14 Bike Co / 14 Bike Company / Shop Fourteen

Spending 1K is a serious statement to any shop and the staff has the obligation of meeting the demands of the customer in every which way it can. If it cannot oblige the demands of the customer, a serious 1k customer, the shop needs to rethink or look into training the staff.

It's such simple stuff, but some people are naturally good at it and other are not.

If i went to a shop with 1K to spend and the customer service was indifferent, i would without hesitation do what Dracula did, and walk out. No question.

Fuck it, it's 1K, a lot of money, and if the staff don't give a shit, neither will I.

However, I've been to 14 and they were kind enough to allow me to lock my bike inside whilst i went looking for my stolen bike in Brick Lane. Whoever it was i spoke to was very polite and understanding and as a result i bought a brake lever which is on my new bike.

So anyway...laters

instead of complaining on the internet, why don't you send an email to them about your experience?

unintentional tautology, ed? ;)

its a bike forum.
and there's a thread already about said bike shop.
therefore an opinion should be allowed to be voiced whether its negative or positive.

for the record i've had nothing but good experiences from 14.. i'm pretty sure i must have been seen as a bit of a dick given the amount of questions i used to ask, but they (in particular odge/jacob) pretty much schooled me on fixed gear bikes. so my qudos are to them and 14.

I have to say a few things now,

1. I was completely taking the piss with my posts, I like to get a debate going. If you knew me, you'd know that I never argue because I simply cannot be bothered! Who gives a shit..?! :)

2. I'm a bit upset that Transylvania's famous Count Dracula thinks I'm a dick.

Piss taking aside, I don't really like the whole "any excuse to complain" attitude that some people have. Not singling any of you out, but you can see where I'm coming from! It's just a bit lame.

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience, dracula. I've never had a bad experience in there myself, or any bike shop really. If I had, I must have just brushed it off coz shit like that doesn't really matter. As long as I get what I want I'm happy.

If you knew me, you'd know that I never argue because I simply cannot be bothered!

World's biggest lie.

Fuck you, Jack! Let's argue!

blah blah.... especially when frames are priced more than twice their value. They are well to expensive,** there is no point in denying that!** Its steel for Christ sake, with a stupid brand!

Ha.
I thought I was prone to chatting shit on here, or Ed. But man, you are one seriously deluded mother fucker.

+1...

I have always found them to be great in 14, but i would never drop that kind of money on one of their custom frames - if i am going custom i would want to be talking directly to the guy whose putting the frame together - only Ted and the ESB are made in house.

I wonder how much a Lee Cooper frame is, compared to the ones he makes for 14?

VV: I agree. I'd be going to see Roberts or Yates for an English Custom, but at around £500 what 14 offer is very good.

I've been there plenty of times for parts and in my experience, like any shopping experience these days, completely avoid any of the younger employees, who are only there for the 'kudos' (and, granted, it's a step up from the Golden Arches).

The older guy in there (John is his name, I think), is more helpful than all the young guns put together, and pleasant with it too.

It could've been worse, you could've gone to Brick Lane Bikes...

It could've been worse, you could've gone to Brick Lane Bikes...

Tbh I think the image of BLB as a bunch of unhelpful miserablists is a good two years out of date. every time I've been in there recently, even on weekends, everyone's been helpful and knowledgeable and entertaingngly geeky.

14 do - or at least did - have a problem with some of the guys on the floor not giving too much of a shit and if matey here experienced shitty customer service he has a right to say so.

However I'd agree with one of the previous posters when they suggested mailing the shop - I had a shitty time in 14 and was getting to the point where I was super pissed off at them. I sent them a mail explaining why and they sorted it out in a weekend.

Seriously, don't be shy on that one. They're still a relatively new company and any new company needs feedback.

BLB is still run by an alcholic, whatever else he might be (I have a list, but it's boring).

The problem with that is that when he's in a good mood, he's loads of fun and very helpful, when he's not, he isn't. At all.

Perhaps they have changed the the last few years, but I have my doubts. I personally won't be going back until Jan sells up.

You're all comparing BLB to 14 but where's TFG in this? Tokyo Fixed Gear have been awesome every time I've been in there (bar none) and have an incredible range of bikes and components. Hell, I was even impressed that they have the "Golden Age of Handbuilt Bikes" book that I love.

.

Furry muff.
I've only been in TFG once, it seemed nice. Reminded me of NYC "bike" shops. I had to re-cut some bars that they bloke cut wrong on a customers bike (one side way shorter than the other), but things like this happen sometimes.

14 got me pregnant.
now they wont return my calls.

bastards.

i think i need to go on the internet and have a good whinge about it.

Does that mean you are going to have a midget on a mini-track bike?

14 got me pregnant.
now they wont return my calls.

bastards.

i think i need to go on the internet and have a good whinge about it.

Spagetti oops?

You're all comparing BLB to 14 but where's TFG in this? Tokyo Fixed Gear have been awesome every time I've been in there (bar none) and have an incredible range of bikes and components. Hell, I was even impressed that they have the "Golden Age of Handbuilt Bikes" book that I love.

I agree, i have been to the "big three", 14, blb and tfg, and for me Tokyo Fixed Gear are by far my favourites, never had a bad experience in there. Tokyo fixed gear FTW!

I have never spent more than £40 at a time at 14 yet they're always bending over backwards to help me out. I really like the service there. There was once when I was kind of standing there for about 2 mins and nobody had said anything to me, but it was because the shop was so busy. They must be doing something right...

If you're genuinely interested in a 14 frame/build do what people have suggested, go back, or email, or ring, and say you had intentions of spending all this cash but you weren't happy with the service. You might even get a cheeky discount or a free part on your build.

They've always been mega helpful and polite when I've been in there, which isn't all that often. Most of the time I've not even bought anything but just been asking advice and they've always helped me out.
When my bike got nicked, John happily let me put up posters, said he'd do me a discount on a new wheelset if I needed it, plus remembered who I was when I went in weeks later and gave me an old pair of risers that were knocking around out the back.
Also, Ted was super quick when rewelding my frame for me. Emailed me in the morning saying it'd be done in 3hours so I could pick up that afternoon. Stoked.

Shops have humans in them. They are what you connect with and have to interact with.
Some are better than others, and all have better days and crapper days.

If you want a shop to be the same every time, the same staff the same service, the same everything you had better go to John Lewis or Chain Reaction Cycles.

What I have always liked about small, independant stores, be it bikes, clothes or whatever else is the intimate, the human and changeable. New staff, real relationships etc... I don't expect the same service from the same person every time I go in and I don't expect the same service from every person in the store. You judge how good a store is or a person is on balance, on repeated visits.

I think every one is too hung up on this "I payed one vist somewhere and they were dicks, fuck them, I wanted to spend £500 is a shop thats minimum spend is £500 and they didn't lick my balls" kind of mentality.
Maybe the person that served you was a douchebag, but doesn't mean they are all the time or that they are representative of the shop. Its hard to get the staff these days :P

• Enjoy the imperfections and the humanity of these places, or go shop online.
  
• Enjoy spending a bit more to have someone who knows their shit advise you on the right components, or go shop online.
  
• Enjoy having to wait in a chaotic shop, so it feels real, or go shop online
  
  

Noticing a trend in what I am saying?
These shops we are all talking about aren't chains, and they aren't online shops, so love them for what they are or go to a chain or an online shop.

Come on people, you are all way sensitive!