Bike Art at Thetford Forest – the owner is just plain rude

Had a bad experience in there the other day. I have been there before and he’s never been the happiest or friendliest of people, but this time he was just plain rude, verging on offensive. I was going to ask if other people have had this experience, but unfortunately it does appear so.

I don’t know what his problem is?? You can argue he might get fed up with Jo Public etc, but then if the general public wind you up that much, then don’t run a shop!

Anyway, he lost a sale that day and ALL other potential future business from myself and the 2 people with me.

On the upside I went to 2 other differant bikes shops a couple of days later, and they couldn’t have been more differant ie friendly and helpful!

Simple.

Park at Brandon. Nicer cafe, cheaper parking, quieter.

No bikeshop but equally no arsehole to mess with your day.

just my $0.02

I was going to buy a zen helmet there in september, i walked in the shop with my dog, the bloke behind the counter said “no dogs in here leave it outside”! i just turned round and wont go back in there again, my dog was brought up in a bike shop, she was highly offended.

Yeah, I posted (I think, on here) a while ago about this, asking whether I just caught him on a bad day, but I think it’s just the way he is……

I went in there while at High Lodge with my other half’s nephew. We’d been doing Go Ape & I wanted to ask about demo bikes as I was looking to replace my old Stumpy fsr.
Short of telling me to eff off he couldn’t have been much ruder. I persevered for a while, but he remained rude and unhelpful so I left it at that and went and spent my £2k elsewhere.

I refuse to go in there now.

Maybe its there as a tax write-off?

Someone told me he rakes it in from bike hire (most of which are probably non-returning customers – hence he can get away with being plain rude). But what puzzles me the high end kit he stocks – someone must be buying this stuff, so either they put up with bad manners/get a hefty discount/are part of some clique that he’s helpful to!

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bikeart-thetford-the-ryanair-of-bike-shops-rant-warning

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bike-art-at-thetford-why-so-miserable

http://static.bikeradar.com/road/forums/viewtopic.php?p=14610037&sid=87f19858b036b9d1f62c4a7eca36e5c3

http://www.bikemagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/dt/4/UTN/81140/

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/thetford-bike-shop-a-rant

to google just a few!!!

He’s quite a character, isn’t he??

I remember going in there last year and seeing a Merida bike priced up at over £5k. Like anyone in Thetford Forest is going to buy that??

(mind you, I was riding my Nicolai that day…)

Rachel

Yup, I’ve had the pleasure of shopping there too! 😯 🙁

As usual on these threads expect someone along in a moment to defend him, conclusively proving that the majority of his customers are just overly sensitive and therefore plainly wrong in their impressions of him! 🙄

mail him a link to this thread 👿

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bike-art-at-thetford-why-so-miserable

Yep, this is my one from ages ago…..

allthegear – Member
He’s quite a character, isn’t he??

I remember going in there last year and seeing a Merida bike priced up at over £5k. Like anyone in Thetford Forest is going to buy that??

Yeah, I have often wondered who goes in there and buys their high end stuff.
I asked about demo bikes as it’s my local riding area – particularly at the time, as I was riding there at least once a week, so was keen to demo some bikes and source them literally on the doorstep.

I remember going in there last year and seeing a Merida bike priced up at over £5k. Like anyone in Thetford Forest is going to buy that??

I remember seeing a guide to Thetford forest a couple of years back and there was a photo of a guy jumping a DH rig on the first couple of pages!!

why has no one complained about his attitude.you are the customer after all (certainly not acceptable for a shopmanager to basically tell people to **** off,or near as from what i have read here)

mail him a link to this thread

Direct action; I like it!

Had similar experience at Sherwood Pines. We went there after work for an evening ride a couple of weeks back. Cafe was shut but I hadn’t filled up the water bladder. Wondered over to the shop to see if he sold drinks, which he didn’t and when I asked if I asked if he had a tap I could use told no.

Wonder where he makes all his cups of tea then ?

I may not have been a customer at the time, hence I could be out of order, and they genuinely don’t have a tap in there, in which case all is forgiven, but in my eyes everyone should be treated as a potential customer !

a photo of a guy jumping a DH rig on the first couple of pages!!

I have been known to ride mine round there just before needing to use it “for real” – it feels so different to my normal bike it takes a little getting uses to.

Damn good exercise, too!!

Rachel

Send Muddydwarf round with his axe.

I went in there a few years back wanting to buy Mrs FJ a new bike for her birthday. Before I’d even opened my mouth I was told to take my dog out – not politely, just told.
Went and bought her a £650 Rockhopper from Thomas’s in Ipswich the same afternoon!
In the last two years I would estimate I have spent around £7k on bikes,frames and kit and approximately £0.00 of that has been spent at Bikeart in Thetford. 😆

Chin-up

We used to hire bikes from him as a club as there was no alternative hire shop. rarely got even a smile. we returned broken bikes nearly every time we returned the bikes including crank arms falling off, broken chains, and the constant brake pads disintegrating. all were apparently our fault which I could believe if we were treating them badly but we only rode around the trails and were careful. told them where to shove it on more than one occasion. never bought anything from them.
thankfully not living even in the same country anymore. surprised to hear he is still in business. go somewhere else for bike bits

Similar experience here. I had to hire a bike from him once because mine was out of action. It wading such a sorry state that I did half a lap the took it back.

So who’s going to tell him then?

http://bikeartthetford.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=42

😉

PePPeR – Member

So who’s going to tell him then?

http://bikeartthetford.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=42

I just have:

Dear Sirs,

I am notifying you of this not to stir trouble or to antagonize but I thought as a local bike shop and provider of services to many folk you would be keen on this feedback.

STW Link >> http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bike-art-at-thetford-forest-the-owner-is-just-plain-rude

Kind regards,

MArk
—

No doubt you will anyway, but please come back to us if you get a reply!

Flapjack you went to Thomas and bought a bike he must have been bad that day! 😉

Had a similiar experience the other day. Had a issue with the seat post, thought i would pop into the local bike shop as i thought they would be friendly!! How wrong could i of been!! They guy was a complete arse! You would of thought i had asked the world! He’s lost my business for good even if i do ride there twice a week!! I would rather go home home if i had another problem with bike than go to bikeart!!!

Had to laugh whilst reading the MBR guide to trail centres at lunch. For Thetford it says ‘the excellent bikeshop Bikeart’…….

Either a) misery guts had had a shot of happy injection

OR

b) mbr made themselves known so he put on a good show

OR
c) he bought an advert?

LOL! Good 3rd scenario!

Maybe someone could go in there with a mini helmet cam and wind the bloke up.

Then we could all have a right larf on YouTube 😆