Lidl and Aldi purchases ?

[Saracen]

Lidl and Aldi purchases ?

I am NOT a customer of these shops and never have been. Mainly because I have never seen one wherever I have lived and when I have occasionally (once in four years) been in they have been low quality.

Whilst I would not shop there for my bike accessories on a regular basis I did take the car in to be serviced and took my bike, like an idiot I left my helmet behind, and asd I will NOT ride without one call it because of my Autism, I was b annoyed.

There happened to be both a Lidl and Aldi, (amazing how they sell almost identical things !)

I bought a helmet that will stay in the car for emergencies and a cycle jacket, total £20.

NO they are not the best, I have FOX mainframe and Specialised helmets that fit "comfortably" and well, but for the price obviously cheap, NO complaints whatsoever for £10 as an emergency helmet, (the fit is 20% of the FOX and Spec). I was able to ride whereas I would not have.

Ok, I am not a Lidl/Aldi convert but I can see what people "see" in them especially if you are on a limited budget.

 

[guerney]

My Aldi bike stand was a good purchase. Back in stock at my local store for £29.99:

https://www.aldi.co.uk/bike-assembly-stand/p/811579578216200

Their copy of the Hornit 140db is woefully inadequate in comparison...

https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-bikemate-bike-horn/4088600525648

...to the original:

dB140 | The World's Loudest Bike Horn | Hornit

The upgraded dB140 is the loudest cycle horn on the market, putting you in control of your safety by letting people know you’re there. It’s small, sleek and enables you to alert distracted drivers and pedestrians to your presence.

hornit.com

When in stock, their waterproof overshoes are pretty good quality, especially considering they're only £5.99:

I've got two of these spoke lights on my front wheel. Unsure how effective they are at increasing my visibility at night - I have at least 7800LM of lights on my bike already. I like em, they haven't let in water or burst into flames yet, and add that all important disco vibe my bike was lacking:

https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-bikemate-rechargeable-bike-spoke-light/4088600525631

 

[Az.]

Can you rephrase your question Saracen? It looks like a diary entry: "I forgot my helmet, I bought a £10 budget one"

 

[Saracen]

Can you rephrase your question Saracen? It looks like a diary entry: "I forgot my helmet, I bought a £10 budget one"

Can you rephrase it !

 

[Saracen]

My Aldi bike stand was a good purchase. Back in stock at my local store for £29.99:

https://www.aldi.co.uk/bike-assembly-stand/p/811579578216200

Their copy of the Hornit 140db is woefully inadequate in comparison...

https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-bikemate-bike-horn/4088600525648

...to the original:

dB140 | The World's Loudest Bike Horn | Hornit

The upgraded dB140 is the loudest cycle horn on the market, putting you in control of your safety by letting people know you’re there. It’s small, sleek and enables you to alert distracted drivers and pedestrians to your presence.

hornit.com

When in stock, their waterproof overshoes are pretty good quality, especially considering they're only £5.99:

I've got two of these spoke lights on my front wheel. Unsure how effective they are at increasing my visibility at night - I have at least 7800LM of lights on my bike already. I like em, they haven't let in water or burst into flames yet, and add that all important disco vibe my bike was lacking:

https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-bikemate-rechargeable-bike-spoke-light/4088600525631

Flashing or coloured spoke lights are illegal in the UK

White front red rear as with cars

 

[Az.]

Can you rephrase it !

Your question: "Lidl and Aldi purchases?". It doesn't make any sense. Can you rephrase please?

 

[Bikes4two]

Your question: "Lidl and Aldi purchases?". It doesn't make any sense. Can you rephrase please?

With the tiniest bit of 'reading between the lines' I understood the question well enough - hey ho.

Anyway, one of my fave winter cycling jackets came from Lidl i think, some 10+ yrs ago and is still giving good service and I've got a couple of USB 'see me' lights from Aldi at a great rpice and also long life.

And a bike stand bought 10+ yts ago - pretty rudimentary but good enough for my needs.

Of course you can buy higher quality/priced items else where so it's very much horses for courses.

 

[guerney]

Flashing or coloured spoke lights are illegal in the UK

80s Disco should be too. The lights change colour continuously to appear as an ever changing pattern when the wheel is spinning. Maybe I'll get away with a lightly brutal roadside police beating? I'll upload a video of some point (of the lights and the beating [I have a helmet mounted camera for such things]).

 

[saneagle]

They've had some good stuff over the years: The £10 bike hoist is very useful if you have rafters in your garage or shed; and pumps, clothing, shoes, spats etc are all good. I'd say the best thing they do are the helmets. The snowboarding ones are really good for the winter to keep your head and ears warm. I don't like the stands. The clamps are too weak for most electric bikes. They're better than nothing, but I think you'd be better off spending more money on a decent one with locking clamps.

