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is there only one bike shop in the uk ?
Neil OBrien
Posts: 21
in General Chat
forgive me, but are all bike shops realy that bad that only one shop in the uk seems to be recomended on this forum? well im going to recomend another . ALLTERAIN ...... why ? well they sold me the bike that i wanted , admitidly i didnt need things like bike fitting or the right kind of red paint/ latest carbon kit ,i just needed a bike that i could make go fast and would not break when i fell off .
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3 more for me (not including tinternet shops)
TRI CENTRAL (not alot of stock but frendly and helpfull)
HARRY HALLS ( they were brill when they were in the Corn Ex)
ROYLES ( Lotts of stock and helpfull to)
AW cycles reading - helpful for my MTB!
Jac - If I may say that is the most ridiculous comment I've read on this forum.
I have nothing more to say.
- Sigma Sport in Kingston
- Moores Cycles in Teddington
- and a really good one Pearson Cycle in Sutton
BUT the shop that really sorted out all my needs with the spec I gave them and the budget I had, plus advice, recommendations, research, etc, etc ...
Bridgetown Cycles! 150 miles from where I live ....
With regards to the breaking of the bike. I bought a carbon bike not because it was the latest kit but because I wanted to, could afford it , wanted to go faster and because I wanted it.
it was intended to open up a discusion on bike shops in general, it was in no way an attack on any single bike shop ! ( witch as i have never used this bike shop i am not able to comment about them ).
Please take time to look at the post more clealy and you will see that .
please note " admitidly i didnt need things like bike fitting " this statement is tru in the fact that having been a bike fitter and mec in my youth i personaly feel that i have not alot to gain
As for smacked arse ?
thats just rude
and i've spent a very enjoyable hour or so at btown working through what i think i'll do when i buy my next bike. nice place and much more tolerant of my 2yo running round, taking things off hangars and putting sticky paws on the pinnarello's than i was! not sure many other bike shops would have been as relaxed about it either, but i'm not taking her into a whole bunch of shops just to find out!
ginertri - i thought sbr was supposed to be good in the shop but rubbish for online ordering. things might have changed a bit though.
If in the Grimsby area,try here.The shop is small,but Steve will happily spend time discussing whats you need and will source parts for you.He has years of experience,both racing and as a team mechanic,a top bloke and a great little shop.
I think if you read your opening thread then you realise that it seems you're having attack on a particular bike shop which may not have been your intention but is how it came across.
Cheers
To me Neil's post is opening up a discussion on bike shops and their merits/downfalls.
With regards to Bridgetown I'm sure the guys there know their stuff and do an excellent job. But perhaps there are others which are just as good?
Bridgetown does get mentioned in nearly every other post!
What would you like, censorship on this board or free speech and solid, well written and articulate articles from people with 1st hand experience and 1st hand problems.
I spose the bloke who flew in from Cyprus just to go to Bridgetown was out of his mind then ?
One can only write positive things about positive experiences. Maybe that's something your not grasping.
Mike has been more than generous when it comes to me and my needs and I feel it's a real shame when someone does something very very well, there is always one who wants them "dug out" for no other reason than because they can.
Tell us all, why should they be spammed ?
No one is saying you can't have an opinion but why don't you base that opinion on fact or perosnal experience instead of making a sweeping comment about something which frankly you know bugger all about.
"Forgive me i know i will get shot down for this "
Of corse i intinded to open up a debate on bike shops and peoples view on them, not as you put it in a "reaks of rattles out the pram" kind of way but in a how can one shop be that good/ what are all the other shops doing rong kind of way, you know pro's & con's not attacks or insults
fotunatly i apear to have sucseeded in opening a debate , juging by some of the coments on peoples LBS and chain shops
I'm not denying you your opinion. This is a forum and its been a while since decent debate was opened. However I feel that its been a parting shot at Btown.
Guys/ gals who have been in there come out with huge smiles on their faces. Mike took a good deal of time with me making sure I was happy with the bike and that he was happy with me being happy. I will be making a 8hour round trip just to go back there very soon.
The reason they get bigged up on here is because we've not heard anyone come out with negative feedback. I feel you could've worded your thread a bit better, cause you must have been aware what your comments would've brought/bring.
Willieverfinish knows only to well what gent mike is, as do most of the troops on this forum. Hence why I'm critical of your comments (not your debate). It was very harsh of you to judge when, by your own honesty, you've not met Mike/Stuart or anyone from Btown.
Bridgetown has had some glowing reviews, of that there is little doubt. In fact most of the posters on here who have had experience of them have nothing but praise for them.
But for balance's sake it's good to mention all the other cycle shops who also do a great job.
It can be quite tedious to read: "Get yourself down to Bridgetown" every time a bike/fitting question arises.
If one didn't know better you could imagine a few freebies/discounts being offered out to those who mention Bridgetown as many times as they can in a week.
Perhaps spamming is too harsh. But maybe there needs to be a bit of balance.
There are no freebies/ discounts,
You are right it would be good to hear other stories but the attack on Btown is uncalled for.
It was a joke! (Although Conehead might get the odd helping hand! )
apologies.... I appear to be sensitive.
I need a cuddle.
If you're from this area definitley give them a shout.
only small complaint is his website has been 'under construction' for about a year...i want to browse!
In reality?
Of course not
For me?
Yes
Which one i here you ask?
Bridgtown
The reason for my post is that after reading through *most* of the thread (i got a little bored after a while), i thought my opinion was as worthwhile as anyone else's. And as a total newbie, and i mean total 'don't know nothing about nothing when it comes to road bikes', Mike at Bridgtown took an hour to talk to me about the very basics, he must have been bored stupid, but he never looked it, he never patronised me, he never made me feel like i couldn't ask just one more question, in fact quite the opposite. And all that, after i told him that i had just got a bike of ebay, so he knew there was no bike sale in this for him. After our chat he offered to look at my bike for me on the following Saturday morning (for free). Which he did and i thanked him once again.
Now i HATE bad customer service, i HATE large shops taking the pis* out of us consumers and therefore when i find a shop/person i believe in, i take it upon myself to tell others, because i think Mike deserves it. And because i'd like him to be even more successful than he already is.
I'm a customer for life at Bridgtown. That doesn't give then the right to take me for granted, but it does mean that for now and whilst Mike continues to run his business as he does, he will have my custom and i will be an active ambassador for his business.
[dismount off soapbox]
Thank you and good night
P.S. I do not have shares in Bridgtown!