Must visit Bike Shops in Lannndaan Town

twist83

Me and the better half are off up to London this Friday evening and will be there on Saturday until late Monday. We are staying in the Borough/Waterloo area however obviously can travel.

So looking for the must visit bike shops in zone 1/2 and at a push Zone 3. Been to Condor before and will be going back but any other suggestions

spasypaddy

Specialized concept store in covent garden
evans on mortimer street

option_click

Whilst it's further out than Zone 3, I'd suggest you visit Sigma Sport in Hampton Wick (Kingston rail station). Very impressive. There's also the Specialized concept store to visit there too.

clarkey cat

http://bespokecycling.com/

just around the corner from Condor.

twist83

Magic thanks guys keep them coming

Sigma looks pretty good might be worth the travel. Other half loves bikes as much as me so shouldnt be at all hard to twist her arm.

aeon

sigma sport is awesome - although zone 6 it's only 30mins from waterloo, and kingston is a nice place to have a drink by the river. pearson is quite cool too (i think mortlake is probably closest station).

clarkey cat

Harrods?

http://www.cyclesuk.com/article/harrods_bike_shop#news

not much cop but if you're in the area might be worth popping in.

DrLex

Bespoke on Farrington Road?

twist83

Made a little list. She is keen on Sigma.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys

optimisticbiker

+1 for Bespoke if only to drool a little, then a short walk down Roseberry Avenue and up Grays Inn Road to Condor for some more drooling and if you really want to do it in style, get a Boris bike from Waterloo to Farringdon!

Also Evans on the Cut in Waterloo, though the one in Mortimer Street is marginally bigger...

And a visit to Spitalfields Market near Liverpool Street gives you Evans and 2 Cycle Surgeries

Wrath Rob

OptimisticBiker wrote:

And a visit to Spitalfields Market near Liverpool Street gives you Evans and 2 Cycle Surgeries

+1 to this. Not that exciting but you've got Spitalfields market too, which might make for a nice lunch stop. Then hop on the Boris Bike to Waterloo for the train to Kingston and Sigma.

If you want something more bespoke, try Le Beau Velo (Shoreditch) though you may have to make an appointment (very worthwhile) or Velosport in Putney.

chilling

Go to mosquito just for the disdain.

optimisticbiker

Suggested itinerary

Hop on a Boris bike at Waterloo, visit Bespoke & Condor first thing in the morning, then on the bike for a short ride down Clerkenwell Road to Look Mum No Hands for 11ses en route to Spitalfields. Visit Evans & Cycle Surgery, then have some lunch. Ride back to Waterloo and get the train to Sigma. Come back from Sigma to Waterloo, visit Evans in the Cut and then pop next door to Livebait for a great fish supper.

DrLex

OptimisticBiker wrote:

Suggested itinerary

Hop on a Boris bike at Waterloo, visit Bespoke & Condor first thing in the morning, then on the bike for a short ride down Clerkenwell Road to Look Mum No Hands for 11ses en route to Spitalfields. Visit Evans & Cycle Surgery, then have some lunch. Ride back to Waterloo and get the train to Sigma. Come back from Sigma to Waterloo, visit Evans in the Cut and then pop next door to Livebait for a great fish supper.

You should do tours- that sounds like a grand day out!

asprilla

DrLex wrote:

OptimisticBiker wrote:

Suggested itinerary

Hop on a Boris bike at Waterloo, visit Bespoke & Condor first thing in the morning, then on the bike for a short ride down Clerkenwell Road to Look Mum No Hands for 11ses en route to Spitalfields. Visit Evans & Cycle Surgery, then have some lunch. Ride back to Waterloo and get the train to Sigma. Come back from Sigma to Waterloo, visit Evans in the Cut and then pop next door to Livebait for a great fish supper.

You should do tours- that sounds like a grand day out!

I'd got for dinner at The Anchor and Hope on The Cut instead.

twist83

That tour does sound grand. We see if she is up for that.

