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Brampton Valley last month.
Now Langdale Lightweights.
Sad times
Aww - when I lived in Nottm I used to buy all my spares at Langdale, while ogling the pretty bikes
Such pretty bikes
Langdale are - or were relocating? Last I saw on FB
Langdale are – or were relocating? Last I saw on FB
Facebook page has been taken down!
Quite surprised by this... Last time I popped in, they were still going great guns, stock was a bit hard to get hold of but they were busy selling everything they could get their hands on. I thought it was being passed down from generation to generation? Maybe they didn't want to take over in the end...?
EDIT: Just heard from a friend who's up that way, he said "they ran out of money"...
Ah, that's a shame. Last I saw on FB was the landlord had jacked the rent up so they were going somewhere cheaper, but that may well have changed.
Lovely guys - seem to recall had a club, or at least a dedicated group of riders, attached to the shop.
Yes, seems to be really gone. Can see the insolvency notice online
Gutted about langdale. Nice guy, good wheelbuilder too.
Square Wheels in Strathpeffer added to the list yesterday.
Bike Shak in Altrincham is closing at the end of this month. 🙁
Use them or lose them? The constant search for “bargains” on the internet does have an effect on the profitability of small businesses. When it’s just the big players left and they hike the prices, because they can, the couple of pounds you’re saving now will soon be swallowed by the higher prices of a monopoly. Energy companies are perhaps a good example?
You can feel an overwhelming sense of guilt as you lament the passing of another bike shop.
Or you can realise that there’s still a long way to go in terms of the bike/ car balance.
Your govt has been fairly feeble so far in clearing cars off the streets. Some carrot, but where’s the stick?
Interesting that shops continue to struggle and close, but the more community based, often volunteer led groups seem to be thriving - cheap repairs, second hand bikes, often a bit of rider training or social rides for beginners.
Derby and Nottingham's groups seem to be busier than ever, and a mate is doing extra volunteering hours for one down south.
There's demand, but not easy to make it commercially viable by the sound of it.
Interesting that shops continue to struggle and close, but the more community based, often volunteer led groups seem to be thriving – cheap repairs, second hand bikes, often a bit of rider training or social rides for beginners.
Probably because the old business model, for shops, of making money by selling stuff isn't viable any more in general. Shops will have to move to making money from services which can't be sold cheaper on the web.
Sad news that Altrincham Bikeshak is closing. Been using the shop for years.
@bedmaker - can't help but feel that's been on the cards for years (and I say that as an ex-employee). Sad though.
@bedmaker Square Wheels are operating as a mobile mechanic set up until they find alternative premises. Presume the rent got too high in the wee pavilion building? Dunno. Not closed though.
Someone told me today Ribble are shutting down. No idea if it’s true or not.
Someone told me today Ribble are shutting down.
That's big if true, where did they hear that from?
I'd imagine it's speculation after the dumping of stock at bonkers cheap prices last week. Wouldn't be a surprise as there was talk about accounting issues recently, wasn't there?
I believe those issues were resolved.
They were. (They filed accounts late) A lot of the stuff they were dumping was OEM, so maybe just clearing out what they haven’t used for builds for whatever reason.
@sillyoldman Giles' words, not mine.
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Fair to say that the shop wasn't quite the same in recent years compared to it's heyday.
Why would I buy from my local bike shop when I can buy vat free from Germany. I can't be the only one.
Harsh truth.
Why would I buy from my local bike shop when I can buy vat free from Germany
I've just bought a bike from a local shop even though I could have got it a bit cheaper elsewhere, based on the fact they were able to ship in one that I wanted to try for fit.
Fair to say that the shop wasn’t quite the same in recent years compared to it’s heyday.
Since I left? 🙂
I wonder why all the Edinburgh shops seem to be doing OK - big and small?
We seem to have a lot of bike shops for the size of the city each with its own niche
Shops will have to move to making money from services which can’t be sold cheaper on the web.
Even that's not so easy now assuming. There are a lot more pop-up bike mechanics working from their garage advertising on our local Facebook groups. 'Free' home collection or repair from van. Much lower overheads and cheaper prices
didnthurt
Full Member
Why would I buy from my local bike shop when I can buy vat free from Germany. I can’t be the only one.Harsh truth.
Because who will you turn to when something goes wrong when you want to ride and you don't have time or tools to sort? Long walk to Germany dude
Why would I buy from my local bike shop when I can buy vat free from Germany. I can’t be the only one.
Under £135, you pay native VAT and the Germans pay it to HMRC. Over £135, HMRC (should) collect it from you when it’s imported.
Why would I buy from my local bike shop when I can buy vat free from Germany. I can’t be the only one.
Because local shops provide an invaluable service when things go wrong.
I used to cycle past Langdale Lightweights on my commute, although they weren't my LBS. Occasionally I would pop in for something to be tweaked or fixed while I had a coffee. Nice and friendly. It's sad to see them go.
Interesting that shops continue to struggle and close, but the more community based, often volunteer led groups seem to be thriving
Expect a lot of closures now /soon - business rates up, minimum wage up, support for business energy costs being cut all a the same time.
Because some local shops provide an invaluable service when things go wrong.
FTFY
Not all shops are created equal. My 'local' shop is over an hour away, the closer stores aren't particularly good, they either lack the competence or their service is poor and they routinely failed to meet their own time lines.
I still think there’s a viable business in operating a LBS, people haven’t stopped riding and buying - it’s just slowed down. I’d suspect the issue for most shops at the moment is cash flow, rather than a lack of opportunity.
Good profits made in the last few years for most, whilst carrying very little stock and a record stock turn. If money was taken out in salary/dividends rather than left in the business (not blaming anybody for that), then a big injection of cash in going to be needed in 2023 as stock starts to arrive from forward orders.
