p.s. take the reciept to Halfords and they will normally pay up for the error!

When I used to work in an LBS the Halfords mechanic would reguarly pop in for advice and would bring his own bike in to be serviced. As for the problem I would take it to someone who knows what they are doing as without seeing the bike it is very difficult to say, especially as I have worked on many a bike that has been to Halfords and come out with incompatable parts or they have been incorrectly fitted. That said I have had a couple from other LBS's with similar problems so I would go on someones reccomendation that you trust.

edd – Member
Jason – how many laps did Chris do?

Hi Edd, Chris done 21 laps, you can check out what his comment on the BC forum http://www.bikecity.biz/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1238

Cheer Jas

Thurman Merman – Member
Jase – IIRC, course is just under 10miles round, with 1000ft of climbing*.

Sounds like you did the best part of 200miles and 20,000ft of climbing then.

*doffs cap*

(*Could be wrong, mind).

The course is a tad under 9 miles from memory!

terrahawk – Member
My van I still loaded to the gills with tents, a knackered gazebo, 2 filthy bikes and all sorts of other stuff that will probably necer clean.

Great event, I really enjoyed keeping the pressure on the bloke who won by one lap in the end. Fair play to him, he was consistent for most of the race. Anyone know him?

Yes, it’s Chris Cooknell, he was riding for Bike City, he was part of the original 4 man team who have won for the last 3 years and decided to go solo this year and do his first 24hr!

This was a good move as not only did Bike City get the solo ‘win’ they also got the team ‘win’ again makining it 4 years in a row!

Well done Iain, Ollie, Julian and Marcus, for doing the most team laps!
Chris is now officialy a living legend, having done the hat trick for the team over the last three years has now gone on to do most solo laps at his first 24hr Solo event! that’s why Neil calls it a roll of honor on the clic24 website, what a guy!

jim the saint – Member
JasonLock – As I said in my first post there is no excuse for a LBS not stocking a range of stems in all sizes

I have worked in the shop for 3 years now and have NEVER sold a 70mm stem, as I previously mentioned we would love to carry more stock but due to rising internet sales we only now carry more common sizes. When I personally buy a new bike I have allways had it as it comes stock, ride it then adjust as suits. In my honest opinion everyone likes there own personal set-up and it is impossible on a short test ride for the CUSTOMER to tell if the bike is 100% set up correctly for themselves (on more expensive bikes we will try and get a demo bike for the customer to ride!). By the time a customer has decided the stem is a wee bit to short it is second hand, of course we will lend out second hand stems for them to try before they buy another stem! I think it’s more of a roadie thing!

Hi, I believe it is not to much hasstle to do as from the bike shop side it is a piece of cake. If you want to use your LBS make sure your employer signs upto the scheme they are using and not the Halfords own one. I think it is a good idea but unfortunatly does not work for everyone as it is really down to your employer if they sign up and I know of dozens of people who could not get the scheme. Personally I would prefer to see VAT removed from cycles and accessories because of the green transport / keep fit aspect of the sport. Also be aware that you do not actually own the bike at the end of the year although I have not heard of any bad feedback because of this as yet? The best way to support your local shop though would be to just go and buy the bike you would like as through the scheme they will loose 10% of the value of the bike to the scheme opperators!

If you want to go tubeless on the cheap then the 20″ BMX tube works fine, otherwise go for the DT swiss kit as it is specific to the rim and comes with a small bottle of sealant in the kit. I could probably get the boss to do a deal on the kit as we have been doing the BMX convrsion over the DT Swiss Kits for a while and have some kits unsold in the shop! Once you have used up the DT swiss sealant I would use the stan,s sealant as it’s the best I have found and have been running it for around 5 years or so!

I can see from both sides but again, bike shops bread and butter will ALWAYS be new customers- and mid-life cycle customers, not the experienced.

I think hora has just answerd Ton’s first post a 70mm stem is not something a newbie is likely to buy so hence is less likely to be stocked!

