[Closed] Love-Bikes Opinions

Don't go then ?

No, but I'd be voting with my feet there. There's nothing worse* than a pushy salesman that won't listen. It's not like there aren't other shops.

I had this most recently with the Skoda dealer in Colne. I landed a proper old-school salesman like a cockney barrow-boy, all he was missing was braces to hook his thumbs under. I asked a couple of questions and he went "I'm not going to sell you that" and started papping on about a top-of-the-range Superb. I said flat out, I'm not interested, parking is a problem where I live and it's too big. Out come the glossy photos, emotional blackmail, "can't you see yourself sitting in this?", turning to my partner and trying to get her to put pressure on me...

In the end I just stood up and walked out. Went to the Preston branch, ordered what I wanted, the process there couldn't have been more different. I mentioned my earlier experience and they tactfully said "yes... I think I know who you mean..."

(* - OK, there are many things worse, but you know what I mean.)

I'm another in the cancel the appointment camp. The last time I was in TriUK had a good selection of Focus', heading along there instead. I've only ever driven past, but from that and the website it looks very shopping bike focused

Cancel ?
Im beginning to think that way.
Asked about if they did the Giant Trance X E+ pro 28(2) and he came back with 'Wouldnt touch it' then some speel about the Yamaha motor and seemed dying to baffle me with autistic levels of data.
He knows I dont blah de blah blah blah.

Im sure everyone at Giant and Yamaha would strongly disagree, and certainly the you tube reviewers like it. Seems a nice all-rounder topped of with a very nice Fox 36 float rhythm + Float DPS Performance, which is bloody good for the money.

Good for you for wanting to use an LBS, but that sounds like the last place I'd want to give my money to.

Why don´t you go there and have a look? You never know, you might be pleasantly surprised.

On the basis of "riding off-road once a year and mostly farting about" I too would advise sir that perhaps a full suss 29er may not be the correct choice.

On the basis of “riding off-road once a year and mostly farting about” I too would advise sir that perhaps a full suss 29er may not be the correct choice

That's like walking into a restaurant and asking for chicken and them saying "nah, you're having steak"

I can get it if he went in and said "what do you recommend", then that's different.

I can kind of understand the staff member making a recommendation based on how it will be used but he is there to make sir happy and if a Giant e-Trance does that he should damn well sell sir one. Simple retail.... a customer that walks away is lost profit

Clearly your not happy with dealers attitude I would find another dealer, I only spend my money where I am comfortable.

On the basis of “riding off-road once a year and mostly farting about” I too would advise sir that perhaps a full suss 29er may not be the correct choice.

Aye well there is that but as with everything I do it not just a single part of an equasion, morew a host of reasons

Reasons...
1. 25 years of riding a hardtail, I WANT AN FING SUS 😆
2. Im a giant, and seems 29er's are best for giants like me.
3 Spec.
Far as i can see the important parts of a sus is the sus bits. So for 4 1/2K the choice is a recon silver or a suntour against a fox 36 Rhythm

EG the Giant trance. Front of that bike is a retail £900 fork. You cannot compare that to a suntour xcwhatever that retails at £130, and 2 or 3 years down the line whats still going to be operational and worthy of whatever you throw at it ?.

A similar argument would be what car do you have ?. A-B why not get a peugeot-205 ? Does the job doesnt it. You arent going to be driving in the Nürburgring.

If I but a commuting, shopping, then thats the sum and extent of it. Certainly should I join the RB crowd on a day at the trail center like Glentress, i wont really have a suitable bike.

A-B why not get a peugeot-205 ? Does the job doesnt it. You arent going to be driving in the Nürburgring.

I'd sell a kidney to be able to take a 1.9 205 GTi round the 'ring.

It's hard to have that kind of conversation over the phone rather if you're used to selling on the shopfloor with the customer in front of you - the salesman can't pick up the body language and other visual cues that you are not interested in being steered in a certain direction.

All the more reason for the shop to be extra careful unless you've asked for different options. At the end of the day, they missed a sale.

Well not necessarily Martin. The guy on the phone was the owner, and his bike past is Ibis European sales rep, so he does know his onions so to speak, and tbh sometimes we can all be caught up by the pretty bicycle that we overlook important details.

I can only be fair and give him his chance, if its not for me it's not for me.

For me it would depend how pushy he was, once I'd made it clear I was after a 29er FS (even though it might not be needed for 90% of my riding) I wouldn't expect the sales guy to keep trying to direct me to hard tails etc. but pointing out the relative suitability initially I'd see as fine.

On the motor side, it looks like their experience is entirely with Bosch & Shimano systems so again understandable if they try and direct you that way (and they both have a good reputation) but if the Yamaha system is well rated I wouldn't expect them to bad mouth it without providing some clear evidence. It's probably more they've no experience with it rather than have had a bad experience. They don't seem to list Giant as a brand they sell anyway though?

