Comments on: Interview: Aussie Importer Euride Challenges OS Retailers http://www.bicycles.net.au/2012/03/interview-aussie-importer-euride-challenges-os-retailers/ The Top Australian Cycling Portal Fri, 17 May 2013 12:10:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Matthew http://www.bicycles.net.au/2012/03/interview-aussie-importer-euride-challenges-os-retailers/#comment-21438 Matthew Thu, 05 Apr 2012 01:37:18 +0000 http://www.bicycles.net.au/?p=5277#comment-21438 I have 3 bikes. Two from local bike shops and one I built myself from parts bought online. I have shopped extensively both ways. Service? That depends entirely on what shop and which person serves you. As I rode my first bike out of the shop I realised the brakes were not set up properly or the head set tightened. I just managed to stop as the handle bars came completely loose. When I asked about the front deraileur index function I was told it wasn’t reliable on that model. Unfortunately a blatent lie to avoid retuning.
My second bike was set up pefectly, even had the seat exchanged at a discount when the original didn’t suite me. Then a couple of months later I see my bike at the Melbourne Bike Expo at a new rrp 30% less then when I got it. Exchange rates???? 30%????
So to my third bike which I built for about half the cost of the same parts here. I’ll admit the frame whilst new, was off eBay from Sydney but every else was retailed from legitimate busineses. US stores have far larger, more complete ranges of goods, not just odds and ends, or the entry level range. They have them in all sizes at prices that can’t simply be explained by “market demographics”. So if not the retailer is it the wholesaler or importer that makes all the margin here? Does it really cost that much to pass Australian safety standards? Not for a jersey! So as much as I believe in supporting local business I’ll always compare because I cannot afford not to.

]]> By: SS http://www.bicycles.net.au/2012/03/interview-aussie-importer-euride-challenges-os-retailers/#comment-20935 SS Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:25:20 +0000 http://www.bicycles.net.au/?p=5277#comment-20935 A myth? Really?

I regularly buy online from overseas and compared with current stock in my local bike shops (I always check before buying online), and taking postage into account, there are 15-30% price differences. My local is fully aware of this and say that they cannot buy the products direct from their dealer as cheaply as I can buy them online. Now, I only buy from them if I need tubes or something in an emergency.

Latest example: the GreenEDGE SS jersey costs $99.00 in Australia, $76.48 on Wiggle (with free postage). An Aussie team jersey is over $20 cheaper OS than here for what I would argue will be the most popular team kit in Australia in 2012.

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