LBSs

meanredspider

So occasionally I feel a bit guilty about buying nearly everything on line. This is sometimes made slightly worse by my local Alpine Bikes workshop guys that are incredibly helpful and often refuse payment. But then I visit a real shop and remember why I buy on line. Halfords near me is too shocking to mention but I visited Evans down south this weekend and the staff pretty much matched Halfords for their attitude - with not a single other soul in the shop, the staff couldn't get off their butts without being chased and even then seemed to know nothing about their products. The choice was really poor and the standard prices were very high. Honestly, I really don't know why I bothered. Even Alpine has a really poor selection of gear usually. So now I don't feel so bad about my on-line habit

SteppenHerring

meanredspider wrote:

but I visited Evans down south this weekend and the staff pretty much matched Halfords for their attitude

Ah, see now there's your problem.

Get known in a few LBSs (with emphasis on the L) and once you start spending 20-30% of your gross income with them they become very friendly and helpful.

TBH, I'll buy disposable, low margin stuff (tubes, chains etc.) online but things that could benefit from advice. Also club + personal discount often brings things within the range on online and you don't have to suffer City Link or Yodel.

daddy0

I went to the LBS yesterday. Its the Giant shop in Bromley. Was looking at getting a Defy 1, but whilst I was there I thought I'd see if they could change my dying freewheel. The had one in stock and changed it for me there in about 15 minutes. They ended up doing half a service and bike fit for me too. Total cost £28.

I also managed to negotiate a discount on a 2013 Defy 1 as I'm not going through any rip off cycle schemes (although I am buying through work, we are just doing the paper work ourselves). So I'll be getting that cheaper than if I'd ordered it online :-)

BigLights

I do try and buy as much as humanly possible from my LBS, but that's because they're utterly fantastic, super helpful, and always give me a whacking great discount (I have been a loyal customer since the first week they opened). Even if it's slightly more expensive than online, I get 10-15% discount on everything including servicing so I really don't mind. And they're great chaps, very passionate about the whole thing. Good on them.

cyclingprop

My LBS gives me the nod when they either can't source something at a competitive price, or when a brand they don't stock offers a better product. Can't fault them.

dhope

cyclingprop wrote:

My LBS gives me the nod when they either can't source something at a competitive price, or when a brand they don't stock offers a better product. Can't fault them.

Which shop is that?
I liked Brixton Cycles when I was in SW

Flyingbogey

I'd be back on Public Transport again without Brian in Surbiton Cycles. My 3 yr old bike is starting to show signs of wear fairly regularly. My only criticism is its made me too lazy to learn how to do thing myself.

walkingbootweather

SteppenHerring wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

but I visited Evans down south this weekend and the staff pretty much matched Halfords for their attitude

Ah, see now there's your problem.

Get known in a few LBSs (with emphasis on the L)

Wouldn't the problem be not having the emphasis on the B?

The newsagent and butcher near me are very convenient and are always very friendly but are really rubbish at truing wheels :roll:

My most local BS is good but expensive and specialise in MTB. I'm happy to travel to a good bike shop, if its a major purchase or I need some advice I can trust.

jonomc4

I do like LBS and I ghave a couple of good ones - trouble is I just enjoy do the work on the bike myself - so other than a service to make sure I have missed something once a year I don't really use them except to buy clothing where trying on is to important to risk online.

meanredspider

Accept much of the above and would like to support them but they are always so similar: any clothes you like provided it's Altura or Endura, any shoes you like provided they're Shimano, and so on. They're all too similar. As I say, the guys in Alpine have been brilliant getting me out of fixes: fixing a broken chain quick link that refused to budge, sticking my Di2 battery on charge when I was too successful at my game of "charger chicken", and so on. They now even stock some Hope stuff but also stock some real rubbish like Endura overshoes & SealSkinz gloves which I bought from them in the early days and really regretted.

suzyb

Try being female and / or not average. Even less choice then

pangolin

meanredspider wrote:

Accept much of the above and would like to support them but they are always so similar: any clothes you like provided it's Altura or Endura, any shoes you like provided they're Shimano, and so on. They're all too similar. As I say, the guys in Alpine have been brilliant getting me out of fixes: fixing a broken chain quick link that refused to budge, sticking my Di2 battery on charge when I was too successful at my game of "charger chicken", and so on. They now even stock some Hope stuff but also stock some real rubbish like Endura overshoes & SealSkinz gloves which I bought from them in the early days and really regretted.

Hah, I remember my LBS Endura Overshoes. They looked awful and they were awful.

Saw them in a shop the other day, still look the same about 3 years on. Well played Endura.

vermin

meanredspider wrote:

Accept much of the above and would like to support them but they are always so similar: any clothes you like provided it's Altura or Endura, any shoes you like provided they're Shimano, and so on. They're all too similar.

SW Londoners are spoilt having the likes of Sigma and VeloSport on the doorstep, who always have stock of non-standard stuff. And there are plenty of other nice LBSs around, besides; as dhope mentioned, Brixton Cycles is a proper co-operative and very friendly.

BigLights

i'm a massive fan of London Cycle Workshop on St. John's Hill in Wandsworth. Simon the owner/founder has always been very keen on the longer term approach - ie treat all customers very well and they'll come back. And you know what, it works. He also uses his experience running a cycle rental business in the New Forest to select stuff that's really been tested and he likes, as opposed to focusing on certain brands etc.

meanredspider

suzyb wrote:

Try being female

Thought about it but the op was too expensive....

Actually, I can totally understand - the kit for women in bike shops is absolutely rubbish in both quality and quantity.

herb71

I have literally just left the MK branch of Evans and I thought the service was excellent. The guy could not have been more helpful and seemed to know his stuff. I have to choose between Evans and Halfords for my Cycle 2 Work scheme or I would not have been in there.

Given a choice I would use my LBS which is Lutterworth Cycle Centre. I can't recomend them highly enough and have bought 3 bikes from them over the years, plus almost all of my gear. If I have to go online I have used Wiggle, but I normally only use them for my sons swimming gear.