Lidl

[Holdsworth]

I took a long detour and went to the local one in Middlewich on the way back from work. I came home through the lanes with a saddlebag overstuffed with £45 worth of goodies!!!

There was plenty in stock at that store, there mustn't be many cyclists in my area then

Any here's what I managed to haul back in my Lowsaddle LF that was already full with work clothes:

• I bought a pair of the shoes, nice fit and comfy to walk about in. The metal plate on the base makes it a bit slippy on flat pedals but I will persevere. £14.99
• I got a the waterproof mens jacket, a good fit, loads of vents, plenty of reflective detailing and packs down small into the rear pocket. £9.99
• I got the jersey, I haven't tried it on yet but looks to be a good one. £6.99
• I bought 1x cycle computer, easy to fit and has all the features I need plus a handy backlight which even some of the more expensive ones don't have. £3.99
• Also got a pair of the cycling gloves, a decent fit but the stitching on the fingers is a bit shoddy. Easy to see that they were full fingered ones that were cut short!!! £2.99
• 2x pairs of cycling socks, I haven't had a chance to try these on yet either but they look nice. £2.69
• And a pack of 36 Scotchlite spoke reflectors, I hope to fit these to the spokes tomorrow to aid side visibility £4.99

I hope to go back whilst the offer is still running to get some more stuff. I am looking at the waterproof trouser for starters and also that halogen bike light set, I would be interested in a review of the latter item

 

[MarkShelley]

I bought the light set today and have just charged up the front light. I reckon it is good value as it includes 5 AAA rechargeable batteries which go in the front light. They stay in-situ as there is a socket to plug in the charger. The rear light uses two of the smaller batteries and is very bright.

 

[Fast_Mark]

Picked up two jerseys and some socks. Both good for the money. Avoided the shorts though as both they and the 3/4 ones looked particularly nasty. The Crane tights I got from Aldi last year are much nicer

Pleanty of stock in Milton Keynes at lunchtime today. No mini pumps though

Along with my £20 Campag wind / rain jacket from GB cycles which arrived today I'm quite a happy boy.

 

[sheddy]

Has anyone actually managed to successfully use the Ali Track Pump with a presta valve ?

 

[Bglincoln]

Ok, so I'm a newbie lady and a beginner to cycling, just signed up for a challenge and joined the site. Can anyone recommend the stuff from Lidl which is a good purchase....I've seen the shoes, computer and shorts but they all seem much cheaper than I would expect. As someone just off out to purchase new kit today/tomorrow...can anyone recommend what to buy and more importantly what to avoid....would never have thought of Lidl!!!! Thanks.

 

[Adasta]

Ok, so I'm a newbie lady and a beginner to cycling, just signed up for a challenge and joined the site. Can anyone recommend the stuff from Lidl which is a good purchase....I've seen the shoes, computer and shorts but they all seem much cheaper than I would expect. As someone just off out to purchase new kit today/tomorrow...can anyone recommend what to buy and more importantly what to avoid....would never have thought of Lidl!!!! Thanks.

Most people seem to rate the:

• panniers
• jerseys
• track pump (that's the standing one; not the foot one)
• shoes (although the new ones are worse than the previous version, apparently)

 

[uphillstruggler]

I bought the light set today and have just charged up the front light. I reckon it is good value as it includes 5 AAA rechargeable batteries which go in the front light. They stay in-situ as there is a socket to plug in the charger. The rear light uses two of the smaller batteries and is very bright.

i had a look at those but they did seem quite heavy and am a little worried that the batteries wont last too long being halogen?

would the lights metioned previously in the post last longer?

Cheers

 

[youngoldbloke]

Bglincoln - Lidl (and Aldi) have a good returns policy, so if you are unsure about size/quality buy a couple of sizes and return the one that doesn't fit (or both!). I have found the jerseys and tops - gilet, windproof jacket (previous offer) good value - if they fit. Shorts, it seems, people either love 'em or hate 'em - again fit can be an issue. The other really inexpensive source for kit is Sportsdirect - check out their website. The bigger branches will be best for cycling kit. However fit can be a problem with them as well, and they don't do money back returns, just exchange or credit note. Aldi will also have cycling stuff soon, and IMO the quality is a little bit better than Lid'ls.

 

[uphillstruggler]

Picked up two jerseys and some socks. Both good for the money. Avoided the shorts though as both they and the 3/4 ones looked particularly nasty. The Crane tights I got from Aldi last year are much nicer

Pleanty of stock in Milton Keynes at lunchtime today. No mini pumps though

Along with my £20 Campag wind / rain jacket from GB cycles which arrived today I'm quite a happy boy.

Hello Mark

fellow MK dweller here

did you try the Bletchley shop? may be worth a visit if you can get there.

i got the seat pack/toolkit from the MK shop yesterday - not too bad value for a fiver

 

[bobones]

Ok, so I'm a newbie lady and a beginner to cycling, just signed up for a challenge and joined the site. Can anyone recommend the stuff from Lidl which is a good purchase....I've seen the shoes, computer and shorts but they all seem much cheaper than I would expect. As someone just off out to purchase new kit today/tomorrow...can anyone recommend what to buy and more importantly what to avoid....would never have thought of Lidl!!!! Thanks.

Buy everything then take back what you don't want! Seriously though, I would vouch for the tool kit, jerseys, underwear (baselayers), socks, track pump, gilet, road saddle. I don't have any of the Lidl rainwear but the current jackets look very good value for a tenner. I've bought a lot of Aldi stuff in the past and I must say their winter softshell jackets and trousers have been awesome. Decathlon is also a good source of cheap gear if you're near a store.

 

[Gixxerman]

Returned the jacket (hole in pocket) and got the last one from the store.
This one is better, but the stiching for one of the press studs for the splashguard is starting to come undone.
I will just repair this myself, as I cannot be arsed to go to the other store to see if they have any left.
Overall, the jacket is good but let down by poor quality stiching. Everywhere you look, there is long tails of cotton, which you are very reluctant to pull or snip as it might just run and the whole seam will open up. I suppose the poor souls in the sweatshops that make the things don't get paid much per item, so they may understandably rush the sewing a bit.
But for £10 you can't grumble really.

 

[ohnovino]

Just tested out the computer and I'm made up with it

It's really easy to fit and to setup (with a little help from Sheldon for my tyre circumference). Tested it on a route where I know the distance and it's spot on. The display is nice and clear, and the buttons are easy to use even with full-fingered gloves on. The only negative I can think of is that in "advanced" mode you have to cycle through all the different data - how often will I really want to check my fat burn rate?!

 

[bobones]

The only negative I can think of is that in "advanced" mode you have to cycle through all the different data - how often will I really want to check my fat burn rate?!

There's a "scan" mode where it will automatically cycle through all the data without you pressing anything.

 

[Chickc78]

There's a "scan" mode where it will automatically cycle through all the data without you pressing anything.

The instructions suggest that the Scan mode bypasses the Calorie count stuff too

 

[ohnovino]

^^^ You're quite right: it only scans through trip distance, max speed, average speed and trip time. Maybe I should have read the instructions all the way through before using it

My old computer scanned through everything, and Sod's Law dictated that every time I glanced down it would be displaying the unused stopwatch.