Which sellers instead of Wiggle/Chainreaction ?

[sevenfourate]

I recently ordered a chain and cassette for my Genesis Croix de Fer, from Tredz.
Ordered on Saturday 31st October. Items listed as in stock. Order confirmed by e-mail.

Another email received on Thursday 5th November to say items now dispatched with In-Post (Yodel).

In-Post tracker tells me that they have received the parcel at 1100 on Thursday, but it is still showing as "being prepped" whatever that means! Estimated delivery date is Thursday November 12th.

What are they doing with it all that time?

I miss the good old days of Chain Reaction, and whatever courier company they used. Items ordered would generally be delivered (from Belfast) to rural Scotland within 48 hours. Sometimes less.

Edit. "Progress" report.
Having sat on the parcel for 3 days now, it is about to "hit the road" (I hope they don't mean that literally). But still won't make it to a collection box at the local supermarket for another 4 days. Don't be expecting any positive feedback, Tredz or InPost.

View attachment 826411

InPost are horrific. On every level.

I’m surprised they haven’t been sued under the trade descriptions act for daring to call themselves a Delivery company….

 

[rogerzilla]

Hubjub has changed hands a couple of times and is a shadow of its former self, sadly. Little stock available.

 

[Tom B]

Decathlon for cycling clothing

There opens another can of worms.

Decathlon stuff is usually at the very least absolutely fine or better.


The website however is a car crash polluted with third party sellers. which means you are never sure what p&p you are paying or who you are buying from.

The local store has recently downsized and moved, that's improved the stock control situation but it still looks like it has been ram raided and tons of stuff out of stock.

 

[Exlaser2]

We used to use Decathlon quite a bit for basic cycling and sailing stuff . Quality was good for the price .
Unfortunately our store also downsized two or three years ago then closed completely last year .
I hope the same doesn’t happen to your store .

 

[kingrollo]

There opens another can of worms.

Decathlon stuff is usually at the very least absolutely fine or better.


The website however is a car crash polluted with third party sellers. which means you are never sure what p&p you are paying or who you are buying from.

The local store has recently downsized and moved, that's improved the stock control situation but it still looks like it has been ram raided and tons of stuff out of stock.

Funny you should say this. I went to my local decathlon a couple of weeks back. The shelves were almost bare.
I went get some running tops for my lads birthday - they had a grant total of 3 running tops all in 3xl stage.

They also had a large amount of used bikes for sale - not a great look tbh.

Seems there has been a policy change - wouldn't be surprised if the stores are closed - or rebranded .. ..in fact I would be more surprised if they remain open tbh.

 

[super_davo]

Funny you should say this. I went to my local decathlon a couple of weeks back. The shelves were almost bare.
I went get some running tops for my lads birthday - they had a grant total of 3 running tops all in 3xl stage.

They also had a large amount of used bikes for sale - not a great look tbh.

Seems there has been a policy change - wouldn't be surprised if the stores are closed - or rebranded .. ..in fact I would be more surprised if they remain open tbh.

Decathlon are great in Europe... and I see loads of people here using the top end Van Rysel helmets and to a lesser extent shoes because they are great for the money.
But there is no doubt that since Brexit, Decathlon now give far less attention to the UK. We get less of the range, the prices are less competitive than they were, loads of stores have shut.
I don't think Decathlon are in any danger of shutting but there is a real risk of them pulling out of the UK or at least significantly downsizing their operation.

 

[freiston]

There was a Decathlon close to me, that halved its size, reduced stock (number of lines and sizes/numbers of a particular line), then they closed completely. One of the big attractions for me was being able to see the items before buying and also trying on for size. I've never used them so much for cycling stuff but a lot for my everyday and "outdoor pursuits" clothing (there's a big overlap for me).

When I go to their website, I too find it difficult to find what I want - not just the "other sellers" but that items I want to replace keep changing brand name (Decathlon/Quechua/Forclaz/Simond), that it seems every product line has an MT500, MH500, MT100, MH500 etc.. Then I discover that they've changed the design significantly (removed or added a hood, changed zips for velcro or no closure at all, etc.).

And if I do find the item I want, they only have it in XXS or XXXL in bright orange or khaki (or any colour except the ones I want).

It never occurred to me that this could be because of Brexit but the timeline and the rationale fits.
It's a real shame, especially when that Sports Direct plonker (a Brexit supporter, iirc) is buying up all the other High Street names and turning them into rubbish.

 

[Dogtrousers]

The humungous Decathlon at Canada Water reduced in size to a quite large Decathlon a few years ago. I love it. I go there every few months and buy a load of crap that I don't really need. I'd be very sorry to see it go.

