Retail experiences

After riding my bikes, buying stuff for my bikes comes next. In a retailer I’m looking for (i) sells the stuff I want (ii) doesn’t charge too much for despatch and doesn’t use crappy deliverer (iii) prices (iv) reasonable website. 

(IV) makes Amazon a fail for me, (iii) makes Halfords a no go but they do redeem themselves for being open Sundays and evenings for urgent requirements.  Decathlon is a bit hit and miss IME but they do as we all know put out some real bargains on latest bikes.  Planet X are even more hit and miss on anything other than complete bikes. 

I use EBay a fair bit - this can be a way of finding sellers like Hopkinson Cycles and Velo Duo (I'm a sucker for Nissen cable) who also have their own sites. EBay has helped rescue a few vintage restos with things like old vintage cable guides from specialist dealers.  EBay is good for finding spokes and inner tubes, if you shop around.  I get things like 7 and 8s flat bar Brifters for repair cafe jobs for around £12. I like getting coloured cable ferrules from China that take 6 weeks to arrive. 

A local garden centre has a few things like a wet or a dry lube for £1, Silverhook bike cleaner and a tonne of general purpose tools.  My work stand is the Crevit/ Lidl £40 offering and I've got a set of coloured Allen keys of theirs. 

With the demise of such greats as Wiggle and Probikeit, and the acquisition by the Fraser Group of Evans and CRC, what are the main retail contenders now?  

Spa Cycles tick all my 4 boxes and St John St, although it tends to be pricey - pretty good on obscure spares. Spa sell Titanium frames for <£1000, but aren’t they place for the latest thru axle CF 12s. Condor is a good site and not always pricey.  

Cycle Solutions (good for wheel building) Tweeks, Santafixie (Spain, does sell gearing stuff).  Other honourable mentions that I’ve used: High on Bikes, Sprockets, Wolf Cycles, Sigma Sports, Sport & Leisure, Triton.  

Clothing from Galibier - one of many small niche makers/sellers - e.g. Vulpine, Corinne Dennis (old-fashioned touring gear).