Is the internet killing bike shops?

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Minizian
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby Minizian » Sat Apr 13, 2013 10:47 pm

If simple diy parts like pedals and clothing, I would go to buy online. Whereas if i wanna buy stuff that need shop input like wheels and the price are quite close to the online shop then I wouldn't mind to pay more money to the lbs.

I would keen to try my luck on Canyon bike as my next bike. The stuff offered are really value for money when compared to many brands that sells in australia :twisted:

dynamictiger
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby dynamictiger » Wed Apr 17, 2013 6:27 pm

On a sort of related topic...

I bought the wife a new car a week or two ago. The car I bought I looked at myself 3 years ago when I bought my current one and the wifes car then was just over $32k. A week or two ago we drove away for $22k for a model up from the one I was looking at.

Cutting longer version short. I got curious and looked at another car yesterday myself. This car I also quite liked when it was released on market and I found this price had also dropped over $10k. I then started reading recent reviews and found out that last year both the wifes new car and this particular car were being imported by a specific distributor, suddenly about mid last year this distributor dropped the prices by $10k and by end of the year had lost the distributorship although prices have actually fallen under the new distributors a bit more.

As has been mentioned in this and other threads, there seems to be a middle man in this transaction who was over pricing their offerings and whilst some people were paying the price for the exclusivity of the product I suspect the manufacturers decided this wasn't moving vehicles in our market and the end result was a change of distributor network.

Just makes me wonder where else in our market these sorts of rorts are taking place? I suppose you could understand a $10k price adjustment on a $100k car with a change like this, but these cars were in the $30-40k bracket (which made them uncompetitive in my opinion). Anyway more 'evidence' of a non transparent economy.
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simonn
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby simonn » Wed Apr 17, 2013 9:01 pm

FWIW, this appeared to be due to the GFC/high AU$. It took a couple of years or so for the pricing of new cars to normalize (like it did for bicycles). Which is why we ended up with a new Honda Jazz (incidentally, one of the few cars which is now better value in Australia than Europe) rather than buying secondhand. With the price drop is was simply not worth it as the secondhand prices had yet to normalize . We bought it early July, i.e. beginning of the financial year when the drop happened.

But, this is rent-seeking Australia, so there will be a middle man somewhere.

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InTheWoods
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby InTheWoods » Thu May 30, 2013 11:30 am

Not specific to bike shops, but interesting reading about the effects of online shopping on high street shops:

http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2013/0 ... arch_2018/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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jacks1071
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby jacks1071 » Tue Jun 04, 2013 11:01 am

With competition comes opportunity.

Here is one example of someone who is embracing online purchasing and I dare say is probably doing pretty well out of it. Do you have someone with a similar attitude in your area? Maybe we need a sticky reference to bicycle service providers who are happy to install / service components (for a fee) that they havn't sold?

http://www.thebikebutler.com.au/partners.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Our Website is: http://www.kotavelo.com.au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Find us on Facebook by searching for "Kotavelo"

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redcorpsjames
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby redcorpsjames » Tue Jun 04, 2013 11:16 am

Is there a place like this in nsw
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jasonc
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby jasonc » Tue Jun 04, 2013 11:52 am

redcorpsjames wrote:Is there a place like this in nsw
http://www.this link is broken/sc/service-point" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Bike Brain
Shop 5
37 – 39 Parramatta Road,
Annadale, NSW 2038
T: (02) 9516 1002
repairs@bikebrain.com.au
Whippets Workshop
11 Stepney Street,
Stepney,
South Australia, 5069
T: (08) 8363 2497
sales@whippetsworkshop.com

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simonn
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby simonn » Wed Jun 05, 2013 8:35 pm

redcorpsjames wrote:Is there a place like this in nsw
http://www.rideinworkshop.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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ldrcycles
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby ldrcycles » Sun Jun 09, 2013 3:49 pm

My headlight died so I wanted a new rechargeable one, looked around online to find the one that fitted the bill and then checked with my LBS who stock that brand. They're able to do it for less than 5% extra, so i'm very happy to get it from them.
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singlespeedscott
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby singlespeedscott » Mon Jun 10, 2013 10:13 am

simonn wrote:FWIW, this appeared to be due to the GFC/high AU$. It took a couple of years or so for the pricing of new cars to normalize (like it did for bicycles). Which is why we ended up with a new Honda Jazz (incidentally, one of the few cars which is now better value in Australia than Europe) rather than buying secondhand. With the price drop is was simply not worth it as the secondhand prices had yet to normalize . We bought it early July, i.e. beginning of the financial year when the drop happened.