I'd probably still go for a look, it's not easy viewing e-bikes in the flesh so may as well take the opportunity. If you are leaning towards the Giant though is there anywhere else local for sorting out any issues? I'm guessing you'd just get a sucking in through the teeth followed by a "told you so" if you take it love e-bikes.

Bad mouthing other brands to try and push yours is never a good approach. Its Giant as well, not like some ropey thing you'd found on Amazon or Aliexpress

Theres Dales cycles, but im banned forever. Sold me a lid during one of their mentally busy sales that was in the wrong box, worth more than the one that should have been in it, and it was the owner who served and sold it to me, but I got accused and decided to call her a fat F"£$%^ cow.
And some other choice phrases 😆

I reckon she'll still be sore and if i did go in and that came up again, I'd likely lose it and hand her a repeat prescription.

So I reckon Dales is out, though they do have the one I like in large, and at 6'3" im about in the L/XL size.

I’d sell a kidney to be able to take a 1.9 205 GTi round the ‘ring.

It sounds great until the gear linkage pops off as you go through the barrier, leaving you with 2nd gear and acting as a mobile chicane until you bail halfway round 🙂

Digressing...

That’s like walking into a restaurant and asking for chicken and them saying “nah, you’re having steak”

Though normally I completely agree with this... there's a FANTASTIC little Thai place near me, ran by a lovely fiery Thai lady, and I FREQUENTLY ask for a chicken "this that or other" and she says "nah darlin', you wan' pork, righ'?"!!!
Clearly she's over ordered Pork, or ran out of chicken... I don't mind.. it's a fab place...!!

DrP

FANTASTIC little Thai place near me

What is it called?

......... The last 24h have been a bit of a revelation to me, in that the owner of Love bikes I spoke to initially is absolutely fing goddamn right.

Part of it is my early history, the 4-5 years of homelessness, bumming around thew whole of Great Britain, trying to stay alive, mos of those I've known during those times are dead, either murdered or overdosed.
So my own pathology of those times and my achievements from then till now, the position im in, ownership of home, cabinet workshop is all testimony to my strength of mind.

So I probably overreacted to the 'You've made the wrong choice' is more reactionary than logical. In the 80's this owner might have found me sleeping in his doorway than being a customer.

So what do I need ? A chance to relay my life ?, an attempt to hold on to the past ? even me trying to prove to myself I still have the aggression to ride a trail, when in fact I probably dont 😆 Or maybe a childish WANT WANT WANT.
Never ridden a sus, and the folk I have and ride with all have them and take a better line than me, effectively feeling my way around with more off's than ons, or the effectively poor health making any jaunt with me at the back, holding everyone up and feeling shite about that. I thought the electric assist would get me up the hill along with everyone else and not knackered by the time I got there.
But is just riding trails all i need, or do I need something that suits my cycling lifestyle(non driver, never learned)
I need to get out and about in general. Ride to the shops, ride into the west end for a coffee and bun. To take the bike on the train with my camping kit, and enjoy what is some of the best scenery in the country, if not world and enjoy that, instead of trying to slog my way there and losing the freedom feeling of being outdoors again. And visit some old haunts, including a secure unit I was in in Wales, if only to help those there understand that life can change, and will change for the better, if they can realize this and are prepared to put everything behind them and work towards that brighter future I know is really there. My early history includes a C*** called Sidney Cooke, and the less said about his group the better, but thats the kind of shit I survived and came out stronger than any of them.

So maybe my needs relate to this, relate to only having myself to rely upon, and having people try to tell me whats best for me in that time just didnt compute, and pretty much set me against their point of view, despite it more than likely being the best.

In choosing and when I look at the pricing of tour/shop ebike etc it really annoys me. Basically a pile of poo component wise, and I cant look as such bikes without judging every part of it and comparing it to my Cove Stiffee FR, which is a bike thats more than capable, and isnt pretentious in any way(OK, the monogrammed ANDY on the mono brake lids is a bit tarty,). So to get that level of capability and to keep the quality of the componentry I looked towards the Trance or the jam or the thron, as those bikes are the same capabilities to many extents as the cove, but are suspended. And more modern.

To achieve such I get the sus 29er, but at the cost of all other bikes, and all the good new kit ive got for 26", the pro4, tech3, XO etc, and i also lose the tour/trek, heavy shop component of the Ebike that I do need. Im not getting younger, despite trying.

With these thoughts in mind the truth of what I need is a bike I can 'upgrade' with the latest hope kit, keeping my need/interest for those finer things I missed in early life,and If I still want that sus, then Im sure theres a high end 26" sus frame out there I could get for way less than today's Ebike prices.

So I suppose for my £4000 with the right advice, I should be able to get the basic kit(to be swopped over) but a longer range battery/ies, eg 1150wt, better size than the one or 2 sizes many of these e shoppers/commuters seem to come in. Those of you in the height bracket will understand fully what its like riding a frame thats a bit too small.

More sensible ?, more mature and less reactionary.
So Il visit, and we'll chat, and hopefully Il get the right thing for me, taking all into account