Just before I part with £550 on set of forks. Anyone have any issues now they’re sports direct ?

Apart from the owner??

It appears they are back up and running though is the item in stock?

That’s the thing it says I can collect in store in two days ? Not sure if it means yes it’s in stock or they order in ?

anything of value they are holding centrally now it seems – though gritted teeth I’ve picked up a couple items as they had them (exposure light brackets) and it’s all been in the warehouse not store.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to pop in and ask for them to be delivered and then you pay

Contacted Evans Edinburgh. In warehouse at Gatwick will be in store late Thursday/Friday afternoon if I order.

Anyone have any Tesco Clubcard points not being used I can get 3 times the value off my purchase apparently 🙂

What forks are you going for?

I’ve purchased a bike from them (got two ordered in to test ride). Had some bits delivered to store. And I’m just on my way out to collect some higher value items I had delivered to store.
I agree they seem not to be holding much or anything interesting in store. But to give them some leeway I’m interested in mountain bikes and my local store is city centre based.
The bikes were a couple of week wait as stated because they were waiting on a shipment. The bits were pretty much next day as stated. The things I’m about to collect said in warehouse 7-10 days which made me think not in stock at all I hope the importer has stock, but they’ve just arrived in 3 days.

I ordered a set of 2019 lyriks on 07.02 they were due on the last week of February. The date has now been moved to the 30th March as the stock isn’t available from manufacturer but a shop checked live stock for me and they are showing as in stock at distributor so no idea why Evans can’t get them. Ubyk are showing the fork available at 200 more but I’m not sure if I should trust them either

Ubyk are showing the fork available

How do you put a laughing face in here?

How do you put a laughing face in here?

😂🤣

I think thats standard for Evans. I ordered a grand of parts via cycle to work scheme and it was all delivered to store after two days. When I got there I changed my mind and swapped the wheels for some forks. Again, those were delivered to store for collection after two days.

so no idea why Evans can’t get them.

Hmmm there could be some reasons ££££ wonder how much SRAM/Distributor lost when they changed hands

If a shop checked and could get them why not buy from that shop?

If a shop checked and could get them why not buy from that shop?

Probably because they wpuld be ££££££££ more.

I’ve always found Evans online stock info to be correct including the couple of items I picked up this week.  One (the only?) advantage of working in Crawley is that I can collect from the warehouse where most of the stock is, as you’d expect, held.  Dodges the £4.99 p&p too.

Whoever mentioned Ubyk is having a laugh

Yeah shop that could get them is full rrp and that’s kind of out of budget. It’s been a month waiting on Evans and now they are saying another month. Payed via PayPal with credit card so I’m not real worried but just want my forks!
No hope with ubyk then?

No hope with ubyk then?

Wouldn’t surprise me, it was selling Hope below trade prices that got them into a mess.

Yeah shop that could get them is full rrp and that’s kind of out of budget. It’s been a month waiting on Evans and now they are saying another month.

Selling things you don’t have at a price nobody else is 😉 Yep that is the fun business model. The other conclusion would be they are buying them from another supplier at a different price and they don’t have them either.

Taking money for delayed product seems to be a theme on STW recently.

I bought a bike there just before Christmas, picked it up a week later – no problems at all.
I have no time for Ashley, but the staff at the shop were great. they let me test a couple of bikes, fitted me properly for the one I chose, talked me through what I needed to buy without any pressure to get more expensive stuff. Oh, and the bike was well put together as well.
I’m taking it in for the after-sale service tomorrow – again, arranged with no problems.

Yep – I’ll continue to support the local branch in Havant – the guys that work there have bills of their own to pay.
I only popped in today for more ‘wet lube’ as the winter is dragging on…. they were quite busy in there and thats a good thing.
My wife had a bike from them just before they changed hands and the service was spot-on, and the staff are the same still so, yes, I think they are doing ok and Mr Ashley needs to make a profit somewhere or he can’t continue to rescue the high street.

Not for me ..
Don’t buy from House of Fraser or Debenhams either these days ..and Sports Direct is a complete no-no ..
If buying from a bloodsucker is your thing ..fill yer boots

Why not?
Important to distinguish between owner and the business.

