Big up your good LBS

JackPozzi

In response to the name and shame thread, give a shout to the LBSs that give good service...

I'll start with Ciclos Uno in Hainault, not actually the most local shop to me but the best one I know of and the only shop I trust with my bikes.

Proper old school bike shop as well, you can go in with a really obscure broken part that need replacing and they'll most likely have a replacement knocking about somewhere out the back.

Miles253

More of a cafe but with a very competent workshop and shop, The Velo House Tunbridge Wells. Really good guys in there, havent bought much but ive always felt comfortable.

Philly8mt

I've got to give a shout to Pelican Cycles on Chatsworth Road in Chesterfield.

I can't claim to know the owner or staff well, or to have spent thousands of pounds in the shop ... But ... The guys there know their stuff, serviced my bike lovely and always take time to deal with you in a friendly and professional manner.

Bizarrely I've bought three bikes from another store down the road and only really enjoyed the experience once and that was buying a kiddy bike for my step daughter!

Pelican make me want to buy my next bike from them ... If you get what I mean

Old_Timer

Other side of the pond but here goes, Cyclesports Bicycles of Pensacola, my home town here in Florida. Great service with good, experienced mechanics that can pull off some miracles with shifters/brake levers and have never put pressure to buy more than I actually need, my bicycle included. Owners, Tim and Brian are long time cyclist and community residents that give back to the town and our sport. Good folks all.

apriliarider

Vekta Velosport in Stoke - http://www.vektavelosport.co.uk/

Have got Kuota, Eastway and Ritte as well - cool shop and service is top notch (cup of tea always on offer and will always make time to index gears and normally won't charge)

A proper bike shop !!!!

Ask for Matt or Rob

Cheers

Martin W

cmhill79

Was this thread started by the owner of a LBS?

ju5t1n

Very few LBSs actually cater for road cycling enthusiasts. For example, I was after a 10-sp 12-29 Campag cassette for a trip to the mountains earlier this year. I would normally head straight to the internet for this, but it was a very short notice trip and there wasn't time. The LBS in Banbury doesn't cater for this market. I called all the shops in Oxford with no luck. In the end I was saved by Corley Cycles in Milton Keynes who had one (and only one) of these in stock.

The internet is great for ease of sourcing and keeping prices competitive – but it’s decimated the levels of specialist components that your average LBS can stock.

logitech208

TT Cycles in Bradford on Avon.

il sole

ju5t1n wrote:

Very few LBSs actually cater for road cycling enthusiasts. For example, I was after a 10-sp 12-29 Campag cassette for a trip to the mountains earlier this year. I would normally head straight to the internet for this, but it was a very short notice trip and there wasn't time. The LBS in Banbury doesn't cater for this market. I called all the shops in Oxford with no luck. In the end I was saved by Corley Cycles in Milton Keynes who had one (and only one) of these in stock.

The internet is great for ease of sourcing and keeping prices competitive – but it’s decimated the levels of specialist components that your average LBS can stock.

To be fair though, isn't that what's great about both the internet and LBS?? I would have thought that a 12-29 10 speed campag cassette is quite a niche request, so it's far better for an internet retailer to have those in stock taking up shelf space in an out of town warehouse, rather than an LBS using up valuable space in a high rent retail space?? LBS need to cater for the mass market to pay for their bills, so as long as they can still sell and more importantly service bikes, that's more important than having every single type of component.
Of course, the negative of this, is that every LBS near me only has the usual suspects of Specialized, Shimano and Giant!

Iamnot Wiggins

Miles253 wrote:

More of a cafe but with a very competent workshop and shop, The Velo House Tunbridge Wells. Really good guys in there, havent bought much but ive always felt comfortable.

Yep, Mike & Jimmy are great guys and Mike can fix pretty much any issue you've got. And they sell Zot.

Mike's old employers, Wildside Cycles in Tunbridge Wells, are also great. Nothings too much trouble and Gary is a legend in his own right.

mmuk

Madgetts in Diss - fantastic service.

dav1d1

Hewitt cycles In Preston, though I didn't buy my bike from them bought it from ribble. They serive from Hewitt cycles is second to none, my first proper road bike and had a good bike fit talked me through everything, and gone back few times to change the cassette over to my new wheels and index the gears, shop is well stocked with different kit and nice bikes and would recommend them always

kim10

My shout has to go to Lifecycleuk in Bildeston, Suffolk.

Great staff, quality products and their workshop has always been able to sort out any problems for both myself and the guys I ride with, they truly know their stuff. They also stock so great bike brands and generally are very well stocked on components, clothes etc.
Oh did I mention that the staff is great!!

PerformingMonkey

Solent Cycles (Whiteley and Lee Branches) - Very helpful and patient sorting my Dad a new bike which has entirely rekindled his love for cycling. Always on hand with a spare or a tool in times of need. Staff knowledgeable and friendly.

