after a so far crap week with scams,low footfall and general poopy customers im needing some positive lbs stories to keep me smiling! 🙂
Just riding along is sort of on my way to work. bought rim strips etc from them but had trouble getting one of the tyres to pop onto the rim with me track pump. Took said wheel in and the guy was very happy to wack it on with his compressor. Told me I needed a bit more sealant. Tend to go back there for most things they sell now, rather than the other bike shops in sheff.
Customer service is what counts for an lbs.
I dont have a local bike shop!!!! my local bike shop is a 25 min drive away its either that or drive 30 min to glasgow and go to one of the chain stores like evans
however I will say that on sunday at AE i noticed the R clip missing from my hope mono mini and the dude in the Ae shop didnt have any spare....baw, but he did have one pack of hope pads for 15 quid that contained the new style P clip (I'm thinking crap 15 quid for a set of pads that dont fit my bike all for a dam clip)
guy opened the pack gave me the clip and said I'll charge you a quid for that.....result.....very nice of him to break up a pack and not charge me for the full set
I'd have some positive stories but with it being November, we're dead!
We have sold a bike to the owner of a cake shop, and so whenever he needs his bike serviced we'll say "it'll be ready at 5pm".
Come 5pm he comes in with a box full of buns that can't be sold the next day. Omnomnom!
LBS gave me free outer hose cable so I often visit with cookies as a thank you gesture.
LBS rocks!
"general poopy customers" -I get that every week at Halfords (part time) but try to remember the nice customers and super hot milfs.
Put signs out and leaftlets outside schools helped my old LBS...
My LBS is crap, didn't even have road bike brake blocks. Even though they sell road bikes with exactly the same brakes as mine. Monkey poo
we also get in Edith Bowman's sister.
What's a local bike shop.? I am confused. ❗
I have bike shops that are 'local', but my fave LBS is 45mins away, in Guisborough. (& one of the owners is very nice. Well theyr'e both nice, but one is 'nicer') 
I owe my LBS lots of money! Love you Local Bike Shop owner 😀
i have lost all faith and trust in all bike shops..........not just the local one.
there are 4 in leeds that are crap, and 1 that i should use more that is ok.
the crapest is the most famous too.
Dave Hinde is now my LBS 🙁
Guess I'll just have to carry on using Merlin when I go and see the in-laws in Chorley..
ton, that wouldn't be the one that ripped me off for some outer cables once would it?
Begins with 'S' & ends with the letter before 'G' perhaps?
My lbs is ace. I spend lost of time there, have free coffee, we use to buy each other meal with the people working there.
They are so ace that I am ashamed I did'nt spend much money with them, so I am going to buy a bike just for the sake of it...
esselgruntfuttock
nail on the head mate.
I like LBS, they know me by name now and I get a regular customer discount (which my wife was not impressed with when she found out, she realised just how often I'm in there 🙄 ). Tend to split my purchases 50:50 between them and the t'internet. They're good for advice, support and local riding news as well as parts.
Sorting out our cycle to work scheme at the moment and I'm making sure we go with cyclescheme so the independant shops get the business.
Ton, wasn't you singing their praises not so long back?
My LBS at uni is Summit Cycles in Aberystwyth. It is honestly the best shop I've been in. Prices are pretty good, and these guys know what they're doing.
You give them your bike and within a day or two it comes back full of pixie dust and works better than you ever thought possible. I tend to get rebuild kits, Maxxis DH tyres and odds and ends from them.
They also sponsor the uni MTB club so we get a discount 8)
Anyone in that area should pay a visit, you won't be disappointed.
superstar_opponents - Memberwe also get in Edith Bowman's sister.
Nice perk. Or do you mean you get Edith Bowman's sister in? hee hee 😆
My real lbs is truly awful, so I go to Freewheel in Notts. A nice mix of slightly quirky characters and some downright nice people as well.
twohats
who's praises
woodrupps, who tried to rip my lad off.
stif, who's bloke could not be bothered to ring me back when i wanted some forks.
the bike shop who want to sell you a bike with a well know problem then not help you sort it.
or edinburgh co-op..............ppfff
was having trouble getting my stubborn bb out, went to small lbs asking if he could just crack it for me using his vice he said leave it over night with 15 of your english... i left with frame and bb.
on the off chance called into halfords, same question he said we normally charge but i can turn a blind eye the vice is over there if you want to do it yourself! what a legend... even let me mooch in his toolbox for better quality bb tool. what happened to friendly small lbs and big bad halfords.. i need something, from now on im going to the generous guy in big bad halfords!
