Shops

kowalski Edwardes is me LBS and its a total carcrash.

They stock bikes from just over a century to several k.

I returned to two wheels after a nearly two decade break and ended up on some awful Claud Butler commuter plank. Not the end of the world, but when I returned it with a wobbly headset one of the muppets took a mole wrench to it...

Depends who you end up with in there.

Gary (I think) has his name over the door and couldn't be more Old Skool Helpful. Simple jobs are done for free and there's always a rounding down fer cash. Top notch!

The quiet shaved-head dude is very knowledgeable and unbelievably helpful.

HOWEVER....

Of the two black dudes one is friendly and helpful but a bit dim, the other is just a total ignoramus. No, really.

Then there's the market-trader thug who takes rudeness and ignorance to a whole new level. Total cnut.

And the twelve year old blonde boy. Wouldn't leave me iPod unatended anywhere near that one.

None of them appear to cycle at all.

To be fair, they do support Herne Hill Velodrome and sponsor a dirt cheep season-long track bike hire scheme.

TBH, every bike shop in Town has the same mix of staff. Except of course Evans and Cycle Surgery who are staffed exclusively by terminal shitwits.

Ha ha - you just described them all perfectly!
The really helpful black dude freely admits he doesn't know a lot about road bikes and will always pass you over
to someone who does.
The market trader tried to force my headset together by pressing down on the head tube with all his might.

The older dude who runs the place likes to be a bit rude at first to see how you take it, but if you take it on the
chin he'll help you out eventually.

It is all a bit of a minefield though eh!?

I guess they make money out mums buying mountain bikes and can't be bothered pleasing us fussy types