Since 1995 approx 6 (5 bikes and one frames) from LBS.

One bike and one frame mail order and one bike and frame second hand.

All of them (4 or 5) from 1988 – 2003 as not much on the Internet at that point!
2 after that and all the others purchased online as frames and built up.

I am into the niche end of bikes so LBS not much use.

4 S/H, 2 frames direct from company (Dialled, Singular), 1 from sort-of LBS (Condor) when I lived in North London, 1 mail order from Stif.

Let’s see what I can remember, starting with my first bike purchase as an adult…

[list][*]Marin Bolinas Ridge, bought from the Bike Co-Op – (large) LBS
[*]Rocky Mountain Elevation, bought from the Bike Co-Op – LBS[/*]
[*]Cannondale Bad Boy, bought from the Bike Co-Op – LBS[/*]
[*]Rocky Mountain ETS-X, bought from the Hub – (less local) LBS[/*]
[*]Cotic Soul (frame), bought from Cotic – online[/*]
[*]Pace RC303 (frame), bought from Evans – online[/*]
[*]On-One ScandAL (frame), bought from On-One – online[/*]
[*]Orange 5, bought from the Bicycle Chain – LBS[/*]
[*]Kona Dr Dew, bought from Cycle World – (not at all local) LBS[/*]
[*]Giant Anthem, bought from Cycle World – LBS[/*]
[*]Santa Cruz Chameleon (frame), bought from Alpine – (chain) LBS[/*]
[*]Ibis Mojo SL (frame), bought from the Bicycle Chain – LBS[/*]
[*]Giant Anthem X (frame), bought from an LBS’s eBay store – online[/*]
[*]Whyte Portobello, bought from the Bike Co-Op – (at this point a chain) LBS[/*]
[*]Nukeproof Mega 290, bought from Alpine at Glentress – (less local) LBS[/*][/list]

15 bikes in 16 years! It seems like a lot when I write them all down. 🙂

In total 9 were bought from and wheeled out of shops, though most of them were from relatively big players (the Bike Co-Op and Alpine) rather than single shops. 3 more were bought from LBSes but at one level removed. One came from Evans, a national chain, and from its web store. Only the Soul and the On-One were bought from online-only retailers.

Edit: I can see why people don’t use the list formatting here much. 😐

In the last few years, all from my LBS as they are excellent – The Trailhead in Shrewsbury.

Since 2010 after moving out here, 4 bikes (Trek 3500, Yeti ASR-5 & SB66c and a Mach6) plus 1 frame (SB5c) but I had to buy another 2 frames via the internet (Stanton & Liteville) as I couldn’t source locally.
My local LBS is brilliant, so both the outsourced frames were delivered straight to them to carry out the fitting.

None – in the last 20 years:

2 bikes from Edinburgh Bike Co-op
1 bike from Paul’s Cycles bought online
1 bike from Evans, bought online, picked up in store
1 frame bought online from an LBS down in England
1 frame from On-One

I have however bought 3 pairs of forks from my LBS in the past 2/3 years.

Three. 1st Giant Hardtail 2005, 2nd Orange 5 2008, 3rd Giant Defy 2016

All the others except for the Canyon have been bought as frames, usually second hand.

Two this year, one in 2012, one in 2011, one in 2006 and maybe three or four kids bikes across that time oh and one from Halfords.

I’ve had maybe half-a-dozen from Edinburgh Bicycles – two of them being bike-to-work purchases. Also had a couple from Halfords and I think one more from another shop. Most of my bikes were built up from 2nd hand frames or frames bought online.

I’ve only bought 4 new bikes in my life- two from Halfords, one from Go Outdoors, and 1 from an LBS, Macdonalds Cycles in Edinburgh. Kind of a shite LBS though, they sold me a massive frame and said I’d grow into it, which I eventually did about 4 years later just before I sold it. Ah well.

The last new one was from a chain (Evans). One before that LBS. One before that a chain (Decathlon).

Other than that, all second-hand, but the replacement parts and upgrades pretty much all come from the LBS.

Two frames, forks, wheels, assorted small bits, clothing & a few other bits over the last 2 years worth well over 5k.

Bought two bikes from Hargroves, my Principia RSL ~1996 from the now gone Bitterne rail station branch, plus my Tricross Singlecross from the now gone Millbrook Road West branch in 2010.

Does buying the Wazoo from the Halfords in Western Esplanade back in Feb this year count as a LBS?

Cycle World by The Bittern pub rarely have bikes in stock at a price that interests me, while sadly Dave Hardy Cycles in Woolston seems to be long gone.

