FLJeepGuy

Over time, I've become the bike guy for my extended group of friends and families. I do most basic maintenance and tuneups and this requires me to keep supplies and miscellaneous parts on hand or order them as the need arises (Brake parts, cables, lubricants, kickstands, etc.). Lately I've been ordering parts through Amazon and Niagara Cycle, but would like some suggestions for other sites that offer quick shipping and competitive pricing.

Before anyone jumps my case for not supporting my LBS , let me just add that I use them for all major overhauls and wheel work as well as sending friends and family to them for bike purchases, etc. I've got a great relationship with them but they really aren't competitive for the small shop supplies and parts I'm looking for.

So, suggestions are welcome!

mconlonx

Approach that shop where you have a good relationship and see if they will sell you bulk parts at discount, like bulk cable housing and cables, bottles of ferrules and cable ends, box of kickstands, box of lubricant, etc.

FLJeepGuy

Thanks much for the suggestion. That option never even occurred to me!

seedsbelize 

I like JensonUsa. They will match anybody else's price, and are a pleasure to deal with.

HillRider

Bike Tools Etc. ( biketoolsetc.com ) sells bulk packages of cables, housing, small cable parts and large containers of grease at competitive prices. However, mconlonx's suggestion to try to piggyback on your LBS's orders is a good one. They can increase their volume with their suppliers and pass along part of their wholesale costs to you.

Eric S.

I haven't been buying much lately, but I also really like JensonUSA. Their online catalog has more small parts listed than the big 3 (Performance/Nashbar, Colorado Cyclist and Excel Sports).

There are some eBay sellers I end up buying new parts from quite a bit as well.

Looigi

I get a lot of stuff from Amazon (brake pads, cables, chain rings, rim tape, etc...), often through third party sellers.

Velocivixen

Universalcycles.com. They have up to the minute stock info on all their parts. They also have a price matching option, where you click the button & they get back to you ASAP & tell you if they can match the price. I check their online stock and if they have it I go to their Portland showroom and buy it.

wheelreason

How many friends and family members do you have that you would need to keep supplies around? Why can't they buy what they need at a LBS? cables, brake pads, bearings, etc don't cost much.

lostarchitect 

If you are already shopping at Niagara and Amazon, you have 2 of the best sources already. Don't forget to check ebay.

FLJeepGuy

Enough that running to the LBS every time I need a basic part is getting to be a pain, not to mention I spend more in gas getting there than the part costs. I do a lot of repairs and adjustments for folks in the neighborhood not to mention my own family bikes, etc. so keeping the basic stuff on hand works for me.

asmac

I've had good results with *Chain Reaction Cycles | MTB | Road | TRI | Run. They are in the UK but shipping is free for orders over $100 and shipments normally arrive by post to Canada within a week. They offer good support and when I had a warranty issue they dealt with it promptly and paid all shipping costs.

rms13

Ebay. Most parts I find cheapest there with free shipping and no sales tax. If you are patient enough to wait for shipping direct from China you can get good deals on bulk cables, housings, ferels and other small parts. I have also dealt with Bikewagon a lot both on their website and ebay store and they have good prices and great service and reply to emails within the hour. I like Jensonusa too but living in CA, I have to pay sales tax on online orders from them so I won't buy anything unless it's a really good deal

zacster

JensenUSA, Universal, Amazon, Ebay, ChainReaction, BikeTiresDirect, BackCountry, ProBikeKit. I've ordered from all of them. And then there is eBay too. I just check for price and free shipping. It really sucks to pay shipping on a cheap item.

Hendo252 

Concur.

Geography plays a big part in vendor choice; I love Jenson and Universal since shipping is fast and cheap to SoCal. I avoid Niagara and Performance since shipping is slow and expensive to the wild, wild West Coast.

Hopefully somebody from the SE will chime in with some suggestions...

-Tom in SoCal

JanMM

Very handy having a Performance shop nearby - no shipping costs for what they have in stock. No way do they have everything that I need/want but I do buy some of their stuff, especially when it is on sale.

FLJeepGuy

The shipping issue is one of the reasons I was looking for alternates to Amazon and Niagara. Having a number of places as suggested to check when placing an order will definitely help.

mconlonx

Another alternative is to actually go legit. Make it an actual business, GET INSURANCE, and sign on with a local distributor for wholesale pricing.

SquidPuppet

That's surprising. I live on the west side too and have only ordered stuff from Niagra twice, both times being cheap and fast. I was charged $3.00 shipping on my recent order and they sent it 2nd day prority mail with tracking and insurance. I was surprised and pleased.

zacster

It seems that almost everyone I order from is on the west coast so it always takes a long time to get back east. The other day I ordered something that was mostly shipping out of Hong Kong, but found someone nearby and had it the next day. I even willingly paid the sales tax. It wasn't bike related though.

I put together an upgrade to my commuter a few months ago, brakes, shifters, levers, derailleur, chain, rims, hub, spokes, cassette, dynamo light. The only thing I didn't get a rock bottom price on was the light. I bought the latest and greatest B&M Cyo light and it isn't being discounted anywhere. I bought some XT parts, some Deore, some LX, they were all really cheap because I shopped around. It helps to have specific model numbers for Shimano stuff because the search engines will bring up what you are looking for without all the noise.

wheelreason

I hear QBP is adding a "Friends and Family" plan...

GeorgeBMac

For your purposes -- random extra parts without time restraints I would recommend EBay as the best way to get quality parts at deep discounts. Only buy quality stuff that is extremely discounted from retail...

Basically, you have the advantage of being able to be an opportunist...
... For example, I just saw a $100 saddle that I like being sold for under $25. I don't HAVE to have one -- not enough to spend $100 at my LBS. But for $25 my butt will thank me...

lectraplayer

Personally, for some items, I would also comb "outside the bike shop," especially when some parts (like brake pads, chains, cables, etc) must be aquired rapidly. Wal-Mart has suitable substitutes for basic maintenence. Lubes, Threadlok, tools, etc. can come from home improvement or automotive retailers. Again, I would do this as a stopgap and then pick my LBS's brains.

fietsbob

Buying case lots from the LBS wont be marked up as much as if you buy an each

a roll of housing in a carton has a lot in it . likewise bulk Cables ..

of course to buy wholesale the distributors want to see your bona fides as a shop.

mconlonx

Any distributor which requests that you submit a photo of your storefront is probably not the way to go, but there are other distributors out there who might play nice with a small, local repair business. UBS comes to mind. In my neck of the woods, I'd talk to someone at Downeast.