Is this the cheapest motorcycling gear in the UK?

i'm a snob, and therefore wouldnt buy any of it.

i'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for, if its cheap it wont last. however if its good for anybody at a great price, then go for it!!

I have bought motorcycle stuff from Lidl in the past and it appears
to be OK. I don't see anything wrong in buying a £20 lid. Just think
of it as a £40 lid being sold at a realistic price.

I must admit that my biking experience is not very extensive so I
may be missing some finer points. However, I understand tennis
related issues well and I can confirm that the tennis gear I bought
from Lidl in the past is perfectly kosher despite being sold at
knockdown prices.

Originally Posted by leesimons

Why is £40 not realistic for a lid?

I paid about 10 times that for mine which I will admit is a hell of a lot of money, and probably no safer than a £200 one but still...

My suspicion is that all specialised gear (biking, tennis, etc) is
heavily overpriced because the market is relatively small and there
isn't enough competition.

My "commuting" lid from Fowlers cost me £32.40 (£36 initial price - 10%
discount when bought with a new bike) which IMHO is almost right for
a basic lid without a gold label. I would guess the real price for
such a basic lid should be closer to £20.

Changing subject to tennis which I know better I can state with
confidence that a £5 pair of tennis shoes from Lidl is in no way
inferior to a similar £40 pair of Wilson tennis shoes.

If you are a snob, just take a Harrods or a Waitrose bag in with you when you go shopping :P

Or if you are very very posh, let the Butler do your shopping

I was thinking of getting the back protector as even a cheap one is better than none.

I see now that I need to get up early - what time do they open?

Originally Posted by Mogs

I was thinking of getting the back protector as even a cheap one is better than none.

I see now that I need to get up early - what time do they open?

I'm pretty sure different stores open at differnet times (The Barry one seems to be open later than the Cirencester one). Might be worth using this http://www.lidl.co.uk/gb/index.nsf/pages/c.s.s.index to find the nearest couple of stores to you and plan to go to the other if your nearest has sold out/doesn't have it in stock. Fortunately, motorcycling is fairly niche, so hopefully it won't sell out as fast as their "general" stuff. Only problem I can see is they might have comparatively few in stock.

I'm considering getting the tankbag (as a spare) and also the back protector (same thinking, cheap one is better than none and that lidl one looks more substantial than Hein Gericke's £30 one). Although I don't take pillions, I might also get the intercom. At £5 it's worth it, in case circumstances change later.

Anyone know if this has been rpeorted in MCN, etc. so we'll be fighting with hordes of rival bikers to get one?

Originally Posted by wheelnut

If you are a snob, just take a Harrods or a Waitrose bag in with you when you go shopping :P

Or if you are very very posh, let the Butler do your shopping

Incidentally be sure to check out the jam counter. LiDL do really good jam. I mean really really good - it's extra jam - and it's far far cheaper than Sainbury or Tesco.

A bit like Tchibo (???). Coffee shop that does very cheap quality gear each also. Weekly specials, highly recommended...

Oh, and wear your slippers. Lidl shoppers wear their slippers to go shopping...

Originally Posted by Piglet

Oh, and wear your slippers. Lidl shoppers wear their slippers to go shopping...

I always wear my Onslow-type vest (see Keeping up appearances)
when I shop in Lidl.