Anyone ever been sold a fake?
 

I am looking to buy new tires online bc the LBS is just too expensive. I've found some good looking deals online but some just seem too good to be true. I've accidentally bought fake stuff online before and it sucks. So what websites do yall trust? I'm looking at planetcyclery.com and probikekit.com right now. Any other suggestions?

biketiresdirect
merlin cycles
wiggle
ribble
jensonusa
performancebike
bikenashbar
treefortbikes

Lordgun has been among the best pricing for higher end tires this spring, if you're buying enough to overcome the $20-25 shipping cost (three is usually more than enough). I haven't looked at less expensive tires - they might not be as good with the shipping factored in.

They only seem like scams because many local bike shops are far more expensive.

Merlin,Chain reaction, Wiggle, Pro bike kit, Jensen, Competitive cyclist, Bike Closet are all legit.

Merlin used to be the best, but something changed with their shipping to the U.S. and you have to spend quite a bit before it’s free now.

My last couple tire purchases have been from Bike Closet. I've been happy with the GP 5000's I've gotten from them. They are on all my bikes now and my sons road bike.

I had never heard of them and the name was a bit of a put off but I bought a DA cassette at an unreal price as they seemed legit. I was not disappointed, good service.

I’ve bought some listings that were in error. But usually if a legitimate business has an error in their listing, they will either cancel it with apologies or honor it.

There’s obviously scams, but you get nothing, not a counterfeit.

You can also buy counterfeits on purpose, especially Chinese carbon from Ali Express with a Pinarello decal, but that’s a separate issue.

Yeah, I was a little cautious before the first order, too, but they get stuff out in a hurry. My second shipment of tires went from Italy to Minneapolis in two business days - that makes me feel a little better about spending 25 bucks on shipping. :p

I bought my Oakleys and a pair Corsa G from probikekit.com they were the cheapest at the time, slow delivery (but was last May) but both items legit

I'm convinced the SPD-SL cleats I got from Ali express are fake but they work fine. Just wear out in about half the time of real ones. 4 pairs for the price of 1 legit set so not a rip-off but won't be buying them again.

I've found success with bike closet

Tires - Clincher / Road Excel Sports | Shop Online From Boulder Colorado

Excel Sports has decent prices on Continental tires, although its current price on GP5000 seems high. I have also bought a Continental GP5000 from Amazon.com where Amazon.com is the seller. I understand that this is not a guaranty against getting a fake because sometimes Amazon commingles stock from different sellers, but the one I got looks pretty legit? (I have not installed it onto my bike yet; plan to do so late spring.)

all butyl inner tubes that I know of area seamless.
those tubes are molded in one piece. The only seam is when the 2 ends of the tubes are mellted by heat and joined together.

Oh no supporting your local shop is so terrible. Gosh I would much rather risk buying fakes than support local business at a time when it is good to support your local business.

I know there are legitimate online sellers who are authorized to sell those products but still shop local.

Well this was all super helpful! (except for @veganbikes haha)

I ended up buying from planetcyclery.com: 2 GP 5000 tires for $89.98 total. That is almost half the price they would've been from the LBS. Plus, they shipped with OnTrac ground which was free and they showed up the next day (from Denver, CO to me in Provo, UT). They seem legit to me, but only the test of time will tell.

You won't have any issues if you buy from a reliable source. Merlin Cycle and CCC are two of my preferred ones. As an example, I recently bought a set of Pro Ones and they were 75$ each instead of 150$ at my LBS (backorder!).

most shimano stuff from aliexpress are fake, the price is a dead givaway

I've had success with Competitive Cyclist, Excelsports and Colorado Cyclist.

It's a complex topic without a quick answer but there are reasons the shop charges what it charges and those reasons aren't a desire for runaway profits at the expense of your wallet. As a company that usually gets OEM pricing on most tires I can tell you that without a doubt if I bought 2 GP 5000's and shipped them to you for $89.98 I would, at best, maybe break even on that sale. "Oh well", right?

Most of us in the industry that are looking towards the future will still sell you tires for a competitive price that makes it make sense for locals to buy them from us and not online. Older, larger or more established shops will not bend on MRSP.

The reality is that this is the OEM's fault. They have created the scenario where these pricing discrepancies exist and have allowed it to continue. On tires it continues unabated.

I've covered it off and on over the years in my podcast. Will be getting back to doing new episodes. 1 about the life of powertap and one about the future of retail in our industry and about how the big OEMs are going to war during this pandemic.

Seldom are there counterfeit tires out there. They do exist but its rare. The thing with tires is that the OEM's will sell tires into multiple channels with multiple opportunities for margin. Large volume dealers that go direct will get huge drops in pricing. Distributors not as much, dealers that buy from distributors even less. EU region pricing structures are completely different, etc. We have a mixed market with piles of grey market stuff from other regions or from OEMs that dump product back on the market.

Avoid Wish

I get all my tyres from Merlin Cycles. If they don't have the best prices, they are at least competitive.

I bought a frame and fork on fleabay that was described as a 24" wheeled Sears Spyder (Muscle bike, Banana seat bike, and so on).
-After I received the frame/fork. I noticed a large metal tab on the back side of the steering tube.
-After posting pics on a forum, we determined that it was not a Sears Spyder. The purpose of the metal tab was for mounting a tank. its a cruiser frame.
-A serial number check revealed that my frame and fork belonged to a 1961 JC Higgins Flightliner, deluxe, with a two speed kickback wheel.
-I built up the frame/fork with Spyder parts anyway, and I have had a lot of fun with it.

Planet cyclery is legit as is bikecloset:

https://bikecloset.com/product/conti...and-prix-5000/

is this still an issue buying items that are shipped and sold from Amazon?

Apparently I am an idiot. I thought seamless tubes had no longitudinal ridges. That is wrong..I think ; ). Continental tubes should have threaded and removable valves (make sure presta is removable), but all tubes have the longitudinal ridges.