ChainReactionCycles and Wiggle - my review of the best bike shops in Europe. Not a very good experience buying a bike at Chain Reaction Cycles Bike Shop England

Lately, when I publish stories about various bike shops, some people wonder why they are needed at all when there is Chain Reaction Cycles, because hordes of “dissipated people” shop there. Apparently the logic “myriads of flies cannot be wrong” is ineradicable. Well, did you want a story about the Teapot? We have them. Don't blame me. Although, mistakes can happen to everyone. Just don't focus on one store.
I know that you have already written about this store (I read it myself), but I decided to add my two cents.
Actually, I've shopped at this store before, more than once. But this time I decided to buy a whole bike there for the first time. I ordered it on January 19th, I received it, it seems, on February 26th. In short, “Russian Post” was on fire, as always. Somewhat later it turned out that I was lucky with the timing, and in general with the very fact of receiving the parcel; many were much less lucky. But that’s not about that now.
So, the impressions of the purchase are ambivalent. Below is the letter I wrote and sent to the store:

2. The spokes on both wheels were practically not tensioned, i.e. the wheels actually had to be fully pulled and centered.
3. When pulling the spokes on the rear wheel, an “egg” was discovered - a beating in the plane of the wheel. A detailed examination of the wheel revealed a mechanical defect in the rim, similar to the result of, say, driving off a curb with a half-flat tire. This may have happened while transporting the bike. Unfortunately, I cannot accompany this description with a photograph, because... The repairman fixed everything and installed new tires.
4. There is no protective cap on the rear brake

5. The most surprising thing: when rotating the pedals, the left crank slightly catches the footrest. No amount of effort could be used to position the footrest so that this would not happen. I just had to take it off.
Total:
- the tires had to be replaced, fortunately I had spare Schwalbe Hurricane Semi Slick Tires, but they have an incongruously small diameter, the bike looks a little strange with them;
- paid the technician 2,200 rubles ($75) for adjusting the wheels, fixing the “egg,” as well as for assembling and adjusting the brakes and switches.
I understand that this bike was sold at a discount, that it was a 2010 model, and that it had been in storage for three years. I would not have even written this letter if I had not read the following phrase on your website at one time:

Bicycles cannot be shipped on the same day. Because we want to make sure they are in perfect condition, we check and inspect all bikes before shipping."
Looks like the "check and inspection" never got to my bike.
Despite the above, I remain your faithful customer. I hope that my letter will help you eliminate existing shortcomings in your work.

This is what a assembled and ready-to-use bike looks like:

Special thanks to Yuri.

Chainreactioncycles.com is one of the world's largest online stores specializing in the sale of bicycles and spare parts for them. This online store offers products from the world's most famous suppliers, including Shimano, Sram, RockShox, Mavic, Hope, Skins and many others. In this online store you will find a huge number of products for cyclists - different types of bicycles, wheels and tires, frames, chains, spokes, spare parts, special clothing and shoes, helmets and other protective equipment, healthy food products for athletes, heart rate monitors, GPS navigators and much more.

The ChainReaction company has existed since 1984, and therefore has extensive experience in selling products for cycling enthusiasts. At first, a small family store appeared, but over time, ChainReaction became the largest specialized web store. Most of the products that are presented in the ChainReaction online store are in stock and can therefore be shipped on the day of order. Delivery is carried out worldwide. Representatives of ChainReaction claim that their delivery prices are the most affordable. There are constantly sales and promotions on the site, information about them comes in emails to all registered users.

Official store website: (Russian version)
A country: Great Britain.
Payment Methods: PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, VisaDebit, bank transfer.
Delivery: Royal Mail special delivery, Parcel Force, DHL.

1. How to register on Chainreactioncycles.com
2. Product selection on Chainreactioncycles.com
3. How to place an order on Chainreactioncycles.com
4. Returning an item to Chainreactioncycles.com

How to Register on Chainreactioncycles.com

In order to make purchases from the ChainReaction online store, you will need to register. The registration procedure is very simple and will only take a few minutes. On the main page of the site at the very top you can see the inscription Create an account or sign in (Create an account or log in). Click on it and you will be taken to the registration menu.

You will need to fill out several fields:

First Name – your name;
Last Name – your last name;
Email – email address;
ConfirmEmail – repeat your email address again;
Password – password (at least 8 characters);
ConfirmPassword – enter the password again.

Also, if you wish, you need to check the box next to the offer to receive news and newsletters to your email address. We advise you to subscribe to the newsletter, because it contains information about discounts and promotions.
After all fields are filled in, click on the Apply button.

After this you will be taken to your account. Here you can view your order history and wish list (while viewing products on the site, you can add the ones you like to your wish list, so that after a while you don’t forget what you liked). You will also see your rating on the site in your account.

