LBS around Preston/Lancashire??

hhhrick

I am looking for good LBS to help me choose a good first road bike, I only know of ribble cycles (their store is currently closed for renovation and they won't reply to my e-mails) and buyabike in charnock richard, anyone know if they are any good or recommend elsewhere? Thanks.

skyd0g

Paul Hewitt in Leyland http://www.hewittbikefitting.co.uk/
or Middleton Cycles in Ormskirk http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/default.aspx

gkerr4

hhhrick wrote:

I am looking for good LBS to help me choose a good first road bike, I only know of ribble cycles (their store is currently closed for renovation and they won't reply to my e-mails) and buyabike in charnock richard, anyone know if they are any good or recommend elsewhere? Thanks.

buyabike have some good entry level stuff - where hewitts tend to have more upper-end stuff.

the guys in buyabike stock trek, specialized and others - they are also the importer for jamis (who i have never heard of - but apparently they are big american brand behind trek/specialized) - they are a bit pushy on the jamis stuff but ok to deal with. certainly worth a look.

skinson

Bill Nicksons in Leyland, Merlin cycles Buckshaw village, Broadgate cycles Penwortham.Ribble still have a shop at their warehouse. No phone books were you live?
Dave

hhhrick

Ok thanks for the help, as for the last post, yeah there are plenty of phone books where I live thank you but I asked for reccomendations for good ones and I don't know about where you live but my phone book doesn't distinguish between good/crap ones.

Garz

Valid point he's only asking for help. :?

skyd0g

Depending on your budget, I'd say Middleton Cycles for low to mid-range budget, Paul Hewitt for mid to higher end budget ~ both are worth popping into for a chat, irrespective of your budget.

ElLawro

I've always got good service from Paul Hewitt. Been in Merlin's place on Buckshaw village, seem a friendly lot. Although I haven't bought much off them yet, I am looking at them for a mountain bike for a change thro' the winter:-)

nimchimpsky82

May be a bit out of the way for you, but I bought an Orbea from Picton Cycles in Liverpool a couple months ago, and they've been excellent. They're a proper old fashioned LBS -- you can just drop in and have a chat about good cycling routes and so on. Oh, and the owner goes up to the Lakes pretty much every weekend to get his fix, so he'd probably be able to fill you in on some good stuff as well. Check 'em out at http://www.pictoncycles.co.uk/

Happy shopping

skinson

Ok thanks for the help, as for the last post, yeah there are plenty of phone books where I live thank you but I asked for reccomendations for good ones and I don't know about where you live but my phone book doesn't distinguish between good/crap ones.

Oh! sorry, as you had already mentioned buyabike I thought you weren't that bothered about quality!!!
Dave

3leggeddog

Thoroughly reccommend Broadgate cycles, Penwortham. Family run business, always very helpful. A few years ago they had for sale the bike belonging to the copper who used to chase us scallywags around on it. It had a fair nostalgic mark up on it!

tim_f

Purchased two very different bikes from Paul Hewitt in Layland and Buy a Bike near Chorley.

A tourer at Paul Hewitt which was speced and then assebled from parts and a road bike at Buy a Bike, which was a 40% of end on line special.

If you know what you want Buy a Bike may have some good value bikes and tend to have lots of sizes to trry out.

If you are up in the lakes Wheelbase at Stavely or Evans in Kendal are work a visit.


If you want expert service and guidance Pual Hewitt is very good.

hhhrick

Which is why I asked whether these places where any good "Dave", you are making pointless arrogant comments when I have already stated that I didn't know if they were worth visiting. I noticed a good quote on another forum which seems to fit to you perfectly - "Don't get into arguments with idiots, they drag you down to their level then beat you with experience".

skinson

Which is why I asked whether these places where any good "Dave", you are making pointless arrogant comments when I have already stated that I didn't know if they were worth visiting. I noticed a good quote on another forum which seems to fit to you perfectly - "Don't get into arguments with idiots, they drag you down to their level then beat you with experience".

Hey that's quite funny! Pity you had to use someone else's line.
Pointless? Arrogant? I think not, I pointed out various shops for you, and then merely asked if there were no phone books in your area! You see, most people would take the time to find out for themselves about their local LBS';s instead of taking the lazy route of letting someone else do the work.

fungus_the_muffin_man

I'm not going against the people who say paul Hewitt is a good LBS but I came away from there feeling very underwhelmed by him. I explained what I was spending and what I wanted the bike for. He just sort of said "i have a kouta kharma" and that was it. It's not like I was spending a small amount of money either. He just didn't seem interested at all ?! Perhaps I got him on a bad day :? :roll:

skinson

Anyone tried Wheelbase in Stavely? They had a very good choice of bikes. Also Leisure lakes usually have a good choice as well.

