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Wed 2 Apr, 4:37 pm UTC

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Lidl's discount bike bits on the way

By Mark Appleton

This year’s battle of the budget bike bits is well and truly joined with Lidl set to wade into the fray on April 7. Hot on the heels of their arch rivals Aldi whose products we recently featured , Germany’s other major discount supermarket chain is about to release a range of cycling accessories at scarcely believable prices.

A 35 piece tool kit for under £20 caught the eye, as did a rear pannier for £14.99 and Briko look-a-like sunnies with two sets of scratch resistant, shatterproof polycarbonate lenses, lens bag and robust pouch all for the throwaway price of £6.99.

But is this stuff any good you ask? Haven’t the foggiest we reply, but we’ve asked for some samples and will let you know our verdict when and if they arrive. But of course there’s the distinct possibility that even if we do manage to get our hands on the kit, the good stuff will have flown off the shelves and sold out before we’ve had a chance to tell you about it. So perhaps it's best to take a look at the options here and decide for yourself if it's worth a punt.

User Comments

There are 12 comments on this post

Showing 1 - 12 of 12 comments

  • The ebay brigade will be getting ready then and sod the rest of us!

  • A colleague bought the computer and heart rate monitor last year…it didn’t last long before it ‘conked’ out.

  • I saw almost exactly the same toolkit advertised in a bike mag for £45, and i bought it a while ago. all the bits have got lost in my bike toolbox but it was worth the price for sure.

    the front mudguard fitted unlike a topeak defender i bought. worked well till i didn't notice it drop out from not being tighten enough by me.

    the speedo wasn't tooo bad, i gave up on it in the end due to some heavy off road riding and finding it fiddly and temperamental. for road stuff though i think i'd be fine.

    the pump isn't the best i don't think but it looks different to the last one i got from there. one of the feet has snapped in half and was about 7psi out

    this time around got my eyes on the glasses (ha no pun intended) and the saddle bag (was just about to buy a new one too!)

  • All very nice except for the tool kit, which is shit, bits just fall apart. Never again.

  • I bought a tool kit from Wiggle last week for £41. Curse my impatience!

  • The stuff on offer is very good as far as price is concerned. i have two computers on my racing bikes, one is four years old and still going strong (with new batteries of course). The tool kit is also very good as is the floor pump. i would however, not recommend the lights, the front light is so poor you could not see an effing elephant in your living room if it was dark, not sure about the krypton tag, does that mean it,s shite?

  • I've bought the Aldi equivalents of the HRM and Bike Computer and used them exclusively off -road. for 2 years. The remote sensor packed up after 2 months but was quickly replaced under guarantee after a phone call and been ok ever since. The Clothing has been especially good value

  • Lots of stock in my local branch. Got the toolkit to try out.

  • The reason this stuff is cheap is because it's crap.

  • The HRM in Lidl is good. I've had two over the past 6/7 years and have misplaced the last one. It has an upper and lower limit alarm, average heart rate, calories burned and seems fairly accurate. I bought mine a few years ago and it was about £14. No brainer really.

    I think the Lidls' bike clothing is fair to average though. Tesco has jumped on this too (HRM for £20)

    Cycling clothing seems to have been left behind in the retail market for price. I can't believe you can pick up a T-shirt in a discount store for £2 and I have to pay £50 for a cycling jersey. Needs addressing!!

    Cheers Jerry

  • I bought one of the computers and its still going strong many miles later. I've had a few computers over the years from various manufacturers and the build quality is comparable.

  • Last time out, I bought a track pump for a fiver, I keep it at my office, just in case I have a flat, or need to pump tyres up. Not the greatest piece of kit I have ever bought, it's not pretty, but it works fine.

    Clothing is good, just make sure you try it on first, as sizing can be a little suspect.

    Other Aldi stuff I have bought, includes, the winter and summer socks which are good value.

    Gillette, very good

    The sunglasses with 3 different lenses, are quite frankly brilliant.

    There are those who would say that the Aldi Lidl kit is cheap because it is poor quality, there are those "who know the price of everything, and the value of nothing".

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