Scary differences in prices of parts

[drb5]

Was a bit stuck in the rebuild of my Super V and decided(as i wanted to get the rebuild moving quicker) to use Evans Cycles instead of mail order, for a headset....i got an FSA Orbit II.

Happy with my purchase, it's now fitted perfectly and i decided out of curiosity to check the internet to see how much cheaper i could have got it for....i paid £41.99 at Evans....Merlin Cycles £19.75 inc postage! :shock:

I know Evans do a price match, but unfortunately they are a 45 mile round trip for me. Still going though, as i'd rather it paid for my fuel than in their pocket!

They must just hope no one checks their prices...over twice the price. Can't believe it.

Rant over.

 

[xerxes]

I've noticed that prices have crept up a bit on a few things over the last few months. About 6 months ago I paid £18.95 for Campagnolo Record 9 speed chain, about 2 months ago I paid £21.00 and last week, the cheepest I could find one was £23.50. That's just short of a 25% increase in 6 months. :shock:

 

[Barneyballbags]

Thomson Elite X4 Stem.

Chain Reaction - £47.99 or £59.99 depending on length.

Tredz Cardiff (my LBS unfortunately) - £81.99

Tredz aren't exactly a small back street bike shop either :roll:

 

[biggins]

Its not as simple as one shop is always cheaper though, prices vary item to item. But then thats the beauty of the net, hunt out bargains whilst sat on sofa.

 

[gtRTSdh]

my default is CRC, my lbs has taken 2 wks to get a BB cable guide. Ebay is sometimes cheaper for spd equipment though, pedals & shoes.

 

[mallott]

I think the rrp of that headset is £44.99

The stem is £81.99 and also sells at £60 for most sizes at crc.

So these are local high street shops that are maybe struggling to turn a decent wage, versus a warehouse in the middle of nowhere. Don't get me wrong i have spent a lot of money at crc in the past, but now i go and negotiate with my lbs, as i appreciate the quality of service and just a good chat about bicycles.

crc are also now putting undue pressure on other shops by importing some brands themselves and selling for less than most shops can get at trade.

crc is the tesco of the bike world, don't let them take over the world if you can help it, it would be very boring!

A conversation along the lines of 'I need a blah blah, i can get it for £xx, i'd much prefer to buy it from you, can you do it for that price?'

 

[Barneyballbags]

My default is CRC too. Sometimes they're not the cheapest, but a lot of the time they are, and in some cases by quite a considerable amount.

I'm all for supporting my LBS, but not when they are so much more expensive.

I wouldn't mind paying 20,30,50, even 100 quid more for something such as a high-end bike, because of the convenience of being able to take it back should anything go wrong. However, paying 20 or 30 quid extra for something such as a stem as I mentioned in my previous post just makes no sense.

 

[Barneyballbags]

A conversation along the lines of 'I need a blah blah, i can get it for £xx, i'd much prefer to buy it from you, can you do it for that price?'

Unfortunately, I've had a similar conversation with Tredz Cardiff on a few occasions, and they've point blank refused. They're not what you'd call a shop which is struggling either..! Tredz are very much a 'superstore' kind of shop focusing on sales, rather than a small outfit focusing on good customer service and repeat business.

 

[gtRTSdh]

Was a bit stuck in the rebuild of my Super V and decided(as i wanted to get the rebuild moving quicker) to use Evans Cycles instead of mail order, for a headset....i got an FSA Orbit II.

Happy with my purchase, it's now fitted perfectly and i decided out of curiosity to check the internet to see how much cheaper i could have got it for....i paid £41.99 at Evans....Merlin Cycles £19.75 inc postage! :shock:

I know Evans do a price match, but unfortunately they are a 45 mile round trip for me. Still going though, as i'd rather it paid for my fuel than in their pocket!

They must just hope no one checks their prices...over twice the price. Can't believe it.

Rant over.

Might I suggest phoning evans rather than driving down in person? BTW I avoid them like the plague.

 

[drb5]

I did phone them, but as they can't check prices online from their store, you need to physically bring in a printed receipt(or in my case, a shot showing my "basket"), for them to ok the price match. A PITA, but it's worth it.