[Closed] Name & shame bad bike shops?

The name, shame and flame game is at the heart of this community.

My local shop talk down about anything that isn't made by Hope or Orange.

Last time I went in, it went a bit like this...

Me : "I'm having a couple of problems with my brakes and wondered if you could have a look at them and sort them out"
Them: "what brakes are they"
Me: "Custom Avid Elixir"
Them: "there's your problem, you need to get rid of them and get some Decent brakes"
Me: "it's a four month old bike, I wont be buying new brakes or it"
Them: "mmmmm they will never work as good as hope brakes."

Not planning on going in again.

Don't see the need to "Name and Shame" though, it's only my opinion, I am sure people are capable of making their own mind up.

Definitely name. Enough places get talked up here, why would sharing experiences not go the other way?

Trouble with this is one idiot staff member in a shop could drive a customer away (and to threads like this). At least keep it to the OPs experience of consistently bad!

Thank Al.

Neal, that sounds just like this shop!

Today I asked for advice on setting up bars and stem options, and was just told "you've got the wrong bike" and that "they don't make bars longer than yours". 620mm!

When I said I haven't got the money for a new bike now and would like some advice so I can buy better bars or stem, he said "you'd just be wasting your time".

cb, I've had a different staff member (or pair of them) each time I've been in.

[quote=nealglover ]
Me : "I'm having a couple of problems with my brakes and wondered if you could have a look at them and sort them out"
Them: "what brakes are they"
Me: "Custom Avid Elixir"
Them: "there's your problem, you need to get rid of them and get some Decent brakes"
You'll never get better advice.

One of my LBS's sold me a secondhand flat bar road bike with mountain bike STi levers & road bike caliper brakes, I questioned it at the time & they assured me it was fine.... I only buy clothing from my LBS's

Edit - it was the shop owner too!

There was(is?)a shop in Durham that was 3 miles from my house, every time I went they'd take the mick out of my (Tange Prestige custom HT) bike, they sold a small framed FS to a mate of a mate who was 6'1" telling him it was 'spot on' & were just generally totally condescending.
I switched my LBS to one in Guisborough, 45 mins drive away & still use them 20 years later.

snowcatsmiling - Member

Hiya all,

I've wasted the time and money of my local Specialized dealer on several occasions to the point where they know me and have identified me as a time waster and a pain and don't want to indulge my flights of fancy anymore. Despite me asking them the same questions in various ways they continue to refuse to give the answers that I want to hear. I checked them out online and reviews all say the same as I experience:

They're knowledgeable and self assured and are not a free resource for me to tap at will as they actually have other customers to serve, and cant afford to waste their time on people who just want to ask endless pointless questions with no intention of making a purchase or who disregard good advice when given the first time .

It seems that all they want is someone to walk in and proclaim, "I am not a time wasting idiot who wants to use you as a substitute for google, I am a paying customer who wishes to make a purchase rather than just kick tyres, pump forks and stretch cables all day long before squealing about being mistreated behind the veil of anonymity on an on line forum where I can do some damage and make myself feel big ".

So, do we try and get people sacked on here? Mods?

Hiya all,

I've wasted the time and money of my local Specialized dealer on several occasions to the point where they know me and have identified me as a time waster and a pain and don't want to indulge my flights of fancy anymore. Despite me asking them the same questions in various ways they continue to refuse to give the answers that I want to hear. I checked them out online and reviews all say the same as I experience:

They're knowledgeable and self assured and are not a free resource for me to tap at will as they actually have other customers to serve, and cant afford to waste their time on people who just want to ask endless pointless questions with no intention of making a purchase or who disregard good advice when given the first time .

It seems that all they want is someone to walk in and proclaim, "I am not a time wasting idiot who wants to use you as a substitute for google, I am a paying customer who wishes to make a purchase rather than just kick tyres, pump forks and stretch cables all day long before squealing about being mistreated behind the veil of anonymity on an on line forum where I can do some damage and make myself feel big ".