But, this is rent-seeking Australia, so there will be a middle man somewhere.
I wonder how long this will last now that the AU dollar has dropped.
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yarravalleyplodder
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby yarravalleyplodder » Mon Jun 10, 2013 11:03 am

jacks1071 wrote:With competition comes opportunity.

Here is one example of someone who is embracing online purchasing and I dare say is probably doing pretty well out of it. Do you have someone with a similar attitude in your area? Maybe we need a sticky reference to bicycle service providers who are happy to install / service components (for a fee) that they havn't sold?

http://www.thebikebutler.com.au/partners.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
looks a pretty schmick website and the services offered seem to meet what most people are after, very clever

now just need one in melbourne
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby dalai47 » Mon Jun 10, 2013 12:23 pm

yarravalleyplodder wrote:now just need one in melbourne
http://www.qualitybicyclerepairs.com.au/ and http://www.bikehound.com.au/ are both in Melbourne.

mick243
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby mick243 » Thu Jun 20, 2013 5:03 pm

No, the local bike industry is killing itsself.

where big ticket items are concerned, they fall over themselves backwards to help, but when you only want a few cheap parts, many are not interested....

for instance - last year I had to respoke the wheels on my 26'er..... 2 LBS's in penrith and an annaconda store...... both LBS's refused to sell me spokes - 1 refused because "my wheel guy isnt here, so I cant be sure I'm giving you the right size" (even though I had bought in examples of exactly what I needed) "but if you come back on monday he can get them for you ((AT) $3 per spoke (no-name at that, if I wanted "good"ones, they were $7 and up - but included "free"nipples) and 50c per nipple), the other flatly refused to sell me spokes, but was insisting I should leave my wheels with him "for a week or so" for his "wheel specialist" to rebuild for me (AT) $50 per wheel plus parts..... out of desperation I went to the annaconda store (expecting to be told "we sell bikes, not service parts" (I was very wrong)) and found the staff there to be quite knowledgeable and helpful - and he GAVE me a complete set of spokes and nipples.... (guess who I bought my next bike from :twisted: )


today, after recently loosing my much beloved frame pump (a 20+ year old zefal hpX4) - I have chased around most of the LBS's near me, NONE have any frame pumps in stock. NONE are willing to get one in for me. they all keep telling me "nobody uses them, because they dont fit modern bikes" Hmmm, I call BS, I have 5 bikes in my stable, and it fitted ALL of them (and aparrently, because I like frame pumps, I'm a nobody) they all try to sell me a "mini"pump, because "theyre better".... hmmm, I alrewady have several mini pumps, and I currently prefer to tote around my track pump in a pannier bag than to stuff around with said mini shyte pumps.

guess what I'm about to buy online because the locals dont want my buisiness

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AUbicycles
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby AUbicycles » Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:04 pm

Can't believe the quoted prices on the standard spokes.

On the pumps, a reasonable response could be that they don't stock them as there is no demand. Better would be to get one in the next shipment from their accessories brand, but it seems to have been too inconvenient.

I agree with the sentiment - perhaps this week it is just a part or accessory, but when it comes to next time or even the big dollars purchase, if they can't look after you the first then they can't expect to get your business.
Cycling is in my BNA

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queequeg
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby queequeg » Sat Jun 22, 2013 1:38 am

AUbicycles wrote:Can't believe the quoted prices on the standard spokes.

On the pumps, a reasonable response could be that they don't stock them as there is no demand. Better would be to get one in the next shipment from their accessories brand, but it seems to have been too inconvenient.

I agree with the sentiment - perhaps this week it is just a part or accessory, but when it comes to next time or even the big dollars purchase, if they can't look after you the first then they can't expect to get your business.
I had the same experience at the local bike shop, who wanted to charge me $3.5 per DT Swiss DB spoke, plus an extra 25 cents per nipple. I needed 144 spokes, so that was going to cost $540 just for the spokes!

I politely declined and purchased the same spokes online, with nipples supplied free, at a cost of 35 cents per spoke, so the local shop was more than 1000% expensive!
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MarkG
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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby MarkG » Mon Jun 24, 2013 10:46 am

I needed a new TT helmet, noticed the Avanti Plus store in Fortitude Valley had the Giro Adv 2 for $219 down from $299, and asked my local Avanti Plus store in WA to match it which they did without a drama at all.
Proudly "a hater of academics with helmet cams"

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Re: Is the internet killing bike shops?

Postby NhiTrac » Mon Jun 24, 2013 5:21 pm

Walked into a store before to buy some CO2. "Sure, that'll be $7 EACH"

Said store is now no longer in business.
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