Suppliers give shops very short payment terms, given the price of the bikes, so 50, 60 or more bikes arriving from a couple of manufacturers within a few months will require a decent amount of working capital before they are likely to be retailed.
Those with a bit of cash who can afford to carry the stock they used to, and can afford a small loss this year and next, should be okay. Obviously even harder for newer shops who haven’t had time to build reserves.
Can’t remember where I read that we’ve had the party, now it’s the hangover.
There are a lot more pop-up bike mechanics working from their garage advertising on our local Facebook groups. ‘Free’ home collection or repair from van. Much lower overheads and cheaper prices
There's at least 3 guys who ride with our cycle club who have done this, plus a couple of very competent tinkerers who are happy to help folk fix problems. A bit tricky when an LBS sponsors our June hill climb series.
I think it is cashflow rather than a lack of potential customers, at a time when costs are going up.
@tomhoward Under £135, you pay native VAT and the Germans pay it to HMRC. Over £135, HMRC (should) collect it from you when it’s imported.
You sure about this? Just checked my recent R2 bike tyre order, under £135, each item is 0% VAT rated. I went incognito which had prices inc 19% Germany VAT with the expected higher price.
It's certainly true that under £135 sails through customs with no further charges though, and either way Germany seems to be consistently cheaper.
It was the reason a lot of the German resellers originally stopped supplying the UK, or had a minimum order value of £135. Not sure if it’s changed or they’ve simply decided to stick 2 fingers up to HMRC. What would we do about it?
Sort of tangentially related but made me curious, I've been trying to order a new road frame from a continental brand.
The brand exists in the UK, my local shop sells them, they are distributed by a reasonably large distributor (I'm keeping details vague, don't want to appear to be badmouthing anyone).
I went into shop to place an order for a frame and not quibbling or haggling on price. They still seemed very reluctant to order as it wasn't part of the distributor's core range (i.e. it would be a special order). They warned me about long lead times and potentially slow warranty service if there were any issues (neither bothered me, it would be a replacement for an older frame that I would probably just hang on the wall, so I'd never end up without a bike) and generally seemed quite reluctant to take the order, but they eventually did.
After six months of no communications and bike being two months later than the latest due date I went in to cancel the order (in part because I was beginning to suspect I'd ordered wrong size!). Shop admitted they had been a bit hands-off as the bike wasn't 'the dream' that they were selling to other customers (i.e. it was a rim brake frameset to replace another rim brake frameset, I didn't want to invest in a complete new build with discs) which seemed like a really weird reason to not pursue a relatively easy £1400 sale.
I've resorted to emailing the brand direct and they responded immediately to say yes, the frame is available in my size and in the colour I originally really wanted, but I still need to go through the distributor who haven't yet got back to me (in fairness this was only Friday so I can understand no response over a bank holiday weekend).
I'm just wondering why neither the shop nor distributor chased this before now though, are high end bike sales so easy that they don't need to do any legwork for a slightly niche sale? Has my reputation as STW-disc-brake-whinger-in-chief preceded me and no shop wants me as a customer? 😎
Not really moaning, just curious about industry conditions that seem to make it so difficult to part with cash for a product which is (apparently) available for purchase. Have been browsing EU webshops to see if I can just order from there and take my chances with VAT at the border 🙄
I went into shop to place an order for a frame and not quibbling or haggling on price. They still seemed very reluctant to order as it wasn’t part of the distributor’s core range (i.e. it would be a special order). They warned me about long lead times and potentially slow warranty service if there were any issues (neither bothered me, it would be a replacement for an older frame that I would probably just hang on the wall, so I’d never end up without a bike) and generally seemed quite reluctant to take the order, but they eventually did.
Not cycles, but Motorcycles. I’m in the very fortunate position where I could buy a new motorbike. I’m not suddenly rich, I cashed in a pension. I went to one dealer (Pidcocks Long Eaton) who had one in stock to have a look. The Salesman could not have been more dis-interested. he wouldnt get the one he had out (it was sat behind 5 other bikes), as it was sold. No, he wont be getting another in, no, he can't see if I can arrange a test ride, and no, he doesnt know how long they take to be ordered/delivered. Now, this is a £12k purchase, which, apart from my house, is the most expensive thing I’ve ever bought, so I thought there may be a little bit of Customer Service beforehand, but clearly not at this Dealer.What pee’d me off the most was I was ready to order one there and then, but he just wasnt bothered.
I went to A1 Moto in York who had a 2nd hand one in stock. A totally different experience, asks if I want a tea/hot drink before looking at it, couldnt be more helpful. Take the bike out,take it for up to 2 hours he said, if you fill it with petrol, keep the receipt and we’ll refund you etc. After the test ride, he gave me a raffle ticket, take it to the cafe, have a drink on us, and think about it, I did, and I bought it then, so saved myself 20% on the new price, and know I’ll be back there in future if I want to upgrade.
Does the system for EU companies to collect VAT on behalf of HMRC actually exist in any real operational form?
so I thought there may be a little bit of Customer Service beforehand
Actually in defence of my (un-named) shop, their service is typically first class, certainly in terms of quantity and quality of free coffee, tolerance of time-wasters cluttering up their shop floor, etc. etc. 😎
It was the reason a lot of the German resellers originally stopped supplying the UK, or had a minimum order value of £135. Not sure if it’s changed or they’ve simply decided to stick 2 fingers up to HMRC. What would we do about it?
Yeah, it's odd. Quick Google does indicate that <£135 the overseas seller should pay 20% VAT to HMRC, only customs and excise is waived. Maybe it's just a quirk of the way R2 display prices, or maybe 2 fingers, who knows.