Interesting video:
I wish the sales and good deals would show up in my area. Maybe a few odd models here, but nothing crazy or remotely tempting. Not to mention guys trying to sell 3 year old SL7 framesets for $4500 in a very saturated market. Road bikes anyways. MTBs seem to be on sale everywhere still.
I lucked out and found a new S-Works SL7 frameset for $3500. It was a good color though not my absolute favorite. I would have even preferred the regular SL7 at a discount. The SL7s on the website are all on sale ($1000 to $2000 off). You can order off of the web site and have it shipped to your house or your local dealer.
haha just minutes ago I fell across an ad for a used crux pro for like 5800…specialized just put them on sale for 5…brand new. Every shop local to me has sl7’s on sale
Specialized’s “sale” price for an SL7 with Rival AXS is still $5k…LOL.
Haha wow, still more than it should cost full price! That said, shops by me seem to be pretty enthusiastic to move the 7s, so there’s been discounts to be found
I wonder if a company the size of wiggle/CR going belly up will be the catalyst for companies to realize they done messed up on their pricing? Not in the market for a bike right now so I don’t really care that much, but when reviewers are calling a $6-7k 105 di2 bike a good value, I think we’ve got a problem!
I stopped using them after I bought 3 assos jerseys and they claimed all of them had been worn and washed (delivered and returned within 3 hours). They refused a refund and I had to go through Amex protection to get the money back.
That’s shocking! I’ve never had an issue like that with any retailer (and have returned lots to Wiggle over the years but I guess nothing recent). Have always wondered if I’m being overly careful by trying to re-fold things exactly the same as they were when they arrived inc tissue paper and such - this makes me think maybe it’s worthwhile to keep doing so though!
I get Neopro now instead of dhb, good prices and good looking gear. They have sales, where often can pick up half price or less.
I actually wonder what lesson the bike industry would take for the Wiggle/CRC closure. They were very much a price point business as retailers (though prices climbed as others have noted) and Vitus and Nukeproof were generally priced much lower than Spesh or Trek for similar spec.
I imagine bigger brands with higher prices make a lot more per unit sold, even with bike shop markups. I could imagine Specialized thinking that their best bet is to lean into the premium market and keep prices high. I’d guess a lot of the reduction in demand post-pandemic is in the more value-oriented segment, while dentists are still gonna dentist.
My guess is that they will view it as WIggle being their own victims…poor management / inventory decisions during the pandemic with no corrections when warranted combined with new investors who wanted their money back ASAP.
The Big 3 (or 4, I guess, if you want to include PON) understand the value of brands and have little interest in selling out what they have built. They will let the value-proposition companies do what they do…they know it isn’t their wheelhouse and don’t want to participate in it.
They also understand the value / necessity of a dealer network, but are obviously increasingly moving to their own proprietary networks vs. the tradition LBS route.
Sounded interesting, but not having https in 2023 means I can’t get to their site without overriding safety checks…
Sadly since the original merger they just haven’t been competitive on price. Throw in Brexit and lack of availability for some items for delivery to Ireland (boxes of High 5 Zero can’t be but individual tubes yes - like what?). Not leveraging Northern Ireland’s status around Brexit and moving fulfilment to the UK, rubbish delivery, then that website.
Final nail in the coffin being the pump and dump private equity shysters (I note an “external stakeholder” got paid £300m+ on the takeover)
Sad regardless. I’ve had loads of DHB gear over the years and had been toying with a set of Prime wheels having seen some in the Belfast CRC store earlier in the year
Looks like the US offices have closed down…
Again, they are toast…no way they survive this, especially since their financing got yanked.
Noted…I remain committed to my LOL reaction to even $4499 for a Rival equipped bike.
Same if you substitute 105 Di2? I’m thinking of pulling the trigger on a Checkpoint SL6 Rival AXS eTap that the guy paid $3600 out the door in July and isn’t commuting on it like planned (selling for $2500) it looks brand new in the pics and Trek 2nd owner 3-year frame/fork warranty interchangeable drivetrain and wheels with my Tarmac SL7 AXS eTap.
100%.
That sounds like a good deal…even if it was the $3600, brand new.
kinda offsets the $4800 that I paid July 2021 for the Tarmac SL7 during the height of the bike shortage. And includes a set of Pathfinder 42 tires, along with the stock GR1s.
Ironically, the SL7 sale prices are what the bikes should cost in the first place. For some reason, Specialized tacks on a premium when they build a bike for you. In the old days, it used to be that when one bought a complete bike, it was cheaper than the sum of the parts and building it yourself.