Say, hypothetically, I was going to spend ~£5k on a mountain bike from a premium brand. Would there be any point in trying to haggle with the salesperson? It’s a UK local bike shop, albeit not local to me since stock is v limited across the country.

Obviously it’s 2021 and I realise bikes are popular and in demand but I’m completely out of the loop. The last time I bought a (mountain) bike from a UK shop was in 2011 (had a Canyon in between).

What about finance? I can pay cash but if they offer 0% then I would do that. Presumably there is a cost to the finance that the dealer covers? If I offer cash does that sweeten the deal for them (ie will they knock off even 2-3%?).

Help me not look as clueless as I actually am please. Ta.

I think in this year of all years just be thankful if they don’t add on 10%!

Given most shops struggling for stock even at the premium end I don’t see them giving them away.

Might get a bottle cage 😉

My last bike purchase in Feb last year I got 15% off simply from asking

You can only ask, but in the present climate just count it lucky they have the bike you want in stock.

My last bike purchase in Feb last year I got 15% off simply from asking

So just before everything went mental, all the factories shut and everyone decided they wanted a bike? The Halcion days when shops had loads of stock and plenty of bikes were available at a discount?

At the moment you’re doing well to find stock, the shops know it. If you don’t want it someone else will. Also selling stuff is good for the shops but there is no guarantee they will get stock to replace it so there will be pressure to realise as much margin as possible now so there is really no incentive to discount at all.

So don’t expect and be grateful for anything you can get.

I’ve just had to put down a £200 deposit to secure a frameset in a container somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean as it was the only one not yet allocated in the UK, and unlikely for more stock this year. You can but ask, but good luck…

albeit not local to me since stock is v limited across the country.

I think that answers your question. Also if it’s not local then the chance of repeat business from you is low so less incentive for them.

So just before everything went mental, all the factories shut and everyone decided they wanted a bike? The Halcion days when shops had loads of stock and plenty of bikes were available at a discount?

And when was the last time you bought a bike from a UK Shop as an example then?

I know of 2 other riders that Bought bikes October ish last year that didn’t pay full price either

And when was the last time you bought a bike from a UK Shop as an example then?

Err, last year I think, or the one before, Cube carbon road bike from Evans in Leeds with £500 off RRP. Why?

I was in a UK bike shop the other day as I want a new one on C2W. Any stock they are getting in my size is selling quicker than I could get the voucher. They had the odd bike in the odd size and all were full RRP.

I don’t think there’s any harm in asking, if you don’t ask you don’t get.
But I recently bought a carbon gravel bike, it was £2.5k, i did get a 10% discount (because the shop owner is a mate of mine)
But he told me he could have sold it at full rrp 5 times over. I appreciate its not a premium price like the op’s bike, but it’s hardly cheap.

OK thanks – I’ll ask but won’t be too hopeful!

Does anyone have a rough idea how much 0% costs the shop?

Does anyone have a rough idea how much 0% costs the shop?

about 10%, but why not pay the price that they are asking? if the shop is running out of stock they will have nothing to sell in a short while. then they won’t be able to keep their staff. they could probably do with the money.

I see what you’re saying. But I’m not a charity. And if I was I’d probably find a worthier cause than bike shops <ducks for cover>.

I think if my local shop had stock I’d be much more comfortable about paying RRP (ironically, as above, a local shop might give me discount). Especially if I could swing a leg over / go for a test ride etc. But mail order service at LBS prices is kind of annoying.

What does the shop, the one you are only buying from because it’s Hobson’s choice, get out of giving you a discount? What’s the incentive for them?

I’ve vaguely started looking at bikes.

One place selling the brand I want had 10% of accessories which is £550

If I get more serious I will play one shop off against another, depends how much they want the business

What does the shop, the one you are only buying from because it’s Hobson’s choice, get out of giving you a discount? What’s the incentive for them?

I dunno. Whilst I accept that there’s a boom in buying bikes, I also suspect the market at the top end (£4k + ?) is less affected by newcomers hoovering up all the cheap bikes (albeit with a ‘trickle up’ phenomenon). There are a few shops nationally with the bike I want. But none locally, unfortunately. So I suppose that shop would secure my sale but of course if the expected stock is truly as dire as we are lead to believe then they may not be able to restock it anyway.

I got the impression over the years that most people can always haggle a bit off RRP on an expensive bike (more so on ’boutique’ brands) and the price is not the actual price. Like buying used cars, perhaps. But I’m also not a serial bike buyer. I don’t know. Mostly I don’t want to be taken for a mug. It’s the first time in my life buying a bike where a casual 10% off is actually a big sum of money.

I see what you’re saying. But I’m not a charity. And if I was I’d probably find a worthier cause than bike shops <ducks for cover>.

lol

Ordered a new Ebike last month and tried for some discount as we were paying outright rather than credit, we got told no as they can basically sell the bike 10 times over.

Sellers market out there.

Cash discounts only really work when the sale/service doesn’t go through the books. I use to get so fed up with people asking for the cash price when I worked in a shop. One person was persistent in asking me for a cash discount so I offered a small discount if they paid by card. They looked shocked until I explained that cash is risky with counterfit notes and I have to count it all and take it to the bank. If its a card sale, its quick and easy. Especially if there is a queue of customers.

I’m in the process of buying a premium brand frame. My local shop offered me 12% off, but I’m a regular customer and spend a fair bit with them.

