Are Alibaba Bikes Good?

Editorial credit: Andy Feng / Shutterstock.com

Operating for over 20 years, Alibaba is a global giant in e-commerce and online retail. That said, and being a Chinese company in origin, most of Alibaba’s retail stock comes from China, including their bicycles.

As with any online retailer, Alibaba bikes are only as good as the manufacturer who supplies them to Alibaba. Most bikes purchased can be considered to be of moderate to sound quality. However, it is a good idea to research the supplier before making a purchase.

Choosing a good quality bike from an online retailer can be challenging. You can never be 100% sure you’re getting a good deal. Although you are pretty sure to get a reasonable price for your purchase, it’s always a good idea to do as much research as possible before committing.

Alibaba’s Story

Alibaba is an enormous holding company with interests in retail and e-commerce, cloud computing, entertainment, and financial technology, to name a few. Using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, it is also a pioneer in online payment systems, making it a forerunner in online shopping.

Alibaba’s online shopping platform covers a diverse range of products, including consumer electronics, DIY home and garden, personal care and beauty, vehicle parts and accessories, and even clothing and apparel.

A host of bicycles, both pedal-powered and electric, are available on Alibaba’s platform. These can include road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids, and practically any type of bike you would find at a specialist, retail, or department store.

Alibaba also has another B2C (business to consumer) platform called AliExpress. Geared towards the end-user, AliExpress products are marketed at retail rather than wholesale pricing. Although slightly higher than Alibaba’s B2B model, prices are still relatively lower than other competing channels.

The Pros And Cons Of Buying Cheap Bikes Online

Buying bikes online is advantageous from a price perspective. Alibaba and AliExpress advertise bikes for sale as wholesale or retail, meaning the intermediaries and their margins are cut out of the deal, making the end user’s direct-to-consumer price cheaper, allowing for better value for money.

Sounds logical, doesn’t it? But, unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple, and there are risks and potential disadvantages to buying anything from the comfort of your sofa.

Consider that unless you’ve seen your buddy on a bike that you have your eye on, purchasing anything upfront is pretty risky, and you could end up feeling a whole lot of disappointment. There’s no convenient try before you buy in this environment.

You will also get the bike in pieces and piled into a cardboard box, which means you will need to assemble the bike yourself. Any cable kinks or brake bleeds will require you to possibly cart your new wheels to a bike shop for some professional help. This could cost you more time and money.

If you happen to unbox the bike and find defective or missing parts, you will probably need to send your new purchase back to Alibaba, thus causing another significant delay. You could also end up having to fork out cash for the return shipping.

Although Alibaba, like most online retailers, has competent contact center staff who will gladly assist you with any queries, these interactions will have to be conducted via phone or email. For simple issues, this would usually suffice, but this is not a substitute for getting help from face-to-face interaction in a brick-and-mortar service shop.

So, Is it Worth Buying From Alibaba?

Firstly, as mentioned before, it is essential to distinguish between Alibaba (B2B) and AliExpress (B2C). This is because Alibaba sells items at wholesale pricing, but they do require bulk buying. So, for example, you won’t be able to buy a single bike on Alibaba. For this, you will need to use AliExpress.

The favorable pricing advantage of buying online is hard to ignore. However, suppose you have the basic DIY mechanical skills to unpack and assemble a boxed bike correctly. Furthermore, you are confident that you have received the quality product you expected. In that case, you should be able to cope with successfully putting your bike together.

You will no doubt find a detailed step-by-step guide on assembling your bike. All that’s required is following basic technical guidelines. If you expect few major challenges and are happy with the type of support available, then going online for your purchase may be worth the risks.

The AliExpress Purchasing Process

If you are new to AliExpress and you’ve decided on a bike that you think is a good deal, you have to follow the procedures correctly to facilitate your purchase. Follow this step-by-step guide to making your new bike a reality:

Create and set up a new account: follow the instructions and add all the required details. Once you have completed the setup and you have been verified, you are ready to start shopping.
Search for your product: once you have located the bike of your choice, do some homework first. Compare sellers, use the chatbot, or email Alibaba if you have questions. Don’t rush into it. Rather mull it over if you have any reservations.
Place your order: once you have made your purchase, AliExpress or Alibaba will send you a confirmation email with a reference number.

Receive your purchase: AliExpress deliveries usually take 1-4 weeks. They use major courier companies such as FedEx, UPS, or DHL to ensure delivery to your door.

Before you hit the pay button, doing a little extra homework might be a good idea. First, make a note of the supplier or brand name and go to https://checkupsuppliers.com/ to see the suppliers’ credentials.

This helpful website is intended to verify company registrations and other information for companies operating on the Chinese mainland.

Editorial credit: abdul hafiz ab hamid / Shutterstock.com

Conclusion

Alibaba or AliExpress bikes are only as good as the manufacturers who supply them. Alibaba does not manufacture any bikes. They facilitate the sale. So check out the supplier information to get a better idea of the quality of the product that you’re buying.

A little homework can save time and money and cut out any potential misery that could arise by buying a bike online. This principle applies not only to Alibaba but to any online retailer.