So, do we try and get people sacked on here? Mods?

Muddyfunster, 🙂 Umm...maybe you work in a bike shop? you're definitely not a psychic because your take on how it went down is totally wrong.

I've gone in there to buy stuff. Do you think people who don't expect a shop to be able to advise on products before buying are the only ones who should be allowed to buy? Do you think that staff's only job is to press buttons on tills and not provide service?

I didn't waste a penny of their money....anyway, I don't know what other issues you've got in your life but you're completely wrong about me and what happened so I'll stop wasting my own time in writing to you.

I didn't do anything wrong. No idea why you felt the need to attack me and twist my question, which I asked for the good of the community, around.

You'll never get better advice

Junkyard's advice was better.

(Well, not a actually advice, more like his spannering skills, now they are set up right they have been spot on for a long while)

There was(is?)a shop in Durham

I would get a complex if it wasn't for the fact that I've had a very different response elsewhere in the NE 😕

That's your opinion. There are two, usually very distinct sides to each story as evidenced by [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/my-lbs-refused-my-business ]this[/url] thread as just one example.

You say you are posting for the good of "the community" but I dare say if the people you are referring to had a say they could, if they chose, paint a different picture of you. You are the type of person who ruins any sense of community.

What you are doing is venting your spleen by starting a thread with zero facts from a position of total anonymity. You have your version of how your feelings were hurt by non specific events, I've simply twisted your words to illustrate how things can be twisted by someone else. Or rather, to show what you may well have done to convey injury on your part from relatively benign circumstance.

Why didn't you complain in the shop at the time? If you were dissatisfied with the service you were getting why didn't you say so? Why didn't you express your dissatisfaction to the member of staff? Why didn't you ask to speak to the manager? Have you contacted the shop first and foremost?

If you had done any of these things you could have included them in your thread but you clearly didn't because as it stands you have a post about nothing other than stirring up bad feeling towrds local bike shops . You've spun a story there about how you feel like you've been somewhat condescended to. Stop the world.

Just like so many other people you are sniping at peoples livelihood from behind a computer with nothing to substantiate your opinion. You want to damage someones business and other peoples lives because you think, in your mind at least, you have been wronged. You start a thread asking to name and shame local bike shops, your probably the same guy who flares up when he doesn't get the part he ordered from CRC in 24hrs.

Grow up.

I have seen good and bad.

In the end the worst thing is when the wrong guy tries to answer your question (ie the roadie who is covering the whole shop at lunchtime) rather than saying not sure/will find out etc just randomly suggests something.

I expect the workshop guys to let me know if something I have or plan to buy is a PITA to maintain/fix etc.

There are probably 6/7 bike shops where I live now. I avoid several as they are just Race focused.

In the end I have better luck with LBS in terms of random spares, quick fixes and the rest that I choose to use them.

muddyfunster

I can understand why you goat has been well and truly got but in all fairness, your attitude is not doing LBS any favours.

Maybe something along the lines of "I'm sorry to hear about your experience, with our customers we try really hard to offer good advice and service and are able to communicate with everyone from beginners to those with custom requirements" would get you a bit more business.

Just a thought 💡

Woody

You got a response from an individual not a shop. This is a site almost exclusively inhabited by individuals (and some spam bots). Therefore people can vent back at your venting 🙂

behind the veil of anonymity on an on line forum where I can do some damage and make myself feel big

Hmm...mirror.

Anyway, back to the point. Shops are a service industry, and if they aren't made aware of their bad service they'll never change.

If someone speaks out and then they change, that's a good thing. If they don't change, people who have heard about it know what to expect and can make their choice. That doesn't make me a person who is bad for the community. However, people who hijack a well-intentioned forum and then go on to say "people like you" may be considered in a different light.

Thomas's Cycle Revolution, Ipswich. Unlike Arnie, I won't be back.

