Evans struggling.

How long can CRC /Wiggle go on? I mean has anyone bought anything from there since they switched to a branch of SportsDirect?

I live a five minute walk from their “flagship” store right by the Fraser Group HQ.  I noticed a few months ago that they seemed to be running their stock down, all the high end E bikes they had a year ago seem to have gone and they now have mostly Muddy Fox and Raleigh BSO’s  I’ll pop in later on day for an update.

I’ve not touched them for a few years. The web site is terrible. Shame really as I used to use them as we had 3 stores within a bike or car ride and bought my wife’s Pinnacle hybrid from them (and a tag a-long).

There’s so much more progressive an attitude to cycling whereas in the UK it’s gone backwards 20 years in the last 5.

Yep, with the exception of Central London, pretty much elsewhere in the UK all horrible.

How long can CRC /Wiggle go on? I mean has anyone bought anything from there since they switched to a branch of SportsDirect?

nothing.

used Bikeparts, Merlin and then couple of the german suppliers.

I used to use them fairly regularly when I could order something into the local store for free and pick it up a day or two later on my way home. Stopped since your man Ashley started 5 quid store delivery.

That was in place a long time before Ashley.

As Evans expanded rapidly and opened shops outside London, they still had the same centralised distribution model – initially a warehouse in Leatherhead, later a bigger one in Gatwick.

So trucks were going up and down the motorways, in and out of London all the time but if a customer in (say) Leeds requested an item that was in store at Woking, it’d have to be collected from Woking, processed at Gatwick then sent to Leeds. At which point the customer wouldn’t come back or would decide they didn’t want it or whatever.

Centralised delivery works on a scale of a few shops in London; you need regional fulfilment centres for further afield. The cost of moving stock around, only for it to not be sold were astronomical, especially if it got damaged. Charging the customer killed off a lot of the timewasting “speculative” orders where customers would order 3 jackets, try them all on them go away to buy them online.

Initially at least, staff would usually quietly refund the delivery charge at point of sale via a discount.

TBF to them, they’re a cycle shop not a mountain bike shop. Their market is the casual cyclist, families and commuters.

That’s the thing though. Back when Evans were successful, let’s say around 10 years ago, they had a lot of mountain bike products. Maybe not in every store because some locations weren’t best suited to that sort of riding. But certainly it was in stock at the Gatwick warehouse. Then I was buying pretty much everything from Evans. At one point they were the importers for Rocky Mountain, Norco, Breezer and Jamis. Excellent selection of parts and clothing brands too. Now I’d struggle to find a pair of gloves I want, nevermind anything mountain bike specific.

That casual cycling market is going to be very difficult for them. Those customers are exactly the type who aren’t interested in proper bike shops, they’ll just buy the first thing that pops up on Amazon or go to Halfords.

Back when Evans were successful, let’s say around 10 years ago, they had a lot of mountain bike products.

10 years ago Mountain biking was fashionable though.

10 years ago Mountain biking was fashionable though.

is it no longer? I know events are down (see the other thread) and CyB is having issues (see the other other thread) but seems to be as busy as ever at free or cheap riding spots.

thing is, if you had a good 2014 bike, and were wearing 2014 clothes; you wouldn’t look out of place. Yes the nerds might spot your exposed cables and the fact you were missing a cog or two, but functionally for the recreational trail rider it’s near enough the same.

Incidentally that was the year (I think) I last bought a full new bike.

is it no longer?

It’s all about the gravel now dahling. ;-)

At least they still had my favourite Nukeproof trousers left. Shredded a leg on my black ones a couple of weeks back. Bought two pairs as I don’t think they’ll appear again.

Seems to be getting busier and busier here, especially with gravel and battery bikers in the mix now. If mtb sales are down it’s probably market saturation and slower product progression.

It’s all about the gravel now dahling. ;-)

Which TBF Evans were in on early, the circa 2015/16 flavours of the Arkose were good entries into the then quite new Gravel bike market. But that was pre-Ashley wasn’t it (sound the horn for Jameso?)…

FG bought them in 2018, but there’s certainly not been any investment in renewing their in-house product lines. The chiggle acquisition might bring in some new brands to the group, but I think we all know where this is headed now don’t we?

