Going to Beijing tomorrow, where can I find bike deals?
 

My parents & I are going away to China for Spring Break, & we're staying in Beijing. So while I'm there, & considering most bike stuff is made in the Orient, does anyone know where or how I can get some good deals on cycling stuff? I know that Beijing is full of low-end stores where I can get a 50-lb cruiser fixed, but is there any chance I could score a CF frame / wheels /components cheap? Thanks.

no

We sell to this shop (Actually he has 21 shops in China). They sell Campagnolo and high-end CF stuff all the time.

http://www.beijing-giant.com/

A few weeks ago someone said this. Better get your flame-suit dry cleaned. (it's not the preferred nomenclature).

But I personally doubt you will get a cold deal on a frame. If you find a good price, you will still have to pay duty and taxes to bring it back. Probably not as worth it as you think.

you should be concentrating on find good places to eat, and not knocking up any cute little asian girls.

To be honest, I doubt you'll find things cheaper over there. And what about customs, do you have to declare the new frame/bike?

I thought I'd be able to clean up on bike parts when I went to Beijing but anything that is not made there is not cheap. So you can't get a shimano ultegra group for a few hundred and I didn't see anything that I wanted that was actually manufactured in China. Same with trying to buy cheap flash cards. As for XiuShui Market though, that's another story but watch your wallet and check for counterfeit change.

And given that the good stuff is made in Taiwan, doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to go Mainland China to buy a bike(such as a Giant) made in Taiwan, just to import it to the US and pay 2 sets of duties in the process.

Also it's a lot cheaper on a per unit basis for an importer to bring in a container load of frames, than it is for you to ship one bike in a box.

And if it happens to get broken in transit, it's not your problem if you buy it from a shop here.

Buy it in China, and it gets dinged in transit, or you discover a latent defect back here, then you've got issues.

Also, note that there are two types of manufactures made in China: those meant for export to places like the US and Europe, and those meant for Chinese and/or third world consumption. Any goods you buy that are meant to be bought from locals will be of a lesser quality; any goods you buy that are meant to be bought by foreigners is the same quality as you would get in the US (if it's not counterfeit) and will cost exactly the same amount that it does in the US -- China puts an "export" tax on items that are meant to be sent overseas. Case in point: I bought my Macbook last year in Shanghai, and paid the same amount I would have paid in the US, even though it was made in a factory in Shanghai. I could have gone to the electronics market in Shanghai and bought a (counterfeit) Windows machine for the equivalent of $200, but it would have been lower quality everything.

The frames you buy in the US are shipped from the factories to the US... there is no Chinese market for them. So if there is a specialty shop in Beijing that sells top-quality bikes, they are likely paying the export price from the factory in order to get those frames.

Also: if you are getting something like a 70% discount on anything name brand in China, it is almost definitely a knock-off.

...why China?

why Beijing?
you're going to the wrong city I'm in Shenzhen!

Please buy me some Praying Mantis Kungfu training videos and PM me so I can pay you back....

I'm going to Hong Kong this thursday for 2.5 weeks for work... the only thing I'm looking for there is something that says "Made in the USA" :)

I was in Beijing last year and sought out what appeared to be the best bike stores. What a disappointment. They weren't even interesting.

there is some free online demo videos
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_ce00XMTAyNzU0ODA=.html
http://you.video.sina.com.cn/b/1244642-1433455184.html (Donnie Yen, Zhen Zidan's public performance in his early years)
enjoy..

I was in Taiwan about six months ago. Visited a couple of bike shops. I saw good stuff, but the prices are much higher than in the USA. Not just the bikes, but accessories as well.

Maybe I can open up a Performance shop over there!

i concur

the prices for high-end "real" stuff is same or higher than in the west

(and remember that all stuff, high-end and not, is made in china now so that's not possibly a deciding factor)

howabout that Trek 1500 you 'exploited'