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Viewing 40 posts - 121 through 160 (of 460 total)
  • DH World Cup Rd 6 – Loudenvielle – Preview & How to Watch
  • flyingfox
    Free Member

    Moda Stretto, Felt F5

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I’d second Whyte T-120 – just sell the bits you don’t want as it’ v cheap. Otherwise Pivot Mach 4 is truly wonderful. Ours have come in now along with our 5.7 demo (but a customer took it straight out otherwise I’d be out for a day long mission on it!!).

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Whyte are ordinarily awesome at everything – believe me, we usually deal with some pretty diabolical folk in this trade and Whyte are a pleasure.

    With the 146 they’ve been a mess however, and I’ve spat my dummy out a few times with them. The bikes are absolutely amazing though.

    With regard to Reverb, I gave one away with the 146S bikes I sold but it’s generated no loyalty at all so I’ve learnt my lesson on that one!

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Whyte are ordinarily awesome at everything – believe me, we usually deal with some pretty diabolical folk in this trade and Whyte are a pleasure.

    With the 146 they’ve been a mess however, and I’ve spat my dummy out a few times with them. The bikes are absolutely amazing though.

    With regard to Reverb, I gave one away with the 146S bikes I sold but it’s generated no loyalty at all so I’ve learnt my lesson on that one!

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Think we were doing them for £247.49. Will check.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I used Shimano SPD-SLs for years but always had pain on the outside of my foot. Used Look Keos at a Look bike launch and felt the difference immediately. Will always use Look now (saying that, Shimanos are best sellers for a reason I suppose!).

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    MBR journalists can smell a Specialized a mile off – if the fork is on a Specialized, it’ll be amazing all of a sudden.

    I’ve had the training courses with Rock Shox. While they offer all options, they like to point out that the 20mm Maxle is much stiffer – they’ve done tests to prove that the 15mm does not offer a massive difference over a 9mm QR.

    My bikes still have QRs but if I had the money, I would definitely change to a 20mm preferably. Some of our demo bikes have them, and it does feel better.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    You don’t need one. I’ve been through this and gave myself a stern talking to (and I’ve got a shop and should really interject to sell you one!). Behave.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I asked for a car, I got a computer, how’s that for being born under a bad sign?

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    We have 31.6 s in stock and have more 30.9s coming around 16 May I think.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I’ll show you if you want – give us a shout through email or on our website. I’m not going to give away all the secrets here as I would probably get lynched! (It’s all a bit secret squirrel round here). However, for proper big riding then Cambusbarron over to North Third, Dumyat, Ben Cleuch (some of the route in Kenny Wilson’s book is good but don’t agree with half of it, sorry Kenny!).

    Seriously, give us a shout and I’ll show you about. I love showing folk the trails and I’ve had folk who have been all over the world say the trails are some of the best they’ve ever ridden. I’ve even had people move to the area!

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Pivot Mach 5.7. I get to ride tons of bikes but this one stood out for me.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Maybe I’ll consider Grizedale after all!

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I used to ride around the Lakes a lot so should really know. Went to Coniston every year when I was a kid but was kayaking, not riding.

    We went to Grizedale a lot when I was a teenager but I suspect it’s not my bag anymore. Walna Scar – is that just a big up and down mission – all “legal”? (not used to rules anymore!), easy to find?

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I did it but didn’t realise it was a bike ride – just thought I’d give it a go (and then saw it in a magazine a month later!). There was an enjoyable bit. I just don’t really see the point and was really surprised to see it in a mag! It’s wild and nice, different scenery though so wasn’t all bad.

    Best bit is that we asked Danny MacAskill in a restaurant (well, the waitress did for us) about rides and he said to do Sligachan and nothing else was really worth it (then he was one of the guys in the mag leading the Idrigill Point ride!).

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I was going to suggest the 420 Aero 3s. They come on our Modas and we sell them separately too. No problems so far, and they’ve been fantastic.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    It’s not just because we sell them – we always run a demo Whyte hardtail of some sort as it convinces folk instantly. They’re fantastic and the backup is great too from the company. My fave is the steel but the 19 Trail was so phenomenal.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I think we’ve got a date of mid-June but I should check. We’ve had pre-orders for them. This bike will be mighty impressive. Our Coverts landed today.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    We hire them and they’ve been great. Keep selling them on the back of it too. No complaints so far. I’ll ask the guy who knows that bit but I’m pretty sure he was selling them for around £200. I know he’s ordering some more this week as he’s run out again anyhow.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I’ve had the same thing – couldn’t save Shimano hubs so have used Hope on 819s (great running tubeless and extra width is good for tyres over 2.1″). Look at American Classic hubs too!

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    A customer insisted we do them and it was a joke – pouring out the sidewalls on one and not much better for the other. Had to put so much sealant in that he may as well have run proper UST tyres (he was trying to save weight!!).

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I could tell you all day long what I have done wrong (or nearly done wrong!) but most of it is just business sense! We are in a wee village outside of Stirling so don’t get the footfall we would like but then rates are supercheap and we have a 28m long shop with lots of options to make it MUCH bigger.

