Rosebikes & discount-bikes any experiences???

[B77]

Just ordered some bit from Rose, normally use CRC but Rose are closer and cheaper on these particular items. Regarding LBSs, I have a shop that sells longboards, and pride myself on having the largest range and stock in France at the best possible price (U.S price plus shipping percentage and import duty), I keep my clients by being enthusiastic, having the bits they require and being part of the 'scene' by sponsoring a team and events. The 4 LBSs around me are expensive, 75 euros an hour for labour, arrogant (ok it is france) and have some stock, mostly complete bikes and clothing and a few bits and pieces but as soon as you ask for something slightly out of the ordinary, they either don't have it or it will take 6 weeks to get. I went to one last week for some presta valve caps, they didn't sell them and wouldn't look in the workshop to see if the had any lying around I was the only person in the shop so they weren'y busy. If I treated my customers in manner and charged extortionate amounts for my stock then they couldn't be blamed for going elsewhere. As for the price thing, if I can sell my boards at a good margin and still sell cheaper than anywhere else and mine is a very very niche market, then surely LBSs can drop their prices a bit, and cheaper prices bring more trade and push turnover/profits up. Of course there must be good LBSs out there and if I could find one I'd certainly give them my trade, bit for now it's online sadly.

 

[Charlieboy28]

oh the guy who came in for the replacement tube was on a high end racing bike and in my opinion i was suprised he didnt know better. He didnt even flinch when they said £25 for a new tube put in.

The market evolves, with petrol prices what they are more people are turning to bikes. In the UK the cycle to work scheme where you can buy a bike up to £1000 tax free ,is keeping the midrange market bouyant too.

 

[nigelb]

Recently used bike-discount to purchase Fulcrum wheelset, Sammy Slick tyres and lightweight tubes for my Giant Anthem. Typical UK price at discount sites was £310, their price £205 all in. LBS - forget it! Delivery was about 3 days from Germany. Now I'm not made of money and I would not hesitate to buy from them again to save to this degree. I'd love to buy from local LBS's around here but they are dumbing down on parts and charging the earth for what they've got.

Buy from them if you know exactly what you want and know how to fit it.

 

[02gf74]

oh the guy who came in for the replacement tube was on a high end racing bike and in my opinion i was suprised he didnt know better. He didnt even flinch when they said £25 for a new tube put in.

he was probably as sponsored rider so would charge the cost back to his sponsors

the internet especially has made it tough for the high street shops, be it for bikes, cameras, clothing and even cars.

Since I do all my maintenance and repairs, I get all my bits from the 'net - last time I purchased a bike part, excluding the puncture repair kits from poundland, was the cheapest tyre in halfords as the steel bead on my Schwalbe tyre snapped and it was less hassle to pop into Halfords than to walk back to work then walk back into town and get the bus home (plus did not like the idea of leaving the bke chained up outside work).

 

[dbmtb]

LBSs they are dumbing down on parts and charging the earth for what they've got.

Buy from them (Rose etc) if you know exactly what you want and know how to fit it.

LBS's can't be blamed for dumbing down on parts if everyone buys stuff from establishments that are buying at OEM prices which are way lower than normal trade rates. Rose and Bike Discount have their "own brands" which qualify them as OEMs and they have the volume too. Basically they are selling stuff at prices in the region of what normal shops have to pay for the stuff they want to sell... and probably with a higher margin too. Who's being greedy? Your LBS or the mail order guys?

If that's the way you want your bike shops to be then fine.... But don't come crying to me that proper shops don't even bother stocking the stuff that these guys sell. There's really no point in selling £50 worth of tyres and only makeing a couple of quid on the sale, except as a loss leader - but loss leaders don't tend to work that well in bike shops anyway.

 

[Mindmap3]

Used Rose Bikes...we're great and super quick to post. It cost more of less the same as Howies charged me for posting a top from Wales and was a damn sight quicker.

With regards to bike shops, I do all my own work so have little need for them. My localsones are either useless or not interested unless you're dropping serious cash on a new bike, so I have no sympathy for them. They don't seem to be struggling though as more people look to use bikes more instead of cars. There's five guys at work who have all ditched cars for bikes, all of whom have spent the maximum of a grand on a new bike (although having worked in a shop I know the money is made from spares...the mark up on tyres and tubes was mental).

They can't carry enough stock these days now the bike scene has diversified so much, so need to take a gamble on what they stock. If it's not what I or another customer want, we go elsewhere...the fact that they can be so slow to order stuff makes the likes of CRC so attractive.

 

[nigelb]

LBSs they are dumbing down on parts and charging the earth for what they've got.

Buy from them (Rose etc) if you know exactly what you want and know how to fit it.

LBS's can't be blamed for dumbing down on parts if everyone buys stuff from establishments that are buying at OEM prices which are way lower than normal trade rates. Rose and Bike Discount have their "own brands" which qualify them as OEMs and they have the volume too. Basically they are selling stuff at prices in the region of what normal shops have to pay for the stuff they want to sell... and probably with a higher margin too. Who's being greedy? Your LBS or the mail order guys?

If that's the way you want your bike shops to be then fine.... But don't come crying to me that proper shops don't even bother stocking the stuff that these guys sell. There's really no point in selling £50 worth of tyres and only makeing a couple of quid on the sale, except as a loss leader - but loss leaders don't tend to work that well in bike shops anyway.

Don't worry, I won't come crying to you for any reason. I'm happy to save money wherever I can and I'm totally self sufficient when it comes to repairs and maintenance and take great pride in that. If the LBS can't be bothered to stock the stuff that I need or even order it in at a reasonable price in a reasonable time then I won't hesitate to go elsewhere. It's up to them to strive to get people like me back in the shops. But if they can't be bothered then they can stick with their kids bikes, budget hybrids, cheap pink helmets and overpriced bits. We live in a global society now.