Having just dropped a considerable amount of money on parts..
If possible I try to stick to retailers I've had positive experiences with in the past; in this case I've chucked repeat business at a few of the following:
- Biketart (I recall them being very helpful in the past when I was researching alternative pins for my brake calipers)
- High on Bikes
- Bikemonger
- Fawkes Cycles
- SJS Cycles
- Condor Cycles
It's interesting to note the different attitudes and business models; which seem to fall into two main categories:
Price driven - Probably mail-order from warehouse only, low-margin high-volume model, stock possibly non-retail-packaged / ex-OEM / trade / liquidation stock / removed from a built bikes.
Service driven - More traditional shops, potentially better levels of service, usually retail-facing products with more conventional supply chains..
I tend to shop from both as I'm very price-sensitive but also want to support "proper" shops if possible and do appreciate the improved experience that spending a bit more sometimes brings..
During this last buying frenzy SJS have earned a special mention as their order ticked many boxes; some slightly esoteric stuff I could only get from them, competitive prices on a fair bit of the order and it all came beautifully, carefully packaged in a proper sealed box. The only niggle were the timescale / cost of postage, but the latter was probably a fair reflection of the costs involved and I've no doubt been spoiled by loss-leader free postage from other suppliers.
The contrast was Sports and Leisure who I used for the first time recently.. clearly the opposite business model to that above - absolute cheapest place I could find one component (by a fair margin), came "adequately" packaged in a recycled helmet box (nowt wrong with that as long as it does the job of course) with zero original packaging, paperwork etc.
I'm satisfied it's new and genuine but does have one or two small marks... which I'm trying to ignore as I suspect whinging will likely just waste my time, the nature of the component means it's unlikely to remain mint anyway, while at this price point it's likely that the item was removed from a built bike or had some other non-conventional route to market, so I guess such risks are a reflection of the super-low price.
I've also ordered from Dolan and Chicken Cycle Kit for the first time recently - the former's couriers were cack (DPD Local) although the supplier's comms great, as were CCK's.
I've begrudgingly used some of the larger suppliers in the past (Wiggle and CRC), and while I did well hoovering up the spoils of their implosion I'd absolutely not touch them now they've become another of scumbag Mike Ashley's retail zombies.. little incentive to anyway as they never seem competitive on price or product range.
I've used Treadz in the past with no issues, but tend to be put off them a bit since they're part of Halfords and I've had mixed experiences of them in the past - although to be fair they have been good for specific, bargain-priced items ordered online and collected from the shop..
If possible I try to stick to retailers I've had positive experiences with in the past; in this case I've chucked repeat business at a few of the following:
- Biketart (I recall them being very helpful in the past when I was researching alternative pins for my brake calipers)
- High on Bikes
- Bikemonger
- Fawkes Cycles
- SJS Cycles
- Condor Cycles
It's interesting to note the different attitudes and business models; which seem to fall into two main categories:
Price driven - Probably mail-order from warehouse only, low-margin high-volume model, stock possibly non-retail-packaged / ex-OEM / trade / liquidation stock / removed from a built bikes.
Service driven - More traditional shops, potentially better levels of service, usually retail-facing products with more conventional supply chains..
I tend to shop from both as I'm very price-sensitive but also want to support "proper" shops if possible and do appreciate the improved experience that spending a bit more sometimes brings..
During this last buying frenzy SJS have earned a special mention as their order ticked many boxes; some slightly esoteric stuff I could only get from them, competitive prices on a fair bit of the order and it all came beautifully, carefully packaged in a proper sealed box. The only niggle were the timescale / cost of postage, but the latter was probably a fair reflection of the costs involved and I've no doubt been spoiled by loss-leader free postage from other suppliers.
The contrast was Sports and Leisure who I used for the first time recently.. clearly the opposite business model to that above - absolute cheapest place I could find one component (by a fair margin), came "adequately" packaged in a recycled helmet box (nowt wrong with that as long as it does the job of course) with zero original packaging, paperwork etc.
I'm satisfied it's new and genuine but does have one or two small marks... which I'm trying to ignore as I suspect whinging will likely just waste my time, the nature of the component means it's unlikely to remain mint anyway, while at this price point it's likely that the item was removed from a built bike or had some other non-conventional route to market, so I guess such risks are a reflection of the super-low price.
I've also ordered from Dolan and Chicken Cycle Kit for the first time recently - the former's couriers were cack (DPD Local) although the supplier's comms great, as were CCK's.
I've begrudgingly used some of the larger suppliers in the past (Wiggle and CRC), and while I did well hoovering up the spoils of their implosion I'd absolutely not touch them now they've become another of scumbag Mike Ashley's retail zombies.. little incentive to anyway as they never seem competitive on price or product range.
I've used Treadz in the past with no issues, but tend to be put off them a bit since they're part of Halfords and I've had mixed experiences of them in the past - although to be fair they have been good for specific, bargain-priced items ordered online and collected from the shop..