I just a new Limited Ed Blue Tracer from my 'L'BS Don Skenes and some bits to go with. It's flippin' beautiful! They didn't have my Ti Bel Air or Stem in so I have to wait a few days to complete the build but they fitted the HS and BB for free and gave me a free UST valve when I lost mine before so I can forgive them 😀 Good guys
Cheer up Chris
you're the only bike shop near me that does
A Demos
B Hagglers discount
C A rock up and get it fixed now workshop
D A club night
E Name yer price bargain box of bits
was well hacked that the Orange didnt suit but tbh once i got on the spesh at the weekend it all made sense, you were right i do like more xc bikes.
Prolly just xmas and the credit crumch thats responsible for the low numbers, also dark nights.... folk just want to comfort eat, not ride bikes
hopefully santa will bring me some cash for bike bits soon ...hope he's listening.
keep yer chin up
Dave
Well i have a largeish bike shop 50 meters from me but wont shop there because of the owner , instead i travel the other side of town where the lads are friendly , offer good advice and are non condescending and non patronizing .
Teetosugars - closest decent shop to you is Cycle Centre in Congleton. Sound lads, good mechanics if you need them and some decent kit in there. I wouldnt even go to Hinde for an innertube. Not been in there in over 10 years.
I've had some pretty poor service from my LBS over the last few years to the stage that I try to do most of the stuff myself (simple things like they didn't grease pedal threads when fitting a chainset, used the SFN when I bought a hope headset and kept the expander without asking, cross threaded the BB with a hamfisted BB).
I still pop in to look at stuff and buy the odd bit here and there (chains/spacers etc...) and my last C2W bike, but tbh I spend very little with them now it all goes towards CRC.
Like someone said customer service is paramount - I'd pay (a bit not RRP) more than CRC etc... if the LBS actually did stuff right.
They are a nice bunch though
Freeborn Esher is my local, good bloke and Northshore out back...
One just round the corner from work failed to sell me the right length spoke despite him measuring the wheel with a ruler.
Not overly enamoured with any of my local shops. Got bike back from one after they'd replaced BB bearings and given gears a twiddle with a bent mech hanger which implied they'd never even given it a run to check.
Customer service at another is a fine blend of ignorance and arrogance.
In fairness I'm not a frequent flyer with any of them as I do my own fettling and generally buy online though as DT78 said customer service can swing it. When I lived in Bath, I'd buy from John's Bikes and pony up the extra cash purely on the basis of great service
i have about 4 bike shops that i am willing to travel to iv had abit of a hickup with one recentley so wont be going there much anymore theres one guy that uesdto work in my local hellfrauds who is now in one of the shops i no his work/advice is imaculat so tend to follow whare he works lol
Have a choice of 3 now in Salisbury, but Stonehenge Cycles is the best. Perfect example:
Went in on Saturday with old forks (not bought from them) wanting crown race removed and put on new forks (not bought from them). Also got them to cut steerer for me and fit star nut. Expect to leave it all there, but they did it while I waited. For nothing 🙂 Pottered round the shop and bought a few bits I needed anyway, bonus.
some day we should have a thread for lbs owners/employees to rant about ****srumers because belive me folks its just the same the other way round.
enduro-aid - Member
I dont have a local bike shop!!!! my local bike shop is a 25 min drive away its either that or drive 30 min to glasgow and go to one of the chain stores like evanshowever I will say that on sunday at AE i noticed the R clip missing from my hope mono mini and the dude in the Ae shop didnt have any spare....baw, but he did have one pack of hope pads for 15 quid that contained the new style P clip (I'm thinking crap 15 quid for a set of pads that dont fit my bike all for a dam clip)
guy opened the pack gave me the clip and said I'll charge you a quid for that.....result.....very nice of him to break up a pack and not charge me for the full set
Really? Personally I'd have bought the pack, purely based on the cold hard facts that sometime in the future I would definitely be needing some new pads. Good of them in any case though.
My LBS - Stanley Fearn's in Matlock.
Great little shop with friendly, helpful staff and (for its size) a reasonable selection of kit. Aidan Leheup (Polaris & Trailquest legend) works there and is a family friend. Unfortunately due to major supplier restrictions and small turnover they have a limited range of bikes and struggle to compete with the big boys price wise.
