dredges

I need a cage/water bottle, maybe a under seat bag, bell, lock, light perhaps??? for my new used bike.

where should I look?
is there a good discount online shop or should I head to the overpriced LBS or the Walmart?

I would go to the LBS but I'm broke and unemployed

zachsilvey

my standards places are
performancebike.com
probikekit.com

Between the two you can get some great deals. PBK even has free shipping to the US.

mkadam68

In addition to zach's recommendations, determine exactly which model you want, then try Google Shopping. That's helped me tremendously beat prices at probikekit.com. You can also try wiggle.

Also, do you really need a bell? Lock? Light? Are you riding at night? Leaving your bike alone? My voice works well in place of a bell.

FR4NCH1SE

EBAY!! I just got a huge deal, its harder these days but boy was it worth it. I got a new Alivio Rear Derailleur M410 and Ergon GR2 for just 46.95 total!!! Ergon GR2 is worth 50 bucks alone!!! I am ELITE!!

10 Wheels

Try some Thrift Shops.

Water bottles $.50
Helmets $2.00
Rain clothes $1.50
Shoes
Saddles
All kind of bags that can be ty wrapped to your seat or handle bars.

pbd

LBS if you need it same-day, of course, or if you love your LBS and want to express your loyalty or whatever.

Amazon is the first place I look for things I want in general and don't need same-day. Amazon Prime free 2-day shipping is the bomb.

Ebay is where I go when there's something I want but I'm willing to be patient for a good price. Patience is key.

I also try to keep an eye on craigslist. It's really tough if there's something specific you need in a certain timeframe, but you can score great deals occasionally if you keep an eye out. It really helps if your area has a large, active bike community like my city, which keeps the bike section on craigslist pretty full all the time.

Also all the English online bikeshops. PBK, Wiggle, Ribble, CRC, etc. You can score some good deals, watch for shipping and things like free shipping sales. Performance, Nashbar, Competitive Cyclist are the American sites I like, and they can all have deals on occasion.

Bonktown and Chainlove are also both open in my browser tabs pretty much all the time.

gjosuem

all the above are great, one last place is qbike.com. It is like a metasearch for bike gear.

ScottStr

The most important thing is not to limit yourself to one option. Check all the websites listed above, get familiar with what Walmart and each local LBS stock and specialize in. When you're ready to buy, be smart about bundling, using free shipping, and clearance sales. Sometimes the shipping can make a low priced online itm cost more than the same item at list from the LBS.

nfmisso

My sources:
Amazon
Wal-mart
Target
LBS

CliftonGK1

I look for sale stuff all over. Some of my best deals when putting my last bike together came from Jensen USA.
I just scored a box of DT Champion spokes on Amazon for $42 with free shipping (Niagra Cycles).
If I don't care about how slow it gets there, Nashbar has some sweet deals and dirt cheap shipping, but they ship stuff cross country via slow mule train.
I go to Performance and check out their sale racks locally. Same thing with the LBS (for clothing).
If you're ordering a lot of stuff, sometimes Wiggle (UK) can be a great deal. Over $83 orders get free shipping to the USA and they're pretty quick about it. Got my Carradice for half of what it would cost in the USA, and it was shipped for free and only took a week to get here.

jammered

The best one is Texas Cyclesport, also try Excel Sports in Boulder, CO in the U.S.

Pamestique 

The internet is always a good place to look. I like Jensenusa.com. Usually prices are better than Performance. Plus it is also a local shop for me so I like to support a family owned business.

Also alot of bike clubs have "swaps" or sales. Check those out in your area.

bautieri

I used to use nashbar quite a bit until I pretty much had everything I wanted/needed. Their prices don't quite seem as great as they used to be.

Has nashbar become a dirty word around here? I don't see their name being tossed around like it used to.

ill.clyde

I generally use Nashbar too ...

Pamestique 

I still purchase from Nashbar but I and some of my friends, have had issues with them. With any internet retailer, need to be careful.

CraigB

I'm fine with Nashbar, as long as they have what I want. Back in the really olden days, when they were Bike Warehouse and they published a newsprint catalog with line drawing illustrations of the products, you could almost count on them not to have anything you wanted in stock.

I was a little disappointed to learn they'd been gobbled up by Performance, but they still maintain a little diversity in their product line, and even have different pricing on some commonly-carried products.

turtlewoman

Dredges, I have an extra bottle cage--nothing special and a nice lock and cable. If you PM me your address I'll get them out to you Friday.

Edit: oh, I just noticed this is a month old thread. Well, if you still need them, give me a shout.

Cee64E

I've found most of the usual accessories at my local Kmart store. I got my helmet, light set, lock and saddle there. The most expensive item was the Bell LED light set at $27.

she

Yeah I like Kmart. I just got a bell helmet light for 15 bucks. It was on the clearance cause it was the only one left.

DTSCDS

Anybody else have enough water bottles to equip a pro race team? Everytime I turn around I find another water bottle I've stuffed away somewhere. It seems like for a while every charity ride gave away free bottles.

To the OP: For the kind of stuff you are looking for any department store would probably be okay. You will not find a high-quality lock at a SprawlMart. But, a lock is only going to stop a casual thief looking for a quick/easy score. I would think that a professional bike thief will be able/equipped to deal with most locks. The professional is probably going to be looking for higher end bikes though. . .

JohnA42

For online stuff, you can't beat treefortbikes.com for price. Shipping can be a little slow, but can be worth it if you're buying enough.

sillygolem

I mostly use BikeWorldUSA through Amazon because the shipping rates are really good, but their own site is hard to navigate and lists only a fraction of the stuff they carry. Only Niagra comes close to the range of parts, but BWUSA ships a lot faster.

MLKATO

I was looking for a good front pack on line and couldn't find one I was happy with. So I found a old camera bag I bought years ago but haven't used since I got a shoulder bag for another camera. I will make it fit by wrapping the straps around the handlebar.Some things are just under your nose.