I do know how you feel and been in those shops, but you got to remember that the bloke is probably on £6 an hour or something rubbish and therefore doesn't particularly give a toss about you as they themselves feel they have no real value cos they can't even pay the bills.

Thomas's Cycle Revolution, Ipswich. Unlike Arnie, I won't be back.

Now that's interesting, because I've been in there several times for a browse and a chat (just round the corner from one of our sites) and only been well received. Friendly, chatty, that sort of thing. I've never bought anything because my LBS, run by a friend, is just round the corner from home. Having said that, I've never been in when they've had a shop full of real customers.

Whilst MFs comments are a bit strong I agree with his sentiment. If you have a bad experience In a shop dragging them through the internet is not going to change a thing but could be very harmful to the owner. If you haven't spoken or written to the manager / owner to bring this to their attention then you're going about this in the wrong order.

I worked in retail for years and I'm fairly sure I upset a few people in that time, but every day I went to work with only the best intentions to help anyone who came in the door. Sometimes personalities clash and people walk away upset - we've all been there.

It might be that a few members of staff need a kick up the arse, wouldn't it be nice to see your LBS transformed rather than out of business...

I do know how you feel and been in those shops, but you got to remember that the bloke is probably on £6 an hour or something rubbish and therefore doesn't particularly give a toss about you as they themselves feel they have no real value cos they can't even pay the bills.

Sorry but you leave your problems at home, just because you don't think you're being paid enough it isn't done to let a customer get the raw end of your issues.

It might be that a few members of staff need a kick up the arse, wouldn't it be nice to see your LBS transformed rather than out of business...

😀 well said that man

My local specialized dealer (Leicester) are amazing, they were great in their tiny shop, and even better in the new place. Always helpful and do my little workshop jobs as soon as I walk in the door. The local giant dealer however is frequented by the biggest arsebandits you ever did see. The staff don't have a clue, or seem to give two hoots for that matter.

Swings and roundabouts.

My LBS used to be a bit meh, bit disinterested. Then an Evans opened up round the corner, the shop gets a bit of a makeover, and a much more welcoming attitude from the staff. They still cant stock everything that Evans does but I try hard as I can to give them as much business as I can, always use their workshop, buy tubes and lubes there. I've got a good relationship with the guys there now, they always try and find a spot to get my bikes fixed and I get a good natter about all things bikes. If I pay a little bit more there I don't care, just what a LBS should be. Thats Two Wheels Good in Crouch End, North London.

MF + 1.

Whilst MFs comments are a bit strong I agree with his sentiment. If you have a bad experience In a shop dragging them through the internet is not going to change a thing but could be very harmful to the owner. If you haven't spoken or written to the manager / owner to bring this to their attention then you're going about this in the wrong order.

Problem is that most people do exactly what the OP has done (although most won't go onto the web to complain unless they have a major axe to grind) ie. they try a shop once or twice and if they don't like the service they won't go back. The manager/owner should be aware of how the customer is treated by staff, it's part of their job isn't it? Unfortunately it is often the owner who creates the atmosphere/attitude.

You only have to look on here to see which shop owners/workers have the right attitude to customer service and appear to be doing quite well.

I've had bad experiences every single time I've been to my nearest Specialized dealer. They're unbelievably arrogant, hate giving advice and talk down to you until you're driven out of the shop with your soul in your shoes.

My LBS, The bike shop (original) in crossgates, Leeds, used to be a bit useless and didn't seem to know what they we're talking about. I wasn't going to bother using them again but i went in there on saturday, just to get a couple of small bits, only spending a few quid. But i walked out of there with a big smile on my face having got exactly what i wanted at a very reasonable price. I will now use them again and see how they go.

If muddyfunsters attitude is typical of LBS' then they can FO!
I'm not surprised snowcatsmiling has had a bad experience.

in almost 30yrs of using bike shops, i can honestly say the only bad experience i have ever had, is the one i am having now.

the company is JUSTEBIKES. who are based in suffolk and a new store in london.
if anyone is in the unfortunate position that they need to buy a ebike, please please steer clear of this shop.

