As above really and also wondered if they price match at all?

Yes, Charlie is a regular poster on here and seems to have a loyal following – I’ve always been satisfied with stuff I’ve had from him. Don’t know about price match though.

Yep he’s good 😀 good advise too

Charlie the bikemonger – anyone used them?

I thouight maybe it was new sticker competition time….

He’s a small business selling stuff that most people don’t or won’t stock I’d pay what he’s asking or go where you’ve found it cheaper, really.

He may be along to disagree with me, though.

Charlies great.

I bought a surly ring from him a few years back. Put it on the floor whilst taking cranks off only to pick it up with a 30 degree bend on one side. No idea how or why it happened. I asked him if Surly would replace it or anything and he said no but he would do me a deal if I couldnt bend the ring back and use it properly. The no-nonsense meeting half way customer service is always a winner for me, especially if it was most likely my fault anyway!

Naturally it being made of a real material it bent back and has been fine for 2-3 years now 🙂

Yep. Nice chap, good products.

He makes a good cup of coffee too…

dealt with him a few times, all good!

He has a longtail, a fatbike and a Tentipi – must be a good guy 🙂

Yup, not necessarily the cheapest but great value in the wider sense – advice, backup, responsiveness. If we got his kind of service from all our LBSs we’d all be happy to pay.

Top guy!

I’ve had no problems. Like ^^^^ said, stocks the niche stuff others shy away from.

had to buy a new cog and chain the other week. got it from him. his chainring size guide also helped me work out which one i needed. textbook start to finish. recommended.

DO NOT TRUST THIS MAN!!! he’ll magic your gears away, pervert you with fatness and sell you a surf board…. “but I only came in for a puncture repair kit” …

Bought a truvativ crankset off him the other day, great price and good service.

Would defo recommend them.

Shopping with Charlie could lead you to the Dark Side and possibly end up buying something FAT

Heed the warning from qwerty.

Apart from that, great fella and would recommend him.

I have recently had a FAT purchase from there. Communication was good, his knowledge far exceeded some other shops selling similar items hence used him.

Managed to get a few free stickers in the box, Stickers rock. Delivery was on the specified day and all is good

simply excellent service…

simply excellent service…

++1

yep he is a character and a half! Nice guy…………..you still me a Surly Tugnut Charlie!

He dazzled me, romanced me and spoke sweet nothings in my ear.

However when I woke up, it transpired he had stolen my wife, my gears and all I had left behind were some chainring bolts, BMX chains, funny shaped handlebars and some stickers*.

*my actual CTBM purchasing history.

Yup, and he’s actualy the cheepest on quite a few niche things.

I’m loving my PDW bell, it’s brilliant!

He sent me sweets.

Another happy customer here. Just give him your money.

(Confession time: one of the stickers read “No Britneys” – first thought was it was a tad homophobic, then a solidarity with teetotalers. Then realised that it’s meant for a SS bike…
:oops:)

Got 3 sets of esi grips from him always turned up quick and free delivery perfect imo !

Price match? Pfffttt…
How many other shops send old skool sweets like Fruit Salad and Black Jacks with your order? OK, so The Bike Chain, but who else, huh?

A bikemonger earlier (centre).

Another happy customer here. Three farmes off him, a number of bit and bob, numerous calls and conversations and I cannot be happier with service and price. he is exactly the kind of startup we should be supporting. I will go out of my way to buy from him again – and no ive not even received a sticker

Great guy to deal with, on products no one else stocks as said, and he gave me a Jethro Tule at SSUK the other year for turning up to registration with a beer,

Top bloke all round, and always happy to answer questions in the phone…

Just beware the drunken dancing!!!

Buzzard – Member

Three farmes off him

Sorry to hear you bought the farme. 🙁

No just one but three “farmes” apparently. hate typing on this damn phone

Top bloke… Went to his shop in swanage… Looks like a front room stuffed full of bikes!

I bought a surly ring from him a few years back. Put it on the floor whilst taking cranks off only to pick it up with a 30 degree bend on one side. No idea how or why it happened. I asked him if Surly would replace it or anything and he said no but he would do me a deal if I couldnt bend the ring back and use it properly. The no-nonsense meeting half way customer service is always a winner for me, especially if it was most likely my fault anyway!

Wonder if the Surly ring I bent at SSUK in Bristol in 2007 (on its first ever ride because I didn’t tighten the chainring bolts fully) and has since been flattened out and used to replace a horseshoe on my garage door would run ok?

The first time I met Charlie was when I had a serious frame problem while riding over the Purbecks on a really mucky day. A friend suggested we nurse the bike over to Charlie’s who striped the bike until he had found the problem (mud all over the place!) and he also gave me some great advice. One helpful star man!

Don’t know what he’s like to do business with but knows how to have some fun Klunkerz

He stole one of my slogans, made stickers out of it and then distributed them widely for no money (not even postage) without even offering me a share of the cost of all the stamps. i suspect I may owe him up to 76p as my 10%.

BTW, if you do read this and have any spare, my ‘It’s not niche, there’s a recession’ sticker went away with with my old ss frame, and I could do with a replacement for my new one. I’d make do with ‘I brake for cake’ if the recession ones are all gone 😉 I’d even paypal you postage this time.

Charlie sure is a a top fella.

LOL I missed the “It’s not niche, there’s a recession” sticker – hehehe

Placed one order for some ss bits. Very helpful on phone and nice selection of oddities.

I would not dream of asking him (or another good quality seller) to price match personally so long as they’re not taking the p’ . If you paste that kind of business on price you’re stuffing their future your ability to deal with them long term.

Yep, great guy. Very helpful indeed when trying to decide on what expensive kit to buy, fast delivery, cool stock. Just like Sideways.