Shopping at an online bike store can save you time and money and provide the kind of product selection, delivery speed, and user experience that many local bike shops can’t compete with. Of the nearly 100 stores, In the Know Cycling ranked Competitive Cyclist, Merlin Cycles, Power Meter City, and Chain Reaction Cycles as the best online bike stores for road cycling enthusiasts based on their prices, selection, customer satisfaction, and support.

They reviewed and rated nearly 100 online bike stores and ranked the ones recommend you shop at. They are based on store prices, customer satisfaction, selection, and reader support. The ratings are data-supported, analytically developed, and only compare stores that serve road cycling enthusiasts, those roadies that are regular, committed riders who are serious and knowledgeable about the bike gear people buy. 

ONLINE BIKE STORE RANKINGS

Click on any store name to go to it

Rank	Store	Price	Satisfaction	Selection	Support	Model	HQ
1	Competitive Cyclist	2	2	2	2	Service	US
2	Merlin Cycles	2	2	2	2	Superstore	UK
3	Power Meter City	2*	2	1	2	Service	US
4	Chain Reaction Cycles	2	2	1	1	Superstore	UK
5	Mantel UK (3)	2	2	1	0	Superstore	UK/NL
6	BikesTiresDirect	2	2	1	0	Discounter	US
7	Slane Cycles	2	2	1	0	Extension	UK
8	Tredz Limited (3)	2*	1	2	2	Extension	UK
9	Alltricks	2	1	2	1	Superstore	FR
10	Probikeshop (5)	2	1	2	0	Discounter	FR
11	Bike24	2	1	2	0	Superstore	DE
12	Wiggle	2	1	1	1	Superstore	UK
13	Sigma Sports	1	2	2	0	Extension	UK
14	Bike-Components	1	2	2	0	Discounter	DE
15	Planet Cyclery	1	2	1	1	Extension	US
16	JensonUSA	1	2	1	1	Discounter	US
17	Performance Bicycle	1	2	1	1	Discounter	US
18	Tweeks Cycles	1	2	1	1	Discounter	UK
19	Western Bikeworks (4)	1	2	1	0	Extension	US
20	Pedal Revolution (2)	1	2	1	0	Extension	UK
21	12GoBiking (6)	1	2	1	0	Extension	NL
22	Clever Training	1	1	1	1	Discounter	US
23	Starbike	1	1	1	0	Superstore	DE
24	Tree Fort Bikes (1)	1	1	1	0	Discounter	US
25	Hargroves Cycles	1	1	1	0	Chain	UK
26	Modern Bike (1)	1	1	1	0	Discounter	US

Source: In The Know Cycling, January 18, 2021

Stores with an * offer In The Know Cycling readers exclusive discounts. 
Click on Know's Shop for codes.

Unless noted, stores listed above ship internationally. 
Exceptions:
(1) Ships only to US and Canadian residents 
(2) Ships only to UK residents 
(3) Ships only to UK and European residents  
(4) Don't ship to UK and European residents
(5) Ships only to European residents
(6) Ships only to Netherlands and Belgium

If you don’t see a store you know or have heard of on the list, it didn’t make the cut. About 2/3rds of the stores tracked didn’t. 

Amazon and eBay also sell new bike gear online along with just about every other type of consumer product under the sun. Smaller cycling brands will use these online goliaths when they are looking for a large distribution channel or marketplace without having to lose profit by going through a distributor who then sells to a retailer. You will also see online stores that only sell through Amazon and eBay that specialize in buying bike gear from major brands in deals that smooth out the brands’ inventory.  Note, I only link you to new gear listings from stores with Amazon’s 4* or 5* rating and eBay’s Top Rated Plus buyer ratings.

There are also many large cycling brands like Specialized, Trek, Giant, and Cannondale and some of the smaller ones that sell directly to consumers online and through their own branded physical stores and bike shop dealers. Most sell just their gear online and at full retail price but occasionally they will discount a line that is being discontinued and sell it through their online ‘outlet store’ at a discounted price. No customer satisfaction data on these stores has been included in the lists above.

More cycling articles are available here.