Bicycle online shops: a comparison of bike shippers
You can also order your new bike in the online shop - usually at cheaper prices than from your local dealer. We introduce three well-known bike shippers and explain the advantages and disadvantages of buying an internet bike.
Bicycle shipper with tradition: Rose
Rose (//www.roseversand.de) is one of the most renowned online shops for bicycles. And that deserves it: Rose regularly wins top positions in the mail order tests of well-known bicycle magazines.
- Offer: At Rose you can order almost all common types of bikes, from trekking to racing bikes to mountain bikes or pedelecs.
- Rose only sells bikes and frames from its own brand of the same name. On the other hand, you can order all conceivable accessories online from brand manufacturers such as Shimano, Continental or Gonso - cycling clothing, components or tires.
- Price: As a direct mailer, Rose naturally has a clear price advantage compared to the bike dealer around the corner. However, the Rose Bikes are not super cheap bargains - the shipper places value on quality, which also has its price online.
- Service and repair: Consultation takes place over the phone at Rose; there is also a sophisticated bike configurator that you can use to put together your own bike. If your bike is damaged, you must send it in for repair. Rose, however, grants a 2-year guarantee; in the event of frame damage due to an accident, for example, you will receive a new Rose frame at 50% of the retail price within 5 years.
Online shop for sporty bikers: Canyon
Canyon (//www.canyon.com) is aimed more at ambitious bike athletes - you won't find boring trekking or city bikes here.
- Offer: Canyon specializes in mountain bikes (hardtails and fullys) as well as road racing bikes; there are also bikes for triathletes. You cannot order clothing or bicycle accessories in this online shop.
- Here, too, only the own brand is sold; the technically sophisticated Canyon bikes have an excellent reputation in the scene and often get top marks in comparison tests.
- Price: With comparable equipment, the Canyon bikes are usually a bit cheaper than bikes from well-known manufacturers. But here too, as with Rose, the following applies: Quality costs, entry-level hardtail MTBs start here at around 600-700 euros.
- Service and repair: Again many similarities to Rose: competent telephone advice, the framework guarantee is even 6 years here, as well as cheaper replacements in the event of falls and accidents. But also here applies: If you don't live near the Koblenz company headquarters, you have to send your bike to Canyon for repairs or have it picked up.
Bicycles and accessories for the price-conscious: bike discount
At Bike Discount (//www.bike-discount.de) the name says it all - in addition to affordable bike components, there are also high-quality bikes from, for example, Cube or the own brand Radon.
- Offer: everything to do with bikes - the bike discount product range is wide: you can get brake pads here as well as clothes or helmets, e-bikes, children's bikes or high-end mountain bikes - almost every bike type is represented.
- Bicycles are available from well-known manufacturers such as Cube, Raleigh or Merida as well as from the house brand Radon. Similar to the Canyon bikes, these bikes have now gained a good name in the scene and have already won various test victories.
- Price: Especially in the accessories area, the prices at Bike Discount are often really unrivaled - you will find lots of special offers; in some cases the online retailer also gives a "best price" guarantee. Radon wheels in particular are characterized by an extremely good price / performance ratio.
- Service and repairs: Bike-Discount / Radon is the only one of the direct sales companies that maintains a network of around 100 service partners, who also repair your bike on site and where you can also test ride the bikes. You can see an overview of all workshops here. As with Rose, there is a two-year basic guarantee, broken frames from the Radon, Solution or Cube brands will be replaced within 5 years.
Conclusion: Buying a bike online is worth it, but ..
Good bikes at affordable prices - you can actually find that in online bike shops. However, buying a bike on the Internet is not for everyone. You should consider the following:
- The test ride on the desired bike is of course only possible in the "real" bike shop. All three providers also have outlets and test centers at the respective company location - but usually you often buy the proverbial cat in a poke with bikes on the Internet. For this, individualists, for example at Rose, can largely configure their dream bike themselves.
- The bikes, on the other hand, are really inexpensive - Radon bikes in the segment around € 1, 500 often offer features and components that cost € 200 more from the competition from specialist retailers. However, if you wait for cheap discontinued models or special offers at the shop around the corner, you can sometimes get away with it just as cheaply.
- Of course, the quick pleasure purchase is not possible with the online shops. During the high season, online retailers often have delivery times of several weeks; coveted Canyon or Rose models are sometimes no longer in stock; You will then have to wait several months.
- Service should be the crux of the matter for many: If you can do small repairs or readjust or adjust the brakes and gearshift yourself, you can seriously consider shopping at Rose, Canyon or Bike Discount. On the other hand, many on-site bicycle dealers refuse to maintain or repair the direct mailers' own brands. Radon / bike discount is a good middle ground here with the large - but also by no means comprehensive - network of service partners.
- Tip: If you order from a shipper, you should definitely find out the correct frame size beforehand. In the next article, we will show you how to determine this without advice.
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