Interesting to hear this the other day. The centre of town has become awash with generic road and hybrid shops, so would be a breath of fresh air to have a shop for those of us of a fat tyre persuasion.
Anyone heard anything more?
There's a bloody great roadie shop opened up next door - probably has something to do with it
Cool especially as Evans Waterloo Road no longer focuses on mtbs like it used to. Good to have a specialist mtb shop in London and Cycle Surgery is one of the better chains (the one in Camden Town is very good - the Evans next to it is awful).
there are two cycle surgeries there, aren't there? Guess it makes sense to divide the two shops into specialisms.
Interesting... but's what more interesting is that there is a new e-commerce pure-play buying up people in London with the aim of going head-to-head with Wiggle/CRC. Anyone who can shed more light on that will be richly rewarded with beer.
The one in Strype/Leyden St was always a 'specialist' MTB shop, at least until it was bought up by Snow + Rock. Dunno jolly well have not bin there in years cos it deteriorated badly and seemed to be full of disinterested yute dem. It's the more visible one by the old market that's a 'generic' bike shop.
The original pokey shop on the old market was the best one.
Anyone know if that 'orrible DC still works for them? Ooo 'e was right 'orrible 'im... 🙁
I was back in London two Mondays ago and decided to visit some of my old haunts and go and see some of my old friends who still work in bike shops there. I was quite surprised that neither of the shops have much in the way of mountain bikes anymore and they seem to sell exclusively steel or ti framed fixies.
I remember the pokey one in the old market. A proper dig around and see what you can find LBS...
I've always found Cycle Surgery's service and mechanics the best in London. Never shop at Evans any more after they lied to me about not sending my Cannondale frame to the manufacturers as they claimed...
I was in the Strype Street one a couple of weeks back and was pleasantly surprised at the enthusiasm and helpfulness of the staff for things mtb.....three of them at one point showing me the finer points of some shiny XTR pedals.....
i would have been one of those people critiquing XTR over current XT with you. You bought a reverb didn't you?
Strype street was always a bit more MTB while spitz market was always a bit more hybrids/roadies.
I liked strype st, always been a nice shop.
DC is still in the building as far I know. As 'orrible as ever!
I was back in London two Mondays ago and decided to visit some of my old haunts and go and see some of my old friends who still work in bike shops there. I was quite surprised that neither of the shops have much in the way of mountain bikes anymore and they seem to sell exclusively steel or ti framed fixies.
Bike shops will sell what sells.
Jimbo, at least they got rid of that awful, scruffy bloke on the Mezzo, eh? 😉
Pinches - Should have added Time to your critique, IMHO.... But then, what do I know? 😉
DC is still in the building as far I know. As 'orrible as ever!
Oh dear. Nasty 'orrible mayn. I feel sorry for anyone who has to work with him. 🙁
thought the older spittalfields one next to cotswold outdoor (strype street) has always had the MTB focus. very helpful in there, though bit out of the way compared to their other store in the area and the underground evans stoore there as well - that evans also has a good range of MTB stuff
Whats the point of an MTB shop in London?
Its like having a bikini shop in Snowdonia.
Whats the point of an MTB shop in London?Its like having a bikini shop in Snowdonia.
because it is full of people you work there in the week but go biking at the weekend?
Yer average London bike shop will turn over more revenue than one elsewhere. In some cases, a [i]lot[/i] more.
A third of the Uk's population live in London and the South East. That's over 20 million people. Even if only 1% of them want bikes, that's an awful lot of bikes. MTBs, after hybrids, are the most popular type of bike sold. How many bikes do you think an average say, Lake District or Scottish highlands shop sells per year? Compared with a London bike shop?
Whatever next, Range Rovers in Chelsea?
[i]because it is full of people you work there in the week but go biking at the weekend?[/i]
Ah, will these be the S4 Avant driving, Orange 5 riding weapon clad Dog Soldiers invading Cannock Chase at weekends ?
thought the older spittalfields one next to cotswold outdoor (strype street) has always had the MTB focus. very helpful in there, though bit out of the way compared to their other store in the area and the underground evans stoore there as well - that evans also has a good range of MTB stuff
This is true, I've spent £££££ with those guys over the years. I like Cyclesurgery generally, Holloway Rd branch has been very good to me too, good workshops.
Whats the bike shop next door to them in Strype St doing?
Whats the point of an MTB shop in London?
