Cycling Express - New AUS online shop to compete with UK....

[bianchi928]

They have an ad in the TdF guide - Full carbon Azzuri with Ultegra Di2 for $2599

Isn't that like abuying a group set and getting a free frame and wheels (reynold's solitudes) on the assumption you are buying the groupset locally, not on the net.

[bostonceltics]

Nah it's damn cold here right now, you'd be better off over there

[MichaelB]

Lots of blog and lots of adverts, but still no shop ....

Starting to seem a bit like vapourware ....

[MarkG]

They said Friday, cut them some slack.

[MichaelB]

They said Friday, cut them some slack.

It was also meant tio be the Friday before as well.

If I had said one date, missed that, and then missed it again, I'd at least post something, but 6 days later, nothing .....

What other conclusion is there ?

[MarkG]

It's on their face book page.

http://blog.cyclingexpress.com/?p=89#comment-11

"Whilst it’s annoying to come under fire (before we’ve even launched!), we understand that there are always going to be haters in this world.

It’s Wednesday, we’re working night and day to get this shop live by end of play Friday. No time to entertain the haters right now. We’ll just keep our heads down!"

[CommuRider]

A higher level of professionalism is required in the cut-throat e-commerce world especially if you're going to be competing against the established UK players.

While it's nice to be notified about this new online bike store, I'm sure Cell Bikes didn't make such a big fuss when they launched their online store. Anyway, the proof's in the pudding. If half of the members here start using Cycling Express, then good. If not, then it was one big, [expensive] marketing exercise.

[goneriding]

What other conclusion is there ?

It's an IT based project. Have you ever tried to get an accurate date out of a developer? Either that or they decided that some testing might be appropriate a day or so prior to release and found that nothing worked as designed. I'd say a 1 week slip is normal. Even if they are a month late I wouldn't be surprised. Some of the alleged tier 1 "Blue Chip" companies I work for manage to slip IT projects by months or even years even to the point of not at all!

[sblack]

They said Friday, cut them some slack.

It was also meant tio be the Friday before as well.

If I had said one date, missed that, and then missed it again, I'd at least post something, but 6 days later, nothing .....

What other conclusion is there ?

Umm... how about this post yesterday?

I thought they were sposed to go live yesterday!?

Hey mate, site should be up this Friday night.

The retail store in Bayswater is now almost 3 times size, massive range and looks awesome, you'd be surprised how good it looks, check it out if you are in the area. And new developments are still in the works also!

[MichaelB]

It's on their face book page.

http://blog.cyclingexpress.com/?p=89#comment-11

"Whilst it’s annoying to come under fire (before we’ve even launched!), we understand that there are always going to be haters in this world.

It’s Wednesday, we’re working night and day to get this shop live by end of play Friday. No time to entertain the haters right now. We’ll just keep our heads down!"

I'm not a Twitter/Facebook/Myspace/Youtube user so missed this one.

Not sure about the "haters" comment. If you can't be sure that you are going to get it right on a ceratin date, then don't promiise a second date and still miss that.

As Commurider says, not good form in this day and age. Yiou essentially only get one chance, and it's pretty hard to recover.

Even if you are head down bum up trying to fix it, how hard is it to give daily (or more frequent) updates ?

I'll keep standingby to standby.

Sure a few tantalising loss leaders to suck people in, but what is after that ? Hopefully lots more.

(AT) Goneriding - I work as a Project Manager, so well aware of slip. Still, a good PM won't promise things and miss dates twice. Not good.

@sblack - I live in Adelaide, so can't drop by. But when in Melbourne just before Xmas, will pop by for sure to have a stickybeak.

[goneriding]

a good PM

Therein lies your answer, perhaps? I have the dubious pleasure of working with lots of PM's and unfortunately, there aren't very many good ones. The good ones are to be treasured!

[CommuRider]

It's an IT based project. Have you ever tried to get an accurate date out of a developer?

Then the marketing people should be talking more closely to their IT people instead of having the former run away with hypeing this up.

In the mean time, this will lose momentum the more it gets delayed and people will just stick to Wiggle and CRC because it's another case of an Australian/local based retailer's unreliability or failing to deliver to the hype.

[MichaelB]

a good PM

Therein lies your answer, perhaps? I have the dubious pleasure of working with lots of PM's and unfortunately, there aren't very many good ones. The good ones are to be treasured!

I try my best ..... Mind you, don't work in IT, so that helps a lot ....

[bostonceltics]

It's on their face book page.

http://blog.cyclingexpress.com/?p=89#comment-11

I'm not a Twitter/Facebook/Myspace/Youtube user so missed this one.