I try and shop there when I can, but when spending hundreds of pounds I just can't justify giving them my cash. The owner (and least in touch with MTB'ing member of staff) isn't overly keen on haggling or giving a bargain either. It pains me to give my cash to the monkeys that work in JE James, but when not shopping online it generally makes economic sense.
I lost all my lbs shops when i moved, i had wo in bristol which would do anything (bike related) for me for free even if i just rocked up. Well stocked and lots of friendly faces. However I now live in maidstone, and havent been in a good lbs yet and i have been to a few in the area.....
My most LBSs are alright TBH. Not amazing stock, but the most important things are normally easy to get at the last minute. Most of the time, though, I make the extra effort to drive the 20mins to 18bikes who I find pretty damn good for most stuff and friendly too.
STR you didnt read the post properly there chap.
tis the bit about pads not fitting bike that is the giveaway.
Richardsons Cyles in Leigh on Sea, have never let me down for a part, they seem to hold a good level of stock for a LBS, good advice, and the mechanic keeps my wheels in trim very nicely.
James Browning and daughter also Leigh, good stock of ladies bike stuff, and a few kids bits and a smashing bargain bin to rummage through, got a lovely Endura riding jersey for a tenner last week.
My LBS, Square Wheels in Strathpeffer, is superb.
I went into another of my lbs's in Inverness yesterday though. I had a slightly unusual request and was given the "This guy is clearly heavily retarded, try and sell him an Orange 5 or get him the hell out of the shop NOW" treatment.
The guy also used the phrase "A full on, all mountain bike" with a serious face on in relaton to said Orange 5. 😕
Thought they only did that in MBR.
Thats when I knew it was time to get back to my proper lbs where they ae perfectly comfortable with my slightly unusual requests.
I have a bike shop in Dundee that i use when i can't get 2 Arbroath to use Cycle World, bit of praise coming ur way Chris... I am picking up my Orange 5 pro 2moro, chrome grey with blue hope kit and pro pack...mmm nice. Have 2 say that the service i got from Chris and Joe was outstanding, i had loads of questions and a few requests and they took the time 2 answer them and carry out the requests. Nothing was a problem, explained the sag and pro pedal very well without making me feel stupid. Were happy 2 swap my the triple chainset for a double and swap the wheels off my hardtail over, gave me they're opinion and advice on spec and colour, let me test ride a few bikes, explained why the 5 pro was the best bike 4 my riding (even tho i was looking at pricier models and bikes) and kept me informed as 2 what stage my bike was at etc. All round great experience, my 1st brand new bike in 15 years of riding and made it easy peasy. Highly recommended. Also did a great build on a Giant Vt frame earlier in the year..i couldn't get on with it tho so swapped it for a Cove Handjob : ) . See you 2moro Cycle World.
i used to visit square wheels when i worked as a rep.
they used to make me feel like a long lost member of the family every time i walked in.
this i tell you when you are a rep is not normal. 🙂
RichPenny - Member
Have a choice of 3 now in Salisbury, but Stonehenge Cycles is the best. Perfect example:Went in on Saturday with old forks (not bought from them) wanting crown race removed and put on new forks (not bought from them). Also got them to cut steerer for me and fit star nut. Expect to leave it all there, but they did it while I waited. For nothing Pottered round the shop and bought a few bits I needed anyway, bonus.
+1 for the mighty Stonehenge! What time were you in? I was there pretty early, as had lots to do in the day! Oh, and a bag of doughnuts from Reeves makes a perfect bribe!
To expand more on Stonehenge;
They stock enough bling to keep me happy and enough ordinary stuff to satisfy the other end of the market, and all points in between.
They let me use their workshop now and again
They have the best wheelbuilder in the world. FACT!
They have a great range of stock across all sorts of cycling
They have great banter
They are friendly, welcoming to all and enthusiastic in a good way!
Oh, and they have some interesting plans afoot too..... 🙂
Swinnertons Cycles, Fenton and Mammoth Cycles, Milford.
Helpful, honest advice, good stock, good prices, personable, great with returns and exchanges, lent me funny tools n'that to help me out & solid mechanics when needed. If I dont have money or owt when I need something I can owe them.
I'll also give a big chain store a pat on the back, Leisure Lakes in Wolverhampton, my old near work LBS- same service as above.
No real LBS where I live. Maybe 20+ minutes into Southampton?
But they are expensve, don't stock a huge amount and get shirty when you want something out of the ordinary they can't supply.
