Stupid name, great bike shop. (Wiggle)

Member Name: JonnyM79

Product:	Wiggle
Date:	22/03/02 (1254 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap and quick to deliver, Clear site, Low delivery charge

Disadvantages: None that I've encountered

If there were ever a product designed for selling over the internet it is bike accesories. Quality local bike shops (this does NOT mean Halfords) are quite a rare thing, especially outside of big cities. Bikes come in all shapes and sizes and the list of different components and accesories that a bike shop needs to stock to cater for every customer is just about infinite. Bike riders (especially road riders) can also be bonkers in their love for gadgetry and can't wait to strap on the latest bit of high-tech junk to make their bike look sleeker (if you don't believe me, go to wiggle.co.uk, scroll down to computers and check out the Topeak Panoram: it would look more at home in the cockpit of a fighter jet).

Wiggle (found at the address I just mentioned) is now the leading online shop for bike parts, accessories and clothing. The first reason this has happened has to be the site layout. Wiggle is one of few online shops that have managed to put together a superb site interface without just ripping off Amazon's format. Down the left hand side there's a scrolling alphabetical list of categories from bags to workstands. The real brilliance of the format is that when you click on a category what comes up at the top is a selection of the most heavily discounted items with large clear photos, which you can click on for more information. Only below this is a full list of every item they sell in that category. It's an excellent idea and means that you're always tempted by the latest special offers. The format even extends to the homepage, which changes daily with new top offers. Pricing in general is pretty sharp even before specials.

The rest of the ordering experience such as payment details and shipping are the same as you'd expect from any high quality retailer. Click on an item for a thorough description and a large photo and click on add to basket to buy it and away you go. The delivery times are sp
ecified for each item on the add-to-basket button, usually being either within 24 hours or in 2-3 days. I have to say that the postage (critical for shops selling bulky components) is an absolute bargain. It's a flat rate of £3.99. This is irrespective of size or quantity of order. Want to order a bike bag that's 6 foot long and taller than your average 10 year old (like I did)? No problem: postage still £3.99: fantastic. Ordering 20 of them? doesn't matter. Orders are delivered by Parcelforce and, in my experience, arrive bang on time. If you make a multiple order and one item takes longer than the others they will send them in multiple dispatches (no increase in charge).

Wiggle has always thrived on having a loyal customer base and a bit of character. For a long time one of their categories was condoms - I'm not sure what this had to do with bikes but it made me chuckle and the fact that they've stopped selling them has to be a poor reflection on us cyclists! They also have an excellent loyalty system: 5% off everything (including special offers) if you spent £100 in the previous year, and 10% off if you spent £500, all done automatically. I've never had to use their customer care services or returns policy (that has to be a good thing) but if you got the size wrong or want a different colour they'll even pay your return postage which strikes me as exceedingly generous.

I don't like writing gushing opinions with nothing negative to say but I've racked my brains and I really can't find anything bad to say about them. I suppose that's why they've thrived while other online bike retailers have been scaling back: they're honest with you on what's in stock and how long it will take to arrive, and they describe the items on their site well so you know exactly what you're getting, all at thrifty prices and bargain postage.

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