Probably 10 in the last 20 years but not all from the same lbs

Just the one online

Also a serial s/h buyer but only three bought as complete bikes ever.

One complete bike from CRC ex demo with BC discount on top.

Two bought as complete bikes from 18bikes (who I regard as my ‘proper’ LBS even though there are many shops closer to me)

Four brand new frames bought online from online companies (Cotic and On One)
Probably six or seven sh frames bought.

was adding this up the other week. Over the past 20 yrs, including for my kids :

Dales Glasgow 9
Sprockets Kilmarnock 3

have also bought one from Halfords, one from Dolan, one from Merlin, 4 from Islabikes, one from Wheelies, one from Orange……

all full bikes
😳

Halfords/Evans/LBS/LBS Are the only times I have bought new! Of those purchases, I got by far the best customer service in Halfords and Evans.

My last bike was off ebay, and if I get another bike soon it will be direct from the company (either Bird or Cotic).

I bought a £250 Giant Yukon from one of my LBS’s when I finished college and was a bit hard up, hell, it was even on christmas club scheme – 0% pay what you can when you can, and collect on last payment.

But that LBS is now pretty massive, only really interested in selling mega expensive bikes to thin blokes who do 200 miles of a weekend or look gnar, so they don’t get any of by business. Also wanted £10 a metre for hydraulic brake hose last week…..

My main LBS is ace, their knowledge is unsurpassed on general bike stuff, they can repair just about anything and still do frame alterations and repairs etc. I use them for as much as possible, particularly consumables and little bits that you wouldn’t save much money on, and would lose time for, online. Bike sales are slow there though, and they don’t really stock anything I’d ride now on the MTB side, they’re going to stock less bikes and concentrate on the workshop and accessories from now on. I might buy a road bike from them if I do ever get one though.

We do have at least 3 other bike shops in town, one is very ‘concept store’-ish though is I think privately owned and run independent of any brand, they do mostly (if not all) road stuff and drink lots of expensive coffee. Not keen. Another is very old fashioned, though was a genesis dealer, bit dusty. The last has a huge range of stock for a one man band, and a cotic dealer, I could find any type of bike in there, Scott and Merida stockist too.

BUT, of the last 8 bikes/frames I’ve bought/owned, 1 came as a complete bike from Winstanleys, 6 as second hand frames and swapped/bought other bits accordingly off here/ebay/pinkbike, and the other as a full second hand bike from here.

Bit mad to think I’ve had 9 bikes in the last 9 years, though really, 7 of them have been in the last 4……..

Madder to think I couldn’t afford a £250 bike at one point not than long ago, when I now have frames and forks worth double that sat doing nothing and regularly drop £100 on some bike related thing or other without giving it too much thought. Makes you think a bit. Oh to have no kids.

Pretty much none since I worked in a LBS. Lots of second hand and cheeky trade deals when I was in the trade, more recently I’ve had one built by a frame builder and bought a Bird from Bird (who nearly count as a LBS).

I have never bought a bike from Halfords, CRC, Wiggle or any other online retailer.

I have only ever bought bikes from LBS’s albeit not necessarily the most local to me.

Me and the wife have had seven off our LBS, Moose Cycles, over the years and five from other sligltly less local LBS’s (but within 10 miles of home). Few Planet x’s (3), ribbles (3),evans and halfords on the non lbs side

Never, I bought my 2nd full build bike from JensonUSA back in 2010, Yeti 575, but since…I’ve bought all my frames from online manufacturers/dealers

My first mtb when just getting in to it, since then they have all been second hand…

1. First mtb, a trek hardtail from lbs
2. A specialized camber from the concept store in town
3. A trek hybrid for commuting from the lbs
4. A cannondale roadie from a shop 10 miles away as lbs don’t sell cannondales
5. Dialled alpine frame bought new online from dialled. All bits transferred from the camber or from crc
6. A banshee rune frame from blazing bikes, about 60 miles from me.
7. Most recent is a bird zero tr, obviously online 🙂

LBS? 9 bikes over twenty years or so. Given that I have worked on and off in the trade myself, I’d say that’s pretty good going! Obviously, others came direct from suppliers while in the trade. Which was nice.

My Dad bought me a Raleigh burner from a local shop in about 1984…

All of them, apart from my first MTB which I bought from (I think) Warminster Cycles via an add in MBUK.

