so…now were paying AU$29.60 to get one item delivered from both Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles.
Free Shipping threshold has increased to AU$120.00
cant say im pleased…probably about 60-70% of my bike budget for consumables/kit/accessories & parts was being spent at these two retailers.
coupled with the diving AU dollar bike stuff just got a lot more expensive
what now? ive used merlin in the past, buy locally at pushys & cyclingdeal…havent tried probikekit or ribble…other options out there?
placed an order late last month…took about 17 days so not so bad…might be worse now. i'll still do my bulk order form the UK but not really an option now if i just need a single urgently needed replacement part
whenever ive browsed bikebug theyve always been more expensive than the UK and even pushys has had better pricing for the stuff i need…but might be more of an option in the future
It's going to be hard to find somewhere local that can beat the prices on Wiggle, even in this current climate I think. Maybe try Cycle Station too, I believe they even did a couple of posts here years ago. Not the biggest range and free delivery is stil $99 or above, but could be an option. I'm sure you know this already, whenever I need something specific, I make sure to check Bike Exchange as well to see what are my local offerings.
I've been looking mostly at bikebug & Ebay. Ever since shimano stopped the international guys from being able to sell to us, the prices are insane. To replace my 11 speed cassette its more for the slx than I paid for my xt and the chains are about double. I normally just upgrade my drivetrain with every new release, but the 12 speed xt cassettes are just about equal to what I paid for my last 11 speed xt shifter, derallieur, cassette & chain.
…wow, didnt realise it had gotten that bad. luckily i havent had to replace anything shimano recently other than a rear mech i sourced from pushys…
my chains are kmc so i hadnt noticed the shimano geo restrictions.
were basically screwed now…
….bloody Shimano
LOL! :)
Maybe freight charges have increased due to the reduction in airline capacity? The exchange rate is also not helping.
Exactly. Air freight prices have gone through the roof due to lack of cargo space.
id definitely agree with that…however the cynic in me says even after things return to 'normal' we wont see the price decrease
Where should i look to get threaded 25g co2 cartridges for cheap?
Crc doesnt have them on their AU site.
I have never bought or used them before. Im not sure if they are all created equal or is there any difference in quality between them.
I would like to use them with something like this
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/au/en/lifeline-co…
i find cyclingdeal to be good for tubes, tools etc. local guys and good CS
https://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/accessories/pumps/co2/
I've used Probikekit a few times, but they don't have the same range of stock as WiggleCRC. The last time I used Merlin they didn't include the GST in the individual item prices, they added it to the total when checking out.
Presuming that the freight prices are being driven up by the reduced air travel during COVID-19 restrictions, I would expect the other UK sellers to follow suit shortly.
TLDR:When ordering from Wiggle, watch what you are being charged compared to listed price.
I've dealt with Wiggle for years, but a recent transaction caused concern.
Among items ordered was a saddle. When I went to check out, the price jumped by approximately 15%. I was using wiggle.com.au, set with delivery to Australia, in Australian dollars.
Their customer service tried to explain this as me using the UK site. I explained I hadn't, so then they claimed I was arranging delivery within the UK. I said I wasn't/never had. Final explanation from them was that Wiggle has to cover delivery costs. This is despite the fact that you pay delivery unless you reach their free shipping thresh-hold. If you are paying delivery, the item doesn't reduce in price, so it appears we are taking a double hit here.
While Wiggle remains a useful site, I watch pricing on check out a little more carefully now.
…mmm. will do…i hate how prices seem to fluctuate constantly for no reason….add something to your basket a day or two later 10-30% more expensive!
….bloody price fluctuations
I've always found Wiggle customer service to be consistently bad.
CRC was always HEAPS better (before and just after takeover too).
Not sure about now.
Bikebug and Pushys for me now.
I usually just save up items in my cart until I reach the free shipping threshold and then I place my order. At the moment, I only have some cleats, rim tape and carbon paste, which gives a total of $28.59, so I'll be waiting a while to hit the $120 threshold unless Wiggle have a sale…
Wishlists are great for that too. I ask my cycling mates if they want something to reach the free shipping threshold.
yeh…but then the prices increases by the time you eventually do consolidate your larger order!
They’ve decimated the local bike shop industry with their low prices, conned Shimano, SRAM etc into exclusive deals and now are putting up prices because there is less competition.
Try Pushy's. Australian based, good range, good prices, $99 for free delivery, all shipping rates published https://www.pushys.com.au/shipping-information.html
..ive been supporting pushys for 7 years plus… 😉
Isn’t Wiggle and Chain Reaction one and the same now?
yes…both owned by wiggle. they are two independent sites though…
Something I've noticed when shopping from CRC or Wiggle is that you can use the new customer code for 20 bucks off over $120 spend an infinite amount of times. All you have to do is create a new email using the Gmail trick. As in, just add "+1" (or any combination of text and numbers after the + sign). For example, [email protected] and [email protected] will be treated as 2 separate accounts by wiggle. However, Gmail will treat them as a single account.
In addition to this, I've noticed that on wiggle's site, you can apply the coupon code and have your total transaction go below the free shipping threshold but still get free shipping. This only works if your baskets items add up to the free shipping threshold before the coupon is applied. This same trick doesn't work on the CRC website, for whatever reason.
Anyway, I buy all my cycling products from CRC and wiggle and they don't seem to have an issue with me using the gmail trick above. I've used the new customer coupon code so many times using the same name and address. Hell, I've even had multiple orders processed at the same time using the same name/address and using the coupon.
For those unaware;
CRC new customer code = NCV2020
Wiggle new customer code = NEWAU
Ribble used to be awesome for Shimano parts and Assos kit but they were bought out 3-4 years ago and they rarely have bargains any more. Pushys have the odd bargain as do BikeBug but you have to compare and shop around.
…yeh i hear you 2ndeffort. seems like its harder to find a 'one stop shop' for good range & price these days…
I think tye shop has sailed for best prices, best stock levels and quick/cheap delivery all in one place. The market has matured and those businesses realised it wasn’t sustainable.
Threshold has been increased again to $200 AUD. Well, looks like that's pretty close to the end of CRC for me.
Just noticed this as well on Wiggle after trying to get some gels & electrolytes. WTF, $27+ AUD shipping or $199 for free shipping.
I'd go to Probikekit. I bought a twin pack of Contininental GP5000 tyres for only $108 last week. Free shipping is still on for orders $99 and above. Wiggle/CRC was also much more expensive for two GP5000 tyres, not to mention their ridiculous shipping fees.
Have a look at Bikebug. They have stores all over Australia. It will probably take ages for delivery anyway from Wiggle even if you do buy something from them now.