log files. These record the IP address of the device making the request, the browser and operating system, the page requested, the page you came from, and the date and time. Logs are generated by the hosting provider as part of running and securing the site.
Cookies and analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand which pages people read and how they arrive. It sets cookies and collects information about your visit, including a truncated IP address. Analytics cookies are only set if you agree to them. See the cookies section below.
We also use Google Search Console, which reports on search performance in aggregate and does not identify individual visitors.
Why we use it, and our lawful basis
UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for each use of your information. Ours are set out here in full.
| What we do | Information used | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Reply to your message | Name, email, message content | Legitimate interests: answering someone who contacted us |
| Keep the site running and secure | Server log data | Legitimate interests: operating the site and preventing abuse |
| Understand how the site is used | Analytics data | Consent, given through the cookie banner, withdrawable at any time |
| Meet our legal obligations | Whatever the obligation requires | Legal obligation |
Cookies
Cookies are small files stored by your browser. The ones on this site fall into three groups.
- Essential cookies: needed for the site to function, for example remembering your cookie choice. These are set without consent because the site cannot work properly without them.
- Analytics cookies: set by Google Analytics, only after you agree. They tell us which pages are read and how people found them.
- Third-party cookies from Amazon: if you click a link to Amazon, Amazon sets its own cookies on its own site so it can credit us with any purchase. That happens under Amazon’s privacy policy, not ours, and we have no access to or control over those cookies.
You can change or withdraw your cookie choice at any time using the cookie settings link, and you can block or delete cookies through your browser settings. Blocking analytics cookies does not affect how the site works.
Who else sees your information
We do not sell your personal information, and we never will. It is shared only with the suppliers who make the site work:
- Our hosting provider, which stores the site and its server logs.
- Google, as the provider of Analytics and Search Console.
- Our email provider, where messages you send us are received and stored.
Each of these processes data on our instructions, apart from Google, which acts as a controller in its own right for some analytics purposes. Some of them are based outside the UK, so your information may be transferred abroad. Where that happens it is protected by the safeguards UK law requires, such as the UK International Data Transfer Addendum or an adequacy decision.
How long we keep it
- Messages you send us: kept for up to two years after our last exchange, then deleted.
- Server logs: kept for a short period by the hosting provider, typically no more than 30 days.
- Analytics data: retained on Google’s standard schedule, currently 14 months.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- Be told what we do with your information, which is what this page is for.
- Get a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Have it corrected if it is wrong or incomplete.
- Have it deleted, in most circumstances.
- Restrict how we use it while a query is resolved.
- Object to our using it where we rely on legitimate interests.
- Withdraw consent for analytics at any time, without affecting anything done beforehand.
- Ask for your data in a portable format, in certain cases.
These rights are free to exercise. Email [email protected] and we will respond within one month. We will not charge you a fee, and we will not ask you to justify the request.
Complaints
If you think we have handled your information badly, please tell us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK regulator, at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113.
Children
This site is aimed at adults buying electric bikes. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has sent us information, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the new version appears on this page with a new date at the top. Significant changes will be flagged on the site itself.
Related: our affiliate disclosure explains how the site is funded, and how we choose explains where our information comes from.