R&A Cycles - Brooklyn - NY - Legitimate or not..???

Lasarge

Hello to everyone who reads this.

I'm hoping that someone might be able to help me please. I'm new to bikeradar.com and how it all works so please bear with me. I'm trying to locate a 2010 Kestrel RT 900 SL frameset, I've come across a number of scam websites based in Indonesia that said they could supply the frame for only £662 + p&p - too good to be true I thought - which actually turned out to be correct. In my continued search I've come across a company called R&A Cycles based in Brooklyn, New York. It has a fantastic looking website, offering some of the top brands within the cycling word, one of which is Kestrel and the frameset I'm after. My question is - due to almost burnt fingers in Indonesia, has anyone had any dealings/experience with R&A Cycles, is this a legitimate company or not.

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and regards

James

Berk Bonebonce

Can't think why you should be suspicious of R&A. Have advertised in American cycle press for years.

Buy anything from the States and expect to pay approx one third extra in import tax/charges.

Paul RS

James,

Totally legit, a friends Kestrel was supplied by R&A, very cost effective too.. Rest assured, they good.

andyp

Definitely legit. A friend has ordered a few frames from them in the past and I visited the store in Brooklyn last year.

Give them a call if you're worried about them and I'm sure they'll set your mind at rest.

pottssteve

They have a full page advertisement in ProCycling every month!

cougie

Definitely Legit - but be aware of the import taxes and personally I'd not buy a frame in a different country. If it goes wrong you're stuffed.
(see the Merlin thread also !)

giant_man

Very legit company.

Hondated

if this sounds too flash I can vouch for them because the last time I was in NY I called in there.
Please note: I have only ever been to NY once.

Lasarge

Thanks guys - I think you've all put my mind at rest - much appreciated - hope I can return the favour on a future topic.

Thanks again.

rjsmith

R&A are a very knowledgeable bunch, selling some great stuff. Only ever heard good things about them.

Spender45

I was in their shop in October. I have never seen so much bike porn in one place. I didn't buy much although I had dollars burning a hole in my pocket. I found the staff quite stand offish. I guess they get a lot of bike shop tourists coming through.

Chefbnyc

R&A is an amazing bike shop. Their reputation is something special, and it’s a good thing. Because it should have closed down a long time ago.
If you like being snubbed by an overly arrogant and disdainful staff, and a place where the customer is only there to pay through the nose, that is definitely the bike shop for you.
R&A has turned the table on its’ customers a long time ago it seems. Be prepared to pay for everything : $50 no matter what if you leave your bike in the shop, and since they are so “busy”, you won’t be able to avoid surrendering that “free money” to them. But if at least, the service was up to the highest standard, as their great marketing machine would like you to believe, all would be well.
But no, of course no. They are not even up to the task. They are so contemptuous, they mess up the easiest of jobs, because they are in such a hurry to take your money, and will demand that you praise them for the half-ass job they “performed” on your bike. They will even gloat at how diligent they were ( four days only, wow!!) to stick one seat post on your bike, when they did not even check it was properly secured. They are so unprofessional, it’s appalling, on the verge of being borderline negligent.
What could you expect from the greatest deceivers in the business? Listen to this one scheme they pulled on me : Supposedly a part had disappeared ( by the way free to them, a high end brand factory replacement part) and of course no tracking was available, so definitely lost for me. And they did not stop there, continuing with their dishonesty, they wanted me to believe their half baked lies. ( went back to inventory, oh no mailed it to you already, did not get it yet? Oh well, will get you a second replacement for the replacement part, right!!!). They probably sold the part and did not expect I would follow up on the search. They made sure to muddle the communications between them, the factory and me. The level of deceit is unbelievable, especially since they never admitted making mistakes, or trying to steal from me.
Conclusion: stay away from the most untrustworthy, unprofessional, petulant Highway robbers I have ever encountered.

veronese68

Creates an account, resurrects an 8 year old thread to whine about a bike shop. On the verge of being borderline?

cooldad

Resurrecting an eight year old thread, in the UK?

Either the competition or a serious spazwangle.

Especially if you can't even fit your own seatpost....

CitizenLee

cooldad wrote:

spazwangle

Haha, you're on fire lately CD!

If ever start a band, then I'm calling it Cooldad & The Spazwangles.

cooldad

Can I sing?

I'm really, really sh1t, but I suspect your band will be as well.

CitizenLee

cooldad wrote:

Can I sing?

I'm really, really sh1t, but I suspect your band will be as well.

Of course... and yeah it will be absolutely terrible!

I think we've missed X Factor this year so I'll PM you next time the Britain's Got Talent auditions start

cooldad

I'll iron my tutu.

CitizenLee

cooldad wrote:

I'll iron my tutu.

Likewise, I'll dig out my velvet flares and pea-green tank top. This is going to rock! 8)

Beatmaker

Chefbnyc wrote:

R&A is an amazing bike shop. Their reputation is something special, and it’s a good thing. Because it should have closed down a long time ago.
If you like being snubbed by an overly arrogant and disdainful staff, and a place where the customer is only there to pay through the nose, that is definitely the bike shop for you.
R&A has turned the table on its’ customers a long time ago it seems. Be prepared to pay for everything : $50 no matter what if you leave your bike in the shop, and since they are so “busy”, you won’t be able to avoid surrendering that “free money” to them. But if at least, the service was up to the highest standard, as their great marketing machine would like you to believe, all would be well.
But no, of course no. They are not even up to the task. They are so contemptuous, they mess up the easiest of jobs, because they are in such a hurry to take your money, and will demand that you praise them for the half-ass job they “performed” on your bike. They will even gloat at how diligent they were ( four days only, wow!!) to stick one seat post on your bike, when they did not even check it was properly secured. They are so unprofessional, it’s appalling, on the verge of being borderline negligent.
What could you expect from the greatest deceivers in the business? Listen to this one scheme they pulled on me : Supposedly a part had disappeared ( by the way free to them, a high end brand factory replacement part) and of course no tracking was available, so definitely lost for me. And they did not stop there, continuing with their dishonesty, they wanted me to believe their half baked lies. ( went back to inventory, oh no mailed it to you already, did not get it yet? Oh well, will get you a second replacement for the replacement part, right!!!). They probably sold the part and did not expect I would follow up on the search. They made sure to muddle the communications between them, the factory and me. The level of deceit is unbelievable, especially since they never admitted making mistakes, or trying to steal from me.
Conclusion: stay away from the most untrustworthy, unprofessional, petulant Highway robbers I have ever encountered.

U OK HUN?