Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles Merge Confirmed

 Most lbs' in Australia are competitive in price with online now. A few years ago they weren't and a lot of peoples habit has become online shopping. I used to be online only and now I'm pretty much back to the shop, and I honestly don't think it costs me anything

 Bikes shops will learn to adapt. My local shop has been willing to negotiate pricing on certain items enough to keep me coming back. For me, dealing with a good local shop has enough benefits to make buying from them worth the extra price most of the time. Besides that, Chain Reaction Cycles and Jenson USA aren't gonna tell you where the good trails are and invite you to the back of the shop for a beer.

 The thing with a bike shop is they need to play to their strength, which is immediacy. I can get down there and pick up some quicklinks/stans fluid/a tyre/tubes/whatever I need - right now, if i need it for a trip or upcoming ride or whatever. With online I have to wait a couple of days or pay through the nose for express shipment. I feel that sometimes when I've gone to my lbs in a hurry I left wishing they were better stocked with consumables. I know they can't stock everything, but I mean, things like stan's fluid are just obvious, no?

 My closest shop is run by mennonites...and even those guys are doing fine. I give them all the work I can toss their way, because they do a great job and are very nice guys, but I rarely buy parts. However, when I do, they are generally pretty dang competitive. Bought a M980 XTR rear mech from that shop for $5 less than CRC. I even told them i'd pay an extra $10 for the convenience of having the part right away, but they wouldn't take it.

I hate building wheels, so they get lots of wheel builds from me, and not only are they one of the cheapest wheel builders i've ever found, but their builds are comparable to the best i've seen.

It seems to me that the local LBS's best opportunity to remain relevant and competitive lies in service, not in product.

 One definite way to atract customers is getting people who knows bikes and actually rides them. there is nothing more infuriating tha. going into your lbs just to listen to a canned sales speech. I can freaking read it online! give me actual advice like what tires are good for the area, tell me where the trails are, sell me things according to my ability. thats why the good lbs are usually the one run by cyclists they make it an actual enjoyable experience to go there. you learn stuff that you would not online, but the more corporate bike shops go the faster they will end.

 CRC is my lbs but still too dear. Theres cheaper online shops now.. Its handy to go to when need something sameday but..

 How about selling bikes at reasonable prices and rendering awesome f#cking customer service. In 20+ years of mtn biking I can count on one hand the number of bike shops that have impressed me.

 To be fair the shop at side of crc warehouse is very good, their workshop and staff are biker based and the stock they have is unreal...

 My lbs' s all are online, for good pricing you have to wait for the right time I admit. We do have an outlet store tho with regularly 50% off everything

 @TheRaven, you hit it spot on in your last paragraph, I work a full time 50+hours a week job and than work part time at my LBS as a wrench in the summer for discounts on parts. However the shop I work for is all about service, service, and customer service. We help those in need who can't afford new parts or service but rely on the bike for their job. I live in a country who's dollar is shit and the province I live in is one of the poorest in the country, our shop is going strong and we hardly ever sell a zee or even XT grade components. But once again 80% of the bikes we service are all under 800$.

 Ill third the service mention. I'll never be a bike mechanic, nor do I want to be. I'll change tires/chains & simple shit, but I maybe need a fork serviced once or twice a year; a wheel built every two years; why spend the time messing up learnin these skills when I can hand it to a pro who's done it a thousand times? I'm at point in my life where 50 bucks here in there is forgotten, but a bike ride being ruined by my ineptitude in bike mechanics is never forgotten. My shop gives me good prices too, so unless it's 40+% off on CRC then it's not worth it to use them. Shops will always be around, but the ones that stock tonnes of gear will become fewer and far between. I don't think that's the end of the world.

 ....

 @JesseE - damned site won't let me like that reply 1000 times, as it deserves.

 @robwhynot yeah!

@mattfitz everything American is like 30-40% more expensive than it was last year, so compared to the other developed countries, yeah, we're whining about bike prices. That said, you've gotta assume 99% of the users on this site enough spend a poor country's average salary on bike shit just for fun, so this site's demo is generally quite privileged.

 Working at a bikeshop, to be honest, we aren't incredibly worried about our future of having to compete with these businesses. Maybe its our customer demographic that we're fortunate to have, but if there is one thing we have experienced that we can stand by as fact, more times than less, people who buy parts for a good deal online often buy either the wrong parts, or they buy the big things that they think is everything they need, while leaving out all the small things that they don't even know are bike parts. And then where do they come after scratching their heads? You guessed it.