Anyway, back to the point. Shops are a service industry, and [b]if they aren't made aware of their bad service they'll never change.[/b]

So, did you "make them aware" then.....

Or did you post about it on the Internet instead ?

 

Wills wheels. Not going to rant on, yet. I'd like to hear any stories of them being decent

I have two 'decent' LBS near me.
I used Big Foot Bikes in Hayes for servicing twice - both times they let me down badly - didn't do what they said they'd do, and made me feel like they were doing me a right favor.
The second is Bromley Bike Co - I've now used them for servicing twice, both times they did exactly what they said they'd do, and exceeded my expectations.
I now buy a few parts (mostly clothes i want to try on first, or bits I want to ask advice about) from them, and the prices are generally similar to on-line.
So I can recommend Bromley Bike Co, and I wont be going back to Bigfoot bikes.

I'd like to thank the lbs's of Manchester for making me a decent home mechanic.

If you don't get on at shop A, go to shop B. If you don't get on there either then learn to build your own bikes.

Quite what anonymous bleating on an internet forum would achieve is beyond me.

Sadly, all the really bad bike shops have gone out of business, or been improved beyond recognition. The bad bike shop par excellence was Bob Finnie in Glasgow - he had a proper old shop with a wooden glass-topped counter and lots of wooden drawers behind, it was gorgeous. But Bob didn't like bikes, or people, unless you were 60+ and rode a 10-speed. The way he could make you feel 3 inches tall while explaining that indexed gears were a silly fad was a sight to see.

Or there was the big bike shop whose staff were experts at ignoring customers - we used to test this scientifically, by walking right up to the counter and timing how long it took for the person on the other side to put down his MBUK and talk to us. Saying hello first didn't help much.

But I could tell so many more stories about nightmare customers. Like the one who used to phone up every month and ask if I had a certain Brompton in stock - my answer was always no, but if he ordered now he'd have it in a month. Next month he'd phone up with exactly the same question. This went on for years. Or the person who ordered a custom Cinelli (those frames are a rip-off, but that's another story), specifying every part he wanted down to the spoke nipples. Then, after I built it exactly he wanted and told him that it was a pretty lightweight and spindly bike, and he should keep an eye on the Italian BB, he proceeded to trash it completely through the winter and then demand everything be replaced under warranty.

Pedal Revolution here in Norwich aint much cop as it seems everytime me and my pal who ended up going elsewhere to buy his 2k cross bike go in there we are invisbile and they make no effort to acknowledge us or offer any advice , its not that diffcult to say Hi is it ?

Ben your customer stories are much more fun, more please!

Cycle surgery in brum. ****less snobs. Ignored me when i wanted a new bike, had just sold a motorcycle and had a back pack with £5000 cash in it and they couldn't have cared less.
Evans in brum are like night and day by comparison and have been ever since. Especially the tall slim manager chap; he's the SHIZZLE when it comes to customer service.

The customers who used to really annoy me were the rich locals who bought absolute junk for their kids. Like the well-known (at the time) Taggart actor who brought in a third-hand wreck and wanted the absolute minimum done on it. I asked him if he wanted me to sort the dire brakes - "no, don't bother, he's only seven" was the reply.

They'd always turn up with these Costco specials with the forks on backwards, strapped to the back of a Mercedes or Lexus, and then moan about the price to fix "just a bike". I'm very glad I don't do normal bike repairs any more.

The people I get now are more eccentric and entertaining than annoying. Like the person who ordered a custom £6k recumbent online (including genuine carbon fibre racing car mirrors), flew up from the south coast to collect it with the intention of riding it all the way home, walked in the door and announced "right, I've never ridden a recumbent, what do I do?" 🙂

I worked in a ski hire shop once and a customer bought a set of skis back because they were faulty and wouldn't run parallel.

