Bespoke Cycling goes into administration

dombo6
dombo6 Posts: 582
in Road general
Just found out that Bespoke Cycling near Gresham Street, in the City, has gone into admin.
One of the few purveyors of Parlee hand built bikes in the UK.

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,243
    Maybe the demand for that level of customisation is no longer there
    left the forum March 2023
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 14,624
    Is it okay for me to pass on my own experience of that shop?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,243
    Why not…
    left the forum March 2023
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 14,624
    It wasn't good, at all.

    It was 7 years ago, mind you. But style over substance is the phrase that springs to mind.

    It is the place that gave me a bike fit within mm of my current bike, except for the cleat position resulting in pain, and which steered me away from the Eriksen they advertised at the time because of a 6 month wait list that didn't exist, towards the Moots they advertised at the time, then got the order wrong.

    They also turned someone away with a puncture while I was there because they didn't have an appointment. I didn't feel like an exclusive customer, standing there with my exclusive appointment, I felt like a c'unt.

    On the plus side I now own an Eriksen from the man himself.
  • gethinceri
    gethinceri Posts: 1,517
    Sven Goran?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,612
    edited December 2022
    This is the shop that when I went in looking for handlebars I mentioned I wanted some under £200 and they literally laughed at me and told me to leave.

    I’m pretty keen on cycling and I’ve worked within 200m of that shop for 5 years now and I’ve only been in twice.

    _
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 14,624
    edited December 2022
    Possibly.

    It wasn't really a bike shop. It was more of a lifesytle bicycle accessory outfitters, for people who wanted to make the major decision of buying the best bicycle, but don't know enough about bicycles to make any other decisions for themselves.

    This is a fairly small target market, and overlaps largely with people who also buy Aston Martins.

    You don't like to see people lose their jobs, and with some sensible re-positioning to make it a high end bike shop that people feel welcome popping in to for a drool at the bike porn, it might re-emerge, and survive the periods between superbike purchases by selling handlebars to drop ins at 20% more than wiggle.
  • slowmart
    slowmart Posts: 4,480
    Hopefully the ex staff find roles quickly.

    Unusually the website is still up with no reference to administration……might be subject to a pre pack in the new year. Not sure how the big bike brands, distributors or current landlord would support the new entity if that’s the case.

    “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”

    Desmond Tutu
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    slowmart said:

    Hopefully the ex staff find roles quickly.

    Unusually the website is still up with no reference to administration……might be subject to a pre pack in the new year. Not sure how the big bike brands, distributors or current landlord would support the new entity if that’s the case.

    sounds like the ex-staff may have been part of the problem tbh...
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,747
    edited December 2022
    Worth remembering if faced with snooty attitude that unless they own the shop/restaurant whatever they are merely sales persons. Similar to the person on the till at Asda.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,243
    Sounds like they tapped into a market that no longer exists and they weren't flexible enough to accommodate for different customers.
    Cycling bankers are no longer a thing, clearly, they've probably found another fad...
    left the forum March 2023
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    pblakeney said:

    Worth remembering if faced with snotty attitude that unless they own the shop/restaurant whatever they are merely sales persons. Similar to the person on the till at Asda.

    and you're saying?
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,747
    edited December 2022
    MattFalle said:

    pblakeney said:

    Worth remembering if faced with snotty attitude that unless they own the shop/restaurant whatever they are merely sales persons. Similar to the person on the till at Asda.

    and you're saying?
    Don't be intimidated. If they persist then it is time to start talking down to them.
    Can't be doing with snooty* people.

    *Bloody typo earlier! 🤣
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    .
    pblakeney said:

    MattFalle said:

    pblakeney said:

    Worth remembering if faced with snotty attitude that unless they own the shop/restaurant whatever they are merely sales persons. Similar to the person on the till at Asda.

    and you're saying?
    Don't be intimidated. If they persist then it is time to start talking down to them.
    Can't be doing with snooty* people.

    *Bloody typo earlier! 🤣
    well, yeah, obvs innit no matter what kind of shop you're in.

    in they're acting like a moujee call them a moujee and walk out and spend your money elsewhere.

    sounds like this place was good at employing moujees.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • MidlandsGrimpeur2
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 Posts: 1,360
    That's a shame. Barry, the owner, is a genuinely nice guy. I remember him from his days as a one man band with a small shop in a basement in Hoxton.

    I think he got some big investors as the cycling boom took off which is why it suddenly grew to several shops in very pricey areas of real estate.

    I guess that is why they went after the high value customers, bills needed to be paid. As above though, only so many of these around and I assume a lot of people who came to cycling late on and spent a load of money on bikes didn't stick with it and never became repeat customers.

    I never purchased from them but that was because they couldn't (or wouldn't perhaps) reach a price I was looking for, but to be fair all the staff I dealt with were friendly and never came across as condescending at all.

Categories