Cycling Gear - TODAY!

[stuart]

Just a reminder to any who missed Aldi's ads - there are some terrific bargains to be had at the Anerley store (where the Robin Hood used to be). Well there were @ 8am this morning

I succumbed to:

* Cycling Rain Jacket
* Bottle & Cage
* Leg Covers (left over from previous sale)

Details: https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/t ... september/

Stuart

[marymck]

Well I sincerely hope none of those critics who railed against the opening of Sports Direct will be hypocritical enough to shop there. Aldi is notorious for its treatment of workers in the sweatshops of Bangladesh and Indonesia.

http://guide.ethical.org.au/company/?company=36

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[hairybuddha]

Can vouch for the gloves and base layers as being good value, picked some up this morning.

Hoping to not need them for a couple of weeks yet!

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[marymck]

Can vouch for the gloves and base layers as being good value, picked some up this morning.

Hoping to not need them for a couple of weeks yet!

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Oh that's all right then. Up the workers takes on a whole new meaning.

Funny that, when you agreed with Rod on his postings about Sports Direct.

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[leenewham]

Or this one Mary: http://makewealthhistory.org/2009/03/10 ... permarket/

We all love a bargain, but Lidl and Aldi bargains are probably expoiting cheap poverty making labour.

[stuart]

Well I sincerely hope none of those critics who railed against the opening of Sports Direct will be hypocritical enough to shop there. Aldi is notorious for its treatment of workers in the sweatshops of Bangladesh and Indonesia.

http://guide.ethical.org.au/company/?company=36

Ahem - I'm against exploitation as much as you Mary. Possibly more.
None of those products I bought came from Bangladesh or Indonesia.

Would it be hypocritical of me to suggest you have a track record of trying to de-rail cycling threads

Stuart

[marymck]

Well I sincerely hope none of those critics who railed against the opening of Sports Direct will be hypocritical enough to shop there. Aldi is notorious for its treatment of workers in the sweatshops of Bangladesh and Indonesia.

http://guide.ethical.org.au/company/?company=36

Ahem - I'm against exploitation as much as you Mary. Possibly more.
None of those products I bought came from Bangladesh or Indonesia.

Would it be hypocritical of me to suggest you have a track record of trying to de-rail cycling threads

Stuart

It would be wrong of you to suggest that, Stuart. I usually try to avoid cycling threads. But I didn't think this was a Cycling thread. I even try to avoid road and traffic threads these days, because they inevitably get derailed by Cyclists.

However, I thought this was a thread about cheap clothing and gear on sale at Aldi.

I was criticized on the Sports Direct thread because I didn't know about their ethics. So I found out.

Aldi has a dreadful record on how they treat their sweatshop workers and I would have made the same post if the products had been tennis or hacking gear.

Out of genuine interest Stuart, where did the products you bought come from?

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[hairybuddha]

Funny that, when you agreed with Rod on his postings about Sports Direct.

http://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9885

Here is the Sports Direct thread mary - I think you might be mistaken.

[marymck]

Funny that, when you agreed with Rod on his postings about Sports Direct.

http://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9885

Here is the Sports Direct thread mary - I think you might be mistaken.

Here is Rod's post ...

"Re: Sports Direct is next in line to arrive in Sydenham
22 Aug 2013 15:19



If there is a demographic who use places like Sports Direct it is those who favour overly cheap sports equipment.

Unfortunately, cheap sports equipment does come at a cost. In fact the whole warehouse box 'lets sell cheap consumer tat' to the masses industry is exploiting both the low-waged here, but also the poor elsewhere.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor ... ed-1410091

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion ... 08985.html

Not only that, 90% of Sports Direct's workers are on 0 hours contracts, according to this piece of research.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/econ ... rmy-labour

So... I think it is time to get less class conscious and point out that cheap goods, whether sold in Tesco, Toys r Us, or Sports Direct, are a terrible thing, and we should be making more effort to transform an economy that seems to thrive on generating vast disparities of income.

Having said that, I think we could free ourselves entirely if people just stopped consuming this crap. They are, however, told they need it and so they must have it and then they riot because their circumstances deny them it. And so the world turns".

And here is HB's reply ...

"Re: Sports Direct is next in line to arrive in Sydenham
22 Aug 2013 15:53



Sensible post Rod. Maybe that's what Eagle was trying to say?"


Sorry if I misunderstood HB and you were not agreeing with Rod.

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[stuart]

Mary,

I started a thread about CYCLING GEAR. You didn't respond to that but attacked hypocritical posts that had not yet been made!

And we are not talking about 'sports gear'. SportsDirect don't do sports gear (despite their name) they do fashion. A MU replica top is not what you play football in. That's why if you want to buy cycling gear (or tennis, or running, or ..) you go elsewhere.

So where is it best ethically to buy this gear locally? For runners that's simple - the shop in Penge. You can get the stuff cheaper online but if its a pair of running shoes then you want to try them on first!