 

[Webbo2]

The one at Monks Cross York seems to have a reasonable amount of stock but has limited sizes in most things.

 

[katiewlx]

There was a Decathlon close to me, that halved its size, reduced stock (number of lines and sizes/numbers of a particular line), then they closed completely. One of the big attractions for me was being able to see the items before buying and also trying on for size. I've never used them so much for cycling stuff but a lot for my everyday and "outdoor pursuits" clothing (there's a big overlap for me).

When I go to their website, I too find it difficult to find what I want - not just the "other sellers" but that items I want to replace keep changing brand name (Decathlon/Quechua/Forclaz/Simond), that it seems every product line has an MT500, MH500, MT100, MH500 etc.. Then I discover that they've changed the design significantly (removed or added a hood, changed zips for velcro or no closure at all, etc.).

And if I do find the item I want, they only have it in XXS or XXXL in bright orange or khaki (or any colour except the ones I want).

It never occurred to me that this could be because of Brexit but the timeline and the rationale fits.
It's a real shame, especially when that Sports Direct plonker (a Brexit supporter, iirc) is buying up all the other High Street names and turning them into rubbish.

and yet other Euro based stores dont seem to see that as the issue at all, but blame instead the UK cost-of-living crisis, high inflation, cautious consumer spending, and fierce competition from supermarkets encroaching on budget brands,

yet Decathlon managed to lose 8million pounds in 2017 alone, thats at least 3 years before import costs would stop them using some mega warehouse in France just to dispatch stuff.

and so we go back around the loop again that its very costly thesedays in the UK to have a presence on the high street, or even an industrial estate, due to business rates, energy costs, the cost of employing people in the store, the cost of delivering your stuff to the store, and if your market is solely the its discount stuff, whilst remembering they wasted a bunch of money trying to premiumise stuff for a bit, and your profit margins were razor-thin and you over expanded too aggressively, and yep you trade in Euros at a wholesale costs too...then yes you will struggle with lots of property on your books, look at Evans, look at Wiggle, look at Cycle Republic/Bike Hut or any of the number of LBS that have been closing lately.

 

[steve30]

I get quite a few bits and bobs from Decathlon.

I thought the second hand area was a good idea, it encourages people to sell unwanted stuff, and as a buyer in a cost of living crisis, you can get second hand stuff from a reputable shop with experienced staff. I was actually eyeing up a second hand gravel bike in my local Decathlon a while back .

I don't have much of a recommendation for mail order anymore. I used to be a big fan of Evans and Wiggle. I have used "High on Bikes" on eBay a few times; they seem decent.

 

[ianrauk]

Bike Parts in Biggin Hill are now my go to for bits and pieces.
Always seem to have a good range of stock.

 

[Dan Lotus]

The humungous Decathlon at Canada Water reduced in size to a quite large Decathlon a few years ago. I love it. I go there every few months and buy a load of crap that I don't really need. I'd be very sorry to see it go.

That's sad to hear, I used to work in London and went there a few times, and yes it was enormous, possibly two separate buildings if I recall correctly?
Have they simply off loaded the 2nd building?
I didn't realise other stores were shrinking and or closing - not good for the UK customers, even smaller choice options, limited competition :-(
I visited a couple of Decathlons in Spain recently, and although their cycling shoe stock was not good, they seemed to have stock of lots of items, including preloved bikes which I thought was a nice touch, and were very busy.
I visit the Reading store fairly frequently, and or order online from them, or to be collected in store.

Just googled for the below:

Key Details of Decathlon's UK Store Closures & Rightsizing

• • Store Closures: Decathlon has closed seven underperforming locations since late 2024. Notable recent closures include the flagship store in Regent Arcade in Cheltenham (which closed on August 29, 2026), as well as branches in Aberdeen Union Square, Dunstable, High Wycombe, and Crawley's Queen's Square. [1, 2, 3]
  • Strategic Shift: Rather than expanding traditional high street footprints everywhere, Decathlon is redirecting investment into omnichannel hubs and alternative formats, such as shop-in-shop partnerships (e.g., inside Ikea Croydon). [1]
  • Financial Context: Despite these select closures, the company's overall UK business has grown, with UK turnover rising 9.6% year-on-year to £285.5m and online sales surging 28.3% to £85m

 

[KneesUp]

I was in decathlon today and it seemed much like it always has. I have been buying stuff from them since 1999. They‘re not great for parts but you can get something that will get your bike working again most of the time.

For other stuff I use SJS, Spa and Condor (the latter normally for Campagnolo bits)