Justt got an email from Evans saying the long-rumoured Evans opening in Edinburgh is actually happening. 2nd April and a unit at Fountainbridge.

http://www.evanscycles.com/stores/edinburgh

Tidy.

I hope it doesn’t damage the healthy bike shops we have in the city.

I’m sure there is space for another player, given popularity of cycling in these parts.

There’ll be about 7 or 8 bike shops in a sq mile round that part of town now. Not sure there’s great space tbh, and I’m pretty certain who won’t be the ones to lose out.

Although some of those shops are secondhand / repair places so different set-up to an outfit like Evans.

Evans = Starbucks

Probably a good thing imo if they recruit good staff (the people in the Glasgow one have always been very good in my experience). And it’s only 5 mins from work instead of 20 to get to the Bike Coop if I ever need anything.

If its crap the LBS will do better, if its good the LBS will NEED to do better.

A sign of a good shop is one that can evolve and take on new challenges.

TandemJeremy – Member
I hope it doesn’t damage the healthy bike shops we have in the city

Well as long as people show some brand loyalty and don’t just shop from the cheapest source these “healthy bike shops” will do just fine won’t they……

Evans has never been that cheap though, in fact, some of the prices have made me wince. Seems to cater for people who like the ‘Starbucks Experience’ of buying a bike in a clean show room. Me, I prefer some nuts and bolts lying about in a bike shop.

Evans has never been that cheap though

they do price match though 😀

Have they taken over MacDonalds Cycles or is that a new shop ??

Starbucks indeed. There’s a Local Sainsbury’s (for Local People) next door so thats the triumvirate.

Evans free bike maintenance classes are pretty good for the spannerly challenged as well 🙂

Evans can be a bit hit and miss but on balance they are a very good outfit. Huge variation in the knowledge of the staff but there is always someone around who does know what they are talking about.

I needed a new internal headset fitted, LBS werent sure they had the part in, couldnt take the bike for a week. Evans took it next day and sorted it with stock parts.

I try and make a point of buying tubes, oils at the LBS and using the workshop whenever I can but it is sometimes a bit of an effort and almost always hits a bit extra in the pocket. They have definately upped their game in the customer service deprtment since Evans opened round the corner. Are good guys but were a bit surly in that very “Bike Shop” way we all know……all smiles and warm welcomes now……thats why I love the free market.

If it’s anything like the Glasgow one you can expect invisible staff and being completely ignored by any of them that actually appear on the shop floor.

(caveat: the big guy with the dreadlocks is good, but the rest are awful)

New shop, looks like its one of the ground floor units in Exchange Place (west side of Semple Street between Morrison Street and Fountainbridge), so diagonally opposite Macdonald Cycles. Will be good if only for “ship to store” for mail order stuff. Would imagine it will be head-to-head with Bike Coop.

I’d imagine a couple of the smaller nearby shops will be worried, but how they are still going mystifies me (and has done so for years).

I’m equally mystified. Years ago I phoned a “smaller nearby shop” when I was looking for a bag for my piece and had this conversation.

“Do you have any musettes?”
“Hang on a minute.”
Sounds of conversation amongst staff in background.
“What kind of bike is a musette?”

That part of the city must be getting close to reaching saturation point for bike shops now. I do suspect that they’ve gone for that site to place themselves in a prime location for cycle to work scheme passing trade.

It may well be what finishes Mcdonalds Cycles off. Mind you, as that place has survived for years with pretty much no customers anyway I guess it may not make any difference.

Evans do a nice range of Gore stuff which I like, but other than that there are plenty of LBSs who will still be getting the vast bulk of my business.