You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
There's a lot of threads all over the forums etc about how some LBS's are struggling due to online retailers and people doing their own maintenance etc so I thought it would be a good idea to have somewhere to praise your LBS.
Not sure if there already is this sort of thing here?
So anyway...
Firth Cycles in Queensbury, Bradford.
Brilliant staff and always helpful and competitive prices! I do most of my own work but if there's ever a job I can't do myself (wheels/headset) this is the place I'd go. Barry (owner) is a top bloke and knows what he is doing that's for sure.
Not strictly my LBS but local to where I work...
Bicycle Doctor in Rusholme, Manchester.
Currently rebuilding a set of wheels for me. Fantastic service and thoroughly nice chaps. I would much rather give my cash to these guys than to CRC, Wiggle, etc. Just a shame the parts stock is a bit limited (as it is with most LBSs).
Bike Scene, Guisborough. It's like Santa's grotto with very knowlegable (albeit, large) elves. I always get a good price too!
Chelmer cycles, MTB side, 🙂 proper miserable old bugger he is..
Would have expected a few more posts to be honest...
Two for me
Bike Tart
Herbert's Cycles
Both have great staff, mechanics are top and nothing is too much trouble.
And they do great coffee
Not got one anymore place I bought my last bike from is gone and not found anyone else I trust yet. Any recommendations for the Newport/Cardiff area? Mostly for spannering rather than parts.
Where about's are they, Captain Pugwash?
Got some fantastic local bike shops
Cadence Sport Barton Under Needwood
Rand Ride Cannock
Lloyds Cycles Swadlincote
and when up in Scotland- Walkers Cycling Kilmaurs
All of them really friendly and helpful.
My local bike shop is Cycles Scuderia in Bideford. They are road focussed but top blokes and seem to be able to fix anything.
Keep them coming guys, doesn't hurt to help your LBS!
Nirvana cycles, westcott,Rowan the mechanic knows his stuff, Simon one of the owners is northern,once you get to know him,he's a top bloke, it took me 15 years though!!!
Switchback Cycles near Woking, seem to have an uncanny knack of stocking just what I didn't think I wanted, and a top mechanic to boot
Keswick Mountain Bikes. Andy is a top guy and always have a good crack with Darren.
Stonehenge Cycles, Salisbury
Lovely, lovely people. A family run shop which really feels like it. Always some great banter, but tempered with perfect advice and superb stock. They stock stuff you need and enough stuff you want,too!
Oh, and they have a Ginge. And a Scoobs. 😉
The bicycle doctor Porth I've been using since I took up Mtb a few years ago. Good friendly reliable service.
Just found this nice video of their race team from a few years back
Rotec cycles just outside Reading,brilliant service!
Nothing at all to complain about with my local bike shops.
Hargroves Cycles and Solent Cycles
Buying less online than I have for a while as the service and advice is worth a premium and I want to support them so they are there in the long term.
i-cycles in Innerleithen for me.
My not so local LBS
Escape route Pitlochry
Great coffee , staff that know their onions and
cake too !!!
Plus outdoor clothes as a bonus
Workshop rates are well priced and they do what you ask
Worth the diesel to get there
Revel Outdoors in Bury St Edmunds.
They've got lots of stuff I don't need, but so desperately want.
Solent Cycles
Very much a roadie shop but Eddie McGrath cycles in Urmston are top chaps.
My lbs is Bache Brothers Cycles and is where I got my Solaris from. Great shop and great service.
http://bachebrotherscycles.co.uk/
[img] 
[/img]
If i'm at home, Swinnerton Cycles Cannock chase and Twowheelsonly, Tamworth have been helpful or more than one occasion. I've yet to find anywhere at down here in Newport/Cardiff but Done Skene looks promising.
Bike Chain Ricci, Redruth is my Cornish sortofLBS. Superb staff, Mechanics can fix anything, good stock and occasionally Sam's kind 😆
Cycleworks Leatherhead. Good coffee, comfy sofas and a big TV to watch cycling on.
As risk of starting the great Stourbridge bike shop debate...
Race Co Cycles, Stourbridge. A good shop run by a good guy who does have the odd habit of winding people up.
Two Wheels, Stourbridge. A treasure trove, great mechanics and very knowledgeable staff. My go to shop even though I've probably spent more at Race Co.
John Atkins, Leamington. Top shop, lots of bike porn and very helpful staff, they sorted out a warranty issue I had with minimal fuss. I like them.
I should really pop into Bache Brothers though, not been there for a long time.