I tend not to bother with them unless its something I can't do myself, like building wheels. Even then they moan.
nonk - Membersome day we should have a thread for lbs owners/employees to rant about ****srumers because belive me folks its just the same the other way round.
😆 Working in a shop used to make me wish that my hobby was..... oh say 'computers' and if i felt bored of an afternoon i would just turn up at overweight IT guys place of work, tell him i'd bought a 'computer' cheap on the web which had now decided that it wouldn't work the way it was intended, and how i now wished to warrentee it through him, then moan and bitch like a little girl that i wasn't being treated like the queen mum. Oh how i miss the bike trade. 🙄
Saying that i do miss the great customers we had, some were true gents and made working in a shop worthwhile. 😥
The Edge in Lancaster.
Nice friendly staff, some better than others - the main mechanic seems to know what he's on about. Staff are mostly roadies though.
Everything generally seems pretty expensive and it often takes ages for them to order something in. Some nice bikes in there (Orange/Trek/Marin)
Another vote for Leisurelakes in Wolverhampton from me. Not really my LBS (They're crap) but I work near Wolverhampton quite a bit so pop in when I'm about.
Always friendly, they know me by name and they've been really helpful with the odd bit of spannering I can't do (often without charge). Never any pressure to buy stuff either - they'll get something in for you but aren't offended if you then say no 🙂
I do still buy stuff online as well but I'm quite happy to pay a bit more at Leisurelakes given the support I've had.
well that fair cheered me up! thanks for the appreciative words from mike and dave!
some of the attitudes to discounting are very interesting.....it does seem some folk will never give the lbs a chance! i had a interesting chat with a customer the other day where i was getting sick of his constant requests for a discount...i had to remind him that crc/wiggle didnt really offer what i do and that unless he understood what we're trying to do we mite not be in a position to help him out in the future....he apologised and paid a fair price for the work on his bike..
the internet shops dont bother me but it would be a sad state of affairs if more lbs shut due to them,theyre does seem a lot of guys have strong loyalty to theyre respective shops and good experiences...
id second what was said about square wheels,great shop and great guys!
My best mate used to own and run a bike shop.
Used to be in the centre of town and we'd often go down around 5 ish and tinker with our bikes ready to go out for a ride, a few times though we never actually got riding as there was always beer in the back of the shop and we ended up getting drunk and then headed off to the local bars and clubs! (after doing drunk wheelies outside the shop). As we would have our riding gear and no going out clothes he'd let us wear clothes from the shop (he sold casual clothes) as long as we didn't mark or damage them and he's hang them back up the next day for sale - although often we'd like the stuff so end up buying it!!
I enjoy visiting ur shop Chris, always welcoming and well stocked with shiny bits and sensible bits...check the website ; ) . I could easily waste an hour or 2 looking and chatting..and have done recently. A good lbs is hard 2 come by, there are a few near me but none keep the stock and choice u do. I have used other shops before but i genuinely prefer Cycle World, good product knowledge. Internet shops are fine if you know exactly what u want but a visit 2 ur lbs is worth it 2 talk 2 the guys selling the kit, they know they are on about and can recommend a similiar product, i buy the odd part online but any expensive buys go 2 the lbs, they are never that much more expensive, if at all. I think alot more people are realising the benefits of buying locally, nobody want's 2 see a shop go out of business! Especially a good bike shop...we are a unique and slightly geeky bunch as it is, imagine all we had was internet bike shops! Next step would be chords, tucked in shirts, thick glasses, computer fairs and talk of pentium processorthingymabobs and that my friends would be a step 2 far. SUPPORT UR LOCAL BIKE SHOP!
High Peak Cycles, Glossop. Nice people, proper riders, five minutes from my front door. If I can buy from them at a half decent price, I do, on principle.
It's always worth differentiating LBS as Good LBS or Crap LBS. Round here (Colchester) 53.12 are damn near perfect (great service, nice people, can't do enough for you etc...) but tricky to find. I buy from these guys in preference to the internet whenever I can. Thomas's on the other hand are rubbish with snotty sulky kids behind screens ignoring customers invariably dishing out hopeless advice (when they can be ar$ed) - Bad value too. Sadly they seem to get the lions share of custom though.
we have loads in brighton. i would only trust one with anything mechanical - rayments. but its rare i go there as their opening hours are damn inconvenient for me.
embarassingly i spend most of my money (cables and small bits) in evans as they are actually open after office hours and therefore the bits are obtainable when i need them.
i would go prefer to go to an independant shop but its hard to get to them before they shut.
i would only trust one with anything mechanical - rayments.
