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No more queues - Aldi to sell cycling Specialbuys online

German discounter launched UK eCommerce platform earlier this year

For years, many of Britain's cyclists have queued outside their local Aldi store on a Thursday morning every six months or so when cycling is the focus of the discount retailer’s Specialbuys offer – but in future they’ll be able to snap up those bargains online too, with the German discounter adding those deals to its e-commerce platform.

The offers famously feature some terrific bargains and while traditionally products have been own-label, such as winter jackets or tights for £29.99, branded goods do appear occasionally, with the retailer selling the Garmin Edge 500 for just £79.99 last September.

> Aldi's latest winter cycling clothing and accessories

Announcing yesterday that Specialbuys would now be sold online, with free delivery for a limited period, the company said: "In the seven weeks since its launch, Aldi’s eCommerce platform is performing very well so far, attracting around 1 million users each week, with a significant proportion of users based in London and the south east of England."

Like no-frills rival Lidl, the revolving weekly offers on non-food lines, which will still be available in-store, are a long-established part of the German business’s operating model. Their popularity has grown, including among cyclists, thanks to the internet where word quickly spreads of forthcoming deals.

We know that both Aldi and Lidl’s offers are keenly awaited by many road.cc users and of course we’ll continue to flag them up as and when they are announced – typically twice a year, in spring for summer ranges, and autumn for winter lines.

One thing seems sure, however – while you may no longer have to queue and grab your Aldi Specialbuys bargain in person, you’ll still have to be nimble with your fingers, since the ‘When It’s Gone, It’s Gone’ aspect still applies.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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7 comments

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HV3 | 8 years ago
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Also check out your local Wilko's cycle section for bits and pieces, e.g. tools, cables, lights. They can very competitively priced. Quality good to variable, but if you're looking for stuff to kit out a winter or hack bike, it doesn't have to matter? I bought a v cheap front light & had to splice it to a Cateye bracket as the original bracket was poor. But the light itself was fantastic for the price! I recently bought from Lidl's a phone charger to go in my car cigarette lighter and then found it cheaper in Wilko's and it works just as well. Took the one from Lidl's back with receipt, unopened. The Wilko's stuff is all regular lines, not one off special offers. I'll declare an interest here, I do work for them. But the price example given earlier applied before any staff discount, so's available to the general public. I work covering DIY in my store and can testify that customer feed back I've had on quality has been good on the whole.

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jollygoodvelo replied to HV3 | 8 years ago
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HV3 wrote:

Also check out your local Wilko's cycle section for bits and pieces, e.g. tools, cables, lights. They can very competitively priced. Quality good to variable, but if you're looking for stuff to kit out a winter or hack bike, it doesn't have to matter? I bought a v cheap front light & had to splice it to a Cateye bracket as the original bracket was poor. But the light itself was fantastic for the price! I recently bought from Lidl's a phone charger to go in my car cigarette lighter and then found it cheaper in Wilko's and it works just as well. Took the one from Lidl's back with receipt, unopened. The Wilko's stuff is all regular lines, not one off special offers. I'll declare an interest here, I do work for them. But the price example given earlier applied before any staff discount, so's available to the general public. I work covering DIY in my store and can testify that customer feed back I've had on quality has been good on the whole.

I like Wilko's DIY range but if you want cheap cycling bits of variable quality then you might as well buy them off Ebay.

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davebinks | 8 years ago
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I find both companies' clothes a bit too leisure cut, i.e. baggy.

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mikebelluk | 8 years ago
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The  recent Aldi winter jersey and  the winter jacket  are getting plenty of use,  but the Lidl  winter bib tights were consigned to the bad buy bin as a poor fit and  lousy pad.

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Dr. Ko | 8 years ago
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That makes life soo much easier, I once spend one day hunting down a trisuit!

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kwi replied to Dr. Ko | 8 years ago
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Dr. Ko wrote:

That makes life soo much easier, I once spend one day hunting down a trisuit!

The Crane tri-suits used to be pretty decent, but have gone a bit rubbish the last few years.
 

I was initially thinking oh goody, as there's no Aldi over here, but after reading  the previous post think I'll just stick with Lidl, absolutely love their base layers and bib tights, shorts don't quite fit right though.

Though could be handy for flipping Garmins on eBay.

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Cumisky replied to kwi | 8 years ago
3 likes

kwi wrote:

Though could be handy for flipping Garmins on eBay.

Don't be a dick, the only person you are trying to screw with this kind of thing is another cyclist.

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