My lbs closed. Was ace though.
RIP
Sprung (launceston Tassie)
Coming up to a big 4 day race this weekend, opened early and late to accommodate all the servicing requests (despite trying to pack at the same time to do official race support) price matching, great deals, friday night beers. Just held an info/nerve settling session for anyone heading off racing this weekend after work. Can't ask for much more.
dandax1990 - Member
Where about's are they, Captain Pugwash?
Barham just outside Canterbury and Whitstable.
The boys at [url= http://www.cyclestore.co.uk ]Cycle Centre[/url] in Congleton are top drawer. They know their stuff, have sensible prices and good kit - it's nice to see them so busy of late. Oh; they seem to like biscuits too.
Coombes Cycles, Hereford.
gringojimi - Member
Revel Outdoors in Bury St Edmunds.They've got lots of stuff I don't need, but so desperately want.
Only been in there a couple of times so far but impressions were very good
Also, All Terrain Cycles in Shipley.
Not used them for maintenance but heard good things about that side of the place.
Nice stock of parts, clothing and bikes etc.
Rebound Suspension, Horwich. Repairs and service, dead good and worth a visit.
CrossTrax in Leeds.
Always helpful, great mechanics and great value.
Dropped my bike in late one Saturday afternoon with no notice and they shortened my hoses and bled my brakes within the hour then only wanted a tenner.
Even if something was cheaper online I'd pay more just for their service.
Eastside bikes, Edinburgh. Awesome wee shop.
yet to find an lbs that I'd recommend 🙁
Ciclopolis, Romo - near Bilbao.
Always do a good job on the servicing, decent prices. Their bargain bucket keeps me going in gloves and socks. Nice lads, always keen to point and poke at bits they've never seen before. Always have stock of stuff you want straightaway like pads, tubes, cables etc. And 3€ for some sealant and to mount your tubeless tyres within 5 minutes of going into the shop is pretty damn good.
Falmouth Cycles. Always helpful, good variety (seem a bit less tied to specific brands of bike than the other two local shops), and they've done me some good deals.
Well keep an eye here dickyboy, that's the point in the thread.
Ralph Colman Cycles (Ralphies), Taunton, have looked after me very well over the past 20 years.
I like Swinnerton cyles at the chase they are always dead helpful. Not technically my LBS but I don't really like my LBS TBH.
They're not my most local, but most convenient, by virtue of being just beside somewhere I ride often... I-cycles in Innerleithen, no praise necessary, everyone knows Steve's the boy.
Cooksons cycles, decent lads
Cirencester area:
Performance Cycles - good products, good club and good community involvement
Independent Bike Works - good products, different to usual mainstream brands, and nice atmosphere
Everndens cycles, paddock wood, kent. Nice people and have been around since I was a kid.
Barron Cycles at Stow (just North of Lincoln).
Proper Family business.
I do almost all of my own maintenance on a variety of machinery, so I hardly ever go in with an easy request and even more rarely come out without the answer.
99+/100 I come away with the parts in my pocket, plenty of free advice, and all at a sensible price. 😀
The best one ever was a mech hanger to replace a broken one on my old rigid MTB, I've never seen the brand of bike before or since - Quasar - but Mr Barron produced an identical hanger from a box of "various" items.
iron horse cyclery in darlington. ivan and john are top guys, always helpful and approachable. good kit in store too
18 bikes in Hope, Peak District. No where near the most local to me but I consider them to be my LBS. Si and both Matts are all knowledgable, genuine and will go the extra mile to help before, during and after a sale.
Matt builds the best wheels out there (used to build for JRA) and other Matt makes frames. Can't praise them enough, they aren't multiple award winners for nothing ....
BikeLab in rich....... Narh just kidding they were shit!
Bike Active in Stansted Abbots... the most dangerous shop window this side of Laaaahndahn. Mrs P hates them
Venture bikes, Brum.
Not a LBS but they do act like one:
Cycle Surgery in Hemel Hempstead - Very hidden little gem tbh, nice guys down there.
[Firth Cycles in Queensbury, Bradford.]
This could be my new LBS, im just down the road now and have never set foot in here!
DC Cycles, Ulverston
Top Mark, Barrow in Furness
Mammoth lifestyle in Milford have been brilliant to me, had 4 bikes off them between me and my girlfriend! Always helpful, quick to sort and problems and seem reasonably priced! Did me a good deal on a Genesis CDF last week!
+1 Eastside Bikes is Edinburgh.
The wishlist local would be Bothy Bikes in Aviemore.