Hi Ziggy, yeah we do point it out on the bikes but on the smaller stuff that comes in a box there is just no answer, we will try and price match but sometimes we cannot even buy it ourselves for the price! Must go as wife will kill me good talking to you!!!

We’re up on turnover a fair amount this financial year and it’s busier than ever so some of us can do it right [:-)]

What and where is your shop Ziggy? We are out in the sticks! I feel if we were in a busy town we would have seen an increase as people switch to pedal power for the commute to work!

Unless you’re buying something that you want to try on beforehand… or need to check for fit..

We had a lady come in at Christmas who ‘wanted to buy local’ she proceeded to tell me that her husband and daughter had been in last week and tried the bike for size but had found it cheaper on the net so could we price match? We are having to re-think the business as we are going to have to find away to charge for advice without putting off genuine customers, with bikes it’s not so bad as we could charge for sizing but we have also had an instance when a regular shop rider got advice on some lights then bought them from the net, I do feel that sometimes we should put a sign over the door saying, internet showroom please come and browse!

It’s a shame but I don’t know how they can compete really

The answer is we can’t, our turnover (not profit) is generated mainly through repairs and smaller items for the occasional cyclist, my hours were cut the end of last year and now work part time in the shop and part time at the pub whilst looking for a more steady income!

P.S. Just flicking back to the top of the thread and surprise surprise a Chain Reaction Cycles and a Wiggle link straight from this page and you wonder why LBS’s don’t carry the stock!

P.P.S. Don’t think I’m knocking you guy’s for shopping around, it’s our reps who come round selling us the goods then sell it on cheaper to the big boys that’s our problem!

We have had to reduce the amount of stock we carry as we are loosing out big time to the internet company’s, it is such a shame as we can no longer carry quality kit that we can demo to the customer. Even if we do get an order we then have to wait to do a minimum order so as to avoid postage costs, I would imagine some of the shops you have mentioned probably have the same problem?

Coolhandluke – Member
I have found that LBS’s do often talk through their ar5e though so won’t be too upset if they slagged off On One’s. Its hardly professional of them is it?

Hi Coolhandluke,

I feel that you have not read all the comments, I think the thread should have read “customer advised on steel framed bikes shocker by LBS”, the guy who done the advising has not even responded to the thread, apart from buzz-lightyear no one including myself was there whilst the conversation took place and yet LBS’s are still getting a slatting! As discussed with nukeproof earlier in the thread you are crittisizing ALL LBS’s from experiances from one or two shops you have been in that would be like me knocking ALL bike brands from just one dodgy bike?
p.s. I would love to have an on-one or and MTB as at the mo I have had to sale my bike to pay the mortgage, will be back on the trails though as soon as things get better, will just have to appriciate the last 15 years I have enjoyed out on the trails – nuff said!

nukeproof – Member
I’ll let you have the last word I get the impression you would like that?

Yeah, yeah hate to disappoint.

I’m not in some rant mode which you seem to believe and its not solely aimed at your LBS (Fair enough if you weren’t in the shop at the time as I do appreciate you can’t speak for your colleagues). Its simply that I’ve had experiences with LBSs in that they think its fine to slate a product when they they haven’t fairly tested them and I think its unprofessional to act in this manner and it gives me an inherent distrust of their advice.

here is todays lesson: If it can be blown out of proportion it will be on STW.

Yeah, just see the ‘Wear a helmet FFS’ thread for a fine example

Morning Nukeproof,

I think the dont knock on-one untill you have tried it should be applied to don’t knock Bike City until you have tried it? Which I think is a fiar comment. p.s. love you Judderman, when you poppingin next?

Hi Nukeproof, without speaking to my colleague I could not comment about weather he has ridden one and as I said before as far as I am aware it was a genuine conversation about steel framed bikes between two individuals I think it just got blown out of all preportion by the headline of the thread and following sensativity to an obviously well loved brand. If you had asked me a question about say what wheels to buy for mtb’ing I would dis-miss shimano in favour of Hope or Mavic which I am a fan from experiance of using the product, I hope (no pun) that you would start a thread ‘LBS advises using Hope or Mavic whatb do you think?’ not ‘LBS Slagging off Shimano wheels shocker!’ Remember it was not myself who was involved in the original conversation nor did I start the post I wasn’t even in the shop at the time, why do you all hate me so much just because I work in an LBS, I feel sooo depressed – only joking – I’m off too bed dude, I’ll let you have the last word I get the impression you would like that?! p.s. Can I continue the thread if I find out my colleage has ridden an on-one please?

