do you buy from competitive cyclist?

[fierte_poser]

They have a nifty website and cool reviews and what not, but their prices are high.

What do you do when it comes time to click buy? Support them or save $$$?

Just curious,
Kent

[1centaur]

I have bought from CC, but more rarely than from other major online vendors. I appreciate their effort, knowledge and information, as well as Brendan's enthusiastic writing, so if I need something the price of which is well controlled by its manufacturer I might consciously buy it from CC. If I was in a more remote location I might buy a lot more from them, but most of my full-priced stuff I get from two excellent LBS's (Bay Road Bikes and International Bicycle Center). I have also bought things on sale from them sometimes.

Many have commented on CC's very full prices on most items, and I wondered how they stay in business, but it's obvious that their knowledge and attitude and in-stockness really resonates with enough of the high-end customer base that just wants to buy the stuff without the hassle of squeezing 10% off a transaction through lots of comparison shopping.

I am sure many here buy from CC (and many don't) and I look forward to hearing their reasons.

[gdw]

I buy from the least expensive RELIABLE source of which there are many. Flashy websites and reviews are nice but price and availabilty are more important to me.

[bagochips3]

I like CC. I'm waiting for an order from them right now, as a matter of fact (They seem to ship via the slowest carrier that they can find, which is my major annoyance with them. When Pro Bike Kit in the UK beats them to my door, there is something wrong :rolleyes: ).

I don't buy everything from them (by a long shot), but if they have something I need in stock and at a decent price, I buy it from them. My most recent order has handlebars ($5 more than other places, but they have the model I want in my size in stock; I couldn't find the same model in my size in stock anywhere else), a Thomson post (good price from what I could find), and Easton stem (on sale, but probably could have gotten it even cheaper elsewhere). Once I find 1 or 2 items at a store, then I am likely to buy more stuff that I need from them in that order to minimize shipping surcharges (seem to get gouged less when you buy a bunch of stuff at once).

Also, they seem to carry quality stuff and their descriptions have more detailed specs than many online places. For the stem I ordered, they specified the clamp and steerer sizes. Easton makes the stem for a range of steerer/clamp sizes, so it was nice that they clarified. Other online places mentioned clamp size but not steerer size. It was probably the 1 1/8" that I needed, but since they didn't specify, I just got it from CC to be safe.

[rounder]

I have never bought anything from them so far, but there is no reason i wouldn't. They carry quality merchandise and i really like the way you can zoom in on their pictures and the information they provide on each item.

[StephenCL]

I wait for their clearance items... I only buy things from them that you can't find anywhere else. They have first rate customer service and their write ups make me laugh...(ever notice that every product is the best ever).

They are very expensive on most items...but given the margin in this business, I applaud them for holding the party line on suggested retail..you just do NOT want to know what wholesale is on that Ritchie stem though, it would KILL you.

As a former shop owner, I like their style and give them my business when it is prudent.

Stephen

[Volant]

[QUOTE=bagochips3]They seem to ship via the slowest carrier that they can find, which is my major annoyance with them. When Pro Bike Kit in the UK beats them to my door, there is something wrong :rolleyes: .

That was my experience too. But, the goods did arrive.

[haimtoeg]

I buy from them if it is on sale or they are the only place that has what I need, but much more rarely than I do from others.

[Dave]

I bought a pair of shoes from them that were slightly below MSRP and they were very nice to deal with, sending me two pairs, so I could select the right size in a new brand (R7).

I look for the lowest prices, and they are rarely the winner with full MSRP for most items. I can usually find part far cheaper elsewhere.

The UK is now the place to buy just about anything far cheaper than US sources.

[Climb01742]

i buy quite a bit from cc. i like brendan and andy. i appreciate their site and its style. there's a loyalty factor (just like with my local LBS.) there's a human element to cycling, and i suppose i extend that to my cycling purchases. for me, price is one element but not the element.

[slowgoing]

I bought a frame from them in a blowout sale a few years ago. Very nice to deal with.

[daker13]

My experience is they often have hard-to-find sizes, so I buy from them now and again. I can't stand when things are backordered at online shops - if something's out of stock, I want the site to reflect that, and if it doesn't, I'd like the place to tell me quickly and let me cancel my order. I've had several places give me the run around - 'oh it's coming in on Thursday' - for weeks on end, and I'd rather pay a few bucks more and get it sooner. CC has a good handle on their stock and NO hassles.

[PaMtbRider]

I bought a Turner mountain bike from them a few years ago and was pleased with the deal. I have no Turner dealers close to me so I had them ship me their demo bike for a week, then applied the cost of the demo to a new bike. Since then I have bought a few items that have been on sale.

[caleb]

I buy from them occationally. They stock some uncommon PRO goods.

[ents]

I'm not loyal to any specific shop except my favorite local-ish one.
It's the internet, and I'll buy things wherever they're the cheapest, which is usually lightly used parts on eBay, here or WW.

[katematt]

Purchased my bike from them last winter. It was a clearance item and a great deal. I could tell they had taken it apart, and repacked after a through run through and tightening. Not sure they made much $$ of that deal but they did gain a customer for sure.

[Climb01742]

one more thing i remembered: brendan has taken back one or two big ticket items, no questions asked. i'm sure he lost money doing it. he takes care of customers. there's an integrity to how he/they do business that is cool and rare.

[TimD]

I have and will again, although my purchases probably don't contribute significantly to their gross annual revenues.

Now that you mention it, those Arundel carbon cages sure would look schweet on my Ottrott :)

[Johnny P]

I recently used their saddle demo program and that helped me find a better saddle than I was using. Part of the saddle demo cost went towards the purchase price so that was cool. I've bought other stuff from them, but lately they seem to be carrying only the more expensive items, e.g. Record and Chorus, but not Centaur.