Exclusive preview of new Evans Cycles store

Will_Lockie

Hi there, I checked with the forum moderators here and have permission to post this invitation.

For a chance to come and see our new West End store before it opens officially, and tell us what you think of it, please email me with your details. We have 5 invites available.

Preview night is this Thursday 25th at 6.30pm, drinks and canapés served.

Look forward to seeing you then - we’d love to hear what you think of the new store.

cheers

Will Lockie
Evans Cycles

gaz545

Very interesting, a shame i'm busy that evening.
But what i don't understand is why place it so close to another evans store, and on the same street as the cycle surgery?

oscarbudgie

See the staff build and test ride a bike

Aidy

Maybe it's me, but I wouldn't be sure what to make of walking around a new bike shop.

I mean, layout and everything is important, but bike shops are completely made by staff attitude and customer service, in my opinion.

marchant

Pffft, if Evans really want to impress me, they could do worse than open a branch within reasonable distance of me rather than another London branch.

lost_in_thought

Aidy wrote:

Maybe it's me, but I wouldn't be sure what to make of walking around a new bike shop.

I mean, layout and everything is important, but bike shops are completely made by staff attitude and customer service, in my opinion.

+1, and as we all know evans are very, very hit-and-miss.

The particular shop they've revamped is one of the worst I've found, attitude-wise. I've b!tched about it on here before.

Kieran_Burns

Well, that's no one on here getting a free ticket then

kelsen

Aidy wrote:

Maybe it's me, but I wouldn't be sure what to make of walking around a new bike shop.

I mean, layout and everything is important, but bike shops are completely made by staff attitude and customer service, in my opinion.

True that. I mean good luck to the new store and all, but the thought of visiting a cycling superstore near the epicentre of tourist and shopping hell doesn't quite appeal to me. Given the size of the place and the throughfare that the location is bound to attract, I suspect it'd be pretty hard for the staff to devote the time and effort to make it a rewarding experience for a regular customer.

Still, it's another place I can nip into for spares in an emergency, so it's all good.

moonio

It's practically next door to one of the best independent bike shops in London!

Velorution
http://www.velorution.biz/

Will_Lockie

Hi all, the quick answer is that the store is opening here to cater for growing demand - and location is really down to what space is avaliable, being at such a premium in this area.

@aidy - 100% agreed and we hope to meet your expectations

@kelsen - point taken and thanks, I will pass that sentiment on.

Tickets are of course still open for all

cheers

Will Lockie
Evans Cycles

moonio

Will_Lockie wrote:

Hi all, the quick answer is that the store is opening here to cater for growing demand - and location is really down to what space is avaliable, being at such a premium in this area.

I'm afraid I don't believe you, I think you set up close to established bike shops in order to take a slice of the trade.

You opened a branch a few doors down from Condor cycles..but that store didn't last long..I wonder why?

pastryboy

moonio wrote:

Will_Lockie wrote:

I'm afraid I don't believe you, I think you set up close to established bike shops in order to take a slice of the trade?

Well it's worked for the evil empire - Tesco :evil:


My nearest (to work) branch of Evans is pretty good - the staff are nice and helpful.

However I ordered a new bike last summer online and it was put together in the most lazy haphazard way. The front brake appeared to have been put on by a two year old wearing a blind fold and one arm tied behind their back.

londonbairn

Evans near where I work is alright, got some components there for cheaper than online prices (we get 10% off though).

I usually go in knowign what I want though

lost_in_thought

Will_Lockie wrote:

Hi all, the quick answer is that the store is opening here to cater for growing demand - and location is really down to what space is avaliable, being at such a premium in this area.

@aidy - 100% agreed and we hope to meet your expectations

@kelsen - point taken and thanks, I will pass that sentiment on.

Tickets are of course still open for all

cheers

Will Lockie
Evans Cycles

Looking at the map on your site, I've been to that store before. It's not new... unless your site map doesn't show the new store... which would be super-helpful. Evans style.

rowing_sculling

Having walked past the new store about 2 weeks ago I'd be surprised if you had been there before. It was pretty much a building site. For me it will about 2 mins closer to the office than cycle surgery, not sure that I will go cos I enjoy winding up the guys in cycle surgery with the discussion that campag is better than shimano.

pete54

lost_in_thought wrote:

Looking at the map on your site, I've been to that store before. It's not new... unless your site map doesn't show the new store... which would be super-helpful. Evans style.

The map shows two stores - the new one and the one in Rathbone Place. Is that the one you have been to?

lost_in_thought

pete54 wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Looking at the map on your site, I've been to that store before. It's not new... unless your site map doesn't show the new store... which would be super-helpful. Evans style.

The map shows two stores - the new one and the one in Rathbone Place. Is that the one you have been to?

Ah, I take it all back - the map centered on the rathbone place one when I clicked the link so I thought it was that one.

Oddjob62

Hehe... Gaylord.... I've been laughing at that name since i was a little boy.

EDIT: Restaurant opposite in case anyone thinks i've gone mad.

secretsam

moonio wrote:

Will_Lockie wrote:

Hi all, the quick answer is that the store is opening here to cater for growing demand - and location is really down to what space is avaliable, being at such a premium in this area.

I'm afraid I don't believe you, I think you set up close to established bike shops in order to take a slice of the trade.

You opened a branch a few doors down from Condor cycles..but that store didn't last long..I wonder why?

'Cos half the staff didn't give one, whereas the Condor guys are far more accommodating (albeit a little intimidating, given their wheels cost more than our mortgage )

Headhuunter

Well I turned up last night and had as much fun as is possible at the opening of a shop! Thanks Will, good to have met you. Also met a few of the senior Evans bods who were also there and got chatting to the Head of Retail/part owner of the entire Evans chain who it turned out went to school with an ex colleague of mine!

Anyway, everyone was charming, got my bike serviced for free, drank a load of wine and beer, ate loads of crisps and chocolate and chatted to quite a few fellow cyclists. At one point I was introduced to someone as having been invited thought the forum on Bike Radar (a lot of people there were journalists, CTC people etc etc, rather than random punters) but the person I was introduced to obviously didn't hear properly and thought I worked at Bike Radar and instantly went into industry schmooze mode....

I Was also offered 20% off anything in the store, but didn't actually buy anything in the end, was too busy drinking and talking... Anyway, it changed my views of Evans and it's a massive shop by central London standards and was well stocked with all sorts of brands. The staff were very friendly and offered lots of advice. Worth a visit.

Stevo_666

B***er, missed this as have been on holidays. But its only 5 mins walk from my office. The nearby new-ish Cycle Surgery and this place gives some decent bike shopping choice in 'Noho'

Headhuunter

Stevo 666 wrote:

B***er, missed this as have been on holidays. But its only 5 mins walk from my office. The nearby new-ish Cycle Surgery and this place gives some decent bike shopping choice in 'Noho'

I asked them why they'd opened so close to Cycle Surgery, they said that they signed their lease 1st, so Cycle Surgery copied them. So nah.... (apparently)...

Stevo_666

Headhuunter wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

B***er, missed this as have been on holidays. But its only 5 mins walk from my office. The nearby new-ish Cycle Surgery and this place gives some decent bike shopping choice in 'Noho'

I asked them why they'd opened so close to Cycle Surgery, they said that they signed their lease 1st, so Cycle Surgery copied them. So nah.... (apparently)...

We can leave them to handbags at dawn over that one and enjoy the shopping. May help keep each other honest on prices Remember I got some good opining discounts at CC last year so will wander down to Evans next week for an exploratory trip.