Who’s reputable and cheap? I’ve had good experiences with these but it would be handy to have a comprehensive list.

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk
http://www.alltricks.fr
http://www.bike-discount.de
http://www.hibike.com

Cheap will vary, and there are generally horror stories about all shops, so it’s fairly pointless. It’s what’s Google’s for.

I’ve had loads of stuff from Starbike.com and R2bike.de.

http://www.probikeshop.com/

http://www.bike-components.de also

I like Bike24. http://www.bike24.com/

Also Action Sports. http://www.actionsports.de/en/

Bike components for good service and price. Will also price match

http://www.summitcycles.co.uk
http://www.18bikes.co.uk
http://www.merlincycles.com
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com

and many many others

Walk in, pick them up, ask the staff questions, take home immediately the right thing.
There’s no wonder this countries’ falling on it’s arse when everybody want’s to save 5 pounds buying from the big boys then complain when it doesn’t arrive and ruins the weekends plans.

Edit : https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C5CHFA_enAT503AT503&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=shop%20closing%3Asingletrackworld

This is what’s happening

^ For some of us that £5 represents near enough our hourly wage so I’ll continue buying as cheaply as i can wherever that may be, i used to mechanic/work in a bike shop so i’m well aware of the situation you mention but there is plenty of folk out there who seemingly cannot even manage to clean and lube a drivetrain never mind service, fix or repair their own bikes so that’s where the income for a succesful business will come from, not from mechanically savvy folk who maintain their own bikes.

So once most of the LBS are gone good luck on getting a mech hanger on Saturday afternoon.
Good luck in Joe public getting a mechanic to tweak his gears or service his bike.
Good luck in getting the service and loyalty I have had from some bike shops for over 20 years.
The LBS will become just another empty shop next door to what used to be the butchers and bakers but Tesco took care of them.
I dread to think what our streets will be like in 20 years time. Hair Dressers, Dentists and Doctors. Everything else I’m sure you can get online.

With so many 1000’s of different mech hangers, 99% won’t be able to get one on a saturday afternoon anywhere, anyway.
Adapt and survive.

All of the above, plus (if you don’t mind a slightly flaky website, but with excellent multilingual service) add the following…

http://bike-x-perts.com

My LBS ripped off colleague, and it was me that told them what was wrong and where they’d failed in routine service and installation of parts. Hence I use my favourite “local” online stores.

I think you are being a tad melodramatic, we used to have a 2 or 3 week wait for repairs/servicing and employed a booking in process as there was an abundance of work, you could walk in and if it was an emergency or you were up on holiday and knackered your bike then we’d do everything we could to get you up and running again, often working late or driving miles to source that unusual part as the supplier is out of stock but you know a mate has a spare/similar on his bike so you head off to cannibalise for parts etc…etc.

If you have to rely on sales of new goods to keep the business afloat then i imagine any bike shop will be cutting it fine financially wise – there’s far more to a bike shop than racks and racks of shiny goods and parts.

I understand that but with so many closing it is a worry don’t you agree? If you order online you don’t visit a shop.
If you visit the shop, you can talk to the mechanic, book your bike in for a service, whatever. People will start to disassociate themselves, wait maybe too long. Should enough people do this you never know.

Last part i bought from ze germans was £125 cheaper than anywhere i could find in the uk, and over £200 cheaper than my lbs could offer so ill shop where i want thanks. Ill give my lbs a chance but im not there for charity and i dont need to go to a bike shop for a chat, i have friends for that.

The three nearest LBSs to me all have pretty poor attitudes in my experience. I will travel past the big chains to order special parts from the one shop where they don’t mind providing a decent service, but their stock is mostly not what I’m looking for. I don’t see any other solution than ordering online, with the cheaper price and with plenty of time.

Alot of this is down to manufacturers selling o.e stuff which is then punted out at less than ‘official’ stuff is available to UK retailers at trade price.
It’s not that the LBS is trying to rip anyone off generally.

I do all my own maintenance. Have done since I was 14. Apologies if that put any LBSes out of business because I didn’t pay them 20 quid plus parts for servicing, every 6 months.

I buy parts from the most convenient store.
For bikes that tends to be online.
For electronics kit that is more often than not a local store. €2 extra per order but I can order at lunchtime, and 99 times out of 100, it’ll be ready for collection on the way home, at one of two stores, and saves me the effort of a trip to the post office to collect 4 days after ordering.

If my LBS can provide the same service as my local electronics store, maybe I’ll use them more.

edit: apologies for my contribution to the thread drift, but all the major/popular German stores, and the French one, are all listed above.

edit #2: and the only guilt I have is ordering from Wiggle, which tends to be left at a parcel shop, which just happens to be my closest LBS

Thanks folks, a few there I hadnt come across before.

iolo – I know what I want and can fit it myself, why the hell would I involve my LBS? Also, I dont live in the UK if that helps you relax at all.

Also, I dont live in the UK if that helps you relax at all.

ditto.
hence the tendency to use German online stores, but still with occasional contribution to the UK economy when Wiggle or CRC have the best overall price.

iolo – all the bike shops round me are rushed off their feet with business, cycling hasn’t been as popular as it is now maybe ever. If the shops round you are closing they must be doing something serously wrong and don’t deserve to stay open. New shops, existing ones expanding etc.

Used Rose twice pro bike once, super prices on the items and quick delivery…haven’t had to deal with any warranty issues though.