I've seen a few posts here mentioning Banana Industries for bike parts. Had a look at their website and although the options are in some cases limited the prices are amazingly low.
My question is are they reliable?
They score 4.5/5 on Trust Pilot.
My experience is that they send the things you've ordered quite quickly.
This was cheap tyres, not olive oil or marine salvage parts though.
I ordered some rims from them recently, 100% positive experience, delivered exactly as advertised, great price.
Will probably order another set just to stock up 😎
They've always been good to me, bear in mind the product might never have been sold at the RRP advertised but the prices do seem good for a lot of parts.
Similar good experiences. They're riding glasses are superb.
headset and tyre arrived very quickly
Great site, where else can you purchase a low profile tyre, Japanese brazed steel commuter bike bits, a ship's portcullis window and some high phenol olive oil, all for reasonable prices? Without making Jeff Bezos more rich.
Spot on for me. Quite like their socks and had some tyres and other bits arrive pretty quick last week.
Knowing some of the people that work there, Rob being one of them, and going to fetch stuff a lot I can 100% vouch for them. Great bunch of lads and seeing Dave at the sharp end doing the postage is funny, cracking eccentric chap
I've had some soap that smelt so strong I was banned from using it by the entire family and also some windproof lighters.
Had a few issues where the product was in stock or ordering but not in reality or that it was misadvertised (conti tyre wrong compound) so be a little cautious otherwise you end up paying the delivery fee on little odds and ends you added on.
On the whole its good though.
I've had some soap that smelt so strong I was banned from using it by the entire family and also some windproof lighters.
How did the windproof lighters ban you from using the smelly soap?🤔😆
Got socks for myself a a coffee tamper for my mate, added a burgtec top cap I had spare and its very nice - great quality and arrived without any issues.
+1 on absolutely reliable, +1 on possibly never sold for advertised RRP anyway, +1 on read exactly what you're getting in - eg check the actual compounds/casings of those tyres, frequently you'll realise that it's not quite the model you'd have chosen yourself.
For the odds/sods I've got from them, they've been absolutely great - picked up some very good value Brand-X headsets, for instance.
Yep, they work, but read descriptions carefully before you order.
I've never tried thier marine salvage services...
I've only had positive experiences of them so far, mostly tyres but a few other knick-Knacks.
It's basically rummaging in the bargain bins of internet bike shops, and then deciding if all the the stuff you've put in your basket quite justifies the (fair) postage cost or if you need to have a little word with yourself...
Ordered a few times. Some good bargains. Socks are great quality for the money.
Last time I bought a KMC chain that was somewhat misleadingly described to make it look at sound like a more expensive version than turned up. I argued the case, mainly on principle, and they pushed back a bit but then sent me a returns label and refunded it.
That left a bit of a bad taste, but I'll probably order again if there's something I need at a good price.
Superb when I've used them. Olive oil and all.
fantastic to use. cheap quick reliable.
So am I alone in having bought marine salvage from them? Got a far more interesting outside light for about what I'd probably have paid for something generic in B&Q...
Also bought a helment from them for a very decent price - I'm sure it had been discounted elsewhere, but I'd not seen a similar price.
Socks also good.
Thanks for all the comments sounds like a good company.
Been looking at tyres and sunnies. My wife was looking over my shoulder while I was browsing and was quite taken with the salvaged ship stuff!! 😱
Yeah always had good experience at tremendous prices.
Only caution is being careful about the descriptions of what you're actually getting - particularly where there are model variants - sometimes it's not especially clear or is in fact wrong (e.g. the conti tyres - a few of my riding group got stung by that one)
I also like the general cut of their jib.
Vaguely chaotic and surly, but clearly good at what they're doing, unapologetic and a sense of humour with it 😎
Now I want a bloody roof tent. Nice one.
Toastie socks are excellent 👍 after I ordered them they did a bob a job offer on their trail socks with a pic of Bob Monkhouse 😁 5p for good quality riding socks postage was £2.99 but still a bargain.
The names of their soaps always makes my inner 10 year old giggle 😅
Everything I ever ordered has turned up
Personally I love the website due to the amount of weird and wonderful stuff on it..... I bought some bike parts a few months ago and just chucked in a couple of pairs of socks and a lighter.
Who knows next time I might chuck in some marine salvage:)
Anyway in my experience if they've got what you want they're a good shop and ship quickly - have no idea about returns as I've never had to return anything
Just clicked on their website to see the "only a tenner" Clarks light for..........£20 😂
I bought a WTB saddle a while ago from them. It looks legit, mostly, but it came in a clear bag. I've bought WTBs before and they came with cardboard backing and stickers on the saddles. It could be a clone or designed for a non-Euro market, I don't know. It was about 2/3 the price of legit suppliers.
I bought a WTB saddle a while ago from them. It looks legit, mostly, but it came in a clear bag. I've bought WTBs before and they came with cardboard backing and stickers on the saddles. It could be a clone or designed for a non-Euro market, I don't know. It was about 2/3 the price of legit suppliers.
I think that they are OEM - I have bought a few selle Italia saddles and they come in the same packaging - they were so cheap I didn't care. Don't mind when they are cheap but I get annoyed when you pay almost full RRP and get OEM ( wasn't banana another online bike shop)
They're good in my experience.
I've bought a few things. usually arrived in whatever box was knocking around the warehouse, but on the one occasion I had to query an order , I got a response and resolution quickly.
Although the resolution was "I remember packing that, did you look carefully inside the socks for the missing item" (I hadn't. It was there)
The names of their soaps always makes my inner 10 year old giggle 😅
Hadn't looked at the soaps, I'm 70 and some of the names made me laugh! 🤣
Just clicked on their website to see the "only a tenner" Clarks light for..........£20
I've got some in my basket for the commuter but I'm not paying double for them. 🙄
It's Dave who set up Planet-X basically back to doing the same thing. Hoovering up excess OEM stock and selling it cheap.
I bought 4x Selle Italia saddles because they were cheap and I know they fit my ass. Can't recall what the site said the fantasy RRP was but having just gone through the financially painful process of snapping my Ti version the fact that these were £35 and had steel rails was a bonus!
I also bought about 8 rolls of garishly coloured bar tapes, some IRC tyres, and some other bits.
Never had a problem.
I bought some tyres and other bits and bobs a couple of months ago and got a free pair of scissors (fairly well worn). I think someone in their packaging team might have spent the rest of the day wondering where they'd left them.
Service was fine and stuff exactly as advertised. Fine from me.
Service was fine and stuff exactly as advertised. Fine from me.
Same from me. As others have said its best to read the fine print since as some of the bike components is OEM it wont necessarily match the retail stuff but you would have the same issue buying a bike with it.
I do wonder where the hell they buy stuff from though eg that random selection of "marine salvage" plus the fascination with olive oil. I assume every now and again they go to an auction for bike components and, after a liquid lunch, pop back into the auction place.
Placed 3 orders with them, tyres & DB8 brakes. All arrived within a few days tracked with DPD I think it was.
have noticed that the tyres have increased in price, pair of Mich ebike tryes were £34, week later £40, now £50....