Why not?
Important to distinguish between owner and the business.

For some of us it’s a way to protest the owners actions. The contempt that Ashley has show for his employees for a start is one reason. The list of things he has done at NUFC is long and documented and comes close to asset stripping. He is a con artist who has no interest in the business he picks up.

I struggled using Evans in the past but recently they’ve been really good.
Staff are nice and friendly and the lads in there are fairly knowledgeable – even if most of them are roadies.
No problems when I had an issue with my Exposure Diablo, swapped in a couple of days.

For some of us it’s a way to protest the owners actions

The capitalist vote is a valid point, but in that case I hope you (eg) don’t own a car, or buy from a whole lot of other companies with less public and highly questionable owners or actions – or you’re OK with inconsistent values or applying values where it’s easiest for you.

(I work at Evans but my point isn’t about defending a person, only that people can be inconsistent, even lazy, in their boycott ethics.)

people can be inconsistent, even lazy, in their boycott ethics

Being 100% consistent in boycott ethics is virtually impossible, but I would say it is lazier not to at least make some sort of effort, rather than shrugging it off.

Personally I’m no fan of Ashley nor his sports direct model, but I will still buy from one of his high Street shops.

I would say 90% of where I make my purchases are ethically driven. I buy from lbs for most of my parts that I could absolutely source cheaper online. But some stuff just doesn’t work because I can’t afford to.
I am openly honest with lbs about this though.
Like others have mentioned it’s virtually impossible to shop entirely ethically. Everyone has a point where the line gets drawn and that’s fair enough

Being 100% consistent in boycott ethics is virtually impossible, but I would say it is lazier not to at least make some sort of effort, rather than shrugging it off.

Yes agreed, and better to have some opinion or awareness than none. Even better if it’s the start of a wider lifestyle shift for the good.

The staff at Evans Edinburgh have always been great with me (it’s near a site I visit regularly so find myself in there browsing quite a lot).

They hold a lot of stock of interesting stuff that other shops don’t seem to have on display for people like me to paw and try on.

Better selection of 29er tyres than many other shops in town also.

They actually bridge a nice gap for me, I shop online more often than not now due to variety of stock, local shops never have what I want in stock or on display, but Evans is basically online pricing but with a high street front and decent stock levels.

In the market for a new saddle on the road bike and based on brands carried and actual saddles on the shelf there is every chance I’ll end up back at Evans…

Still try to buy at Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op whenever possible though, old loyalties die hard!

Evans would have been liquidated without Ashley’s intervention.
Was anyone else interested in buying NUFC?
Asset stripping? NUFC’s assets are the players, fan loyalty and brand in the form of club name; ground is leased from council.
‘Contempt for his employees’ – there were some problems at Shirebrook but they appear to have been sorted.
Ashley is not a con artist.
He is an opportunistic businessman who knows how to negotiate a good deal.
If he has no interest in the businesses he buys that would be evidenced by a high level of churn. There is no sign of that.
He buys and invests for the long-term; I’m sure he sweats the assets and maximises his returns – who wouldn’t?

I don’t have issues with using Evans because despite some earlier stories about his business practices Ashley has saved them from closing. In fact the increased central warehouse policy seems to be working well as I’ve had no problems recently.
LBS is a nice idea but a fair number of my locals are turning into niche expensive sites.
Halfords and Evans are rapidly becoming my LBS.

I don’t know enough about what has gone on at NUFC to comment but I do think that fans are living in the past when they expect owners to pour millions into a club, they overlook these are business ventures nowadays.

The Leeds staff are ace. I got a bike just before Christmas using 50% Tesco vouchers and it was in store when they said it would be. Not a lot more to add.

I don’t know enough about what has gone on at NUFC to comment but I do think that fans are living in the past when they expect owners to pour millions into a club, they overlook these are business ventures nowadays.

