Jenkins
Legendary Member
- Location
- Felixstowe
One throwaway line in that article that impacts on what used to be a big player in the bike spares sector...
What has happened to Wiggle
- Thread starter Rooster1
- Start date
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HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Other places seem to be more reliable on delivery and often better priced and offer a bigger range too so I tend to use them more often.
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
Stopped using them now and happily sourced parts from smaller sites including Bankrupt Bike parts which seems to fit my needs with all my bikes including my old Pashley
Smokin Joe
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
The big online retailers are not what they were. The days when you could pick up any obscure component from the likes of Wiggle of Ribble have long gone, now it is just profitable fast moving kit they are interested in stocking.
That's the price of having companies that were for years run by cyclists taken over by giant multi product organisations who only have the bottom line at heart.
That's the price of having companies that were for years run by cyclists taken over by giant multi product organisations who only have the bottom line at heart.
Sunny Portrush
Guru
- Location
- Musselburgh
The burning question tho is "Do you still get a wee bag of Haribo with an order"??
figbat
Slippery scientist
- Location
- South Oxfordshire, UK
They went through a patch of being a bit hit and miss on this but lately they have been reliably including them.
Peter Salt
Bittersweet
- Location
- Yorkshire, UK
Can confirm they still do this after rebranding
Also, you now have a choice on who they ship with at checkout, which is a nice addition.
As for the website - as others pointed out, the search and filtering is just outright bad.
I don't think there's fewer products, they just consolidated many listings. Continental inner tubes is a good example - before rebranding they had dozens of listings. Race 28 had one, Race 28 Wide was separate, Cross 28 has its own as well. Now they're all under one and there's a drop down where you select what you want.
bonzobanana
Guru
I assumed possibly wrongly that since they have been taken over by Signa Sports United they wanted to move the website onto their own web platform hence a complete reworking of the site. Maybe down the line more of the managing of the site will move to Germany. Signa intends to increase their margin on the site which they think is far too low. So it feels like many of the Wiggle/CRC products may disappear or lose value. It won't affect me as I'm totally brand un-loyal so will just search out the best price but I guess those who don't check prices could assume their prices are still competitive and not check other sites.
Mr Celine
Discordian
- Location
- Waxing my moustache
figbat
Slippery scientist
- Location
- South Oxfordshire, UK
I used to just scoff them as soon as I opened the parcel but these days they go in my backpack as anti-bonk insurance.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
I got an email about their privacy policy, via an email list I’d never subscribed to…
IanSmithCSE
Guru
- Location
- Worcester, Worcestershire
Good morning,
I take the point in the article linked to that they want to be a lifestyle brand so that they don't have to worry about being price competitive, but does that market exist?
Nowadays Ribble have a glossy web and prices to match
These may have a better paint job than the ones SPA sell but £1.1k for a 725 frame, suddenly my £800 753 Raleigh looks cheap.
Sure, I imagine that Ribble don't really care about selling framesets so any price will do but it does make them look exploitative when for just another £200 they will sell you the frame made up as a whole bike with Tiagra/FSA/Aksium
If you are going to be a premium brand then you need to get the details right. Your website needs to work on mobiles and on my mobile the search box does nothing, just reopens the home page. We seem to be going back to the 1990s where site creators said we don't support IE2 or Navigator (Netscape) 1, upgrade to IE 4 or Navigator 2. At least this message told you why the site doesn't work.
We all like low prices and I need some new chains, as 10 speed only seem to last 2-3 months I buy them in threes and I see them at £15 each somewhere on the internet or £27 each from SJS. I have bought and had excellent service from SJS but when I look at £45 or £71 low prices do seem awfully attractive.
I also understand that Wiggle maybe just can't make the numbers add up in the £15 chain market. My favourite local pub operates in the old fashioned way, the landlord/lady do huge numbers of hours at around minimum wage and for the last few years I have been expecting them to say to hell with this, were getting a job, 4 times the salary and half the hours".
Bye
Ian
I take the point in the article linked to that they want to be a lifestyle brand so that they don't have to worry about being price competitive, but does that market exist?
Nowadays Ribble have a glossy web and prices to match
These may have a better paint job than the ones SPA sell but £1.1k for a 725 frame, suddenly my £800 753 Raleigh looks cheap.
Sure, I imagine that Ribble don't really care about selling framesets so any price will do but it does make them look exploitative when for just another £200 they will sell you the frame made up as a whole bike with Tiagra/FSA/Aksium
If you are going to be a premium brand then you need to get the details right. Your website needs to work on mobiles and on my mobile the search box does nothing, just reopens the home page. We seem to be going back to the 1990s where site creators said we don't support IE2 or Navigator (Netscape) 1, upgrade to IE 4 or Navigator 2. At least this message told you why the site doesn't work.
We all like low prices and I need some new chains, as 10 speed only seem to last 2-3 months I buy them in threes and I see them at £15 each somewhere on the internet or £27 each from SJS. I have bought and had excellent service from SJS but when I look at £45 or £71 low prices do seem awfully attractive.
I also understand that Wiggle maybe just can't make the numbers add up in the £15 chain market. My favourite local pub operates in the old fashioned way, the landlord/lady do huge numbers of hours at around minimum wage and for the last few years I have been expecting them to say to hell with this, were getting a job, 4 times the salary and half the hours".
Bye
Ian
