Scenario: My nice, really nice neighbour owns my LBS. He started it about 8 months ago and is slowly building it up. I’ve not found a decent lbs near me in London and have come to rely on crc, wiggle, rose and Merlin, but this new shop could be different….my neighbour loves bikes and is a nice guy.
I need a new, decent lock. Wiggle have long shackle Kryptonite evolution u-locks at 50% off, a price you know he can’t match. What do you do?
And just to add spice. You know if you go online that you will be out when the courier tries to deliver and there is a 70% chance (based on history) that the package (a box marked ‘Wiggle’) will get left with said nice neighbours.
What do you do?

Can’t put a value on friendship – or maybe YOU can

get your neighbour to buy his stock through wiggle?

Go into the shop and see how close he can get. Be open and honest with him

I’d pay a bit more but not a lot more for a shop. Mind yo I would never use a kryptonite lock

The question is which is cheapest overall?
Wiggle with in your face discount and messing around on deliveries.
Mate/LBS in store and collect at your convenience and possibilities of having abit of banter and that pro tool when the bearing are really stuck becasue of the mud or a spare cable on a Sunday morning when yours snaps and you haven’t got your creditcard or computer with you.
I’m quite sure he is aware of Wiggle prices and will understand.
Simply shafting him on price will show him how capitalism works good and proper. You find capitalists everywhere, embrace the freedom.

TandemJeremy – Member
Mind yo I would never use a kryptonite lock

Pourquoi? (Genuine question, not yanking your chain)

I wouldnt sweat it at all. Go and tell him his lawn needs cut, his kids are noisy, his home brew smells bad, — that what neighbours are for! 😉

When he gets home he’s left his work at work, but – luckily – he’s got a neighbour with the same interest. That’s it. Put the kettle on. Offer to fix his PC (or whatever you do). Just get on with it.

MrGreedy – Member

“TandemJeremy – Member
Mind yo I would never use a kryptonite lock”

Pourquoi? (Genuine question, not yanking your chain)

Two different series of locks have had faults that mean they are easy to open and the response to it was very poor indeed. After that I simply do not trust them

I like Kryptonite. They changed my old barrel key lock for free after the you-tube bic biro incident, they always do well in tests, I’ve 3 already, no 4, 2 evo and 2 NYs, no problems, lots of spare keys and a key replacement scheme.
But back to my dilemma…. 🙂

Neil- don’t fret. He’s a businessman. He’ll understand. If need be, tell a white lie to smooth him over.

Ambrose, you probably know the answer, if you’ve been on fb, don’t let the cat out yet 🙂
Edit: ah, you HAVE seen fb…very funny 🙂

But back to my dilemma….

No real dilemma, is there?

Have it shipped to where you work? Or to a nearby mates address?

The question is which is cheapest overall?
Wiggle with in your face discount and messing around on deliveries.

Never had any issues with Wiggle deliveries, or CRC, or Merlin. Ever. In 15 years of buying bike parts.

Never had any issues with Wiggle deliveries, or CRC, or Merlin. Ever. In 15 years of buying bike parts.

The OP, not me, might disagree. 😉

And just to add spice. You know if you go online that you will be out when the courier tries to deliver and there is a 70% chance (based on history) that the package (a box marked ‘Wiggle’) will get left with said nice neighbours.

I can;t have it shipped to the office. I work in one of THE most secure buildings in Europe and they refuse to accept mail/courier deliveries at the address.

Let your friend earns a bit to spread the wealth. If he can give you 25% cheaper so be it and give him the business.

Online you may need to pay for the postage so will not be that cheap.

If the shop service is good then I am happy to pay a reasonable premium to support local enterprise – I like to think most people value quality local services and recognise true cost is not reflected in cover price alone.

I try to spread it around as much as possible – when it is practical.

Critically these days, the manufacturers stratified everything so that there are so many incompatible variants with components that you are forced to source some things online – because LBS will for sure not have required specific widget in stock.

Just a thought, if you work in one of the most secure buildings in Europe, why do you need to lock your bike? 😉

Do you trust all your coworkers? Or he works in a prison…

Ask him for his best price showing him the competitions prices and buy it off him regardless.
When your bike breaks down on a Friday before a cracking summer weekend your loyalty to him will be repayed.
Look beyond your short term loss.
My LBS (Tredz Cardiff) has got me out of many pickles at short notice when they could have asked me to book my bike in for a service.
This is worth more than a few quid to me.

if he’s any good he’ll have an account on here and have worked out who you are and what’s up anyway 😉

Buy a cheaper lock? Afterall if some one really wants the bike (or components) they will get the bike whatever.

If he’s a nice bloke he will understand that you can get the lock cheaper on Wiggle. Ask him to close or match or you will buy from Wiggle. Why pay over the odds for some thing you can get cheaper else where?

What Hugor said…That doesn’t mean you can take the wee Cycleworld! 😀

Can’t put a value on friendship

Yep, he should value your friendship more than a bit of profit.

capitalism works good and proper

Absolutely, it does.

I really can’t see any dilemma here.

He’s a ‘nice neighbour’ so what? You have no reason to feel guilty for not using his shop.

How much money are we talking about?

I mean, if it’s a couple of hundred I could understand your ‘dilemma’ but if it’s just a few quid, well, y’know.

Buy in bulk from Wiggle, sell them at a 10% mark up out of suitcase outside his shop.

Dog eat dog.

Always give him the first option.

If you let him know what your priorities are – price, delivery time, etc. then if he’s a decent bloke sometimes he will say “I can’t match Wiggle” and off you go.

No need for deceit.

give him th echance to price match and see ho near he gets

TBH we cannot bemoan the lack of quality shops/LBS in the high street then go online to just buy it from the cheapest place….thsi is th every reason why our high streets are rubbish.

Personally I would pay a little more to have a decent LBS – my LBS is merlin so it is neither here nor there for me though.

Buy from your neighbour’s shop. If you don’t he might go bust, lose his house and you will have benefit scroungers living next door.

LOL! there are some great responses here, thanks all! 😀

well I bought from wiggle, the package ended up next door, he brought it round before I had a chance to collect it, he haded it over with a smile. 😀

I felt a right git 😳

I’ll be in the shop tomorrow from some ickle bits and bobs to appease my guilt 🙂

You don’t owe him anything!

You have checked the lock mechanism for araldite yes?

LOL! 😀 yeah the lock works.

In the shop today for some hope freehub pawls, (he was surprised I serviced them myself…I passed on some ‘tips’ to him…he is new to the mtb side of bikes), and a couple of light weight bottle cages for the new roadbike….and he gave me a couple of his shop branded bottles for free. Then back in an hour later with said road bike to weigh it. 18.09lbs for a medium p-x nanolight….think the post and saddle are on the heavy side.

feeling happy again. Shall be getting one of his shop branded jerseys once they come in, and so long as I get an entry, I’ll plan to ride the Dyfi in it, (and a few other events) as a bit of advertising for him…..although his Crystal Palace shop is some way from Machenllyth
😀