We like giving advice to people when they are looking to upgrade, but if there is anything that will hurt a small business, its spending the 30 min to an hour (sometimes 2) of our valuable time explaining build kits, fork servicing, etc, to people who will turn around and go buy from somewhere else. And granted, our biggest customer base is the person using their bike for commuting, and when it comes to re-gearing or changing handlebars, they have no idea what to do or how to do it. Of course we would rather have people buy parts through us (and they do), but when business is done the right way, the online giants aren't killing us.

And it also is more appealing when our suppliers can get us the part in a couple days and the customer pays no shipping.

 What is an LBS for when you have been your own mechanic for 15yrs+
I use them for emergency parts sometimes.
We need CRC stores set up like an Argos for bikers in each major town.
Then LBS shops for people that don't do their own wrenching and need more support.
Or emergencies as I don't mind paying a premium for a component when I need something to save a day out.

 All my local bike shops suck. I built my entire bike online. It's one thing to find exactly what you want and get it in 4-5 days, it's another to walk into a LBS saying "I need this" only to have them say "we're just a middle man but we can order it for you and it'll take 2 to 3 weeks". And then have them proceed to tell me that I should buy "this other kind" instead. Good parts are always out of stock, offerings are always slim, it's a really terrible time to be in the business of a LBS. The next gen of local bike shops will have very very thorough and strong online ordering systems, warehouses & shipping/receiving centers, & well built and easy to navigate websites that have real time inventory systems. A lot of LBS websites are atrocious.

 The reason to support your LBS these days is for the service they provide both with maintenance and human interaction. The problem is that this new business model, if they’re to have one, is usually severely lacking in not just the technical expertise but regular, commonsense service 101 etiquette. Yes, I’m talking about general friendliness, smiling, listening, not referring to a customer whom they’ve never met as “man” or “bro,” greeting them and if busy, make sure they know you’ll be getting to them asap. Just basic stuff but unfortunately people that work in shops have often never received this kind of training. If I’m not gonna get good service and they’re gonna screw up my bike why wouldn’t I order online exclusively?

 I always check with my LBS first. I basically send them the link from the online shop and if they have the part , and I can get a good price from them, even if it`s more expensive I will buy locally. If they don`t have it or, it will take longer than 20 days to get in the shop I will buy online. I was once a die hard fan of CRC until I found other online retailers that have better prices on a regular base than CRC when they are on sale. It`s my money I decide where to spend it. Bike24 and Probikeshop have far better prices than CRC, don`t know about Wiggle though... never bought anything from them.

P.S. Usually when they throw around the term "competitive" it means cutting jobs to increase profit...

 Local bikes shops cant compete because online companies get sent components from manufactures at a lower price than many shops buy at trade. If anything goes wrong with your product it is much easier to deal with a bike shop than an online company, thats time and money wasted by sending it off rather than your shop giving you a new product. Many people don't have the ability to service and fit parts to their bike, some may think they are experts but in fact can make simple errors. Reading an article online on fitting is nothing compared to someone who has done that job over 100 times and the tools they use are less likely to damage components. Most instructions now say to have a professional fit it. Dont get me wrong online deals can be better than staff discounts from suppliers but you will always need a local bike shop. Not everyone is a keyboard warrior on pinkbike and claims to know everything possible. Some people prefer the personal level of a bike shop and you wont get free servicing with a bike you get online.

 Using the whole service angle is weird to me, because I'm not exactly brilliant when it comes to turning a wrench but I was able to figure out what tools I needed and how to service everything on my bike just using online articles and youtube videos. I also had no problem connecting the dots between frame/part specs and choosing sizes for components online. It's not the same caliber as needing a mechanic to service a car, bikes are so much simpler by nature. Now obviously I can't speak for everyone when it comes to servicing their own bike, but I can absolutely refute your claim that everyone is going to need their local bike shop at some point.

 The Internet challenged the LBS well before online shopping took off. Customers realising bikes are not complicated through doing their own research is the biggest issue the LBS faced. Bikes are simple machines, and most parts are designed to be easy to install and maintain. The internet prices are the nail in the coffin.