Not sure about the "haters" comment. If you can't be sure that you are going to get it right on a ceratin date, then don't promiise a second date and still miss that.

As Commurider says, not good form in this day and age. Yiou essentially only get one chance, and it's pretty hard to recover.

Even if you are head down bum up trying to fix it, how hard is it to give daily (or more frequent) updates ?

I'll keep standingby to standby.

Sure a few tantalising loss leaders to suck people in, but what is after that ? Hopefully lots more.

(AT) Goneriding - I work as a Project Manager, so well aware of slip. Still, a good PM won't promise things and miss dates twice. Not good.

@sblack - I live in Adelaide, so can't drop by. But when in Melbourne just before Xmas, will pop by for sure to have a stickybeak.

Michael, Cycling Express were hoping for last Friday but had to extend to this Friday, so they haven't missed dates twice.

Chill out a bit bro, one more day and you can check it out to your hearts content.

[bostonceltics]

It's an IT based project. Have you ever tried to get an accurate date out of a developer?

Then the marketing people should be talking more closely to their IT people instead of having the former run away with hypeing this up.

In the mean time, this will lose momentum the more it gets delayed and people will just stick to Wiggle and CRC because it's another case of an Australian/local based retailer's unreliability or failing to deliver to the hype.

Seriously guys, why so much negativity, it's only a one week delay. Chill out a bit, at least someone in Australia is trying their best to deliver an alternative.

[MichaelB]

Michael, I think you might have got your wires crossed a little mate. Cycling Express were hoping for last Friday but had to extend to this Friday, so they haven't missed dates twice.

Chill out a bit bro, one more day and you can check it out to your hearts content.

Well that is not clear, as no date is specified.

Have no money anyway, as I need to save to buy a Volagi Liscio anyway....

[MarkG]

lol ..

[goneriding]

I agree with CR as to the potential for negative sentiment to the non delivery of the hype but, personally, would rather wait a week or 3 whilst the vendor in question gets their act together especially when it will be my credit card details that they'll be getting!

I'd also expect that over the first month or so there will be some problems as the load increases on the site as typically projects of this type don't consider this in their requirements, especially if they don't have prior exposure to the industry. The number of times I've seen this scenario is depressing in the extreme. Unfortunately, all of these things end up costing money, which hasn't typically been budgeted for.

Personally, I hope that the site flies and does compete so we can start a thread about delivery times from Cycling Express or see even more competative pricing from O/S because of local competition.

[MarkG]

Amen to that

[Ross]

I believe they originally said the end of the month and then I guess with them gaining more publicity though they would try and get it done a bit early but for whatever reason they couldn't do it. Better to wait a week or so and have a proper job of it than go live early with a half-arsed website that crashes. I'm as keen to see it as much as anyone. Plenty of other places around still to buy your parts from.

[MichaelB]

Amen to that

Amen to the Amen.

[}SkOrPn--7]

Be better if they shut up and stop the hype nonsense then when systems are all go start letting on with the news etc because this does nothing but tarnish there start in my opinion . Nothing I hate more is hype and BS and to add to that all that flog/twatter/facecrap but that is just me. They have made big claims to price match the big boys and that is something I'm interested in but if it's a case of emails back and forth to get prices then forget it that isn't going to happen I'm just going straight OS to make purchases so if there reading this they might want to look into that of the bat.

I would also be interested to know if there going through Australian Suppliers/distributors or they have managed to become there own in order to fetch such deals and make bold price matching claims.

Anyway good luck to them they deserve it I just hope there launch goes of with little headache for a very smooth run.

Ricky

[CommuRider]

Seriously guys, why so much negativity, it's only a one week delay. Chill out a bit, at least someone in Australia is trying their best to deliver an alternative.

I think it's hoping not to be bitterly disappointed more than anything else.

Anyway, their first serious competition is really Cell Bikes. If they're more successful than Cell then yes, let's begin to compare it to CRC and Wiggle. But first things first. Cell has first-mover advantage in the Australian scene.

[munga]

ll be laughing at the whingers when they're buying from CE next month, and the month after that, and the month after that..

to the CE boys, don't mind the knockers - tall poppy syndrome never dies.

[sogood]

I'd also expect that over the first month or so there will be some problems as the load increases on the site as typically projects of this type don't consider this in their requirements...

Crashing servers I can cope, just come back after midnight. But I sure hope they have their security system done properly. PBK seemed to have a decent track record and I am hesitant with handing out my CC details to a new site. But being local, there's every chance we'll be able to EFT for payment.

As for the hype debate. I think the success and failure of CE will easily rest on the word of mouth experience of users. Good experiences will travel fast across the net and customers will come. If they can't live up to the hype, no amount of hype will sway those hard core mail order shoppers.