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I'll second the Tunbridge/Kent posts. I went in to a shop in T-Wells looking for a half-link for a SS chain. The assistant was helpful, but the owner/manager (?) looked at me like I'd taken a dump on his breakfast...
If you're reading this, Mr LBS owner, remember who pays your mortgage...
BE PLEASANT! ❗
I would have to say Velocity Cycles in Huddersfield too. After many years of mail order they have restored my faith in bike shops. By far the best in Huddersfield. Not a great deal of stock yet but I am going to keep going! And I can walk to it, score!!
pitsford cycles in northampton!
top blokes all, understanding and helpfull in doing my low margin bike fettling tasks.
they've got some lovely carbon road bikes in at the moment too.
I try and buy kit from them when i can, but I am pretty anal about getting the best price for expensive kit online, searched about for ages for some forks, then when i was in there to get some pads they whipped out some 08 fox f100 rlcs in white, brand spanking full warranty etc, rrp price tag of £509 still on em, mine for £350.
i hear the people that work in pitsford cycles are brilliant so talanted, good looking and intelligent, they are the gods of the bike world!! 😛
... okay maybe i do work at pitsford cycles haha
Betd for us chaps and chapettes in the Potteries. Done and doing plenty for mountain biking in our area.
not one shout for stif...wonder why....?
i was in there on friday, bought a spoon..... 8)
a friend hired a cotic susser and broke it.... 😥
Ton,
I've just bought something from Stif ('bout a week ago) and it hasn't arrived. (Low value item which I couldn't find anywhere else)
Should I be concerned? Are they a bit shyte?
stu, i would check thet they have even sent it...
when you are spending megabucks they are all over you.
i have phoned in and asked them to order smaller stuff, and when i phone say a week later no one knows anything about it.
they seem to have a 'don't give a ****' atitude.
Go to a bike shop that does not think you owe them a living.
If they are rude and think you should just hand your money to them then by all means find one that deserve the money for being polite.
Good ones should be rewarded and the rude ones let them be ... karma will work in a magical way.
Cheers mate.
I'll get on the blower on Monday.
Evans Cycles
😕
RD, should have been in today....we had can endless supply of homemade cake......
'Bike' in Bristol, opposite Habitat. Nice people who make sincere efforts to be helpful and informative. They acknowledge their customers exist, unlike Bike Dock. Politeness really does get customers back through the door!
My lbs are Freeborn and East St Cycles. Not bought from Freeborn but the staff seem friendly and knowledgable and interested, even when I'm twice as old as them. East St are pretty good and even when I had an "issue" with some stuff they did for me, they tried their absolute best to make it up which says a lot for them.
Both are a thousand times better than Cyclopedia in Tolworth whose staff couldn't be bothered to sell me anything. Ever. I'd rather go to Halfords. Or Argos. Or Asda.
Best? CRC (sorry does it have to be a physical shop?). They are local as all kit is next day and the service is generally good.
Lots really as the staff tend to have a shared-interest. There is one though that in the past I have put alot of business their way (frames, wheels, forks etc) - Cycle Surgery- wouldnt touch that chain even if they offered me free sex.
Mellors in Shrewsbury.
For a better Kent xperience, try Senacre Cycles, Maidstone or Bike Warehouse, Sevenoaks.
Another vote for The Bike Chain in Edinburgh.
Also Bothy Bikes is good if you are up that way.
No one ever mentions 'Sideways' anymore - always used to pop up a load of times as best cycle shop, even by folk who had never even been there, just as it was trendy to say they liked it!!! i've nothing against Sideways or Tim, but it did used to grate that folk only said it was great for no other reason that he had cool ads in ST magazine.
Blazing Saddles in Hebden Bridge and Cooksons in Whitefield Manchester.
Edinburgh Bike Co-Op in Manchester also seem to know their stuff.
I've had shockingly bad service from the 'Bicycle Doctor' in Rusholme on two separate occasions. I'll never ever buy anything from them again.
The guys at Sowerby Brothers in Mirfield are a good bunch!
Big Peaks in Ashburton... always feel welcome whenever I go in, and they give the impression that nothing is too much trouble. And I usually get a discount, a cup of tea, and a chat. 'Nuff said. 🙂
soops,
Interestingly Bob from Velocity started at Sowerby Bros before getting his own place. Good customer service; must be something in the air in Kirklees...
Moonglu in Ripon and dare I say it Stif - always been good to me.
I think a few shops in Bristol suffer from "too cool for school" syndrome. Bike are ok (as mentioned above) but my favourite is Strada on North St. They fixed my front brake for a low price last month, plus have a good range of spares & interesting kit on display.
If you think kent is bad for riding, try south london. Though we do have the quite good Brixton Cycles. Always freindly and chatty, nice line in socks too.
For the UK - Conventry cycle centre, I was trying to source alfine stuff to Ireland and they couldn't have helped more.
Would be happy to go back to again.
For ireland :worr:
Good Bike shops I've used before, and wouldn't hesitate to use again (in no particular order):
Cheltenham Cycles
Worcester Cycle Centre
About Bikes near Evesham
Sideways Cycles (yup, Tim is as good as his reputation!)
Swinnertons Cycles
John Atkins Cycles
Coventry Cycle Centre
Bike Shed in Cardiff (only been there once but they gave me massive discount just cos they know my mate!)
Beeline Bikes in Oxford
Noahs Ark
JE James in Sheffield
Any of these I would happily use again in their vicinity. There have been plenty of bad bike shops I've visited in the past though, and without wishing to name names, usually the larger the bike chain or the store, the worse the service is. You may not get the range of products in a smaller store, but more often than not (in my experience at least) you get much more helpful/knowledgable staff and a better service, and the possibility of discounts too (often without even asking).