 @mattfitz dude "rich" countries aren't filled with rich people. A country may be well developed, but wages within any country are a byproduct of the economy and cost of living within it. Canada is a great place to live, and Canadians are lucky to live here, but it ain't that cut and dry.

 Service quality price You know what to do

 @WasatchEnduro Never a truer word spoken, the sheer lack of customer service is the huge driving factor me going to an online retailer. Maybe two bike shops here that have seriously legit service, the rest are piss poor. Customer service is a forgotten art.

 shimano is cutting their prices on slx and above parts. hasn't crc used their oem position to buy shimano parts to resell at those cheaper prices?

 hey i hope Sam Hill does not need to sing the horrible song . "wiggle wiggle.. wiggle wiggle.."

 Local bike shops are alive and growing here. Modern mountain bikes aren't cheap and people who can afford them is rarely the online-deal, self-servicing type of guy. As much as pinkbike commenters would like to believe, I'm afraid we're not a representative sample of current mountain-bike customer demographic.

 There it is. I often give my lbs a chance. It usually ends with, " you don't want that"or "we can order it". I do want it and i'll order it myself, thanks anyway.

 I just dragged my face down a brick wall.... that was more fun than another LBS vs Online discussion. Anyone care to join me for another face drag. It's cheaper to do than buying parts from your LBS and has a higher moral standing than ordering online. ... and chicks dig scars.

 Let us all simply hope for even lower costs, as we all know more buying power and higher volumes decrease costs, hopefully this'll be passed to the end user as a lot of the time the wholesalers keep the extra profit...

 You should put some poly sporan on those scratches so they don't get infected. If you order online you can get a way better price than your local pharmacy

 Hey @TheRaven you must be speaking of Shirks Bike Shop....great shop!

 Most importantly, A lot of Mechanics and sales help at shops seem bitter at times. This is a big turn off for me and can make shoppers balk at a purchase or service. There tends to be a liberal, clique like environment; and they shun you when not fitting there mold. BAD BUSINESS ETHICS!!

 seriously? why didn't anyone tell me this before?

 Honestly? That's the best thing I've ever heard of. I can always be bought with gummies.

 damn dudes, I ain't even mad anymore.

 Haribos are the best.

 On that there is no debate.

 The only reason that you could be mad when you get free haribo is if they're the sugar free gummy bears

 You should try the sugarfree ones www.amazon.com/Haribo-Sugar-Free-Gummy-Bears/product-reviews/B008JELLCA

 amen brother, gastrointestinal distress is all that awaits those who eat sugar free gummies.

 With any luck CRC will start doing them... Wheres my god damn tangfastics CRC?!

 Star Mix gets my vote

 We don't have those here. I'm always fascinated with all the different Haribo's for different markets.

 Bertie bassetts liquorice all sorts.old skool. haribos for hipsters.

 Company I used to work for sent them out with every order, the range of mixes was crazy, I knew of 1 or 2 but there are loads. Got pretty sick of them and only worked there for a few months

 Superstar send haribo with every order too! Check em out!!!

 nail on head there..

 "Investment banker owned Wiggle merges with largest competitor to offshore profits and maximise investor returns."


I'll continue to support my LBS.

 Maybe the question is why are the Germans cheaper then crc/wiggle?

 Do they merge to lower their prices and compete with the Germans? I'm not sure about that.
One of the reasons why CRC and Wiggle are unable to match the German prices is the additional costs involved in converting euros to pounds. For example, paypal charges a 3% currency conversion fee, which is 3 euros for every 100 spent (I'd rather pay for my Highrollers 3 euros less and have a couple of beers after using them), and that amount isn't nonsense. If CRG and Wiggle have a turnover of say 10k euros a day, they'd have to pay a 300 euros conversion fee, meaning 9k a month, meaning 108k a year. A lot of money.

 Main reason the Germans are cheaper right now because of the pound \ euro exchange rate and that's on the slide. Some things do seem a lot cheaper there, Shimano chain rings being one, way cheaper, Madison explain!

 #enduroFactory Exchange rate, euro/Sterling pretty simple really.

 haha, three guys with the same thought typing it at the same time. Sorry, I was the quickest this time.

 Germans have always been cheaper, at least since 4-5 years. Exchange rate is bullshit, they have different models: CRC has high prices with exceptionally good clearance sale prices to lure you in, Germans don't do much clearance sales but they have nice prices all the time on the whole catalog. You should look also at probikeshop.com and alltricks.fr, sometimes they're even better than the germans (mostly on OEM parts).