So now you have an account on Chainreactioncycles.com. You can proceed to get acquainted with the store's assortment.

Product selection at Chainreactioncycles.com

In the site menu you can find several sections with products offered by ChainReaction.

Shop all categories – products from all categories that are on the site.
All brands – search for products by brand.
MTB – MTB bicycles, as well as spare parts and components for them.
Road – road bicycles and accessories for them.
City – city bikes.
TRI are special bicycles designed for triathlons.
BMX – BMX bicycles.
Run – clothing, shoes, accessories and other products for those who run.

When you hover your cursor over one of these labels, you will see a complete list of products that are presented in a particular category. For example, in the Road category there are TT bicycles, bicycle trailers, hybrid and city bicycles, as well as children's bicycles.

Also on the right side of the page you will see the Sale section, which contains discounted products.

When you go to any section, a list of products that are presented in this section will appear before your eyes. Products can be grouped 24, 48 or 72 items per page. You can also sort all products by brand, newness, popularity, and price. To the left of the list of products there is a list of parameters from which you can select the ones you need and tick them. This way you can find the right product in just a few minutes. You can choose the desired color, brand, and for bicycles, wheel size and speed. We invite you to see what the page with children's bicycles looks like in the Road category.

Each product is presented in the form of a small business card with the most necessary information - model name, price, discount amount, rating among buyers. By clicking on a product, you will be taken to its personal page.
Here you will find all the necessary information about the product - price, model name, characteristics, several additional photos. Also on the page of almost every product you will find reviews from customers, which will allow you to learn about all the advantages and disadvantages of a particular bicycle model. You can also leave your review after purchase. Before adding an item to your cart, you will need to select the wheel size, frame, color (these options are not available for all models. Some have standard characteristics). You can also see how many units are in stock on the product page. If an item is out of stock, you will find information about when it will be available. Don't forget to note how many items you need. When you have checked all the parameters you need, you can add the product to your cart by clicking on the Add to basket button.

How to order on Chainreactioncycles.com

Once our bike is in the cart, we can proceed to checkout. Once the item is added to your cart, you will be prompted to add other products. For example, helmets are most often offered with bicycles. To view the contents of our cart, you need to click on the cart icon at the top of the site. Once in the cart, you will be able to double-check whether all the parameters of your product are correctly marked, and also mark the country to which delivery will be made. We chose Russia from the list. You can also choose between free shipping or express shipping ($19.99). After checking all the data, you need to click on the Continue to checkout button. If you are going to pay for your order through the PayPal payment system, then click on the Checkout with PayPal icon.

Example of buying a bike on Chainreactioncycles.com

Next, you will again need to fill out several fields to finalize your order.
Address Nickname – nickname.
First Name – your name.
Last Name – last name.
Address 1 – sending address.
Address 2 – alternative address.
City - city.
State/ province/region – state, province, region.
Country – you need to select your country from the list provided.
Post/ ZipCode – postal code.
Contact Number – contact phone number.
Alt Contact Number – alternative contact phone number.

On the right side of the form there is a field in which you must select the country and type of delivery. Standard delivery to Russia will cost $9.99, express delivery – 19.99. By clicking on the Continue button, you will proceed to the final stage of placing an order - payment.

If you pay by card, then fill in the empty fields in the PayByCard subsection:

Name on Card – name of the card holder.
Card Number – card number.
Card Type – you need to select the card type from the list of proposed ones.
Start date – date of receipt of the card.
Expiry date – expiration date.
CVV is a special three-digit code found on the back of the card.

After filling out the fields, click on the Confirm order button.

Congratulations, your order is complete! You will receive all the necessary information to the email address specified during registration. You can also view the history of your orders in your personal account.

Returning an item to Chainreactioncycles.com

The ChainReactionCycles online store provides its customers with a unique opportunity - they can return a new product that does not suit them within twelve months from the date of purchase. The main condition is that the product must not be used. The return procedure is quite simple. First, you will need to fill out a return form, which you can download from the Customer Service - Returning an item section. You will also find all further return instructions here.

You will need to enclose the item in the original Chainreactioncycles.com marked packaging. You must include the return form that you filled out earlier in the box with the product. Then send the goods to the address shown on the return form - Returns&Warranty, Chain Reaction Cycles Ltd., Kilbride Road, Doagh, Ballyclare, BT39 0EE, United Kingdom. After the parcel has been received by the online store staff, you will be contacted and further actions regarding the refund will be agreed upon. It is worth noting that a full refund is only possible if you return the item within 30 days of purchase. If you return your purchase after this period, you will be offered a refund in the form of Chainreactioncycles Gift Vouchers. Shipping costs are not reimbursed by the store. However, this does not apply to cases where products are returned due to the fault of ChainReaction (damage, defects, incorrect goods in the package).

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