Close to my parents, rather than me: [b]Bad Ass Bikes, Burrington[/b]. Brilliant shop.
Cliff Pratt in Hull gets my vote. a quick visit always turns into a half hour natter and they have great mechanics who have always gone the extra mile for me. Very non pushy and informed sales staff too. They're not strictly my LBS either but seeing as though my LBS is completely unhelpful it is always worth the extra 10 mile journey.
They must also train their staff as magicians too since I always end up buying more than what I went in for 🙂
Rotec cycles just outside Reading,brilliant service!
This used to be my LBS. Top place, I forget the guys name that ran it but he was fantastic. Apparently he also built drag racers or something like that.
I'd put a vote in for Wheelcraft in Clachan of Campsie. It' more of an experience than a bike shop. Ideal if you like coffee so strong it'd mend a road and home made cake.
Top bloke Barry at Firth Cycles, Queensbury! And Ryan, sorry I nearly forgot!
Regards,
Tim. 😆
There are 2 good ones near me.
Bike Garage @ Bamford, James is a top bloke.
18 Bikes @ Hope, nice bunch of guys
ATR CYCLES in barrow gets my vote,feel comfortable leave
Ing my bike there knowing it will roll out solid and a friendly service,reccomended iff you live in the bb7 area.
Stuarts Cycles, Forres - www.stuartscycles.co.uk - known Reg for decades, knows his stuff inside out, bought (and had serviced) countless bikes.
Not exactly LBS for me - it's 12 miles away - but I'd still have called it my true LBS even when in Edinburgh to be honest..
other than that, Escape Routes in Pitlochry as above; Bothy Bikes in Aviemore especially; used to be Bicycle Works in Marchmont Edinburgh would have been first port of call there.
Bicycle Smithy in Hazel Grove, on the A6 heading south out of Manchester
http://www.bicyclesmithy.co.uk/
My local bike shop and the one I turn to when I need help. Never been let down yet
[quote=smett72 ]DC Cycles, Ulverston
Not my local but highly recommended. Lovely people.
Plush hill cycles are my LBS far away, as im in Brighton and they are shropshire! but their service has been great.
Northwest MTB Cheadle/Manchester.
Quality stuff in stock, flexible pricing and workshop second to none.
Knobblies - Exmout (S. Devon).
First sponsored me in an XC race 17 years ago (when I was in my early teens). Since then, I did my school work experience there, they know I'm married, have a son etc and ask about them, always a little discount and, more importantly, offer tea / advice.
I don't tend to use shops much.. so gunna give Mboy a bit of support and name check his new venture [url= http://www.missinglinkbikes.co.uk/ ]The Missing Link[/url] in Droitwich, as he done me a couple of deals and I directed my m8 to him for a Kinesis GF
Another shout for CrossTrax in Leeds.
I know Sancho on here owns it, but the lads that work there are top too. I've wasted many hours of their time with my indecision, conversation and strange requests.
Increasingly moving away from online to using them. Plus they will have a go at fixing the stuff that I can't (currently a Reverb with a 60mm drop :D)
Nevis Cycles - Fort William
Great service from friendly, knowledgeable people. I felt very welcome from the first time I walked in.
I'd highly recommend it 🙂
Sowerby Brothers, Mirfield, West Yorks.
Great service and friendly, my wife has threatened to get a restraining order to stop me going in ....
I only go in for a chat ..... mostly 😉
Pedalsport in King Cross, Halifax. Good to have 5 minutes ride away for tubes etc but too road focused for me to be there all the time for stuff.
Blazing Saddles, Hebden. My default L(ocal'ish)BS when I need something and can get up there.
Another vote for 18Bikes in Hope. They've never let me down and there's usually some good banter in the shop.
Head For The Hills in Dorking. Normally only use them for odd broken bits which they may need to order in so not big money for them but they are always friendly and helpful
Another vote for Wheelcraft, Clachan of Campsie. Hard to go there in a rush though, Al simply won't allow it. Proper coffee and a myriad of bike bits EVERYWHERE!
Ride On in Rossendale. wouldnt trust my bike with anyone else. top lads and top service!!
Thatto Cycles in St Helens - they regularly go beyond the call of duty and offer great service and reasonable rates.
A pal of mine trashed his bike the day before we were heading to Scotland for a riding weekend but the part he needed wasn't in stock. They took the part off a bike in the showroom to sell him and put one on order to replace it.
Top blokes even if they are mostly roadies! 🙂
jaylittle, Where abouts? Towards Halifax or Bradford?