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Are bikes any cheaper in France?



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 7th 05, 09:24 PM
John Latter
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Default Are bikes any cheaper in France?

Hi,

Does anyone know if bikes are any cheaper in France (and whether duty
has to be paid on 'em) cos I'm thinking of doing a daytrip if they
are!

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
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  #2  
Old February 7th 05, 09:53 PM
MartinM
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"John Latter" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Does anyone know if bikes are any cheaper in France (and whether duty
has to be paid on 'em) cos I'm thinking of doing a daytrip if they
are!


They can be; I picked up one at a hypermarket for about half what the
equivalent in H**F**ds would be. Check Decathlon as well. Make sure what you
are buying though, one warranty claim could add considerably to the cost if
you have to return it.No extra duty needs to be paid as it is EU.


  #3  
Old February 7th 05, 11:28 PM
John Latter
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On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 20:53:27 -0000, "MartinM"
wrote:

Decathlon


Thanks for the info Martin!

I've had a quick look at:

http://www.decathlon.fr

and the prices seem to be about the same as they are in the UK at:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/

Mind you, its nearly 10.30 pm & my eyelids are drooping so I'll have
another look in the morning.

Before I posted here I went to yahoo.fr & tried some keywords but
didn't find much about other french bike outlets. I live in Dover so
if anyone has any info on bike shops in Calais I would much appreciate
it!

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
  #4  
Old February 8th 05, 11:52 AM
MartinM
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John Latter wrote:
On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 20:53:27 -0000, "MartinM"
wrote:

Decathlon


Thanks for the info Martin!

I've had a quick look at:

http://www.decathlon.fr

and the prices seem to be about the same as they are in the UK at:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/

Mind you, its nearly 10.30 pm & my eyelids are drooping so I'll have
another look in the morning.

Before I posted here I went to yahoo.fr & tried some keywords but
didn't find much about other french bike outlets. I live in Dover so
if anyone has any info on bike shops in Calais I would much

appreciate
it!


I thought Decathlon prices were simlar in the UK but did notice that
one of their road bikes was cheaper in France last year, but then their
UK web prices are not always right. Regards hypermarkets I bought my
bike from Carrefour in Cite Europe, there is also an Auchan on the
other side of the autoroute. I have to say the recent offerings in
Carrefour (or is it Continent now? was 6 yrs ago) are a bit cheap and
nasty. Road riding is still very big in France so there are a lot of
really cheap bikes aimed at non-serious riders, but they are still way
less than the UK.There is also a decent sports hypermarket which sells
Giants as well but the name escapes me) Perhaps take a bike over there
and have a recce than go back to pick it up.

  #5  
Old February 8th 05, 02:11 PM
Elisa Francesca Roselli
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John Latter wrote:

Hi,

Does anyone know if bikes are any cheaper in France (and whether duty
has to be paid on 'em) cos I'm thinking of doing a daytrip if they


I find generally that there are _more_ cheap bikes in France, rather than cheaper bikes. Better selection in the low-cost range. It is possible,
since the French seem to get on with them, and to resent paying Dutch or UK prices for them, that the overall quality of cheap bikes is better.
But for exactly equivalent bikes I think the prices are equivalent.

EFR
Ile de France

  #6  
Old February 8th 05, 04:23 PM
RG
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Default


"MartinM" wrote in message
oups.com...

John Latter wrote:
On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 20:53:27 -0000, "MartinM"
wrote:

Decathlon


Thanks for the info Martin!

I've had a quick look at:

http://www.decathlon.fr

and the prices seem to be about the same as they are in the UK at:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/

Mind you, its nearly 10.30 pm & my eyelids are drooping so I'll have
another look in the morning.

Before I posted here I went to yahoo.fr & tried some keywords but
didn't find much about other french bike outlets. I live in Dover so
if anyone has any info on bike shops in Calais I would much

appreciate
it!


