would you...

badly_dubbed

buy a said item (xtr spd's) online (CRC) for 78 quid or try and be "loyal" to the local LBS and pay £12 more for same item, hoping you would get a good bit discount in the future?

supersonic

At the moment, as cheap as I can get them.

projectsome

LBS for repairs (I don't take my bike anywhere else) and cheapest place for buying at the time.

schmako

CRC it and when said item (or any other) goes horribly wrong take it to the lbs is the way I do it.

The Big Cheese

CRC

Surf-Matt

CRC are coming up more expensive on a number of items compared to my LBS.

990 Sram cassette, 991 SRAM chain, Park tube patches (£3.99 compared to £2.50) and a few other bits and bobs...

mickedwards61

Will your LBS price match? If not, then they aren't being "loyal" to you, so no need to extend that courtesy to them

badly_dubbed

mickedwards61 wrote:

Will your LBS price match? If not, then they aren't being "loyal" to you, so no need to extend that courtesy to them

never asked them, but i will now and see what they say

missmarple

I only get my bike serviced at my LBS as it also runs our club! So discounts galore.

tlw1

I would ask the bike shop for a better price.

I try to use mine all the time and normally win overall because of the free bits the do.

Only use net when can't get the shop or don't like what they have in stock

bannedbiker

My LBS alwys match CRC n then i normally get a wee bit of discount or something chucked in free to sweeten the deal!

soy_sauce

CRC or Wiggle.

i haven't visited any bike shops in town enough that they will recognise me when i go it... so no point to even bother asking them for discount.

MacAndCheese

matthew h wrote:

I would ask the bike shop for a better price.

I wish I would do that, but I always get uncomfortable in the LBS when someone comes in and says "i've seen this on wiggle for £XXX" cos I know the guy that runs it and he works hard to make an honest living, and he really wouldn't survive at CRC prices, also he does give a few perks to regulars (5min fixes for free, that kind of thing).

lawman

i buy mostly from crc, wiggle or merlin, tho i buy little bits like tubes etc from the LBS i work in

Surf-Matt

I get a discount at my LBS and their prices are good anyway - often works out cheaper and they'll fit parts too.

I think CRC and Wiggle are artificially inflating some prices to make it look like they've given a discount (just like Supermarkets do). Naughty.

The Big Cheese

CRC have let me down a lot lately so unless it's a deal that can't be missed I won't be using them, anyway my LBS is dead to me (wouldnt give him a Hobo's dick cheese - tw@t)

cat_with_no_tail

MacAndCheese wrote:

matthew h wrote:

I would ask the bike shop for a better price.

I wish I would do that, but I always get uncomfortable in the LBS when someone comes in and says "i've seen this on wiggle for £XXX" cos I know the guy that runs it and he works hard to make an honest living, and he really wouldn't survive at CRC prices, also he does give a few perks to regulars (5min fixes for free, that kind of thing).

While I do see where you are coming from, surely it's better for your LBS to be making a smaller amount of profit on an item than not selling it at all.