Funny how many people complain about the website too, perhaps an indicator of how many of us now engage with the cycle industry (I know most of my purchases are online). Evans are a bricks and mortar chain, partly because that’s what they always were, and partly because I don’t think Ashley understands/trusts online retail, it’s a bolt-on for him I think, not the core business.

Perhaps most interesting is it being reported as Evans making a loss, not Frazer Group…

Funny how many people complain about the website too, perhaps an indicator of how many of us now engage with the cycle industry (I know most of my purchases are online). Evans are a bricks and mortar chain, partly because that’s what they always were, and partly because I don’t think Ashley understands/trusts online retail, it’s a bolt-on for him I think, not the core business.

The website is bollocks because it tells you the sum total of **** all. Look up the sale bikes, those £100odd cruiser things. Tell me something about the spec other than they have Shimano 7 speed.

If I wanted to buy at that end of the market I’d go to Halfords or Decathlon who at least tell you what the hell you are looking at.

I don’t know of any big chains like Evans here
=

I’m seeing new bike shops pop up all the time and others expanding
?

I mean a nationwide chain of stores that you will find in most big cities with a well recognised brand and website.  Im seeing lots of new stores here but they tend to be new places I’ve never heard of before or a store that has opened a couple of other branches in the area.  Nothing really nationwide with all the staff, stock and logistics that entails.  The people who are expanding are all at the upper end with stores that are so booked up they will only service bikes that they have sold, that sort of thing. Decathlon would be the big chain that covers the lower end but they are much wider than a bicycle brand

How long can CRC /Wiggle go on? I mean has anyone bought anything from there since they switched to a branch of SportsDirect?

I used to buy a fair bit from Wiggle but haven’t done so this year.  In fact I forget they even still existed and don’t even look at their site before buying anything.

Also helps that I have turned into a old git and now ride a 1996 MTB and a 1990 road bike so am now only really buying used or NOS period stuff.

The website is bollocks because it tells you the sum total of **** all. Look up the sale bikes, those £100odd cruiser things. Tell me something about the spec other than they have Shimano 7 speed.

If I wanted to buy at that end of the market I’d go to Halfords or Decathlon who at least tell you what the hell you are looking at.

Calm down, it wasn’t a criticism. More noting that Evans (FG) failing to adapt to a more online retail environment. Which is realistically where cycling is now.

And you’re right of course, Evans are now owned by a stack ’em high, flog em cheap merchant that probably does see this bike chain he bought in the same frame as Halfords and Decathlon (nothing wrong with either of course), both of which have quite a strong bricks and mortar element and aren’t pitched at the ‘serious cyclist’ but Evans were historically pitched at both performance and Commuters with an in person service element, hence the stores.

Strip away the products and there ain’t much for them to offer any real ‘service’ on. So the shops are of limited value now…

Evans were historically pitched at both performance and Commuters with an in person service element, hence the stores.

Strip away the products and there ain’t much for them to offer any real ‘service’ on. So the shops are of limited value now…

Yep – believe it or not it was once seen as a very performance-orientated store, the company sponsored several London cycle clubs (including mine!) and did some amazing sponsorship deals. I had 5 or 6 frames and a whole inventory of really very good kit (most of it paid for on discount rather than free) but it was genuinely seen as a really good and supportive small network of stores; many of the regular London racing folk would be taking their bikes to them for service and spares. They had a good race team themselves for several years, many of whom worked at the stores too so there was always an element of it being run by cyclists for cyclists and the commuter and touring market was kind of included within that too.

The original branch on The Cut, Waterloo (now long gone) was one of the top UK shops for touring bikes for many years.

Problem is that when you expand and try turning it into a discount warehouse for flogging stuff quick and cheap, you’ve got rid of all that time-consuming mechanic stuff (and there were some genuinely excellent mechanics at many of the stores, years of experience and knowledge) as well as all those experts happy to help someone build their dream race / touring bike. It takes years to build that back up again.

It’s not dissimilar to the way that Saracen went. Once (mid/late 90’s maybe into early 2000’s) seen as a really quality brand making lovely XC race MTBs and some trail stuff, they became a BSO brand, churning out cheap shite “full suspension MTBs” for £199.99 and their reputation dived. It took years to get back to being seen as a reputable brand again.

Calm down, it wasn’t a criticism.

Sorry, wasn’t taking it as one, that read a lot differently in my head!