Cyclists have more of a problem. There are three(?) local cycle shops. None of them specialise in this type of stuff. You could go up to Decathalon at Surrey Quays but that is a bit of an excursion. You can buy online - but you wouldn't want me to use Wiggle with their reputation for torturing New Forest ponies.

So that leaves Lidl and Aldi as the ONLY local shops who do value cycling wear and accessories. Hence I pose the question to you - where is the practical and local ethical alternative?

I'll answer your other question. China.
Did you follow up my suggestion of contacting Wheels for Wellbeing (sponsors of this summe3r's Sydenham Arts Festival Car Race) about realising your wish to cycle again? I'll lend you a top ...

Stuart

[hairybuddha]

Apology accepted mary

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[marymck]

Mary,

I started a thread about CYCLING GEAR. You didn't respond to that but attacked hypocritical posts that had not yet been made!

And we are not talking about 'sports gear'. SportsDirect don't do sports gear (despite their name) they do fashion. A MU replica top is not what you play football in. That's why if you want to buy cycling gear (or tennis, or running, or ..) you go elsewhere.

So where is it best ethically to buy this gear locally? For runners that's simple - the shop in Penge. You can get the stuff cheaper online but if its a pair of running shoes then you want to try them on first!

Cyclists have more of a problem. There are three(?) local cycle shops. None of them specialise in this type of stuff. You could go up to Decathalon at Surrey Quays but that is a bit of an excursion. You can buy online - but you wouldn't want me to use Wiggle with their reputation for torturing New Forest ponies.

So that leaves Lidl and Aldi as the ONLY local shops who do value cycling wear and accessories. Hence I pose the question to you - where is the practical and local ethical alternative?

I'll answer your other question. China.
Did you follow up my suggestion of contacting Wheels for Wellbeing (sponsors of this summe3r's Sydenham Arts Festival Car Race) about realising your wish to cycle again? I'll lend you a top ...

Stuart

Whether something is classed as sports gear or clothing, I don't understand how it makes any difference to the pain endured by the workers that made it?

Aldi BTW has a shocking reputation in China.

I commented on a thread about Sports Direct that I felt it would be popular with young people locally. I was then quizzed about my personal ethics. Some on the thread welcomed Sports Direct, because it sold good sports gear. I can't comment on that, because I've never shopped there. I do know that Sports Direct manufacture gear for a lot of other named brands.

That was a thread intended to celebrate a new store coming to the area. A torrent of abuse was unleashed. I don't recall you rushing to tick off the people that took the Sports Direct thread into a discussion about ethics. Yet you do now. Does Cycling trump all ... including ethics?

However, I accept your point that those who commented on the ethics in shopping at Sports Direct have not said they will buy these products. So I apologise for jumping the gun and also for my misunderstanding that HB was agreeing with Rod's comments on ethical shopping.

I no longer shop in Aldi.


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[hairybuddha]

Reading the Sports Direct thread I'm not convinced "a torrent of abuse" was "unleashed"

But it does demonstrate how easily an otherwise anodyne thread can be derailed. Much like this one.

p.s tried my new base layers on this afternoon - Very toasty. Winter, do your worst.

[stuart]

Did you get the leg covers? I bought mine on the recommendation of a LELer on one of our wettest rides. Only covering the front so you don't get so soaked in condensation as you do with full leggings. For a fiver well worth a try. I'm almost looking forward to the next wet ride!

Which is unlikely to be Sunday. Looks glorious and if you have nothing better to do then do join us for this informal little jaunt: http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/some-o ... er.136888/
(I'll be taking the 08:31 train from Crystal Palace to Berkhamsted via CJ & WJ).

Stuart

[hairybuddha]

I find the waterproof stuff isn't of high enough quality so stick to the base layers and gloves. Where I really need to I spend a little bit more so my windbreaker and winter jacket are from Rapha, for example.

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to tell us that Rapha stitch their jackets from the tears of homeless children in Nepal, or something. But hey, it's a small price to pay for warmth and comfort.

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[stuart]

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to tell us that Rapha stitch their jackets from the tears of homeless children in Nepal, or something. But hey, it's a small price to pay for warmth and comfort.

I thought it was from 50 euro notes

Stuart

[simon]

I buy my cycle wear from Wiggle and Evans, wouldn't touch Aldi with a barge pole. Wasn't aware of Aldi's poor labour rights record, for me the whole Aldi concept is, well, cheap.

[mosy]

Hope no-one minds if I ask this: Does anyone know where I could sell a man's mountain bike? The question really I suppose is whether there is a market for them, being so much heavier than posh tinanium ones. Thanks in advance for any comments.

[Rachael]

mosy - I sold my husband's hybrid mountain bike through local forums (not as weighty as a true mountain bike but heavy enough). The eventual taker came to me via the East Dulwich Forum.

[hairybuddha]

Gumtree, eBay and LFGSS are my go to places for buying and selling bikes.

I'm actually looking to buy a mountain bike so would be interested depending on spec and price etc

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