Evans are worth a browse.

[wafter]

The question here is one of morals vs economics. Yes, you can get some cheap stuff from a retailer with little or no interest in the industry and only in sweating the assets - but at what cost? Genuine cycling retailers are going to the wall as they struggle to compete with Evans/Sports Direct/House of Fraser/Wiggle who have huge purchasing power and can spread costs across a diverse portfolio.

So by all means grab that bargain, but where do you go when it needs support?

This is the basis of my refusal to fund a business with questionable morals. It may cost me more to buy stuff but that is the price of my conscience. I will also not buy Brewdog beer, despite liking the product.

Totally agree with this standpoint (at least in principal; unfortunately sometimes finances preclude strict adherance to this) - sadly from the miserable wider state of consumerism it seems that most don't.

 

[Mattk50]

I'd quite like to look at the range of wahoo bikes but Evans right near me doesn't stock any. Nearest place is Condor in London I think. Shame.

 

[figbat]

I'd quite like to look at the range of wahoo bikes but Evans right near me doesn't stock any. Nearest place is Condor in London I think. Shame.

Do you mean the Trek Wahoo rather than the Wahoo KICKR? The Trek website shows a number of stockists, although you’d need to check they have what you want in stock to look at.

 

[Mattk50]

Do you mean the Trek Wahoo rather than the Wahoo KICKR? The Trek website shows a number of stockists, although you’d need to check they have what you want in stock to look at.

Oops sorry. I mean't the wahoo kickr bikes.

 

[bonzobanana]

The question here is one of morals vs economics. Yes, you can get some cheap stuff from a retailer with little or no interest in the industry and only in sweating the assets - but at what cost? Genuine cycling retailers are going to the wall as they struggle to compete with Evans/Sports Direct/House of Fraser/Wiggle who have huge purchasing power and can spread costs across a diverse portfolio.

So by all means grab that bargain, but where do you go when it needs support?

This is the basis of my refusal to fund a business with questionable morals. It may cost me more to buy stuff but that is the price of my conscience. I will also not buy Brewdog beer, despite liking the product.

If you buy from Amazon though there is little support and it does huge damage to the UK economy with very little tax paid. Same issue supporting any foreign company where the profits are exported and they have no interest in improving the UK economy. Mike Ashley's firm's pay full tax in the UK and keep a huge number of people in employment, paying tax too and keeping the economy going. There is probably about £190k of debt/liabilities for every single person in this country and like many other countries in Europe plus US, Canada etc are debt levels are becoming un-manageable. We seem to be economic lemmings determined to export as much of our wages as possible and cause huge borrowing. Even with high quality Japanese cars made in the UK we still import a huge amount of garbage cars and other products. People don't seem to realise the importance of controlling how much of their money is exported.

Personally I tend to buy bikes that I can service and fix myself. I'm not interested in highly proprietary and complicated bikes that have short life components and always need professional repair.