Big Banjo

I'm not going against the people who say paul Hewitt is a good LBS but I came away from there feeling very underwhelmed by him. I explained what I was spending and what I wanted the bike for. He just sort of said "i have a kouta kharma" and that was it. It's not like I was spending a small amount of money either. He just didn't seem interested at all ?! Perhaps I got him on a bad day

This was also my experience with Hewitts. After hearing so many good things i was quite dissapointed.

ry1978

I have just bought a Trek road bike from WheelBase at Stavely. I've shopped there a few times in the past, mainly for mountain bikes and snowboards (Freeride snowboards is the same company in the same building) but they have always been really helpful and friendly. The staff there all seem to be enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Their is a decent selection of bikes and the prices seem to be pretty competitive as well.
I've shopped at leisure lakes in the past as well, they can be a bit hit and miss. Sometimes they are great other times the staff can seem a bit disinterested. :?

fungus_the_muffin_man

I found the ribble guy to be very entusiastic when I went to see the bikes at their factory makeshift shop. Had a really good chat with him. I was very close to getting a bike with them but decided on something different after trying a bike I'd not even thought of trying and instantly loving it.
Defiantely go to the shop and have a chat. you get to see the bikes in the flesh to. They are truely lovely pieces of carbon. (apart form the ribelle)

Barry Nice

Fungus The Muffin Man wrote:

I'm not going against the people who say paul Hewitt is a good LBS but I came away from there feeling very underwhelmed by him. I explained what I was spending and what I wanted the bike for. He just sort of said "i have a kouta kharma" and that was it. It's not like I was spending a small amount of money either. He just didn't seem interested at all ?! Perhaps I got him on a bad day :? :roll:

I'm with you Fungus. Don't be put off as there is no denying Paul Hewitt's knowledge and quality stock, but in my experience there is a no more misserable LBS owner. I have been in a couple of times, once for a bike fit, and have been underwelmed by the service. Despite travelling for 3hrs for the bike fit Paul constantly left me mid-fit to deal with 'regulars'. Even saw him break off from a guy enquiring about a Colnago to sell a 'regular a single tyre on one visit.

Friends live 10 mins away so I may still visit, but don't expect an Epic Cycles type shopping experience until you have been shopping there for 10 years

giant_man

OK the comments about Paul Hewitt are quite entertaining, I have to say I haven't met a nicer bloke. I can understand the experiences people have had but I found him fine. I had a bike fitting and I found it a good experience.

Typical northerner of course, calls a spade a spade, but very professional in what he does. Gethryn who also works in there is also excellent. They do get busy, and perhaps he's trying to please everybody at the same time, who knows but it wouldn't put me off going again.

nickwill

I've always found Paul Hewitt extremely helpful, in an honest, down to earth, non 'salesman' way. There's no flannel, just honest advice and a great deal of attention to detail. Having bought two made to measure bikes from him, I've always spent less than my budget, because of his honest appraisal of my needs.
He has a very wide range of good quality bikes, and his hand built frames are superb quality.
Like Giant man, I'm somewhat bemused by the negative comments. They are certainly at variance with my experience of some 7 years!

fungus_the_muffin_man

I'm not saying he wasn't helpful. He was just not what I expected. Yes he is knowledgeable etc... But I'd layed my cards on the table told him what I wanted to spend and he was just insipid about it. Like I said I was spending £2000 and all he could say was I have the Kharma. I was talking to him about the groupsets I was looking at and not once did he give me any kind of options. All he said was " well the Kharma has 105 ". Nor did he encourage me to come back for a bike fitting or to test ride any bikes. Hence I drove all the way to epic cycles where I encountered fantastic customer relations encouraged to look at lots of bikes that they sold meaning that they got my money instead. I really wanted to give my money to a local LBS or at least local ish if you can call 35miles local.

Barry Nice

I didn't say Paul Hewitt wasn't helpfull, or knowledgable, or that I wouldn't go back. But I'm with Fungus about the shopping experience. Mind you if I lived in Heywood I might go often enough for him to break off to serve me first

fungus_the_muffin_man

Barry Nice wrote:

I didn't say Paul Hewitt wasn't helpfull, or knowledgable, or that I wouldn't go back. But I'm with Fungus about the shopping experience. Mind you if I lived in Heywood I might go often enough for him to break off to serve me first

Hmmmmm now why didn't I think of that

Pross

You see, most people would take the time to find out for themselves about their local LBS';s instead of taking the lazy route of letting someone else do the work.

Surely the whole point of the question and of this forum is so that an new, inexperienced cyclist gets the benefit of others experience? It's not lazy at all, just someone asking for assistance and no need for sarcastic answers. If you aren't able to help or feel he should do his own donkey work then just don't respond to the post!

skinson

Hmm, I may bob in myself now and again, as i only live 1/2 mile away. No seriously, I have always found Paul very friendly and helpful, then again I have always found ribble helpful as well!!!
Dave