I thought Decathlon prices were simlar in the UK but did notice that
one of their road bikes was cheaper in France last year, but then their
UK web prices are not always right. Regards hypermarkets I bought my
bike from Carrefour in Cite Europe, there is also an Auchan on the
other side of the autoroute. I have to say the recent offerings in
Carrefour (or is it Continent now? was 6 yrs ago) are a bit cheap and
nasty. Road riding is still very big in France so there are a lot of
really cheap bikes aimed at non-serious riders, but they are still way
less than the UK.There is also a decent sports hypermarket which sells
Giants as well but the name escapes me) Perhaps take a bike over there
and have a recce than go back to pick it up.


You are probably thinking of Go Sports - there's one of those in Cite
d'Europe too (on the same side of the mall as Tesco but upstairs, about
half-way along)

I think that Decathlon bikes are sometimes cheaper in France - or they have
a better specced version of the same model number at the same price as the
UK ... obviously weird, but then they are French .....

RG



  #7  
Old February 8th 05, 04:48 PM
James Thomson
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"Elisa Francesca Roselli" wrote:

I find generally that there are _more_ cheap bikes in France,
rather than cheaper bikes. Better selection in the low-cost
range. It is possible, since the French seem to get on with
them, and to resent paying Dutch or UK prices for them, that
the overall quality of cheap bikes is better. But for exactly
equivalent bikes I think the prices are equivalent.


I'll add that outside of the bigger chains (Decathlon, Go Sport, Véloland),
mountain bikes and their components tend to be more expensive in France
than in England. I assume that's because of a smaller market and less
competition from mail-order and internet retailers. I've paid more for
Mavic rims in France than in England. In fact I've even mail-ordered from
Northern Ireland - five rims plus postage to Paris were substantially
cheaper from Chain Reaction than I could find them locally.

There are exceptions. One local discounter (Streak'x at Clamart) sometimes
has incredible prices on parts they find hard to shift (they seem to be an
outlet for grey-market ex-OEM parts) but they're the exception rather than
the rule.

James Thomson


  #8  
Old February 8th 05, 04:51 PM
MartinM
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Default


RG wrote:
"MartinM" wrote in message



You are probably thinking of Go Sports - there's one of those in Cite


d'Europe too (on the same side of the mall as Tesco but upstairs,

about
half-way along)


Yes I remember looking in there. The other one I was thinking of is in
the shopping complex in Dieppe next to Auchan

I think that Decathlon bikes are sometimes cheaper in France - or

they have
a better specced version of the same model number at the same price

as the
UK ... obviously weird, but then they are French .....


Remember also that the brake levers will be the other way round, not a
problem on an MTB/Hybrid to swap over unless hydraulic, but a big
downer if you have to start unravelling bar tape. I have mine that way
anyway.

BTW cheapest fares for a car are speedferries.com (run by a cyclist as
well)

  #9  
Old February 8th 05, 05:37 PM
John Latter
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Default

On Mon, 07 Feb 2005 20:24:48 +0000, John Latter
wrote:

Hi,

Does anyone know if bikes are any cheaper in France (and whether duty
has to be paid on 'em) cos I'm thinking of doing a daytrip if they
are!


Thankyou Martin, Rg, Elisa andJames - some useful info in your replies


As I live in Dover I think I'll do a day-trip and have a look around !

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
  #10  
Old February 8th 05, 06:10 PM
RG
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Default


"MartinM" wrote in message
oups.com...

RG wrote:
"MartinM" wrote in message



You are probably thinking of Go Sports - there's one of those in Cite


d'Europe too (on the same side of the mall as Tesco but upstairs,

about
half-way along)


Yes I remember looking in there. The other one I was thinking of is in
the shopping complex in Dieppe next to Auchan


IIRC that's a Go Sports too (and there's a big, but (at least last March it
was) very scruffy Decathon there as well as a vast range of giant retail
sheds)

There's a another chain of bike shops too ... called Velo (well, it would
be!) something, think they have green and yellow signs - seemed expensive to
me and also very much at high-end of the market

RG




 




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