 

[guerney]

I don't like the stands. The clamps are too weak for most electric bikes. They're better than nothing, but I think you'd be better off spending more money on a decent one with locking clamps.

I should have mentioned this already: What I can't stand about my stand, is these dumb easy to lose softish sleeves they've decided to stuff onto the ends of the jaws. The jaws on mine do lock (fiddly), are just about strong enough to do the job, and I expect I'll be able to repair it with superglue+baking soda or something if the jaws break. But so far so good. The rest of the stand is sturdy. Easily holds my 24.41kg bike with 19.2Ah battery steady.

 

[matthewslack]

Lidl memory foam seat cover was good value at £5.99. Appears each spring time.

 

[guerney]

Aldi's 54% cocoa solids dark cooking chocolate bars - excellent fuel for those long cycle rides, much cheaper than Dr.Oetker's, tastes the same. Also available in milk chocolate, with less cocoa.

 

[Saracen]

The long sleeve zipped jacket I bought for £9 is not half bad, it has a large (2) pockets at the back, I wore it so threw away the label, what are they actually called, thanks

 

[saneagle]

I should have mentioned this already: What I can't stand about my stand, is these dumb easy to lose softish sleeves they've decided to stuff onto the ends of the jaws. The jaws on mine do lock (fiddly), are just about strong enough to do the job, and I expect I'll be able to repair it with superglue+baking soda or something if the jaws break. But so far so good. The rest of the stand is sturdy. Easily holds my 24.41kg bike with 19.2Ah battery steady.

The problem is not the jaws - it's the tube they're fitted to that won't clamp, so if you put on a front or rear motor wheel, the bike goes vertical no matter how hard you tighten the clamps. My one won't even stay horizontal with a mid-motor. Yes, if you clamp tight enough and find the balance point, you can do simple things, like oiling the chain, but if you change anything on the motor or battery, it just falls down, like the photo shows. see that big pile of lead weights on the floor on the left: Guess what they're for:

 

[Oldie]

Aldi's 54% cocoa solids dark cooking chocolate bars - excellent fuel for those long cycle rides, much cheaper than Dr.Oetker's, tastes the same. Also available in milk chocolate, with less cocoa.

Too much sugar in that one.

However, Aldi sell both Moser Roth 85% and 90% for a very cheap £1.35. Not only is it considered to be a healthy snack but will also give you a zinc and selenium boost to help keep those nasty colds at bay!

 

[guerney]

The problem is not the jaws - it's the tube they're fitted to that won't clamp, so if you put on a front or rear motor wheel, the bike goes vertical no matter how hard you tighten the clamps. My one won't even stay horizontal with a mid-motor. Yes, if you clamp tight enough and find the balance point, you can do simple things, like oiling the chain, but if you change anything on the motor or battery, it just falls down, like the photo shows. see that big pile of lead weights on the floor on the left: Guess what they're for:

View attachment 54517

I see your lower jaw has lost two of those awful easy to lose sleeves. I did find that the tubes needed wiping with isopropyl alcohol to remove an almost imperceptibly thin layer of grease, before it could all be tightened up enough to hold the bike in any position. My wheels are 20", overall not as wide as your bike, but even so, perhaps I'd experience the same while doing something similar to what's depicted in your photo. My stand is a more recent version with an extra leg, which forms a very stable base, plus a (weak) telescopic stabilising arm (this could be strengthened if necessary).

 

[gsm.terra]

Your question: "Lidl and Aldi purchases?". It doesn't make any sense. Can you rephrase please?
[/QUOT

Your question: "Lidl and Aldi purchases?". It doesn't make any sense. Can you rephrase please?

makes perfect sense, perhaps a little sensitivity to those with Autism is in order!

 

[guerney]

Too much sugar in that one.

However, Aldi sell both Moser Roth 85% and 90% for a very cheap £1.35. Not only is it considered to be a healthy snack but will also give you a zinc and selenium boost to help keep those nasty colds at bay!

Their cocoa powder is also cheap - I make my own oat flour using a coffee grinder, add loads of cocoa powder and mix it with grated apples and a smidge of baking powder, form them into balls (no water, no sugar is added either), then bake rapidly at high temperature in a cheapo tabletop halogoen oven to make choco-apple-oatball-er-flapjacks or something. Guerney's oaty apple chocoballs? They're great little cycling snacks. Eat at least 5 a day.

 

[guerney]

The long sleeve zipped jacket I bought for £9 is not half bad, it has a large (2) pockets at the back, I wore it so threw away the label, what are they actually called, thanksView attachment 54516

I can't find a Crane cycling jersey with two back pockets, here's one with three:

https://www.aldi.co.uk/crane-blue-men%27s-cycling-jersey/p/800174362810601

 

[Wayners]

@saneagle

There should be a handlebar support to keep bike level.