Bike Shops - dont you love em....?

[Gazzab]

Went to a local bike shop.
It isnt the friendliest or most knowledgeable of shops. They sell some good bikes eg top end Scott.
I was just after some SPD cleats.
They first tried to sell me the wrong ones.
Then I found the ones I needed (ie standard ones).
They were £9.99 (!!) - I said " I am going to have to pay by switch".
"No you're not" he replied gruffly.
"Whys that?" I asked
"Minimum £10" he said with a straight face
"I've a good mind to tell you where to put these cleats - do you want a bad reputation?" I said a bit peeved off.
He then says nothing and looks stupid. (By the way he owns the shop).
"OK , charge me £10" I say.
So he did!
I will never shop there again and have told all my cycling mates in the local area who will probably avoid them now. For the sake of a few pence profit loss he has lost loads of potential custom! Twits!

[FunkyNige]

Yup, always give my custom to the bike shop that has given me the best service. Which surprisingly* is the Edinburgh Bike shop in Leeds.

I say surprisingly as more often than not it's the local shops with the best service, not the chains.

[Rico]

Had similar experiences.

Unsurprisingly, my local bike shop has shut down its store here... When I moved here, I spend a few hundred quid at that store but they gave me a useless bit of service once, so I now 100% go to ChainReaction first and have spend a couple of grand there.

Then they wonder why they have to shut a store

[pzero64]

Simple – go in, check that it's what you want then get it off the internet!

[clonmult]

I've had no end of good service from one of the longest running local independents here in basingstoke - Winklebury cycles.

The bracket for my sons tag-along bike went and broke in a big way (whilst he was on it, but thankfully he didn't get hurt, just shocked), went straight over to the shop, and they happened to have a spare in stock, which they handed over for a tenner.

I'm having to get my next bike from Evans Cycles (Ride 2 Work Scheme), and whilst they've got a great selection of bikes, I've never been totally happy with the service there. Thats at any of the shops I've tried at least - next to waterloo, or the one near London bridge.

[mat205125]

Finding a local bike shop to become loyal to is as much about their service and knowledge as it is about their price.

There are too many shops out there that deal with higher end products and bikes that have an attitude that is simply too far up their own ar$es for their own good .... bike snobs that ain't interested unless you are going to chuck a couple of grand over the counter every time you go in there.