Just had a survey from evans cycles over the phone asking about a recent purchase (bike) I made from there. Concerningly the questions seemed to be around would I have bought the bike if the shop didn’t exist. This was further confirmed when he mentioned there had been rumours of Evans Braehead closing, but that wasn’t the case.

I’m all for local bike shops (backed up with a good internet site) and I regularly visit most of the Glasgow bike shops (chains, Independants, charity’s, cafe/cycle shops), and I wouldn’t want any to close as they all contribute to the Glasgow cycling ‘scene’.

So do you support your local shops or happy to go mail order only?

Deffo LBS for bikes, servicing, etc. (although my favourite LBS is 100 miles from me so not so local really). I will use tinternet for consumables though.

I have a cracking LBS who get my support as much as i can. But they don’t stock all the bits and bobs that i like so ill order them happily online.

But all my big stuff like forks, brakes etc etc are all LBS bought.

I’d imagine the new shop in town will have a bit of an effect on the xscape store. Sad to say, but if pushed, I’d use evans before alpine now, alpine have been really shit for a couple of years now.

Fortunately, I have two very good bike shops in Ayrshire to choose from!.

alpine have been really shit for a couple of years now.

I have to agree. last couple of times i’ve been in there was nothing that made me want to get my wallet out.

I think the Evans in the City Centre is in an ideal location for commuters.

Spent £400 in freeflow in Shawlands getting my zaskar sorted recently, I’d always go to a physical shop.

Shop all the way, as the T-Shirt said the internet can’t fix my bike.
I will order something online if it’s not available (sometimes the case down here in Oz) or if it’s a ridiculous price for something I’m genuinely after.

My LBS will get close enough on pricing to keep me shopping there. The service is great and knowing that I can get a headset fitted etc with the right tools or a fork serviced properly helps. Also having a local point for dealing with warranty is important a LBS with a relationship with the supplier can get things done that the internet can’t.

Try to support my LBS’ where possible but sadly Evans is pretty terrible. Still prefer the Braehead store over the city centre one which has terrible customer service. So bad that I have gone in there twice to spend a few hundred and in one case ended up in Halfords! I’m not sure who Evans’ customers are, but it isn’t me.

Any excuse… Evans, from London Bridge to Edinburgh and back have the most mind-blowingly consistently pathetic levels of customer service. Predictably awful, time and time again. I think I just go in to remind myself not to go back in.

LBS for workshop, chains pads rotors & lube etc. Internet for big ticket bits.

I’ve found the city centre one pretty good. The fact that they generally price match the Internet and I don’t have to drive to Braehead Braehead had made it my default option.

If Evans were the last bike shop in the world I’d take up jogging.

This opinion is based on experience of service from the Braehead store, were management refused to acknowledge an issue with a new bike. In the end the manufacturer resolved it with one phone call.

Not been in Evans in Braehead for a while but my last few visits my opinion of staff has not been high, absolulety no interest, their enthusiasm has been zero 😕

Never had a problem with Evans in Nottingham, but obviously I wouldn’t make a sweeping generalisation about all their stores and services just based on my own experience. 🙄

I’ve found the city centre one pretty good. The fact that they generally price match the Internet and I don’t have to drive to Braehead Braehead had made it my default option.

Braehead. So bad they named it twice.

😆

Evans Braehead have always been perfectly civil and helpful to me. They cut a new thread for me in some cranks on an unusual bike in the carpark at 0900 on a sunday in the pissing rain when everyone else was shut and would only let me pay for the pedals I’d bought.

I’ve tried bikes for size and bought new grips last week. They are always interested but won’t waste time on time on you if you say you are just looking or know what you want. Which is fair enough.