I'm pleased somebody mentioned Bigfoot Bikes in Hayes as being a bad bike shop. When I saw this post I instantly thought of the owner.

bencooper, we want more!

@Bencooper- I used to live just round the corner from your shop, and always loved going past on the way to mugdock and seeing the recumbent outside that looked like a fighter jet from the 60s (full metal faring, haha!)

For a while I worked at Cycle Heaven in York, specializing in all sorts of weird and wonderful bikes (Gazelle dutch bikes, brompton, birdy, mezzo etc) and used to get lots of eccentric customers. When you specialize in "alternative transport" many of your customers are the kind of people who aren't allowed driving licenses 😆
I once had a guy who came up on a train from Nottingham to buy one of [url= http://www.cycle-heaven.co.uk/bikes/brands/gazelle/gazelle-heavy-duty-men-s-women-s/ ]these[/url]- 3speed, uber heavy monster of a bike with a coaster brake (but very cool) and intended on riding it back.
He brought his SPDs with him (oh yes) so we popped em on, stuck a couple of water bottles in his basket for free, and away he went.
I gave him a call the next day to see if he made it home alive, and apparently he did! 10 hours, including a 1hr stop for fish and chips. Hard-****ing-core!
He owns a bakery somewhere in the outskirts of Nottingham, and uses it for advertising and deliveries. If anyone's seen it parked outside a shop up there, he bought that from me 😀

snowcatsmiling - your not the only one, their Colchester branch is no better. I popped in there to talk to them about getting the parts to repair my reverb - it took them 3 weeks to finally give me a call back, in that time I had got fed up waiting (and that did include a couple of calls to the store about it) and gone to Grafham Cycles and got it all sorted.

@pinetree - still got the fighter jet, it's sitting in my window at the moment 🙂

As recumbent have become (relatively) more normal, the number of sandal-wearing eccentrics has sadly declined. When I first got into them, they were all bodged in sheds, now they're mass produced in proper factories - they're no longer made out of zip ties, but some of the fun has gone out of it as well.

I used to work in what would probably be described as a bad bike shop - Harper Cycles. Adam, the owner, had a glass eye which was unnerving in itself, but he used to look at you squint with his real eye so you couldn't work out which was real and which was fake. He'd pretty much given up so three kids - me and two others - would hang around the shop and repair any bikes that came in. Adam would turn up once a day and empty the till - we'd try to keep some money hidden so we'd have enough to cycle out to the wholesalers to buy more parts. Occasionally, Adam would turn up with another fancy woman, and we'd have to hide her in the workshop when his wife showed up.

The bad bike shop par excellence was Bob Finnie in Glasgow - he had a proper old shop with a wooden glass-topped counter and lots of wooden drawers behind, it was gorgeous. But Bob didn't like bikes, or people, unless you were 60+ and rode a 10-speed.

That's not [i]bad[/i], just [i]niche[/i].

Adam would turn up once a day and empty the till - we'd try to keep some money hidden so we'd have enough to cycle out to the wholesalers to buy more parts. Occasionally, Adam would turn up with another fancy woman, and we'd have to hide her in the workshop when his wife showed up.

Where does one find staff like this?

I'm surprised that Bob Finnie doesn't get a mention in the League of Cycling Purity:

http://theleagueofcyclingpurity.wordpress.com/

He'd definitely count as one of the League's second class shops. The league really doesn't like me.

Where does one find staff like this?

You just allow any spotty teenager the run of the place, and a few turn up. It helps if you have an evil eye so no-one would dare nick stuff.