 Bad potato! (I feel kinda guilty for LMAO for that comment)

 Exchange rate has a small impact, there are goods cheaper in uk then Germany. Pretty sure there's price fixing with some brands.

 The way i see it is that the bigger they get the more expensive is their operation, they have more costs so they cannot bring the margins too low. A medium sized well organized online shop will always beat the big ones. The german webstores are a good example.

 @badpotato you made me lol! Obviously nobody else got your humour but I gave you props! Mad props!! :-D

 Wiggle has become self aware!!

 @bennyt11 did you write this comment lol

 Shimano parts kill my LBS. He usually gives me a great deal on parts I order from him, but for Shimano he says to buy online. Some brakes and pedals I bought recently were only $2 higher on CRC than his cost from Shimano and he would have had to pay shipping.

Shimano is totally screwing over the LBS.

 I'm surprised as a bike shop owner, you aren't aware of the recent drop in Shimano pricing at the wholesale level (up to 40%) announced today. And on the flip side, one of my LBS's was complaining that Lambert, NOT Shimano direct, was a lot more money now. So who is fleecing who? Order direct from Shimano Canada?

 The announced Shimano price drop was US, I didn't see mention of Shimano Canada also dropping price.

 My local good shop is now just a service workshop, they're 'kin good at it as well. Even they buy parts from the German retailers because it's cheaper than the UK distributors will sell to them.

 Hmm our weak dollar then is likely causing the increase at Lambert....so if this doesn't apply to Canada (I thought the article referred to NA), yay expect an increase?!

 Same in Australia, shimano wholesale prices here are often with in a few dollars of CRC retail prices and all I've herd from shimano when I've approached them about it over the last few years is "we're aware of the situation"
Concept stores here are taking off and weather or not that works in the Aussie market place time will tell, all I know is that we're going more into servicing and with the Australian consumer sentiment getting worse as the economy falters it'll be a fun trip down the rabbit hole for use..

 Wiggle-action

 Yess!!!! ????

 chain wiggle action (sounds like a clutch mech is needed to sort out that problem)

 Chiggle

 ChainWiggle Cycles fits best.

 Soon to sponsor Aaron Gwin.

 It wouldn't have made it this far if they didn't think it would pass.

 er ... confirmed means it's going ahead and has not been contested by the Monopolies Commission. The 2 companies aren't big enough to even remotely attract the commission's attention.

 The merger has been agreed by the 2 parties, the competition commission now needs to review the situation and see if it's fair. 3-5 months.

 Yep when looking for stuff online I always find it cheaper from the German sites. I've stopped price checking it against CRC as it's never cheaper at CRC even after factoring in shipping.

 I used to be a CRC fan boy until I discovered Wiggle - definitely cheaper although not the same range of products as CRC. Wiggle's shipping is cheaper too (free on $100 NZD purchases for Wiggle but 100 GBP for CRC). I'm not convinced this merger is going to be good for the consumer?

 New World = Internet order

 The German online retailers crush either of these guys on price. I don't even bother to check CRC prices anymore.

 Which German online retailers?
I have only used CRC and Jenson (when CAD was fairing better)

 not always they don't.

 ...

 the first online web i check for canadian

www.tbsbikeparts.com

usually the best pricing when they sold the items you want. Not a lot of choice but mostly just the good one

 www.google.de is my best friend followed by www.google.fr

 www.bike-components.de/en
www.alltricks.com/?gclid=CjwKEAiAova1BRDS15OXjcug_FMSJACWNAKZuh0J-ey0nTjzZGdkumagcQs46xD5dPlP9dStKo9mjRoCvSrw_wcB
www.merlincycles.com
www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk

 Do you know that CRC have a price book per country. CRC overcharge some countries up to +12%. Try yourself. Check the price for your own country and then UK. I order now from french and german shops (ei alltricks). One price book, no surprise, way cheaper

 well... didn´t know that. thanks

 CRC is not the only one doing that. Try buying the same item in Probikeshop or RCZ Bike Shop to Europe is more expensive than to US.

 makes sense. trying to even the delivery costs

 ^^^A men^^^^ That ^^^^right there.

 This is my next fave shop after CRC.

 www.wigglehighfive.com