Originally Posted by cpach

If you can handle long lead times, for some bulk items AliExpress can make some sense--I like having a stock of cheap black foam handlebar tape onhand, and it's hard to go wrong with this so I've bought it direct from china for <$2/roll before, which is cheaper than dealer cost on any tape available through US distributors. Probably can get some gray market Shimano/Microshift 7/8sp drivetrain stuff if you go through it regularly. I wouldn't use it for anything higher end.