When I read the op's first post I immediately thought of Thomas’s in Colchester that’s a very accurate description of how they used to be!
They’ve been notorious in the area for years for that attitude so I think it’s fair to say although yes there are a few bad customers out there, they can’t all be that bad.
A big bill to go with the first “free” gear tweaking service after you bought a bike used to be one of their favourites. A new bottom bracket always seemed to be needed.
I heard first hand of quite a few people walking out because of their condescending attitude and a surprising number of people who admitted to coming close to walloping the owner. Quite a rare talent for customer PR that!
Of course in the pursuit of internet forum kangeroo court fairness that was when I was involved with the trade 6 years ago so they might be totally different now

+1 Thomas cycle revolution
I went in the colchester shop a few years back with my pride and joy (yeti asr) one of the shop lads commented on what a nice build he thought it was to Mr Thomas who turned round and said "Nah single pivot bikes are rubbish" probably because they didn't stock any, funny how now they have had a revamp they deal in Santa Cruz.

A while later I went in Thomas's ipswich shop looking for some pedals, I saw some cb candys in the cabinet for £50 and asked lad in charge if I could have a look he said he could not sell me those ones as they were for display only but he had a pair without the box and he could knock a tenner off for me,
Anyhow he pulls out a set of cheap looking copies out of a bits box, he even got shirty with me when I said they not candys and was trying to rip me off.
I'll never go in either shop again.

I'll never go back to JE James in Sheffield after my experience looking for a bike for my 5 year-old son. The woman who served us couldn't have been less helpful if she'd tried.

I had to ask her if she could possibly bother to get the bike off the display so he could sit on it, which she did after rolling her eyes like it was all too much trouble. Then, when the seat was a bit too low I asked her if she would mind adjusting it so he could try it for size. She sighed loudly and went to get a spanner, which she then gave to ME to make the adjustment.

Anyway, as soon as he'd sat on it and was off looking at another one (as 5 year-olds do), she immediately dropped the seat and put it back on the display and walked away. My son inevitably came back wanting to sit on the bike again, at which point we decided we'd had enough of being treated like an annoyance and took a tearful little boy out of the shop to look elsewhere.

I genuinely don't think I've ever been made to feel so angry at customer 'service' in my life before, and I certainly won't consider them when I spend 2-3 grand on a new full-susser next year.

The way he could make you feel 3 inches tall while explaining that indexed gears were a silly fad was a sight to see.

Old bike shop in Shrewsbury (in Milk Street) Cockle's

Went in with my dad to get a bike.

"MTBs and Index gears where a fad and would not be on next years bikes, so I sugggest a racer with friction gears..."

soon went out of business though had been there since 1920..

nice old building though:

+ 1 for JE James being a bad shop.

I bought a bike there and just a couple of months later they totally weren't interested in helping me. They didn't quite hang up on me, but practically did.

Bit off-topic but Swinnerton Cycles in Stoke are BRILLIANT

They didn't quite hang up on me, but practically did.

I like that 🙂

Isn't hanging up not one of those things that's either done or not done ?

Three times I've gone into Wheelspin Cycles In Huddersfield:

1. to buy a new bike
2. to buy a new seatpost
3. to buy a rack and pannier bags

Each time I've walked out without purchasing due to being made to feel like an inconvenience. Should've learnt my lesson the first time.

"Isn't hanging up not one of those things that's either done or not done"

fair point, but the person who answered the phone

- sighed audibly with frustration
- said ' well I guess I could phone specialized'
- needed prompting to take my number so that they could get back to me (he never did)

hanging up would have been more honest, and quicker

My friends have had a couple of problems with my LBS...

Quoted £120 for a full service.. They then decided to call it £180, plus new bits (was never asked if he wanted them), plus VAT... Was not a happy bunny!

Took a rear wheel in for the bearings to replaced.. Replace them all please.. Decided to only replace 2 bearings, the other two weren't that bad... A month later they needed replacing.

But generally they are very good, everyone that works there is an enthusiastic cyclist and will try and help in whatever way they can.

I've had more problems with a mail order company beginning with T... 3 weeks for bike bags, they said would be 2-5 days. Phoned them after a week and said I need them ASAP for holiday, their reply was "oh in that case we'll order them". They arrived one day before holiday. Also ordered some fork fluid that was in stock, 2 weeks later I get two bottles of mineral oil. Doubt I'll ever order from them again, and they used to be sooo good!