Hi Nukeproof, no I haven’t but then again I have not slagged them off, to be fair most manufactures do make good bikes now and it’s more down to the components on the frame that makes the biggest difference or even more importantly making sure that someone buys the right type of bike for the riding they do, that’s why my first question is allways ‘where are you going to be riding’ thats why I’m usually advising the general puplic to buy a Hybrid and not a cheap full-susser that’s no good to anyone. I’m a fan of Cannondale’s but I’m sure there not everyones cup of tea.

Good point Gulliano, I think the essence of the original conversation was about many different brands and on-one was more dis-missed by my colleage as apposed to being slagged off and other brands in his honest opinion was better suited to that individuals needs. The problem is the original tread is titled – On-one got a slagging in my LBS! – instead of – LBS gave me some advise on steel framed bikes! Then shortly followed by “LBS in slagging off product they dont sell shocker.” Not a good advert for the shop which is my means of income to support my family so hence my posts. If anyone is riding at the Clic24 you will see me there (voluntarily) with a spanner in ne hand supporting everyone there riding, as I have had the privilage of riding at many events I am happy to support a local event, why not come and have a beer and see that we doin’t bite?

Hi rOcKeTdOg, sorry if you have got the wrong end of the stick, I listed what riding I have done in the past to show that I have experiance of riding a bike, the one thing we do try to do at the shop is to encourage newbies to get into cycling, in the past I have lent out my own personal lights and bikes so people can have a go before spending a lot of money, I am an employee of the shop and any riding in the evenings is done in my own time and at my own expense, I felt it was only right to put a post up to reply as the shop and myself had been mentioned earlier and I thought it best to put up a response esecially given that one member had commented “LBS in slagging off product they dont sell shocker.”

biggulp – Member
“LOL @ blank-member he has just reminded me why I cant stand LBS they are staffed by know it alls with a superiority complex”

Just mouse over Member and it shows jasonlock

Just a newbee to the site who is happy to post under there own name, did not even realise that my post would come up with “member”, like I said in the post the customer would have been advised of a problem that we have come accross from new that could not be rectified. As for a superiority complex is that not what you are trying to say by dissing LBS’s? I just enjoy riding my bike and I’m sure if you spoke to any of the guy’s I have cycled with or customers bikes I have worked on they certainly wouldn’t say I had a superiority complex??!!

I’ve had to face the disc mount on an on-one and it was not possible to do using the facing tool as the weld was in the way, this is probably the reason the customer was advised not to buy one by my colleague. In my opinion this is a valid reason as it is a very important thing to get right on any frame otherwise you are limited to what brakes you can fit correctly. There are three of us working at the shop who have all been riding and competing for years. I personally have been Mountain Biking (and Road Riding)for around 15 years and have done loads of stuff including, epic coast to coast rides, short coarse races both as an individual and as a team, 24hr racing, Enduro races, I have done the 100m south downs way in a day and had some great holidays in the Alps courtesy of RideTheAlps.com. I have worked for the shop for almost 3 years now and I pride myself on giving the correct advice as being a cycling fanatic I want to encourage others to get out and ride and enjoy theirselves and the best way for people to do this if they have the right bike and kit for the job! We also try and give back to the local community by doing weekly shop rides where I have spent time at the back with newbies giving riding tips and heaps of encouragement, talks to the local scouts and by doing free mechanicing at the Clic24 and being invoved in trying to open up new family cycling routes! It seems to be the in thing to knock you LBS on the forums but I don’t see the likes of CRC and wiggle who seem to get a lot of mentions doing the same on the local trails! Not all LBS are the same! p.s. The Shop is called Bike City not City Bikes.