There were stock issues with my frame which meant be LBS were let down, so I phoned around to try and find somewhere with stock. Phoning up a shop I’d never used i was offered a 5% discount straightaway.

Finance changes things completely – don’t expect a discount if you’re taking 0% finance.

Just ask, it’s all you can do, i did the same, pulled the finance question, but stock turnover was the reason i just bit the bullet, when i bought mine they had just had a shipment, 3 x the one i liked (in S/M/L) and others, when i went in to pick mine up a week later they had sold half the shop bike, including all the similar ones i looked at.

It’s a bit weird out there just now, but as always, asking isn’t going to cause any issues, free stuff can work for both sides as well, so try your arm.

I got about £150 off and £300 of accessories in November. I’d just phone around 125 orbea dealers in the space of a week and this was the only one with stock in four months.
I used Cyclescheme as an in.

No harm asking. But I wouldn’t expect a positive outcome.

It’s a seller’s market, new or secondhand. Except maybe if you’re looking for a frame only. I believe it’s a lack of OEM components rather than a lack of frames that is choking the supply of builds.

I ordered an Orbea Oiz M10 TR last October via a dealer with a delivery date of 2nd week March 2021 (seemed a long way away at the time). Got an email from Orbea on Friday to let me know that the RRP price had gone up but they would (obviously) deliver at the original price (has gone up nearly €400 on the website but with zero availability). They were just checking that I still wanted the order.

My LBS would give you 10% off no problem if they can get it they sell Trek and Genesis.

I see what you’re saying. But I’m not a charity. And if I was I’d probably find a worthier cause than bike shops <ducks for cover>.

Fair play, great response, seems every thread on here these days has someone trying to shame someone else.

I’ve never haggled or asked for a discount, in my LBS or elsewhere; unsure of this makes me foolish or just a regular guy paying ticket price? I always assume the price is set and that’s what it costs, like any other shop.

I wasn’t planning on buying a bike in November 2020 but saw one I liked, asked about discount and got told no, managed to wrangle free labour to move parts from old bike to new bike and vice versa and money off some upgrades.

As said, for some bikes or parts, stock is low so RRP is what people are paying!

I’m guessing the economics of a bike shop might be about to take a bit of a downturn….

After bucking the trend of the rest of the high street by being able to stay open when everyone else was shut and a sudden increased interest in your wares – being stopped in your tracks by a lack of stock must be galling!

I can’t imagine the incentive to let your remaining stock walk out of the door below rrp would be very strong unless you thought it was a bit of a dud for whatever reason and had some stocking remorse.

For interest, I asked a few shops:

One said they could indeed do 0%.
One said they couldn’t offer 0% since it costs them 12% and they didn’t have that price flexibility right now.
One just said the price is the price and you can pay for your own finance if you need it.

So there you go. I’m not really in a position where I can wait a few months until stock issues even themselves out (my only MTB died suddenly the other day). So I panic-bought something expensive 😀

I actually ended up going for an Ex-demo bike which had a very substantial discount so assuming the condition is decent in the flesh (it looks it in pictures) I’ll be happy. There seems to be quite a bit of ex-demo bike movement at the moment, still with decent discounts.

What did you get?

There seems to be quite a bit of ex-demo bike movement at the moment, still with decent discounts.

If by discount you mean cheaper because it’s a used item as oppose to a discount off a new bike just because the owner liked the cut of your jib /colour of your money.

Either way cheap bike is cheap bike. Win win for all.

as many have said, no harm in asking.

The only advice i would give is… you snooze, you lose. so decide if you are happy to pay full RRP, then give them a call, ask the question and decide on the spot if its a yay or nay. You might get a few quid off, or you might pay full whack, but at least you will have a bike.

I purchased a Ragley hardtail when they were released a few weeks ago. Normally i would shop round for a deal. As i knew they would sell out fast, i found the first place to be getting the model and size i was after and made sure i secured one. Should be here in a couple of weeks.

do let us know how you get on tho!

Fair play, great response, seems every thread on here these days has someone trying to shame someone else.

it was a great response. it even made me laugh. sorry to disappoint you, i wasn’t trying to shame anyone, but i do feel shamed by your post. is that irony?

The only advice i would give is… you snooze, you lose. so decide if you are happy to pay full RRP, then give them a call, ask the question and decide on the spot if its a yay or nay. You might get a few quid off, or you might pay full whack, but at least you will have a bike.

Very much this. I’m after a C2W bike and the window opened today. Fancied a Ragley Trig so had them on stock alert. Became available Wednesday, sold out Thursday. Popped in to Wheelbase in Ilkley on Thursday and they’d just got a Cannodale Topstone 1 in my size delivered + the website showed the 2 in stock as well. Gone before the end of the weekend. Mate said Pinnacle Arkose 4’s were back in stock so have been checking for a few days. In stock this morning, gone by tonight……

Just hope my voucher lands before my next option sells out!

Just hope my voucher lands before my next option sells out!

Why not pay a deposit to secure something?

It is all a bit nuts at the moment – I was after a Scott Addict RC 10 whilst waiting for my C2W voucher to come through…the bike started at £5500, in the blink of an eye went upto £5700 and today has gone up again to £6250. They can stick it, found an Orro Venturi for almost £2k less with the same spec and cracking reviews. Order placed.

Why not pay a deposit to secure something?

I asked both CRC and Evans but neither accept deposits for C2W bikes. Wheelbase would but the ‘dale was not my first choice. Hopefully bagged another bike so we’ll see when the voucher lands.