Hibike, Starbike, no more Sram to Australia!
- Thread starter ChrisJC
- Start date
I haven't bought anything from an online store outside of Australia for years, the pricing and availability on things I use is awesome in Australia.
Calvin27
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Isn't that what they want?
I guess so, I can't see a problem with it other than the idea that we could have potentially bought it cheaper from overseas. If that is the case then I hope local distributors play nice and don't do themselves out of a job by driving prices up.
Still, if you want it, you pay for it.
pink poodle
Clinically Inane
You are lucky. Having assembled a few new custom bikes over the last couple of years I've spent excessive time pursuing the best value options. Most of the time the overseas option has won my money because of 3 things:
- Service
- Range
- Price.
I prefer to buy local, but when I can't get at least 2 of these factors from a retailer? It's one thing to fill a large retail space with the porniest of bike porn (and I certainly appreciate the gallery), but if your staff are shit and your prices too high, that sale is going elsewhere. The same goes for having a web site listing bargain after bargain after bargain of items that are all out of stock. Or having a website with poor functionality and a lack of filtering/sorting options.
In contrast most of my recent snowboarding purchases have been made domestically. This has been a big turn around for me after years of ordering from overseas. The snow industry here is easily 10000 times shitter than bikes, but there is now a small number of retailers really stepping up with service and price on a good range of stock.
steve jobs' pancreas
Eats Squid
Why would Shimano or SRAM give a Tosca where people in Australia source their bits from ? Unless.......
(yes, I am putting aside the LBS part of the equation)
(yes, I am putting aside the LBS part of the equation)
pink poodle
Clinically Inane
Price stability...it turns out that the free market isn't always the capitalist dream we were sold. Massive retail discounts put pressure back up the food chain for lower prices. The geoblock will help establish a more stable price platform for them.
tkdbboy
Likes Dirt
Here's an example of a purchase I made recently from Germany and the associated Aussie prices:
SRAM 32t chainring
Germany: $38
Aus: $60
12 speed GX chain
G: $28
A: $45
GX 12sp Cassette
G: $188
A: $300
GX 12sp Shifter
G: $40
A: $70
GX 12sp Derailleur
G: $110
A: $175
Total:
G: $410
A: $650
I've also purchased numerous service kits for forks, shocks and brakes , spares parts like coil springs and debonair air spring ... even their 1L oils which are around $35 here ... I got for $13.
Anytime I've checked, SRAM items from Germany was around 1/3rd cheaper than compared to Australia.
Over time it all adds up.
You would probably save $1000 if you were to build a 6k+ bike with parts from overseas.
This doesn't also just apply to SRAM ... Fiveten, Endura, Hope, POC, Muc-Off and other brands too.
pink poodle
Clinically Inane
I'd say you would save a lot more than $1000.00.
Calvin27
Likes Bikes and Dirt
+1.
I'm looking for a 10sp rd a the moment (missed the shimano cutoff) and it's about $20 more locally. The problem in locally, most shops only carry two variants and not even bother to stock medium/long cage. but the big point is $20 might not be much but it's like 30% more which adds up for people that go through gear or have multiple bikes to maintain. Extrapolate over the industry and that's a health bonus for the company.
steve jobs' pancreas
Eats Squid
are these dudes geoblocking now ? If not may I inquire as to whom these peeps are as I am in need of bike stuffs
tkdbboy
Likes Dirt
Yup ... found out yesterday when I was about to make an order. Sat in the shower and cried ... ha
Anyone got mates in Germany we can freight forward through?
Probably at your 4th bike, you'd have saved enough to fund the 5th haha
Flow-Rider
Wheel size expert
Start Buying Sunrace, fuck Shitmano and Scrab. A lot of the Shimano parts from German sites end up close to the same price elsewhere because of the conversion rate of the Euro and the ridiculously expensive postage costs
ctguru
Likes Bikes and Dirt
yes, but need to add VAT to the prices which = poo!
ozzybmx
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Well after nearly exclusively buying from HiBike for over a year, my €400 order from 26th Nov has been lost twice, now currently being kicked around an Aus warehouse somewhere between Sydney and Adelaide.... I'm off to Tassie in the morning so it will probably be returned.
tkdbboy
Likes Dirt
Doh! ... Back into the shower I go
Wow thats odd ... I've done about 8 orders from them and never had any issue with shipment
pink poodle
Clinically Inane
I estimate that with a stroke of good luck and some clever buying it would have been possible to almost build 2 bikes through crc and their ilk compared to 1 domestically.