Buying bike online - what are your experiences?

[vickster]

But no 3rd party cover, well worth the extra. If you hunt around, there are usually voucher codes for BC membership (try TFL13 http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/cycling/offers/)

 

[JKility]

But no 3rd party cover, well worth the extra. If you hunt around, there are usually voucher codes for BC membership (try TFL13 http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/cycling/offers/)

Depends really if you want to take it seriously or not with cover etc, when we get people wanting boardmans we advise them to spend £15 on a British cycling voucher and then get 10% off which depending on the bike can get you up to £140 off

 

[vickster]

Well it depends if you want legal cover if you are hit by a car etc or cause damage to another vehicle, pedestrian etc!! I think you should be advising buyers in that direction frankly

Bronze gets you almost nothing http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/race-bronze-membership

Ride is the one you want (or higher if planning to race)

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/ride-membership

 

[JKility]

Well it depends if you want legal cover if you are hit by a car etc or cause damage to another vehicle, pedestrian etc!! I think you should be advising buyers in that direction frankly

To be honest, I havent really paid much notice to what exactly the memberships offer etc, I'll take a look at this cover tonight after work

 

[vickster]

I have posted the links for you now

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Get the planetx. £1k for a carbon framed bike with Ultegra is stupid money.

Not that I disbelieved you, but I went and looked, and yes, that is a crazy price!

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPULT2/planet_x_pro_carbon_shimano_ultegra_road_bike

 

[park1]

Spend £28 on British cycling membership, 10% off at halfords and other benefits including 3rd party insurance which you'll need to join a club for example.

£1400, perhaps a specialized dealer - they don't seem to have an alu 105 bike anymore, only carbon? I presume you challenged him?

Sounds like you know your stuff so happy bike buying


If you can do your own maintenance, aren't you able to look over a bike built by Halfords?

Good point! Forgot about that

It's only £15 for basic British Cycling membership and that will get you 10% off

Thank you both, top tip!

It wasn't actually the spesh store, they stock cannondale and giant and the guy at the store was very helpful.

 

[vickster]

So what bikes were they suggesting? carbon? The Defy 1 is £999 and as you say there is a CAAD 8.

Maybe not all of the components are 105 on the less costly bikes? Or they didn't have those in stock?

 

[vickster]

Not that I disbelieved you, but I went and looked, and yes, that is a crazy price!

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPULT2/planet_x_pro_carbon_shimano_ultegra_road_bike

Why has a roadbike got 35mm tyres?!

 

[adamwatkins]

Got my caad8 online with no problems. The lbs can still fix it

 

[BSRU]

I bought my Spesh online from the concept store in Plymouth with no problems.
A problem with buying online is getting the right size bike as you usually cannot test ride the exact model first. My tourer, also bought online, is the correct size for me but I had to change the handlebars to modern compact bars as they standard bars it came with made me stretch too much, something I did not realise until it arrived.
If you can wait it is always worth looking at buying last years model, the 2013 bikes will start to be discounted soon now the 2014 bikes are appearing. Often the previous years bike is better specified than the current offering, in order to keep the price the same.

 

[park1]

[Theye="vickster, post: 2584226, member: 10217"]So what bikes were they suggesting? carbon? The Defy 1 is £999 and as you say there is a CAAD 8.

Maybe not all of the components are 105 on the less costly bikes? Or they didn't have those in stock?[/quote]

They had very little in stock. A guy in another shop where this was the case got straight on the laptop and was checking what deals he could get on those brands they did stock, rather telling me it simply wasn't possible. I know for the £1000 mark I probably won't get full 105. The main parts for me are the shifters - I really don't like the way the cables come out of the side of the shifters on tiagra. Having spent so long on a single speed I really like a bike to look clean and uncluttered. It's a shame as tiagra level kit is probably as good as I honestly need.

 

[youngoldbloke]

When I got my Ribble I drove up to Preston to have a look at them and get fitted on their jig (they had the shop then, but I assume you can still get fitted at the warehouse?) - but it is a long, long way for you! I then ordered online, and had no problems. I am very tempted by the Canyon and Rose offerings, but the weakness of the £ against the euro has resulted in their prices becoming less competitive than a year or so ago. The Planet X looks good, and Ribble has a tempting £999.99 deal on a carbon bike with Centaur. Best if you can visit Sheffield to have a look at the PX - but again a long, long way. Maybe worth it if you are spending around £1000 though.

 

[fossala]

http://www.tweekscycles.com/bikes/road-bikes/genesis-equilibrium-20-2013-road-bike
Full 105, 725 reynolds frame, mudguard fittings because well, it's the UK after all. I had the one down from this (until I got hit and was wrote off) and they are fantastic bikes.

Tweek seems to have all the genesis bikes at 20% off!

EDIT: The Planet-X bike is being "creative" saying it's ultegra. The chain isn't, the cassette isn't, the chainset isn't, the brakes aren't. The only things that are are the front/rear mechs and shifters.

 

[boybiker]

GIANT TCR Composite 3 for £874


http://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/m14b252s6p11326/GIANT-TCR-Composite-3-2013

That's the best deal about on a sub 1k bike I have seen IMO.