AW cycles in Reading.

The road cycling department are really are snooty ****s.
after spending 3k with them, between spending the cash and collecting the bike they went from angels to a complete bunch of unhelpful condescending bellends.

Pudd - try taking something back to Evans in brum to see how good their customer service is. Needless to say I take my business elsewhere.

TWO WHEELS WORDSLEY DREADFULL

personally if a customer wasn't satisfied with the level of service they'd received in my shop I'd want to be told so I could try to rectify it - at least before they went slagging me off online in forums! If they didn't have the confidence to come back and tell me then a tweet, a facebook message an email anything like that would do - at least then something could be done as I know well at least on my part bad service wouldn't have been intentional!

Marshalls,Hall Grove, WGC.
Hatfield Bike Centre, Hatfield.

Continuing the great tradition of bodge ups and bad service on everyone I know, including blowing the tyre off my mums bike.

I've just realized that, in the 40 odd years that I've been riding bikes, I've only actually bought 4 bikes new from a shop (mostly build my own, buy second hand etc) and have had pretty good service all 4 times.

Number 1 was a Rayleigh Dune Dance from Halfords Croydon ~1990. Looking back I doubt the guy selling it knew much about bikes, but he was helpful.

Number 2 was a StreetMachine recumbent from Ben (Hi Ben) ~2000. I'll spare his blushes, but it was all good.

Number 3 was a Brompton from Cycle Heaven in York ~2005. Not much too that one really. Saw it in the window, popped in an bought it. They did give it the once over for me though and it's been faultless ever since.

Number 5 was a Giant Trance from Edinburgh Bike Co-Op (Aberdeen), this year. Sorted out a demo and gave me lots of good advice. They have taken an age to fix a stripped freehub (busy workshop), but they did give me a nice 29er to play with while mine is getting fixed, so no complaints.

Maybe I've just been lucky.

Cheers,

Andy

Went into a bike shop in Jedburgh a few years back to buy a new Marin Wolf Ridge (dodged a bullet there) guy was on the phone having a long conversation with a friend. After he put the phone down it rang imediately and was on it for five minutes. When he hung up it rang again but rather than ignoring it and dealing with the person who had now been patiently waiting in his shop for close on 15 minutes he picked it up. I walked out and spent £2K elsewhere.
He moved premises to Galashiels where I live, I bought a few consuables off him but his and his sour faced wife could never raise a smile or show interest in their customers at all. He wet out of business quite quickly.

Recently I also got ignored by three members of staff in Alpine at GT, the front of shop guy was on the phone to a customer, fair enough, but the three people in the workshop, only one of who was working left me standing obviously wanting to be served for over five minutes, I walked out again.

On the flip side the best LBS I've been in by a mile is I Cycles in Innerleithen, ran by top guy Steve Deas.

smell it,I too would like to thank all the lbs in barcelona for making me become a decent mechanic.
They are all shite.All of them.from probike,who built me a set of wheels with 2 threads showing on the non drive side rear.though to be fair,some of the blokes are allright,when they don't have their period.to cap problema,a brompton only bike shop who manages to know f all about the single item they sell that's not mentioned in the catalogue.The mechanic is a decent bloke,the manager is a pretentious tosser.
To espai bici,tossers,no clue about anything.have loads of niche bikes on show and basically are run on worthington's law (ie.a thing is as good as it is expensive).
To be fair.most bike shops I've found here are based on that.
Oh,the worst.but it's closed.thank god,a bmx shop that had one tool.a hammer.
tossers,but bike24,crc,rose,sjs and others get all my money now.I've got a lot more bikes than I could afford had I gone the lbs route.Mechanically they're all in much better condition than they would be if I paid someone else to sort them out.(25eu/h ffs)
So,to all the bike shops in barcelona I hope you die and go to hell.

