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are you guys still moaning about 14.....?
jeez.....you need to get out more.
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Bottom line is, if you want to be charged way over the odds for a bike which comes with the wrong colour/wrong brand/missing parts, and if you want to have a nightmare of a time replacing them, 14BikeCo is the way to go.
It's three months after I got my bike from there and I'm STILL waiting for parts to be 'in stock'.
These fuckers were even too busy to replace the rims they gave me (silver ones) for the ones I asked for (white) and said that I should do it myself if I wanted the thing done.
Total, blatant, hipster pisstake of a shop. Nice components but I will never ever buy anything from them again. I'll go to Brick Lane Bikes - they might be assholes but at least they're efficient assholes.
I haven't seen this thread until now and I have to say I'm dissapointed
I have a lot to say and to reply to, but honestly it's not worth my while
I think people don't understand that 14bikeco is a still relatively new and small business, aiming to bring quality handbuilt british bikes - trying to source from british manufacturers in attempt to both provide a high quality product, but also to support the stuggling world of british craftsmanship and manufacture.
the fact that 14 is still a small business means that it can't necessarily offer some of the deals that larger businesses like Cycle surgery, Condor and sometimes even BLB can offer, but we try, and it also means that we have been hit quite hard by the bad currency situations, and in particular that of the pound to yen, resulting in slightly inflated prices on occasion on goods such as the sugino messenger / RD crankset
I'm bummed to hear about your situation BleakReference, and I do believe it to be a isolated incident, and when I have the opportunity to I will try to speak to john directly about it. You must understand that it is in 14bikeco's best interest to have happy customers, because we aren't trying to rip anyone off, and primarily we're just trying to keep afloat and continue to provide quality product and beautiful handbuilt english frames, no-one along the line is making any great profits by anyone's standards. to have the approval of such a mass of people as on this forum is valuable to 14, and I don't think anyone (well okay maybe one person :P) likes to hear that mistakes are being made at forumergers' expense
as 14 grows, it'll strive to provide greater discounts on full builds (although they still are as far as I know the only custom bike company that runs the cycle scheme) and more competitive prices on all product, but you must understand that the primary focus of a business is to survive, and after that some way along the line comes profit, and I have to remind y'all that 14 is still a small business...
I can only give my opinion, and what I say is not necessarily on behalf of or in the same opinion as 14bikeco
I don't like to see such an honest bunch of guys getting slated about not being able to compete with relative giants on a few prices. but whatever
also, harry, I understand that there was an issue before about some service job or something, and I thought it had been settled? and as far as I know Odge is a more than capable mechanic, and he may have had a slip-up on your job, but i'm not convinced that it warrants your advice of avoidance to the thousands of people that look at the forum every day
on a strictly personal level, I think you're being a complete twat
but everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and this is mine -
I'm bummed to hear about your situation BleakReference, and I do believe it to be a isolated incident, and when I have the opportunity to I will try to speak to john directly about it. You must understand that it is in 14bikeco's best interest to have happy customers, because we aren't trying to rip anyone off, and primarily we're just trying to keep afloat and continue to provide quality product and beautiful handbuilt english frames, no-one along the line is making any great profits by anyone's standards. to have the approval of such a mass of people as on this forum is valuable to 14, and I don't think anyone (well okay maybe one person :P) likes to hear that mistakes are being made at forumergers' expense
Tbh my issue isn't with the fact that things are more expensive than you can find them elsewhere. If I wanted to buy the absolute best stuff for the cheapest price I wouldn't have gone to 14 - I went there because I wanted to support an indie shop even if I might end up paying a little more. The prices aren't the issue for me, it's the fact that I got dicked around.
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Anyone seen or had any experience rididing their custom hubs? 220 for the pair...To be honest for that price I'd rather get a pair of Phil Woods, still interested in any opinions!
As far as I know the new hubs have been in testing by SuperTed, so I think its safe to say at the very minimum they will be strong as fuck, and 14 don't do shit parts, I know there has been a lot of bitching in this thread, and some of it with due cause, but if you look at the quality of their standard frames, for £450 i'd rather get something from 14 than Bob Jackson/mercian....etc.
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Oh I dunno, BJ/Mercian have had a long time to get it right.
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Wow! I have just seen the catalogue for 14 bike co and a friend was raving about the place - is it style over substance? Does anyone else have experience of the place?
Most of us, in one way or another, big guy.
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bleakreference - it all sounds pretty dark, i've spoken to john and he is totally unaware of your situation but appalled that you feel like you've been treated so poorly, he is happy to discuss any problems and, as harry.major will no doubt attest, john will do anything and everything to make sure youre happy as hell by the time you leave...
pm me and i'll pass you john's details.
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Oh I dunno, BJ/Mercian have had a long time to get it right.
So has Lee Cooper :)
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^ Used to make decent jeans too
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To their credit the worker bees in 14 are polite.
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for £450 i'd rather get something from 14 than Bob Jackson/mercian.
expand please?
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BJ's and Mercians are dull as hell..... (in my opinion)
every fucker and his mums got one these days.
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They're far prettier, but it's a question of taste. I wouldn't wear 'combat style' trousers with practical thigh-mounted side pockets, for instance, but I'm happy for others to, should they wish.
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So you're saying that a 14 frame is the bike equivalent of a pair of combat trousers?
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They're far prettier, but it's a question of taste. I wouldn't wear 'combat style' trousers with practical thigh-mounted side pockets, for instance, but I'm happy for others to, should they wish.
See, this is where you and I differ. I'm a total fashion nazi, we should bring back concentration camps for the practical trouser wearers.
Fwiw, I like the 14 frame that I have very much, but I wish I'd bought something a bit more elegant.
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I don't get why Lee Cooper frames are any less dull? because they have a 14 Bike Company brooch bolted to the front?
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BJ's and Mercians are dull as hell..... (in my opinion)
every fucker and his mums got one these days.
DynoBoy Hipster!
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See, this is where you and I differ. I'm a total fashion nazi, we should bring back concentration camps for the practical trouser wearers.
Fwiw, I like the 14 frame that I have very much, but I wish I'd bought something a bit more elegant.
It looks tasty, pal. What colour is it again? I forgotted.
PS. Yeah combats should be banned, although I found a pair of fairly loose fitting army shorts under my bed the other day and although ugly, are supremely comfy for riding in.
PPS. Well, combat-style shorts, the only real conflict they've seen is my sweaty barse
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DynoBoy Hipster!
and proud of it too.
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The same man built both yours and my frame hoops!
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About
14bikeco custom bike
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Surely a 52cm set the alarm bell ringing in your head mate, at 5'11 you'd need something like a 56cm bike.