Bad Bike shops - lets start with dave hinde

LittlePlums

It's not just the big names, or those with an internet presence, it can be LBS's too!

I'm in the process of selecting a new road bike and my brother-in-law recommended Cannondale Synapse. I did a search for local Cannondale dealers in Exeter and Partridge Cycles came up. They have a large showroom rammed to the gunnels with bikes and I'd had a not unpleasant experience with them when buying a child's MTB for my son a few years ago. A quick search on their website showed me they had a 2012 Carbon Synapse with 105 on it, with £400 off, bringing it within budget, so on went the lycra and equipped with a spare pair of pedals off I went for a test ride.

The bike was in stock and had a sign on it saying 10 miles only and looking at the general appearance I could see it had been lubed, but showed no other signs of any wear and tear. I asked and it was apparently the owner's son's who had gone off to university and had no use for it. I asked for a test ride, No problems they said and proceeded to wheel the bike out to a sectioned-off part of their car park that was literally 25 metres long. I explained that this was an expensive bike (for me, at least) and if I was going to part with £1,400 I would want to take it out for a short run on the roads. "Sorry, we can't do that, we're not covered by our insurance if you take the bike off our premises" was their reply. Wanting to give them every chance to make a sale, I said, no problem, I'll put the whole price on my credit card and when I return with the bike intact, if I don't like it you can simply refund the money, or if I damage it or do a runner, you won't have lost anything. "We don't do refunds" they said "But you can have a credit note" - all said with no sense of irony whatsoever.

Is it just me?

FFS, how do these people expect to sell kit on that basis? I realise that any bike shop owner is taking a considerable risk in letting their bikes go off on test rides, but I have never had any problems with any other bike shops in simply leaving my wallet or driving licence. I spend more time deciding whether or not to buy a magazine, than they were prepared to give me test riding a £1,400 bike. I was so incensed that I made my decision there and then to go to another shop (The Bike Shed) and put my deposit down to secure a Bianchi Vertigo that I had previously tested. The Bike Shed had been excellent and knowledgable in all dealings and were helpful and courteous, as I might add, had the Triathlon Shop in Bristol.

I would just like to clarify that I have no affinity to either bike shop. Just giving my opinion. That is all.