Transition made & an interesting story!!!
p0mpeyboy
Posts: 8
Following the help I got from this forum, I purchased my first road bike today. I received a lot of advice as to moving from a mountain bike, but the main advice was to visit my local bike shops and try before buying.
Here's the story:
In my local city there are two bike shops, one selling Giant & Trek, the other selling Bianchi and Specialized. Perfect, could try the big four names with relative ease. Not so, the first shop selling Giant & Trek didn't even let me sit on a bike. I purchased mountain bike shoes and a helmet, ordered a jacket (which never came)& in return they suggested I borrow someone's road bike to see if I like it?
Second shop, gave the same story - wanted an entry road bike and was making the transition from a mountain bike and spent nothing. The guy got every display model down to find my size, then gave me a demo bike (Bianchi Hydro Carbon 1885 105) for the whole weekend!!!!
Guess what? I loved the bike & bought the veloce version. Now if ever there was a tale of customer service. I find it so strange that in this day of internet sales, how can a bike shop miss out on the fundamentals of customer service? I ended up spending twice as much.
Anyway, I'm delighted with my bike and look forward to this transition.
Cheers Pompeyboy.
Here's the story:
In my local city there are two bike shops, one selling Giant & Trek, the other selling Bianchi and Specialized. Perfect, could try the big four names with relative ease. Not so, the first shop selling Giant & Trek didn't even let me sit on a bike. I purchased mountain bike shoes and a helmet, ordered a jacket (which never came)& in return they suggested I borrow someone's road bike to see if I like it?
Second shop, gave the same story - wanted an entry road bike and was making the transition from a mountain bike and spent nothing. The guy got every display model down to find my size, then gave me a demo bike (Bianchi Hydro Carbon 1885 105) for the whole weekend!!!!
Guess what? I loved the bike & bought the veloce version. Now if ever there was a tale of customer service. I find it so strange that in this day of internet sales, how can a bike shop miss out on the fundamentals of customer service? I ended up spending twice as much.
Anyway, I'm delighted with my bike and look forward to this transition.
Cheers Pompeyboy.
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Yeah, some shops don't get that the 'beginner' customer may well end up being the one buying the full-carbon race machine a few years down the line .... kerching!
I've found an LBS that gives excellent service, cracking advice, never scoffs at my novice ideas, and somehow manages to make taking my money from me an actual pleasure on my part (only just realised that myself!).
Sounds like the second shop is going to get your cycling pennies in the future? [:)]
They'll probably look after you when you need help with the 'little' things too.
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Stopped smoking, saved a fortune. Started cycling, spent it all! - PS, don't <b>CLICK THIS LINK!!</b>--
Stopped smoking, saved a fortune. Started cycling, spent it all!0 -
Amazing how wrong bikes shops can get it.
I once went into a well known chain of bikeshops and enquired about what size Bianchi i would need (it was an impulse buy, and i would have bought that day) the scruffy shop assistant said he wasn't sure and walked off. I loitered for a bit, but he never came back.
I once worked in a shop and if customers want to spend money, it isn't to hard encourage them to do this. I think bikeshops have much to learn.
Mleh Mleh Mleh0 -
I am a beginner and recently bought a Trek from by local bike shop, (Head for the Hills, West Street, Dorking). I just wandered in off the street, told them which bike I wanted (it having been recommended by a friend)and they ordered it for me, having first measured me for size and allowed me to take a similar bike for a test ride. Their service was faultless, the bike arrived well within the quoted time, they set it up perfectly, and took the bike back for a quick, free, service to adjust for stretched cables etc after 6 weeks.
The thing that really endeared them to me was the fact that they did not take advantage of my lack of knowledge by selling me accessories that were not suitable for me, even to the extent of referring me elsewhere to buy something that was.
I know the sort of shops you refer to, there's a good example in Leatherhead.
By the way, I am enjoying biking so much I wish I had taken it up years ago (I am now 62), and am feeling fitter than I have for years.
Gary DeanGary Dean0 -
From the user name, I gather you are not Southampton based!
Which shops did you try and where?
<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)0 -
Couldn't be further really from Pompey. It was Dundee and the shop that gave me the great customer service was Nicholson's.0
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I was in Evans Cycles (Gateshead) the other day, ready to buy my first bike and unsure of what size I needed. Never got to sit on one or got measured ? was told that if I placed my elbow at the front of the seat, where my fingers ended on the handle bar frame would give me a good indication of what size I needed ?
So, so far Halfords were useless, Evans uninterested, the specialised bike shop in Northumberland were only interested in selling me something for œ450 + [:(!][:(!]0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> Couldn't be further really from Pompey.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I was trying to sort out in my own mind which shops.
The former didn't sound like any of the ones I know, and I could have rcommended a couple of good shops that you appeared to have missed.
<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)<b><i>He that buys land buys many stones.
He that buys flesh buys many bones.
He that buys eggs buys many shells,
But he that buys good beer buys nothing else.</b></i>
(Unattributed Trad.)0 -
hello ainsley, you need to head into newcastle, either to edinburgh cycles in byker or to m steels in gosforth, the first has a good range of cheaper bikes (400 ish) the second has the best service, i use them both depending on what it is that i need having said that steels has the better service the staff in ed cycles are very good just don't go in at a busy time (eg saturday afternoon) any other time and it is very good, you can browse the ed cycles website in advance there bikes get pretty good reveiws in the comic www.edinburghbicycle.com
Cf0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by custom-freak</i>
hello ainsley, you need to head into newcastle, either to edinburgh cycles in byker or to m steels in gosforth, the first has a good range of cheaper bikes (400 ish) the second has the best service, i use them both depending on what it is that i need having said that steels has the better service the staff in ed cycles are very good just don't go in at a busy time (eg saturday afternoon) any other time and it is very good, you can browse the ed cycles website in advance there bikes get pretty good reveiws in the comic www.edinburghbicycle.com
Cf
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Cheers Custom freak, I'll check them out [;)]0 -
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by custom-freak</i>
hello ainsley, you need to head into newcastle, either to edinburgh cycles in byker or to m steels in gosforth, the first has a good range of cheaper bikes (400 ish) the second has the best service, i use them both depending on what it is that i need having said that steels has the better service the staff in ed cycles are very good just don't go in at a busy time (eg saturday afternoon) any other time and it is very good, you can browse the ed cycles website in advance there bikes get pretty good reveiws in the comic www.edinburghbicycle.com
Cf
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I always found M Steels to be very good when I lived up there too!0 -
Another fan of M Steels of Gosforth here. Very helpful, and when I bought my bike last year I got 10% of its value in vouchers as well as free servicing for the first year. Not sure if they still do the 10% voucher scheme though.0
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Similar tale of first road bike purchase this week! After much research I settled on a Spesh Tricross. Popped into Evans (London Bridge) to check on sizing as they had a M, L & XL and got muppet from hell serving me..... Having read how scarce they were I went hopw against hope to Rayment Cycles in Brighton last Monday, usual helpful advice, sized up as L, test ride no problem, deal done and collected the beast on Thursday. Best decision for a long time, goes like a rocket (well as fast as an Old Git can get it to go!).
BTW Evans in Brighton are a total contrast, helpful beyond the call of duty when asked.0 -
hello just to say that they do still do the 10% in vouchers at steels, came in as a nice surprise when my lass bought her new condor! more than œ100 in vouchers
CF0
