Online versus local bike shop

Needabike

With the rip of prices at the local bikeshop are there any arguments to not buy all our stuff online

What do we get , use out local bike shop for?

Gavin

For a new cyclist they can get the right size bike, get their first service for spokes and cable tightening for free. Might get some accessories like lights and helmet or lock thrown in for free.

Easy to return if there's a problem.

For the more slightly experienced cyclist, they'd be mad to buy in a local shop alright. I head to my local for help with maintenance and bits and pieces I don't want to wait for. I wouldn't buy a bike off em.

ba

thats kinda harsh man.

but i have no complaints with prices in bike shops. i get discounts from most places, like cycleways, cyclogical + eurocycles. only because they know my face and am a good customer.

but whats important is, i dont always want the cheapest products, i will pay that extra bit for advice and service.
i think the source of this all comes down to people wanting the cheapest + best stuff. which never really go hand in hand.

tbh, i'd never buy a bike online. just odd bits.

Chips Lovell

Needabike wrote: »

What do we get , use out local bike shop for?

Very little. Usually small stuff that I need in a hurry such as tubes or chain lube etc. Everything else is too overpriced and they often anway have a limited range in stock. As for advice, most shop assistants I've found have been a bit clueless.

I'd love to have a local bike shop that I could trust to do work on my bike, but my experience has been that you're really better off doing the job yourself and making sure its done right. At this stage I enjoy working on my bike but it would be nice to have the option of dropping it in somewhere if I'm busy myself.

Vélo

The following bike is €2200 with Cyclesuperstore & €1300 with Wiggle

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360031620&N=Giant%20SCR%20Composite%203

It would take a lot spoke tightening to make up the difference

christeb

After much research on a commuter, I finally decided on a Scott SUB 10 for various reasons.
However, after hovering over a Sirrus Comp (the one that costs €999), I eventually went into Cycleways to see what they could do for me. They finally got basck and said they would take €100 off to compete with the online price, but even with mudguards and gloves (together with shipping), the Sirrus would have been cheaper to my door via the net. It's hard NOT to buy online.

Hungrycol

I got an Assos Internediate jersey from Wiggle for €117. Was in Cycleways last week and saw exact same top for €173. That's just not justifiable IMO.

Bikes are a different story. Seeing a bike online is nothing compared to seeing and feeling it in the flesh.

kenmc

(begin offtopic, but anectodal!)
I had the same buying a TV recently - went to currys/dixons the price was around a hundred quid more than online including shipping. (When I finally found some sales person) I asked them what their best price was he said (in engrish!) that the price on the sticker was the best. Told them that I could get it online for 100 less, but if they could match the price, I would buy it there and then. They weren't interested, they lost out on the commission of a 900 euro TV so. I actually said "So you're not interested in making a 900 euro sale" and he said "No" !!!!

As it happens I never got around to ordering it online, and went to Harvey Normans a week later and did the same thing, but they knocked 30 or 40 quid off the price on the stand, so I took it from them on the spot - save having to wait 3 or 4 days for it to get delivered, then having to take the car into work to bring it home, as I already had the car with me at Harveys. In addition there were plenty of sales people, and the one I was dealing with was able to explain things properly, came to ME rather than have me go looking for HIM, and was extremely helpful. The very fact that he was prepared to meet me half-way was all I needed.
(end off-topic)

Seems like some people are just not prepared to make a sale - beats me how they expect to survive. The world has changed, business needs to adapt or be left behind.

blorg

Aquinas73 wrote: »

The following bike is €2200 with Cyclesuperstore & €1300 with Wiggle

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360031620&N=Giant%20SCR%20Composite%203

It would take a lot spoke tightening to make up the difference

This is sort of the crux of the problem. It appears to me that a LBS can often be (almost!) competitive on the smaller stuff but they are often out by a thousand or more on a new bike.

Historically bike prices in Irish shops tended to be around 20% over what you would pay in a LBS in the UK; this has only been exacerbated by the fall in sterling. I don't know what it is but I could only suspect distribution must play a part. It gets worse when you consider what you could get in the sales; online there are big discounts while local bike shops tend to knock 5 or 10% off.

I would happily pay an extra few hundred for a bike from my LBS but the difference tends to be a hell of a lot more than this.

kenmc

blorg wrote: »

Historically bike prices in Irish shops tend to be around 20% over what you would pay in a LBS in the UK; this has only been exacerbated by the fall in sterling. I don't know what it is but I could only suspect distribution must play a part.

And greed?

Caroline_ie

Ever used: https://www.starbike.com/index.php?cat=home&lang=en

??? Just came across it now ...

blorg

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Ever used: https://www.starbike.com/index.php?cat=home&lang=en

??? Just came across it now ...

Haven't bought from them, but they are a well-known German shop specializing in lightweight components. They host the infamous weightweenies listings and forums. Shipping is a bit expensive (€15) compared to what you can get from the UK, but if there is a bargain on there that you want I would not be afraid to buy from them.

blorg

kenmc wrote: »

And greed?

And the size of the market and lack of competition. I don't know but I would suspect that a lot of smaller bike shops aren't exactly raking it in. I suspect due to the distribution arrangements they are often paying more for stuff themselves than I could get myself online. The ones that probably are raking it in would be those that do their own importation (e.g. Cyclesuperstore with Lapierre, etc.)

tunney

Take TT bikes for example. People buy them online alot and set themselves up on them. They've splashed 2-3k on a TT bike from the states to be as fast as possible. If they'd splashed an extra 500 euro at most and bought in Ireland they might well be alot faster over 40km, 90km whatever with an expert setup. (that being said most LBS can't do set ups to save their life, mine can though).

Andy-Pandy

Whats does LBS mean?

Drapper

Andy-Pandy wrote: »

Whats does LBS mean?

Local Bike Shop

Chips Lovell

Andy-Pandy wrote: »

Whats does LBS mean?

Local bike shop.

neilled

kenmc wrote: »

And greed?

Part of it comes down to distributors, particularly in the case of US brands (this is from my experience in outdoor pursuits, but imagine it applies to bike parts) - manufacturer makes part in outer Mongolia etc, sends it to the states. Manufacturer sells to an international distributor, most normally one with european rights and are based somewhere in benelux or the uk.. They take their cut. They, then sell it own to an irish distributor who also wants their slice of the pie and makes sure they have exclusive rights. Then the shop has to make its margin. All of this whilst the product is building up transport costs etc.

Bricks and Mortar stores will compete with others but not online because its setting themselves up for a battle they simply cannot win. I work for a high street shop selling mobile phones. Them and the Irish networks are the ultimate gougers when it comes to rip offs but that belongs in another thread, none the less i wouldn't but a prepay phone off them because i know i could (most of the time) get a better deal on a sim free handset or an import from the uk. Likewise with bikes it seems.

When it comes down to it LBS for stuff you need right now and repairs you can't do, or brands that don't allow their retailers to sell online, trek stand up and take a bow.