That'd be like a Mountain bike centre in Cannock? 😆
That'd be like a Mountain bike centre in Cannock
Superb! 🙂
Scruff, your chip is showing.... 😉
because it is full of people you work there in the week but go biking at the weekend?Ah, will these be the S4 Avant driving, Orange 5 riding weapon clad Dog Soldiers invading Cannock Chase at weekends ?
no, believe it or not but lots that work in london actually live outside of london in the southeast where there is plenty of local riding... be no need to trek to cannock.
"no, believe it or not but lots that work in london actually live outside of london in the southeast where there is plenty of local riding... no [b]point in[/b] treck[b]ing[/b] to cannock.
FTFY
I like Cannonck, it's like a poorer, generatly not as good cousin to Swinley and the Surrey Hills 🙂
It's so bad, certainly on Fridays, especialy in the daystime on Friday the 9th December while I'm there. Clear trails please 🙂
But everyone what speaks proper knows there is no decent riding in the Homo Counties.
But everyone what speaks proper knows there is no decent riding in the Homo Counties.
well coming from Shrewsbury have ridden plenty of times at Cannock inc the old chase classic races back in the 90s (where I was crap) actually no better or worse than stuff around the home counties... though Cannock always seems muddier.. would rather go to shropshire hills to be fair but swinley and the surrey hills are local to me nowadays and easy to get to.
anyhow must be decent riding around Stafford or else Specialized would not have opened a concept store with (mountain bikes an all) there - so your town has been validated 😉 so no need to complain about store in the capital. 😉
About time to have a shop in London, just on Mountain biking
before you seem to have to deal with shops up North (not that is is a problem)
Great to be able to try some good bikes 😉
Grantway; CS Spitz has bin supplying MTB stuffs for something like 20 years nearly, I think. I certainly remember it from the early/mid nineties, and they were one of the best shops around for MTB stuffs.
In fact, it were CS for MTB, Condor for Roadie gear. There were a few other MTB places, like Covent Garden cycles, Action Bikes YHA in Covent Garden too, and another one can't remember the name in a secret alleyway underneath the Adelphi Hotel off the Strand bloody silly place to have any sort of shop there no-one knew it was there, and it was near-impossible to find.
CFH used to manage the CG Action Bikes YHA one I think. They had some nice Scotts in there at one time.
They've all disappeared. Maybe the bubble burst a bit too soon for them, before cycling took off big time in London. Bike shops seem to all be doing pretty well here these days.
Can't be bothered with that one Cyclefit in Macklin St. Poncy pretentious tossy place; you need an appointment to go in or something! I woon't poo through their letterbox. Probbly a bike shop for racists or something like that, that's why they're so 'exclusive'.
Actually I would poo through their letterbox. That's all they'd get from me though.
On Yer Bike at London Bridge has quite a bit of MTB stuff both clothes and bikes.
quite a few mtb places once you get out of the centre centre of london too - e.g. Moose Cycles in Colliers Wood
I imagine in central London only the multi chains like Evans and CS would really offer specialised focus stores/areas within a store e.g. road, mtb etc
in fact the main thing missing from most London stores and bike stores in general is the sale of ordinary bikes for going shopping, the pub school ones that have a rack, mudguards, a lock, lights and are styled such that the rider does not feel the need to wear lycra etc. There are a few shops that do these sort of stuff (velorution - worlds rudest cycleshop, bikefix, Bobbins, Phoenix, Simpsons) but think the multichains are missing a trick.
Two others - Dirt and Dreams, starting off in Portobello Rd, then opening in Covent Garden, and the Fridge/Recycle in Penge- reckon both those would boom if they were still running today.
The CS expansion seemed very low key for a long time- there was just the single shop in Holloway Rd, in a basement, for a long time, net thing you know there's a major league store opening in spitalfields just as it starts to get going.
Elfinsafety - Member
Grantway; CS Spitz has bin supplying MTB stuffs for something like 20 years nearly, I think. I certainly remember it from the early/mid nineties, and they were one of the best shops around for MTB stuffs.
Aware of that fella But compare to say Leisure Lakes shop say they was more catered for
the Lycra XC clad wearers and XC bikes with the odd 4 inch travel bikes
and No full face helmets or proper body armour to buy.
I know last year they had a go with some items, so more direct changes be truly grateful 😉
Ahem ...
Its like having a bikini shop in Snowdonia.
I have been know to wear a bikini here you know ... (not now mind, it's snowing!)
