Shops

anyone bought anything from cyclebasket.com?
they seem to be really cheap

open pros and CXP33's for less than 30quid a bang.
http://www.cyclebasket.com/products.php?plid=m9b0s436p0

miche primato hubs for 46 quid a pair.

anyone?

by the way, anyone been to edwardes in camberwell? have you been treated like an absolute twat who knows nothing about bikes?

I bought some lights from edwardes about two year ago..
bloke was really decent, maybe they've changed..

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.

my lbs too, been in there twice and walked straight out again soon as i tried to talk to anyone as there so fuckin rude. Last time i went i got the spanish inquesition off one of em about why i wanted to take my pedals off. not bothering with em anymore.

my lbs is the London Bicycle Repair Show right behind Southwark tube. they've always been very friendly and knowledgeable. refreshing to have it around when there are two big evans shops just down the road who are staffed mainly by gits.

ha, same neighbourhood! so i might see you guys around sometime!

my concious choice of LBS is bob's bikes (john ruskin street) round the corner from walworth road... he's really helpful gives me loads of tips lends me tools and stuff... great guy, i only wish he stocks stuff more suited to my needs.

so i'm not the only one who's been treated rude in edwardes... i sweared i'd never go in there again but then i heard they sponsor the bike hire scheme at HH i thought they should actually be nice, plus i actually saw 3 of their branded track bikes on the road, so thought they'll be nice to me. how naive i am went in again and got the worse treatment and walked straight out.

thanks hovis, haven't been to the london bicycle repair shop meself, would check it out. i dont really mind evans as long as they don't question what i buy and have stuff IN STOCK - but that's exactly where they suck.

so no one tried cyclebasket.com...

edmundane thanks hovis, haven't been to the london bicycle repair shop meself, would check it out. i dont really mind evans as long as they don't question what i buy and have stuff IN STOCK - but that's exactly where they suck.

i found that if you're not looking like someone who is going to buy a bike, they don't tend to pay any attention to you trying to pay for smaller items. happened to me on several occasions.

there are quite a few shops south of the river...

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

aint bike shops supposed to be all Utopian and friendly?
my local bike shop on archway rd knows nothing much but i can buy tools cheap enuff, cheap compared to Two wheels good round the corner in crouch end. expensive and i dont think they like my bright colours hahaha

I was in Edwards today, and overheard the following conversation:

kid: I need a freewheel.
shop guy: what for?
kid: my bike
shop guy: well I didn't think it was for an aeroplane.
etc...

having said that, the other guy who i was talking to was very helpful.

smeear, yeah, but as you said, they are "supposed" to be, which is always far from reality. i bet they don't like your colours + buying tools from another shop + doing it yourself instead of paying them to do it for you.

natureboy, thanks for that, that's a f**king classic, hahaa... which of the guys did you end up with?

I don't know, but judging from kowalski's run-down at the top, I was probably talking to Gary, while
mr. 'i didn't think it was for an aeroplane' was probably the market trader guy.

kowalski
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.

Bit harsh... I've always found the people at Camden Cycle Surgery really helpful... Know what they're talking about, happy to advise on what's a good product (without upselling), they also gave me some bits and some maintenance work for free.

kowalski:

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.

Putney Cycles is really good. Haven't a bad word to say about them after using the store for three years. None of the staffing problems I've seen in other shops, i.e. no twats and they don't try to bullshit you - the staff have their different specialisms. And I've never had the "don't put your bike there..." crap.

They sell the bikes they have a market for, but I'm sure you can take anything in.

And I haven't had any problems with Cycle Surgery in Holborn - they seem decent to me. Evans is a different matter though. Stopped using them two years ago after repeated shit service at The Cut.

The older small Cycle Surgery in Spitalfields (not the new one in the redeveloped market) is very good. I've taken my mtb in there on numerous occasions and they are always really helpful and don't charge stupid amounts of money to do basic things. They fitted my CK headset for £5 and gave me 10% discount on the purchase price. I go in there a bit and they always give me 10% discount.

BTW Have you seen what Evans charge for repairing a punctured tire? £12.50 + parts. For a job that would take 5 minutes max...that's a disgrace.

A lot of people who cycle don't know jack shit about maintenance/repairs, in much the same way that people who drive cars don't either. I'm sure you'd find much higher markups being made by garages/AA around the country. If you don't want to get skanked, learn to do repairs yourselves!

Evans sent me away unhelp after I asked for a spanner to tighten the top screw of my fork that had come loose on the way to work
"we have the policy not bringing tools from the workshop to the sales room"..
I had to push my bike from Old Bailey to Grays Road, where Condor Cycles even did the job for me free of charge even though they were terribly busy at the time

just had a look at that http://www.cyclebasket.com website. haven't come across them myself, but they are very well priced.

has anyone bought from them??

Elvis just had a look at that http://www.cyclebasket.com website. haven't come across them myself, but they are very well priced.

has anyone bought from them??

Looks like the thread has come full circle ;)

i know, should have got my comment in earlier :)

Can I just complain about Evans a bit more?

Went in to Ludgate circus branch to buy a helmet - got ignored repeatedly for 30 minutes as other customers were drooling over the bianchis etc.. I was late so ended up leaving empty handed.

Next day I go (in a rush again), ask the guy for a white helmet in large, he gets one, I try it on quickly - the plastic strap round the back was broken! He takes it back into the store room - gets me a different one, I try it briefly, chuck the box and ride it home.

I get home and realise the guy sold me a Specialised Chamonix - womens specific model. The baby-blue stripes were a clue!
(It'll be on 'for trade' once I get my arse in gear.)

Condor - always sorted me for hard to get bits - but £££s obviously.

Cyclesurgery Holborn have been good even in busy times just for bits and bobs - loose bearings, random tools etc. knowledgeable staff in the workshop.

Brick lane bikes - Open on Sundays! bonus.

When I am in London I always like to drop by Condor
when I was a courier and monty was still there
they was always really pleasant and nice

lpg I'm sure you'd find much higher markups being made by garages/AA around the country.

Doesn't make it right though does it? ;-)

I do all my own repairs...as I suspect most people do on this forum...but I do think these shops would be better off if they didnt try and fleece people on the basics. £12.50 for putting on clip on mudguards...is that a joke? Don't they just clip on?

If i worked at a bike shop i'd get the sack so fast for telling people about cheaper places.

hehe
edwardes......arogant geezers.....went in once saw a deda pista stem in the storefront.....with a 60 quid tag on it.......it was the wrong lenght so i asked the oldish guy if they have different sizes....he said they could order it.....and come tomorrow.......so i did......stem wasn't there......fine,come tomorrow...every visit im asking the guy ..is it seriously 60 quid......it's really cheap????....he goes yeas, mate come tomorrow......fine then the third day im looking at the one in the storefront and the sticker say...85.99....what a bunch of shitheads.......and everything which has been said applies to my experience as well....arrogance in it's best......

yeah the best bike shop is brixton cycles... period;-)....coop,nice helpfull people, loads of track stuff, courier discounts......they never say no when you want something.....

condor.....amazing as long as you work in the office ,wear suit and tie, and ready to spend over grand on a bike you can ride for twenty minutes to work and twenty back......and probably dont need....

evans/cyclesurgery.......bleaurgh

cavendish cycles......nice youngish people.....velocity rims, and the almighty iro frame for 180 quid.....which is cool.....been there just once but was nice....

brick lane bikes......loads of frames, track/street specific stuff, and jan is friendly and always helpful........and the girls too......and he was really tolerant when i was buying a frame of him and taking all the frames of the hooks and measuring them....he was just like...yeah whatever..no stress......