Fancy a crack on a Boris bike as well for a laugh As long as it isnt peeing down with rain.

cookeeemonster

there's also another cycle shop thats quite a decent size next to one of the cycle surgeries in spitalfields, not been in there though, just drooled a bit from the outside...

plus brick lane bikes isn't far from there either, couple of hipster shops in hackney too

clarkey cat

then pop next door to Livebait for a great fish supper.

I'd got for dinner at The Anchor and Hope on The Cut instead.

you're both wrong: Masters Superfish is the ONLY place to eat in Waterloo.

http://www.doshermanos.co.uk/2006/07/ma ... -tour.html

Hoopdriver

chilling wrote:

Go to mosquito just for the disdain.

Give them some disdain of your own and avoid the place. Or walk past the store front, glance through the window, arch an eyebrow ... And keep going

ShandyH

Hoopdriver wrote:

chilling wrote:

Go to mosquito just for the disdain.

Give them some disdain of your own and avoid the place. Or walk past the store front, glance through the window, arch an eyebrow ... And keep going

Got my bike built there and they were superb. What's the problem there?

redhanded

http://www.onyourbike.com/ is on Tooley St, Borough.

It doesn't have the bike porn of some of the other places mentioned but it is quite a big shop so may have something of interest, and is likely pretty close to where you are staying.

Its just round the corner from Borough Market and this is a great place to get something to eat, but it does get really busy.

clarkey cat

weren't you the guy that started a Thread called "Specialised and Trek bore me: Discuss"

twist83

Who me? If so no I didnt.

Been to on your bike a few times and it is a good shop. Lots of suggestions of which most we will visit

MAssive thanks again for all the suggestions.

option_click

Worth making the journey only to visit the unique/special ones IMO.

I wouldn't go out of my way to visit Evans & Cycle Surgery. They might have bigger stores in town, but nothing wildly different from the ones you'd find anywhere else.

Hoopdriver

ShandyH wrote:

Hoopdriver wrote:

chilling wrote:

Go to mosquito just for the disdain.

Give them some disdain of your own and avoid the place. Or walk past the store front, glance through the window, arch an eyebrow ... And keep going

Got my bike built there and they were superb. What's the problem there?

Lordy, where to begin...

I too bought a bike there and their customer service and relations were beyond bad. Too long and wearisome to go into here. Friendly enough when they are taking your money but after that...forget it. I could tolerate that, even f I didn't care much for the condescension and disdain because when my bike finally arrived it was built up correctly - mainly, I am guessing, because one of the owners built it up and not the wrecking crew in their workshop.

I later, foolishly, had my tourer given their 'deluxe' service and collected it several days later in a dangerously unrideable condition. I mean, it was screwed up bad and it had been perfectly rideable (although in need of a good cleaning up and going over) when I rode it in there. They did unauthorised work, they overcharged me, they seriously messed up the brakes - hell they didn't even put the handlebars on straight. And what's more they were really rude and arrogant about it, although what they had to be arrogant about is beyond me - the screw ups were clear and obvious and worse (by far!) than anything I've ever seen from Halfords. To be fair, last time I looked the mechanic who got mediaeval on my bike didn't seem to be working there anymore.

I am not the only one to have had frighteningly bad stuff out of their workshop, or to be put off by their collective arrogance, condescension and disdain in the front of the shop. From all I've heard my experience is probably more typical if that shop than yours. I'll certainly never go there again.

M-A-S

clarkey cat wrote:

then pop next door to Livebait for a great fish supper.

I'd got for dinner at The Anchor and Hope on The Cut instead.

you're both wrong: Masters Superfish is the ONLY place to eat in Waterloo.

+1

Lovely food. I work very close by and it's always a temptation when i don't bring lunch!

okgo

Really? You're telling the bloke to visits Evans Cycles? Jesus, its like asking for high end eateries and being told to check out Pizza Express.

Don't both with Evans, or Cycle Surgery. I'd say of the listed Sigma and Bespoke are worth spending any time, and even then they're going to take about 15 mins to look round...Bespoke is quite a bare shop, a few bikes on the wall but little else.