I, er, noticed the frame was bent and bought a Marin with the refund, from my lbs.
🙂

Rowbothams.
Moston Cycles.
Mike Cookson.
Neil Walton.
Harry Hall.
Merlin.
Harry Ingham.
Spa.

I like bike shops.

Three bikes bought for me from my most local lbs, the excellent Bicycle Smithy in Hazel Grove, though one of those was a second hand bike they took on trade. One other bike has been a bit of a “Trigger’s broom”, started out as an 18″ Inbred direct from on-one and had various frame swaps and part changes over the years from forums and friends (nothing new though that I can remember) till it was eventually replaced by a 29er

Mrs NBTs current bike was bought as a frame from here and built up with a mix of parts, some of which came from the above shop. Her previous bike came from NWMTB.

The tandem was bought secondhand and upgraded with various parts from the forum

Currently considering a new C2W bike but not sure that my LBS will be able to compete with the value offered by the Arkose 3 I’ve got my eyes on, which is a shame. I’d much rather shop locally

Orange Clockwork in about 1992 from a place in South Manchester. I then stopped cycling for years and became a right fat ….

After that i bought a Trek 4500 about 5 years ago from the now defunct Saddleworth Cyclery, got into biking but my next was an On One Scandal frame, then a Canyon Nerve AM so both obviously online. Arkose 4 and my Charge Cooker Maxi were both from Evans.

Bit of everything.

And a Felt Z95 from Wiggle that I’ve forgotten about.

Over the last 3 years, everything has been from the LBS… But then I own the shop, so… 😉

Prior to that, a bit of a mix. Quite a lot 2nd hand off the classifieds on here, used LBS’s for the odd frame or full bike here or there, I think only one whole bike bought online in the whole lot (various parts obviously at points).

Only my 456 frame came mail order. My wife’s bike bought nearly ten years ago was from Evans Cycles but had to be collected so it’s kind of mail order but not (£700 bike knocked down to sub £400 was too good a bargain to miss at the time).

The other 7 or 8 new bikes I’ve had over the years have all been from local shops.

As a kid everything was second hand until I was about 15

Parts I am a lot more variable on. Probably 60/40 shop vs. mail order and clothes 80/20 shop vs. mail order.

If I ever give in to my disturbing desire to buy that bright pink Charge Plug it will probably be from Evans

I think I may be indulging that urge tonight [/quote]

Mission complete 🙂

Since reaching adulthood, 3 complete bikes from an LBS i think. All have had issues which the LBS weren’t capable or interested in fixing. (And that’s all in the last 10 years)

Everything else has either been frames or bikes from the Internet/mail order from not local shops (even dave hinde once or twice). Which I’ve built myself. Or gear from sponsors, which mostly went back.

0. I always buy my big bits 2nd hand. Every shop I seem to try is staffed by miserable buggers so its hard to find a reason to want to give them my money when I can get things cheaper elsewhere.

I#m definitely veering towards online buying, I think

Kona from a (horrible, shitty, thankfully now closed) LBS
Blur 4x Frame – from an LBS (though not all that local to me, went in for a browse, and bought on impulse)
Specialized Demo 7 – ordered online, was half price, so….
Cotic Roadrat – direct form Cotic, a slightly scratched one they found in the warehouse
Lapierre Spicy – More or less a full bike, from a sadly now-closed LBS
Intense Tazer HT – Ebay
Morewood Makulu- Frame bought online
Cotic Soul – frame bought Online
Nicolai Ion 16 – frame bought online
Last Fast Forward – Kickstarter
Geometron – second hand frame from on here

Most of mine (frames and full bikes) have come from LBS (Worcester Cycle Center) I’ve had 16 bikes, 10 of which have come from them.

I tend to buy frames and build from bits, but even the last full bike I bought was from them. Great shop, great team in there who all know their stuff and are happy to impart their collective knowledge. Or in my case, let me try 5 different demo bikes before pulling the trigger 🙂 new Orange Four frame is on its way! 🙂

More worryingly, I’ve worked out over the last 7 years how much I’ve spent on bikes 😯 over 70% has been in there!

I’ve spent a fair bit at merlin which is a relatively local but I buy components and build myself so frames have come from online and classifieds here. The carerra came from halfords as a semi impulse purchase, when that was stolen i was given halfords vouchers from the insurance company so got the voodoo . I use cooksons and keep Pedalling for bits and make a point of buying something from the mental list whenever I go in. This thread has encouraged me to get brakes from my lbs for the next project.

Over the years, 1 FS, 1HT, 1FS for Mrs M, a frame, a road bike and an eBike for Mrs M. As well as tonnes of bits.