I believe that's where adstick who posts on here works.
My local bike shop was great and is 30 yards from my front door. It used to be that you could pop and the owner would go 'hmm that's a bit creaky' pull out a spanner and fix it - free !
Unfortunately he left and sold it to a more money orientated owner who (over) charges for everything, has an arrogant attitude and has pi**ed away all of the faith and goodwill built up over the last 30 years.
Rant over.
The Hub - Southampton.
Guys in there especially mechanic couldn't have been more helpful when I was building my Epic.
Advice, bit of tinkering, fitting BB, and only charged me 27.00 to go over complete bike, rectify all my mistakes, fit chain, swap cables, sort out brakes, adjust mechs etc.
Only bought a few odds and sods along the way so was not as if I was spending 100's of pounds.
Cant praise them enough.
Pleasantly surprised at Cycle Surgery in Holborn here in London. Been very good at ordering bits for me. Honest about likely delivery times (helmet pads), call me up checking what year the lid is, call me up when they come in.
Oh and whilst not longer my bike shop I call up Bromley Bike Co for new bushings for my yeti (having not been in there for two years or more) and they remember who I am!
ace Co in Stourbridge is my first choice. Always happy to have a chat and offer some advice, always have nice things in store to flex my wallet and will more often that not fix things quickly if brided with beer and/or cakes. Really good place, and there shiny new shop is very nice as well.
My local (ignoring Evans) is Moose in Colliers Wood.
I very rarely go there.
Instead, I get the missus to go in there, where she flirts* with the staff for half an hour or so, then walks out with stuff at a hefty discount...
* that's what she's telling me anyway
You may have heard of my LBS. It begins with C and ends with RC.
Some good lads work there and some proper onions too. Can't complain as they usually have anything and everything in stock. 😆
whats their workshop like? do they have a changing room? tea/coffee making facilities? do they ansa emails/phone calls within 24 hours?
just wondered...
Im at my LBS most days!
Another vote for Freewheel in Nottingham. Went in there with a seriously gunged up hub after another shop in Nottingham said it was broken. All I wanted was a cone spanner but the mechanic there grabbed it, stripped it, put new bearings in (sealed units), greased cleaned and sorted (ta, Rob!).
And only charged me for the bearings too!
I agree about the quirky characters but they are nice peeps.
cycleworlduk, you make a good point, as someone who is tall with strange feet a place i can try on shoes and clothes is a huge plus in my eyes (another tick for Race Co on that).
Customer servce is the key though, i'll spend an extra £5 or £10 over CRC if the service is good.
Is it just me or are some of these tales of mega friendliness and helpfulness of local bike shops examples of bad business practise and people undercharging for their work? 🙂
My local bike shop is Cyclesense in Tadcaster. Not a hardcore MTB shop and doesn't stock the blingest brands, but they are always there with sound advice, won't sell you anything that's not 100% right for you and always do their best to get pretty much anything you need.
I do most of my own spannering, but would trust them 100% with my bikes, and use their workshop for frame facing, wheel building etc.
I'd rather go in there and pay a couple of quid extra for a cassette, chain, etc and keep up the relationship, and put some business their way, because when I've got a bike problem they're always happy to discuss and help out, whether that means they get a sale or not.
I wouldn't want to be without my LBS. 5 Mins from my house, I must take them some cake!
Long live the LBS.
My nearest one is Harry Perry Cycles in Woolwich. Owner is a lovely, helpful chap. No fancy kit or bikes, though. Just an old school bike shop. He builds road frames too, if i remember rightly.
Moose Cycles in Colliers Wood is my ex-local and they're ok. Some guys in there are nice enough, and the mechanic(s) do a great job, but it's a bit of a trek. The owner can be a bit up himself, though. Last time I took my bike in for a service, he commented "well, you've obviously not ridden it much". I assume because it was clean and had box-fresh tires on. ****.
Thumbs up for Mountain Mania in Tring - always very helpful, have more bits than you'd think for a small shop (and always willing to have a look in the bits bucket in the workshop). Build a good wheel, too.
Alf Jones Wrexham, Quite literally a stones throw from my house since they moved to Rhosnesni lane.
Freindly staff and always had great service from them.
And they like jam doughnuts!.
Rich