Online Bike Shops

In a post a few months ago, I explained how the internet had given us easier access to so many little luxuries, such as books and food. Something else we shop for on the internet is, of course, bike stuff; and with all the great online bike shops available, we are sure to find what we need somewhere.

Here are some of our favorite online bike shops:

• A.E. Bike - If you are looking for parts (or bikes), A.E. Bike is the place to shop. They have a good selection at competitive prices, and they ship quickly and hassle free, even overseas. We usually receive our orders from them within two weeks.

• Jenson - This is the place to shop for bicycle accessories, such as clothing, helmets and cycle computers. You can also buy bikes and frames. If you are ordering from overseas, the folks at Jenson require proof of address/identity the first time you order (which can be emailed or faxed), but all successive orders are hassle-free. Jenson also ships quickly and we tend to receive our orders within a couple of weeks. Jenson was also voted number one retailer by mtbr.

• Cambria Bike - this place is also an excellent online retailer. Cambria Bike offers good selection and good prices, too. Best of all, they ship super-quickly (we are expecting our new protective gear tonight, and we only ordered it five days ago!).

Where NOT to shop:

• Performance Bicycle - not all bike shops are created equal, especially regarding the service to overseas customers. Performance simply made too many mistakes the few times we ordered from them, such as double-charging our credit card and taking more than two months to ship the order.

If anyone has any other online bike shops they like, please post a comment to let us know about it! We are always on the lookout for new places to shop!