    Our signage is terrible (although a £500 investment in a huge movable sign has helped no end) so get that sorted from the start. Don’t use the local rags, in general they are of little use.

    Suppliers in the cycle trade are generally painful, invest in tools, mechanics and workshop above anything – that’s where you get to pay your employees’ wages.

    I haven’t paid myself yet (and it’s been some time) but I never even intended to make a gross profit in the first two years and it’s slightly better than that. Investment – we have around £160K – £200K of stock at trade before VAT (which is very close to retail prices!). To be fair, I’ve gone all out to retain customers and to gain brands that really get people travelling from all over to actually come and see us so that is OTT. We spent at least £4K on tools, workstands etc. (and lots more since) and we pay incentives to the mechanics too (and will do more – they are not paid well enough) – not to rip people off but to get a lot of work done quickly so there’s fast turnaround and people will keep coming back for more.

    When it’s winter, invest in snowboard gear or something similar (or maybe outdoor clothing?), It’s tragic.

    There is ALWAYS something to do, so you’ll enjoy it. It’s mighty stressful and I have not enjoyed the first 18 months or so but now it’s sunny and I’m going out riding with customers and have the footfall, it’s all good.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I started a shop in November 2009. Madness! It’s difficult at times but then the sun cones out and it’s all good. One thing I’ve learnt is to stick to your guns – if folk want Internet prices then they know where to buy. I often match, beat etc where possible but we offer a great service and customers can try road and mountain bikes so they actually know if they suit them before buying.

    Tips: I went all out on the MTB scene, surrounded mnyself with Transitions, Yetis, Whytes etc but really I would go easier if I were to do it again.

    Just like any business – don’t hesitate to follow a certain market – we have tons of BMXs now and all the kit to go with them. We even have top road brands in what I had considered to be an oversaturated market for road bikes. Just shows – I didn’t realise exactly what people wanted for a good year.

    Suppliers are the worst part of the cycle trade. Be very wary of some of them.

    I have tons more. Drop me your contact details if you wish (our website is screwed right now I think but my email is pete at flying fox bikes dot com (no spaces!))

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Careful of CO2 – we tried it and it froze the latex!

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Better than decent – Pivot Mach 429

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I wouldn’t look past Hope. Worth it.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Re Ghosts – ride them before you buy one. It really didn’t suit me for lots of (surprising) reasons.

    Evans don’t do demo bikes because they know how to run a business! We run tons of demo bikes and it costs us a fortune – they often come back wrecked and even when folk have loved the bike they will read forums and magazines and decide it’s rubbish after all based on a stranger’s opinion!

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    A couple of Moda bikes available at that price point.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    This thread could be a summer changer for us! We usually go to Alsace for Flammkuchen and wine on the way to Austria or Switzerland but now we might stay for some biking! Anyone got any other info of where to go riding in Alsace? If there aren’t any guides then I’ll find the trails myself and set myself up if it’s that good!

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    No way!

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I’m 5’11” and our medium ASR-7 feels too big for me. Our ASR-5 demo bike felt way too small however so it would only ever be a a large for me. So the sizes don’t make a lot of sense to me.

    I also had a Yeti ARC-X in large after the importer recommended it to me. It was so big I had to sell it!

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Both the Zesty and Spicy are great but as an all-rounder, I would take the Zesty as it does noticeably clumb better.

    However, if you like the Marin, then the Whyte 146 seems to fit the bill incredibly well. If I were you, I would also consider the Pivot Mach 5.7. I was shocked by a demo bike so I’m now getting them in to the shop based on that alone. Investment in advertising isn’t there but the ride and reviews speak for themselves.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Aviemore’s great and fantastic for the family too. However, the riding around Stirling doesn’t fail to astonish me. Went on a local ride on Sunday, which was new to me. There’s tons and it truly is amazing. I’ll show you about if you wish.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Pivot Mach 4 – 100mm rear but you can put 120mm fork on it. Lots of sag so bear in mind that the geometry will not make sense on paper. DW link means it pedals phenomenally well.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Have you ridden them both? We sell both and they ride differently. I would take the Whyte if it were me but then it’s not turquoise.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I don’t even like the idea of 29ers but I’m strangely drawn to it. If it rides anything like the 26″ ones (our demo bikes arriving any day now!) then it’ll be amazing. It is supposed to have been amazingly popular in the US and gets fantastic ratings.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    Argon 18. We love them.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I’m scared of being paralysed. Don’t know why because I know lots of folk in that position with smiles on their faces.

    However, I am scared of wasting a day – I have no doubt that I’ll won’t live for very long so I go insane when I waste a day.

    Scariest thing (also selfish): my wife or someone I love dying while I’m alive. No thanks.

    Live your life quick and enjoy as much as you can!

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    I’m no expert but I really enjoyed Glen Rosa and the lower slopes of Goat Fell.

    flyingfox
    Free Member

    We are awaiting a few more. If your shop hasn’t ordered them before now then they’re generally not available until around the middle of May.

    Only got 31.6mm posts left, for now…

Viewing 40 posts - 121 through 160 (of 460 total)