Correct you don’t know enough.

mike – you’ve lived in Oz for a few years but claim to know ‘…what’s gone at NUFC’; why not share the facts with us so we’ll all be better informed. In saying others don’t know enough you imply that you do so……give us the benefit of your insight.
I stand by my comments ^^^
Your comments suggest you are still unable to recognise the difference between owner and the business.

mike – you’ve lived in Oz for a few years but claim to know ‘…what’s gone at NUFC’; why not share the facts with us so we’ll all be better informed. In saying others don’t know enough you imply that you do so……give us the benefit of your insight.

I grew up in the north east, I’ve been a NUFC fan since I was born, my folks are season ticket holders and have been for the last 8 years, I’ve been to my fair share of matches in the last year. I’ve been in that ground for the good and the bad times, I saw the Sir Bobby UEFA cup run, watches shearer score and a lot more.

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United

A post shared by Michael Smith (@smithmichaelw) on May 13, 2018 at 9:12am PDT

As for Ashley the Keegan debacle where KK was awarded damages, the debacle with Rangers,
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/apr/14/jonas-gutierrez-wins-discrimination-claim-against-newcastle-utd
selling off land, evaporating promises about players investment and selling up, naming rights, advertising done on the cheap, disregard for the people at the club. That is the short list.

That is before we get into the shit at SD and it’s warehouses and stores
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/sports-direct-mike-ashley-worker-conditions-minimum-wage-ian-wright-investigation-a7149971.html

He has an inability to sell stuff, he has taken the names and taken the buildings, written off debt and screwed people over.

My allegiance to NUFC pre-dates yours by, probably, 30 years.
Ashley is a convenient scapegoat and has done himself no favours.
Keegan? Long time ago and Ashley wasn’t the first owner to be sued by disgruntled former employee – former employee who had massive public support.
As for the Shirebrook stuff, why not provide some very recent examples?
You say he has written off debt; in fact, he has bought unwanted/distressed businesses and made money out of them – operating on the margins of employment law and occasionally stepping over the line.
Screwed people over? Just like most business owners do – if not all of the time but certainly when it suits them.
You have your opinions – about so many subjects; on this one you have allowed your personal prejudice to get in the way of objective opinion.
Bored with this now.

Keegan? Long time ago and Ashley wasn’t the first owner to be sued by disgruntled former employee – former employee who had massive public support.

Lied and upheld when KK sued him

As for the Shirebrook stuff, why not provide some very recent examples?

First one on google – did he make any serious changes?

You say he has written off debt; in fact, he has bought unwanted/distressed businesses and made money out of them – operating on the margins of employment law and occasionally stepping over the line.

Repeatedly, taken over with promises and not delivered, screwed over people on the way

You have your opinions – about so many subjects; on this one you have allowed your personal prejudice to get in the way of objective opinion.

Really? Screwing a guy suffering from cancer from keeping his job? Sorted by the courts in that one too.

Bored of course we didn’t even get to the rangers stuff did we….

He is no good for the high street, no good for employment and no good for the football club.

I’ll stand every time we sing the song.

Well said Mike …
My love affair with the club started when my Dad took me to see them play Benfica and a certain Eusebio was considered to be one of the best players in Europe ..my favourite era was the Joe Harvey team which had Jimmy Smith / Tony Green / Supermac in it and I spent years following them home and away..it’s in the blood and while I still care passionately about the team ..I just won’t spend any of my hard earned lining the pockets of an owner who doesn’t share that passion ….wether that be through the club or any other business he is involved in.
For all that he is classed as a successful business man ..the one thing that Ashley simply hasn’t fully grasped is what Newcastle could become with a little bit more investment ..
The churned out statement we consistently hear that the club can have every penny it generates ..is a lie..as is the fact that he is genuinely interested in selling the club ( which surfaces every transfer window ).
I live in hope that one day we are rid of the fat blood sucking leech ..and eventually have an owner who ” gets it ” ..but I fear that we could be waiting a long long time ..

Some of Mike’s comments on Evans topics become clearer to me : )

written off debt

I’m not going into detail about how SD-owned Evans actually did handled the debts post-sale but your assumptions might not apply here. All suppliers but 1 are still working with Evans, that 1 has a historic conflict with SD and pulled due to that.