What's your go-to online bike store?

Manc33 · Post by **Manc33** » 22 Jul 2020, 4:54am

- Votes can be changed in future if you want to.
- Multiple choices are allowed.

I worked out I have spent more than £5,600 on bike stuff in the last ten years - yet I only have one bike right now. :lol:

I must have enough spare bits lying around to make 3 or 4 complete bikes. I've got 5 bike frames lying about, endless stems like 8 or more, the same with cassettes... and so on. :oops:

The bike shops listed in the poll are all the ones I ended up buying stuff from, not from thinking to go there but because they were selling whatever it is I was after, at the cheapest price.

There would be more options but the poll can only contain 10 entries.

Honourable mentions:

- Wiggle, of course - but it's owned by Chain Reaction (or vice versa) and prices are always identical between the two, whenever I compare them.

- Rose Bikes. German bike store established in 1907. It's not on the poll simply because it's outside of the UK and this is why Jenson USA and BikeWagon aren't in the poll. I have bought spokes from Rose Bikes and even with something like a £8+ postage charge, it still works out cheaper than UK prices for the same spokes. I've had cranksets from here too, that are again cheaper than I can find in the UK, even with Rose charging £8+ postage. Also at this store's website, the detail they go into is, in my opinion, unrivaled. For example if they are selling a cassette with 6 different ratio choices, they will list every single sprocket combination for every single one. You just don't get that anywhere else, that I have seen. These guys aren't messing around!

-Decathlon. The poll is more about where people go to buy parts and Decathlon is more about complete bikes. There is very little here you'll find cheaper if buying parts, but the bikes are another story and this store sells some good ones at surprisingly low prices.

Rutland. I didn't find myself ending up on this store's website often so it's not included. Same with Winstanley's Bikes.

Tiberius · Post by **Tiberius** » 22 Jul 2020, 8:40am

Tweeks completely collapsed around April/May - I know that there was an obvious reason but others didn't and I do mean 'completely' (in my experience)

PH · Post by PH » 22 Jul 2020, 9:15am

Only one option and no Halfords.
For get anywhere components I buy from Halfords, order online, collect in store.
For more specialised stuff, I'll look at both SJS and Spa, then maybe a German website or two depending on the items. Over the years SJS have had more of my money than the others, so that's where I voted.

simonineaston · Post by **simonineaston** » 22 Jul 2020, 9:22am

Given that the majority of cycle-related items I seem to buy are from major makers and will be the same regardless of supplier, I'll just get the one offered at the best price.

Oldjohnw · Post by **Oldjohnw** » 22 Jul 2020, 10:02am

Is the questionnaire based on number of purchases or value? For me if it is number it would probably be Tredz. If value it would be Spa. And not including a bike.

Manc33 · Post by **Manc33** » 22 Jul 2020, 11:59am

PH wrote:Only one option...

Changed.

Oldjohnw wrote:Is the questionnaire based on number of purchases or value? For me if it is number it would probably be Tredz. If value it would be Spa. And not including a bike.

I didn't really think it through properly but it's just overall I guess, or where you seem to end up getting stuff from.

Tiberius wrote:Tweeks completely collapsed...

Tweeks removed. Halfords put in its place.

RickH · Post by **RickH** » 24 Jul 2020, 10:33pm

Tiberius wrote:Tweeks completely collapsed around April/May - I know that there was an obvious reason but others didn't and I do mean 'completely' (in my experience)

Just to clarify, they may have had problems with service (initially a lot of bike shops were unclear if they could continue) but I can't comment from personal experience - I've not bought anything from them this year.

They appear to still operating & their newsletter emails re-commenced mid June, after stopping in mid April. I wouldn't rule out ordering from them again.

philg · Post by **philg** » 25 Jul 2020, 7:35am

Historically Chain Reaction but now increasingly Tredz, with Spa for touring stuff & rubber and SJS for exoticca.
Planet-X occasionally if feeling brave

Manc33 · Post by **Manc33** » 25 Jul 2020, 1:53pm

I put everything into an Excel spreadsheet and over the last 10 years I have bought 491 bike related items. :lol:

That's a lot but it includes every bolt, every washer. About 77% of those items cost under £20.

The most expensive part that's store bought and not a bike frame or wheelset:
- Shimano Claris ST-2400 8-Speed Road STi Levers
(and they got sold again)

Bought from... Singletrack in 2014. Somewhere I only bought three items from.

rjb · Post by **rjb** » 25 Jul 2020, 1:59pm

I havent used a bike shop for a long time. Most of my purchases and sales come from the sale forum here. The lockdown has been fruitful as i managed to sell on some 700c road tyres which were surplus and i purchased some new mtb tyres on gumtree from a local who was tidying his garage. Will keep the tandem going for another year.

Cyril Haearn · Post by **Cyril Haearn** » 25 Jul 2020, 6:26pm

@ manc33
Are you a harmless obsessive? Care to give more examples and analysis?
..
I have a couple of simple robust cycles, not interested in spending a lot on upgrading
Got a lot of books instead :wink:

Manc33 · Post by **Manc33** » 26 Jul 2020, 12:45am

Cyril Haearn wrote:Care to give more examples and analysis?

I wouldn't even know where to start. :lol:

Counting up from the Excel spreadsheet, some figures adjusted for stuff I bought cheap only to resell...

Stems: 12
Saddles: 8
Frames: 5
Cranksets: 7
Cassettes: 22
Front mechs: 10
Rear mechs: 20
Park Tools: 13
Seatposts: 10
Handlebars: 8
Shifters: 27 (single shifters, some were pairs)
Brake levers: 4 pairs

Most of the fettling has been with cassettes, stem/saddle/handlebar height/reach combinations.

There's a few things I really regret selling. :roll:

There's also something I always wanted and never got hold of: A FD-7703 front mech, but I am not sure if those are made specifically for the corresponding Dura-Ace shifters so it probably wouldn't shift as well as an Ultegra. This has also been my experiences with XTR front mechs, the XT shift better.

The smoothest shifting rear mech of all was the old Ultegra 6500. Really light action and immediate shifting (on XTR shifters). The supposedly better 7700 didn't shift as well as it. That 6500 was perfection. My current mix of M8000/M9000 is a joke compared to it.

The best shifters of them all: 8-Speed XTR M951. Well worth it if you can tolerate using 8-speed. The M970 ones (9-speed) shift alright but they are flimsy in comparison to the old grey stuff. Pair the M951 shifters with a 6500 GS rear mech and a KMC chain and I don't think it's possible to get better shifting.

On 11-speed now with M9000 shifters and M8000 rear mech, I can never dial them in to work well, it's just not possible, on the exact same bike with brand new cables blah blah blah, there's a definitely a shifting disadvantage over the old 8-speed and 9-speed. I never tried 10-speed.

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