Non-Ebay Deals/Bargains

Some very good discounts here: https://www.triuk.com/Sale#page=1,sort=biggestsaving

Well this appeared to have been a popular sale... Flying off the shelves!

Haha yeah when I posted that 4 of the Enve stem sizes were in stock

Lots of cheap Fizik components there too. Bars, stems, saddles, seatposts.

And the 120/130 had gone by the time I got there... Anybody want to swap for a 110....?? 🙃

Got a Garmin mount - keeping that!

Quite a few Sidi shoes at very good prices too

I came across an online bicycle shop with a decent sale and a shocking number of sought-after bikes in stock, like 6 speed 2020 Bromptons sold out at most dealers.

The retailer is https://alphabike.co.uk/ but read on before buying anything.

I've found a few red flags and want to know what everyone else thinks:

1. There's no telephone number, only a contact form and email address.
   
2. The website domain has only just been created in the past few weeks.
   
3. Aside from a few tweets (@alphabikeco) they have no social presence.
   
4. There is one tweet with pictures of Bromptons supposedly sent to them by their customers but I did a reverse image search and one of the pictures is floating about on the internet. This could be a white lie to make themselves appear established but doesn't look good.
   
5. The website makes no reference to a legal company or company number which they'd have to display as an online retailer.
   
6. The address isn't to a specific unit on the road, just Alpha Bike then a road name. A Google search for Vickers Drive North and Alpha Bike doesn't show it listed anywhere but their own website.
   
7. There's no Google business listing or reviews on TrustPilot or elsewhere.
   
   

I sounded unsure before, probably deluding myself for a good deal, but typing this out I feel more certain: this has got scam written all over it, hasn't it?

100% dodge.

Their list of brands is clue enough. Nobody sells Apollo or Carrera except Halfords. And ‘Emonda’ isn't a brand: it is a specific model by Trek.

Another big clue is the whois...

'Registered on: 05-Jul-2020'

and

'Nominet was not able to match the registrant's name and/or address against a 3rd party source on 05-Jul-2020'

So they're a UK business with an unverifiable address and owner name. Sure.

Has anyone used triuk before? Some of the bargains are mad but the trustpilot reviews are pretty poor

I've used them at work, they sent the wrong item but soon corrected it.

Owned by Mike Ashley if I remember correctly

Good detective work. You should probably report this but I don't know who to... Trading Standards?

And ‘Emonda’ isn't a brand: it is a specific model by Trek.

I suspect this isn't as clueless as it seems: pretty much all Trek's have been out of stock recently in the UK, except for... the Emonda. So I reckon that's SEO going on.

Also just took a virtual stroll down Vickers Drive North in Weybridge, just happens to be where there's a big Amazon depot, Demalogica's distribution centre, a few other big operations. Doesn't seem like the sort of place a new online bike shop would set up.

Has anyone used triuk before?

Yeah I have, no issues at the time. This sale does seem madder than most which is a bit odd, and their product selection is a bit random, but they've been the cheapest place to get some of the more obvious items quite regularly over the past year..

And winter boots!!

Scapin KS-Pro 58cm / Shimano 600 / Rigida DP18.

100 Euro. Bargain

https://www.becycled.be/nl/fietsen/tweedehands/racefietsen/scapin/scapin-ks-pro-racer-1996-23971.html

I'd suggest they're going out of business, that's quick cash generation for them for sure. Stuff flew out last night having been posted here.
50+ wheels to start and then 30 at the end of the evening. Every time I googled reviews and went back to purchase 5 mins later it was gone. Madness!

I live locally to their Yeovil HQ so will be popping down there tomorrow to see if it's a similar bun fight in store.

Sadely missed out on the bargain Enve 130/20 stem I'm so desperately after in black too. Damn.

Agreed in product selection though - not a single drivechain or brake component??

They are being bought up by another large bike retailer and all non transferable stock is being sold off

Popped in store today.

Evans, urgh.

In other news, 60% off everything in store excl. bikes I got some bits;
Speedplay stainless for £80.
GP 5000 TL for £28 a pop
And a handful of bottles and other bits.

Any idea when? I’m down that way for August bank holiday.

Right now I'm afraid... Road trip at the weekend? 😬

It’s a bit far. Even with those deals. See a pair for fulcrum racing zero db for £500. Great deal but a duplication for me.

I got a set of ffwd f4d dt350 disc wheels for mad cheap.

I live really near a triuk store... will be making a trip tomorrow

Some (if not all) of their copy is directly lifted from Evans too. E.g. 'Adventure Road bikes' even down to:

"plus our own Pinnacle Arkose range is very popular with customers."

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