Hargorves (Fareham Branch) - Excellent staff and did their utmost to fit my brand new Stumpy in when they were busy and it was delivered with a fault.

yatesy1983

Swift Cycles in East/City of London (near Spitalfields market) have been great for me... good advice and great workshop - they specialise in road bikes too.

Initialised

Wow, where to start:

Corbridge:
Activ Cycles - sorted me out with a tyre when I blew out a sidewall (held together with a gel wrapper at the time)
Prudhoe:
Bicycle Repair Man (now Giant)- Found me a suitable hangar and mech when I snapped mine a couple of miles down the road
Gosforth: M Steel Cycles - Emergency chain repair on my first day commuting to a new job before the shop should have been open
Newcastle:
Ride - (gone but staff now at Giant and KB Cycles) sorted me out with shoes, pedals and tyres.
Start Cycles - Always friendly and helpful only used them for small parts.
Newburn:
KB Cycles - found and supplied the part I needed to repair a shifter for cost to replace it from a shifter they had in stock.
Team Valley:
Team Cycles - always quick service
Halfords - Emergency replacement stem bolt, old one pulled out and a new one fitted, no charge - see Wayne
Metro Centre:
Cycle Surgery - Repaired my shifter after a failure, good prices for servicing and I trust their mechanic.
Evans - can be slow to get hold of staff but once you do they are great.
Chester le Street:
CycleWorld - Advised on a headset problem (turned out to be a sheared brake pad)
Byker:
Giant - had the wheel I was looking for when no one else did.
Edinburgh - Another wheel and spacer.
Gateshead:
Low Fell Cycles - cheap wheel repair and offered good deals on replacement frames and bikes.
Quayside:
The Cycle Hub - Great coffee and cake
Hamsterley Forest:
Wood'n'Wheels - Exactly what you'd expect from a trail centre bike shop except for the reasonable prices
London:
CycleLogical on Holloway Road were pretty good but that was 20 years ago
Coxhoe:
Heron Cycles have always been good for parts and repairs

Yes, I'm an LBS whore and make sure I stop in at and am known by several LBSs so that in the event of a big spend or emergency repair I'll get good treatment and a fair deal.

finlayson99

Dave Hinde in Northwich...........now run and hide..........honestly I think they are great

oldhairylegs

Sivyer Cycles in Havant.

Proper old school LBS run by a proper old school hard as nails former road racer John Withey and his missus.
He can fix anything and is a great wheel builder. Charges next to nothing for his time and expertise.

MisterMuncher

Dave Kanes, Belfast. Great people, great shop.
Velo Café Magasin are a bloody close second.

To continue to do proper LBS service in the teeth of the CRC behemoth is worthy of much respect.

wandsworth

yatesy1983 wrote:

Swift Cycles in East/City of London (near Spitalfields market) have been great for me... good advice and great workshop - they specialise in road bikes too.

+1 to this. I've bought two bikes from them (so far).

Also, more local to home and for repairs: London Cycle Workshop on St John's Hill near Clapham Junction.

wannabecyclist

Cyclopedia, Watford

Great service, never try and rip newbies off and are just great honest guys that work there.

Mikey23

Launceston cycles and certini saltash. Stars one and all

arran77

Halfords, their knowledgeable staff are great.

RedWheels

Micycle on Ferme Park Road in Finsbury Park, North London.

Not only are they really friendly and helpful/give great advice. they also make a mean cup of coffee and really promote that family LBS feel.
Never have i been in there shop and heard them trying to hard sell a product. in fact they often suggest more affordable options

they also stock Bianchi and go out their way to get the parts you need

http://www.micycle.org.uk/

exlaser

John Atkins cycles in Leamington spa are my number one shop.

Also" The Bike Yard "in Leamington spa and " Ride" in coventry are great shops.

BigLights

+1 for London Cycle Workshop in Battersea/Wandsworth. Consistently excellent, always fair, always honest. The only place I go now, if at all feasible.

gazspaz

Scotby Cycles in Carlisle. Very happy with the service.

crispybug2

Cycles UK in Leigh on Sea.

Always good friendly service and good advice, would recommend them to anyone.

IanREmery

The Bicycle Doctor in Porth, Rhondda Valleys. Bought two bikes from them. Always friendly excellent service, great prices and a really good cycling club - especially for idiot roadie beginners like I was 12 months ago.

asjc

Another thumbs up for ciclos unos, got some good deals from Trevor over the years and some great spannering from ewan the mechanic, sadly they aren't very close to me, actually that's a godsend cause they have lots of stuff I want in there, the last thing was an orbea starship frame in , of course, bright orange!
Stanley bridge cycles in cheshunt are very good, Ben is super helpful and is always able to get you going again.

Baby Trek

Stanley Fearns in Matlock are fantastic. Great and helpful staff, when they service your bike, they really service it well, people that are passionate about bikes.
I bought my bike from them with no hesitation because of the help they provided in helping me choose the right bike and make sure I was happy with it...without being pushy or trying to 'sell' to me. Great!