... honestly bloomin' southerners stereotypes, you'd think it was all mountains, sheep, and rain here - looks round ... ah, well, maybe yes 😳
Sue, POIDH....! 😈
😉
CFH - I'm sure a gentleman such as yourself would always take a lady's word for it ... 😉
Plus, I'm sure you saw enough on Bondi Beach 🙂
😆 @ Sue, as ever! If I close my eyes, I can just picture it...! 🙂
Anyway, Moose are great, but in the arse end of nowhere. Dirt and Dreams were ace, but Gid just couldn't make it work.
CFH - I'm sure a gentleman such as yourself
He's no gentlemayn; he's nought but a bounder and a cad! 😡
Flashy; d'you remember that shop under the Adelphi hotel? Funny underground tunnel street.
Funny underground tunnel street.
used to be a good model toy shop there as well.. the tunnel street is where Heaven night club is plus a decent pub at the western end (ship and shovel)
funny to think that a bike shop would be there.. though could imagine a fixie type shop being there now.
Nah, you're thinking of Action Bikes under Charing Cross station. Heaven is in a walkway further up.
The one I'm on about was on Lower Robert St. Comes off Savoy Place, what runs behind the park, then comes out onto John Adam St.
[img] 
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interesting, my mate used to work in this Cycle Surgery, wonder if he know any more details...
Heaven is in a walkway further up.
I know where action bikes is.. and their £6.99 for a Brompton inner tube - tut tut
was actually thinking of the walkway where heaven is.. called Craven Passage - few odd shops there (used to be a model shop there) and the pub is at the end up the steps.
seeing your pictures above I have been through that tunnel - was there really a bike shop there once? madness got to be the least likely location for a shop of any sort!
That's what I thought. I only discovered it whilst on an urban exploration pootle. I think it was mainly couriers that knew about it. They may have then moved to a better location, possibly Covent Garden, but my memory's hazy. I was hoping Flashy could shed some light, but it seems he's too busy being a bounder and a cad. 😐
@ CFH - quite right, he was a disgrace!
you well?
too busy being a bounder and a ca[b]y[/b]d.
FTFY 😉
Morning all! I saw this ticking along so I thought I'd get back to everyone, as I'm the new manager of the Strype Street store. (And also the taller one stood on stage for the 'From the Inside Out' premier, if any of you went along..?)
I just wanted to open the floor up to any questions any of you might have really, I'm super excited about the route the shop is going to be taking and am keen to give people as much info as possible about the goings on in the New Year!
(And no jimbobrighton, DC isn't still in the building... He's buying our bikes!)
I'll hopefully see you all in store!
James
Evans Waterloo Road still have a decent selection of MTBs downstairs including hardtails and full-sussers (specialized, lapierre, bmc, kona, etc.) lots of tires, body armour, full face helmets, etc.
most stuff is available next day from that gigantic warehouse they have in Gatwick, rather than having lots of stores stuffed full of the same stock?
..bike sales in London are healthy and this involves mainly road/hybrid but MTBs figure in those sales too, I've heard from different sources that a store like Waterloo Road will normally reach £2 million in sales every season, and that is not the best performing store in the london portfolio
I think part of the problem with the Waterloo Road store, if I may be so bold, is the lack of willingness on Evans' part to commit to stocking a range of the right stuff. We're going to be doing the right spread of tyres, components, clothing, soft goods accessories, bikes (including demo's) as well as in house mountain bike specific servicing (forks etc). We also have an unique knowledge base within London; I myself have raced XC and DH, ride trails all over the UK, have travelled within Europe and North America, including working in Whistler both in a shop as well as an instructor and guide in the bike park. We also have a staff comprising every type of rider from 4X and DH racers to endurance XC riders, so I feel we're perfectly set up to offer the strong mountain bike scene in London the service it has been desperately crying out for for a few years now!
Strype Street will be one of my LBS's so I'm excited to hear about this.
I used to like the Evans and Cycle Surgery stores at Spitalfields as they had plenty of mountain bike clothing (often in the sales) but this seemed to dwindle over the past couple of years being replaced by day-glo endura jackets.
so I'd be intersted in mountain bike clothing, and also fork and brake servicing.
Pinches: Sorry only just come back to this. Yes that was me. Afraid I picked up a Pro II hub off the Classifieds here, but would have come back if he hadn't posted the next day.
Cheers for the help. Keep up the good work and will be back in soon.