Affiliate Retailers - They earn LFGSS money when you use them

Adjustable, see review at
http://forums.cyclingweekly.co.uk/showthread.php?9265-Aldi-heavy-duty-bike-stand

I'm probably being obtuse, but what if your bike has a top tube that is parallel to the ground?

careful application of *le b**[I]endáge *[/I]would sort this out

tester has the much more practical answer

Quick question: is there a decent online/mail order retailer of new bikes in Japan? I guy I know is struggling to find anything locally except overpriced Louis Garneau and La Pierre and is looking at buying something online from Wiggle which just seems surreal to me. Just after a decent alu/carbon or all carbon road bike with shimano group without paying roughly double the usual RRP.

Surely Giant bikes should be quite cheap over there, made in Taiwan etc etc.

Yeah that was my first thought.. apparently not (or perhaps only in the biggest cities).

Surely nearly all bikes should be quite cheap over there, made in Taiwan etc etc.

ftfy

They are made to export and being close to a country where bikes are made probably isn't a factor of selling them cheaper. Besides, Japan is not a cheap country to live in.

They are made to export and being close to a country where bikes are made probably isn't a factor of selling them cheaper. Besides, Japan is not a cheap country to live in.

↑This.
Retail price is wholesale FOB + shipping + cost of doing business. The third of these in Japan compared with other countries should easily outweigh any small decrease in the second due to the proximity to the source.

"Besides, Japan is not a cheap country to live in."

Accommodation is expensive, but apart from that, it's cheaper than UK for a lot of things. Online / mail order for bikes is a bit more restricted - often cheaper to go to stores in jp. For online, could try:

Carnival Tokyo - http://canivaltokyo.ocnk.net/
Y's Road (bit like Evans in Tokyo) - http://www.ysroad.net

The problem is the yen is so strong at the moment - conversion rates make it look more expensive, but even so, prices are about the same - e.g for Scott Speedster (as example).

(yes being close to manufacture isn't a factor - shipping is very cheap - costs more getting from dockside to store, and again from store to door than from factory to overseas port).

Cheers dannz, I'll pass that on.

FWIW ~ £1670 for a CAAD10/105 or £1840 for a Madone 3.1. Can't blame the guy for wanting to go mail order.

(yes being close to manufacture isn't a factor - shipping is very cheap - costs more getting from dockside to store, and again from store to door than from factory to overseas port).

I'd just read the Oriental Carbon thread when I posted, so I think I envisaged the cost of shipping a single frame straight from the source rather than container ships.

Are groupsets cheaper in Japan?

some nice deals here:

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/news/products/q/date/2011/09/29/indian-summer-sale-now-on

just bought myself easton SL K carbon seatpost :)

Aldi was hilarious yesterday, went to Old Kent Road and the normal people trying to do their shopping amongst a tottering mass of lycra & helmet-clad bargain hunters rummaging through the Special Buy sections was a sight to behold. Got a rain jacket, winter trousers and magic socks, and the biggest cyclist bargain of all, a cherry and almond flapjack for 49p, which was a godsend.

They only had small jackets left in mine but I didn't particularly like the look of them anyway, and I couldn't bring myself to buy the waterproof trousers! Have you "experienced" the socks yet?

Also, anyone used any of the Planet X bar tapes? They've got a load going cheap in that sale.

They only had small jackets left in mine but I didn't particularly like the look of them anyway, and I couldn't bring myself to buy the waterproof trousers! Have you "experienced" the socks yet?

I got the bright yellow rainjacket, not very cool I know, but I was even less keen on the Winter Cycling Jacket. I got the lycra-type trousers, which have good padding and claim to be water repellent too, we'll see about that. For £13.99, I don't really care how they look, and the padding's pretty nice. As for the socks, the weather at the moment is not really calling for winter cycling socks. But I'm sure the 'pressure points' and other gizmos will blow me away.

Popped into my local aldi, and obtained a cycling jacket. It has holes for your thumbs!

Updated the list of the recommended retailers (who all give us affiliate fees), and the list is now:

Organisations:

British Cycling
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/

Retailers:

Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/
(For Kindle, cycle books, etc)

Chain Reaction Cycles
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/
(Actually recommended for service and quality)

Cyclestore
http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/

eBay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/

Evans Cycles
http://www.evanscycles.com/

Hargroves Cycles
http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/

Merlin Cycles
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/

Rutland Cycling
http://www.rutlandcycling.com/

Wiggle
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/

We used this stand at the Cycle Show 2010:
[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gear-Up-Oakrak-Freestanding-4-Bike/dp/B000TMDGI2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1318155049&sr=8-4"]Gear Up Oakrak Freestanding 2 / 4-Bike Rack: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure[/ame]

It's oak, really pretty, fully adjustable.

You can put both bikes in the same direction, opposing directions, differing sides, and the heights are adjustable to the point that it worked with low-pro silliness too.

From thursday 29th: 2-up bike stand, £30:
http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/special_buys3_20816.htm

the drive is facing the wrong way on the lower bike, useless if you want to work on it

These stands aren't designed for you to work on the bike. The bikes are balanced on the stand, and not fixed to it. And the stand stability is all based on the assumption that you're not working on the bikes.

So which way round you put the bikes is not an issue.

'This heavy-duty bike stand securely holds two bikes in a compact space which can be used for either repairing the bike or storage. Maximum weight: 40kg.'

they shouldnt have written this then

They probably shouldn't have.

It doesn't have a large enough footprint coupled with a secure way of holding the bikes.

If you want to work on a bike you need something like this:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=7859
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/park/pcs10-folding-repair-stand-ec007643