I put that through babelfish and it still does'nt make any sense.

I have had the misfortune to walk into Lowfell Cycles. I went in with my wheels recently and asked can you make these tubeless for me please? I didn't get a yes, I didn't get a no. What I got was: 'you don't look like a racer, you've no need at all to use tubeless'.

This was followed by lots of condescending remarks and even a 'Hope make terrible products' AND 'I've never heard of Stans'!

This coming from a former Gary Fisher Dealer!

I couldn't contain my disappointment and after several minutes of abuse, I walked out.

Why act that way? I had cash in my pocket to pay him and would have bought the kit in his shop!

R: here's a special version,just for you.
lbs.barcelona.shit.
I did a course in electronic translators,about 10ys ago,at uni,basically I came away with the idea that I would later hold to be true about bicycle shops in barcelona.

I read your post and instantly thought of cycle revolution!
Most people I speak to seem to have the same opinion as well,
Moons are helpful and friendly I have found in the past if a little less top end

Haha Low Fell cycles!! Bought my first mtb from there 20yr ago or so, Townsend I think. They didn't know much then and they prob know less now...
Someones gonna have to give me a clue which ones to avoid in Durham? Agree the one in Guisborough seemed canny and purchased frame from there.

Old bike shop in Shrewsbury (in Milk Street) Cockle's

I had my first approaching proper bike from there - 5 speed Dawes Chevron in January 1975 😯 . He was OK with me when I took the drive side crank in asking how much a replacement would be as I'd bent it falling off on ice - he stuck it in the vice and straightened it for free.

I must be lucky. Never found a bike shop i would describe as properly bad. I have had stiff words with one but got a solution both could live with as a result and still go there regularly. I have had phases of avoiding certain shops when I wasnt so keen on the staff but both my good local shops have 3 or 4 branches so tend to change branch rather than shop.

[i]I have had the misfortune to walk into Lowfell Cycles. I went in with my wheels recently and asked can you make these tubeless for me please? I didn't get a yes, I didn't get a no. What I got was: 'you don't look like a racer, you've no need at all to use tubeless'.

This was followed by lots of condescending remarks and even a 'Hope make terrible products' AND 'I've never heard of Stans'!

This coming from a former Gary Fisher Dealer!

I couldn't contain my disappointment and after several minutes of abuse, I walked out.

Why act that way? I had cash in my pocket to pay him and would have bought the kit in his shop![/i]

That is so funny! the bloke who owns it (or did) was/is called Keith & was kinda related to me, (my Uncle married his mum). Lets just say I haven't seen him for a long, long time.
The shop in Durham I was on about was MTS, a bigger piss taker is hard to imagine, which is why I took my (& lots of mates) business to Bike Scene in Guisborough, & still to this day (today actually) use.

i been using marshalls cycles wgc for over 15yrs. love em

I do remember when a large chain of cycle retailers (not halfords btw)opened fairly close by I was asked to get some gear cable outer for one of my mates.

I was told they didn't have any, but they have brake and they're the same anyway.

not taken any advise from them since, although I do believe their mechanics are different now.

Someones gonna have to give me a clue which ones to avoid in Durham?

Not which one to avoid but I found Cestria Cycles in Chester le Street great to deal with when buying a bike for my son. They were helpful and a pleasure to do business with. I would certainly use them again.

@ on and on. Another minus vote for AW Cycles in Reading (Absolute W**k) Shockingly poor.
I spent nearly 3k on an Intense. Was specced/built by moron. Numerous faults including a Fox 36 fork longer than (warrantied/designed for frame that hit the down tube! Chain set that gouged the bottom bracket plus other crap. Unhelpful attitude and an owner that snuck in/out of shop (an hour late!!)avoiding our pre-arranged meeting to sort the nonsense.
I got a full refund in the end and spent 4k elsewhere, plus plenty since. ELSEWHERE.
I use the new Evans in town and a much better experience.