Your favourite London LBS

Dav3m
Dav3m Posts: 84
edited April 2011 in Commuting chat
Having ridden and commuted my allez to a shocking state, i'm now looking to increase the family to a special 'weekend and holiday' bike. Budget is £1500-£2k. I've never spent that much money on a bike before, and when asking around, the best advice is 'go and try them out!'.

I've been to a few stores in London, but they tend to only have 2-3 bikes in that range, and that usually includes a specialized tarmac.

So - where would you recommend I go in London?

Thanks for your help!

Comments

  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    I like Shorter Rochford in North Finchley and Potters Bar. The Finchley branch is more mid to high end (good entry level road bikes up to carbon), the Potters Bar branch (just outside the M25) is all high end stuff.

    When Graeme Obree broke the hour record in 1993 he was in a Shorter Rochford jersey. I like that a lot.
    Graeme_Obree.jpg
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Where are you based? Sigma, Prologue, Condor, Cycle Surgery (a few of these around), Cycles Dauphin are just a few. From what I've heard though, you should look at the Canyon bikes.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    cjcp wrote:
    Where are you based? Sigma, Prologue, Condor, Cycle Surgery (a few of these around), Cycles Dauphin are just a few. From what I've heard though, you should look at the Canyon bikes.

    +1 for Canyon, close to taking the plunge. Latest Cycling Plus compared the Canyon CF SLX 8.0 (£2500), with a Time RX (£3700), Seven Axion (£9000), Pinarello Kobh (£7000) and Scapin (£6500). The Scapin won, but the Canyon got a 10 and whilst only half the price of the others was up there with them all, and the ultimate bargain superbike.

    Now how do I sneak a brand new bike in without the missus noticing.
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    Mosquito - sexy time!
  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    Bikefix on Lambs Conduit St for the weird and the wonderful.
    Dolan Mythos
  • moonio
    moonio Posts: 802
    Yeah bikefix are great, Condor are fantastic too..
  • rebs
    rebs Posts: 891
    E17 Bikes are a good bunch in Walthamstow.

    I'm very wary of central london LBS's
  • Greg T
    Greg T Posts: 3,266
    Bicycle in Richmond

    Here
    Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.

    What would Thora Hurd do?
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    Greg T wrote:
    Bicycle in Richmond

    Here

    +1
  • Medders
    Medders Posts: 152
    Gussio wrote:
    Greg T wrote:
    Bicycle in Richmond

    Here

    +1

    +2

    imho - best customer service in SW london
    Riding:
    Canyon Nerve AL9.9 2014
    Honda CBR600f 2013
    Condor Fratello 2010
    Cervelo RS 2009
    Specialized Rockhopper Pro 2008
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    JZed wrote:
    cjcp wrote:
    Where are you based? Sigma, Prologue, Condor, Cycle Surgery (a few of these around), Cycles Dauphin are just a few. From what I've heard though, you should look at the Canyon bikes.

    +1 for Canyon, close to taking the plunge. Latest Cycling Plus compared the Canyon CF SLX 8.0 (£2500), with a Time RX (£3700), Seven Axion (£9000), Pinarello Kobh (£7000) and Scapin (£6500). The Scapin won, but the Canyon got a 10 and whilst only half the price of the others was up there with them all, and the ultimate bargain superbike.

    Now how do I sneak a brand new bike in without the missus noticing.

    If only you guys could catch "Canyon Man", you could ask him what they're like. ;)
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    Cannot rate my Canyon CF Pro highly enough.

    Better ride than the Cervelo R3SL and Cannnondale System Six hi mod I tested last year.

    For the money you will not buy better honestly.

    Just about to buy a Canyon Ultimate AL to complement it.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    JZed wrote:
    cjcp wrote:
    Where are you based? Sigma, Prologue, Condor, Cycle Surgery (a few of these around), Cycles Dauphin are just a few. From what I've heard though, you should look at the Canyon bikes.

    +1 for Canyon, close to taking the plunge. Latest Cycling Plus compared the Canyon CF SLX 8.0 (£2500), with a Time RX (£3700), Seven Axion (£9000), Pinarello Kobh (£7000) and Scapin (£6500). The Scapin won, but the Canyon got a 10 and whilst only half the price of the others was up there with them all, and the ultimate bargain superbike.

    Now how do I sneak a brand new bike in without the missus noticing.

    If only you guys could catch "Canyon Man", you could ask him what they're like. ;)

    D'ya hear that, JZed? Ol' Rob Roy is trying to taunt us. Reckon he's got the bottle to come down our way to see if he can do over a couple of southern jessies? :wink:
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Gazzaputt wrote:
    Cannot rate my Canyon CF Pro highly enough.

    Better ride than the Cervelo R3SL and Cannnondale System Six hi mod I tested last year.

    For the money you will not buy better honestly.

    Just about to buy a Canyon Ultimate AL to complement it.

    Where did you test ride the Canyon? I think you said recently in another thread, but I'm blessed if I can remember.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    Deepest darkest Essex (Hainault I think someone said). You tempted? I am, and was sooo sooo close to taking the plunge until started totting up house deposits, stamp duty and the like and then came back down to earth with a crash.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    JZed wrote:
    Deepest darkest Essex (Hainault I think someone said). You tempted? I am, and was sooo sooo close to taking the plunge until started totting up house deposits, stamp duty and the like and then came back down to earth with a crash.

    Very tempted, but the dire need for home improvements means that a certain cat in hell has more chance of riding one than me.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • Tricycleboy
    Tricycleboy Posts: 373
    Just moved about 30 seconds walk from bicycle in richmond, had no idea it got such good reviews- i've been going to the crap shop on across the bridge.

    Shall definitely be popping down there!
  • Clarion
    Clarion Posts: 223
    Corridori in Epsom Downs.
    Riding on 531
  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    I would do it differently. You have a budget, so identify bikes in the budget, try the ones you can find, judge the others on reviews and your experience of the ones you can test, then choose.

    At that price point you've got a lot of choice for a fully built bike. I'd look at Specialized, Giant, Felt, Kuota, Argon, Merckx, Willier, Boardman and a Cervelo S1 (the only reason Trek's not on the list is because i'm a snob). Work out what you can get, fully built, in budget. Then look for reviews of those frame (frames, not components. Components can be changed, but the basics of frame stiffness and compliance can't). Plan ahead for a wheel upgrade (maybe £200-300) a year to 18 months down the road. Biggest bang-for-buck upgrade you'll ever do.

    The Big Thing is not to assume that one frame material is better than another. Good Ti or alu is better than bad carbon. Some carbon is hard as fcuk and will feel like a kick up the arse if you ride over a squashed pigeon. Some alu is so buzzy it will shake your fillings clean out. And so on. That's where the decision part becomes hard.
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • Dav3m
    Dav3m Posts: 84
    Before I started this thread I'd never heard of Canyon, but a few days later i've just got the credit card out and purchased one!

    Very bold move, but the more I looked at the pictures and specs, and read every positive review and feedback on the web - the more I wanted one.

    I visited LBS - but what they had in stock didn't compare. I'm really excited and can't wait to try out my new bike!

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