Considering buying a bike by mail order. Are they a good shop? They are the other end of the country from me, so I don’t know anyone who uses them. Ta.

they are a very good shop . dont know what mail order is like as i normally drive up but they are a great bunch 😉 high recommend them

As mick says they are a good shop, they have been going for years and years they used to be concentrate on touring bikes.

Thanks. Don’t suppose if any of you know if they also do the bike to work scheme?

My local mail-order shop.

I’ve used them for years: us old timers still pay on receipt of the goods!

Also have a friend who’s recently bought a Dawes Galaxy from them and is as pleased as punch.

They are terrible.

They folded my wire bead tyres and screwed them up-Royal mail partial fault. Arrived mangled badly that sidewalls were showing stress marks inside out and thinned out at the damaged sites. One tyre was fine.

I had to pay the returns cost and when I spoke to one of their staff they were incredibly rude and arguing with me!

Originally I spoke to the owner and he was really good about sorting things out and saying he will box the exchange tyre etc.

Then I get called twice on a Saturday ride with a chap I had to talk to twice arguing thats how tyres are. He was pi$$ed off for some reason.

I had to back it up with a letter from the tyre manufacturer before he gave me my money back.

I was so disgusted I got a refund and I ended paying more for the tyre at a LBS-who price matched them and really great service.

I just ordered from Bike plus and all terrain cycles who actually protect their tyres when posting-yes they charge a little more. They are also sort you out very quick if you have a problem.

Spa Cycles were very quick with delivery, but that one guy was so rude that I would never buy or reccomend them again.

Sorry but thats my true recent experience of them and I shop a hell of a lot for bike bits mail order. I would only recommend them to Adolf Hitler.

Good luck if you have a problem with the bike and have to deal with them.

👿

Zaskar, was this recent? Sorry you had problems.

Yes it was recent. The original gentleman I delt with was great, rushed to take my order before last posting etc. I was amazed and hope you get him.

Maybe Royal Mail didn’t help by damaging them (bin liner bag) but I have learned that a shop has good after-sales service. I give shops a chance to sort any probs out but if they are that rude about a tyre? He reckoned thats how they are. I’ve had 6 of those tyres! all perfect-picky?

I even wrote to them about it, didn’t mention any names-not to get anyone in trouble only for the same guy ring up and try to argue with me. I just said look give me a refund and then we’re sorted.

All I would say is that get a copy of their warranty and returns notice before you buy the bike in case there are any problems-you’ve covered your rear.

I hope you have better service than me. Sorry if I sound negative as I always try to applaud great service from any bike shop.

Spa were very quick with the service and easy to get hold of by phone but their aftersales is terrible.

My new LBS’s tries to price match mail order, offers great service but needs to check their stock levels when they say it’s in stock but actually isn’t. But they do go out of their way to sort you out-I get them to physically check now!

Thanks for additional info. Not many shops sell what I am considering buying, so choice of supplier is semi-limited.

Thanks for additional info. Not many shops sell what I am considering buying, so choice of supplier is semi-limited.

a friend of mine has just bout a bike from Spa on the ride to work thingy.

john, the owner of spa is the most helpfull bike shop bloke i have ever met, and i have met a load 😀

No problems here, built up a nice wheel for me a little while back. Didn’t even have to pay in advance, just posted them a cheque once I’d received it which was novel.

Sounds like I delt with John who was great.

Also sounds like I had some numpty dealing with me afterwards!

Good to hear some ppl getting good service and I was an unlucky one off.

what is it your after buying mate

I had excellent service from Spa Cycles just this week after ordering two wheels worth of spokes. One experience isn’t much to base anything on, but I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.

Never done mail order …..

But living in Harrogate I don’t need to….

A CRACKING little shop though, a right Aladdin’s cave as well

The bike shop equivalent of the four candles sketch.

“have you got a return spring for a 1957 sturmey archer three speed hub?”

rummage rummage in wooden boxes behind counter…

“one of these, yep”

great bike shop, one of a dying breed, thoroughly worth giving business to.