Bicycle shops during coronavirus

[Yellow Fang]

Have they been open around your way? Most of them have locked their doors around my way. I think Evans is still open but enforcing social distancing. I would have thought enabling people to buy or repair bikes would be extremely useful during this crisis, both to enable people to get in better shape and for avoiding public transport. Most cycle shop employees are young, although often the owners are not.

 

[vickster]

There were long queues outside the ones in Clapham High St today (Evans and Apex) and the ones in Tooting/Balham were open.
My usual one is closed (the other branch is open I think), another I use a couple of miles away is open for repairs (and busy). Possibly sales too
Some Evans are open, others aren’t

 

[DCLane]

My LBS (Sowerby Cycles, Mirfield) is open, although I don't use the Dewsbury one. Servicing/repairs/sales but not non-essential items, with a 'one customer at a time' policy.

 

[Sea of vapours]

My local shop 3 Peaks Cycles in Settle, is open; reduced hours but doing servicing and selling. Their cafe is closed of course.

 

[And]

Stanley Fearns in Matlock (one of the best, btw) is open on reduced hours/one customer in the shop at a time for sales - if you need your bike servicing or repairing, it's a four weeks plus waiting list.... Zepnat in Matlock are doing a similar thing.

 

[Slick]

I was a bit annoyed at the bike shop who closed without leaving a message on their answerphone or even updating their website, but to be fair to them they did get back to me to tell me that they company who run their website also closed and they didn't have the knowledge to update it themselves. They further left me feeling very selfish when they announced that they were remaining open for click and collect sales but mainly offering free servicing for NHS workers, so well done them. It meant I had to find another shop and decided to try one that was actually more local to me who turned out to be a fantastic guy who did a great job on the bike for a fraction of the cost I was planning on spending. He reckoned he had picked up around 40 new customers since the lockdown but he was having a bit of an issue getting parts in which did slow some repairs. It's left me in a bit of a quandary as to where I go when this is over as usually I like to be loyal to one place but this new shop deserves all the success they can get.

 

[winjim]

My LBS is open and very busy, including with the free servicing and lights/jacket/helmet thing for NHS staff. The co-owner's wife is an infectious diseases nurse so they know how to take infection control seriously.

 

[PaulSB]

My LBS, Ewood Bikes Blackburn, is open or at least it was Thursday when the FB page was updated. I know The Bike Cabin in Chorley is closed. Wallis Cycles in Walton Le Dale is open.

I don't know about the other local ones.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

It's left me in a bit of a quandary as to where I go when this is over as usually I like to be loyal to one place but this new shop deserves all the success they can get.

Have you not answered your own question?

 

[Drago]

I don't know. My LBS is 8 miles away and I've not had any real justification to go and look.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

They're all open near me, in fact I ordered a bike on the phone from one of them just last week and went in to pick it up.
The door was locked when I got there, I guess to control numbers, but when I tried the door they noticed immediately and came and let me in.
The workshop looked busy.

 

[Drago]

We can but hope that when we return to normality (or whatever the new normality may be) that more people keep cycling and car use remains reduced. I'm hoping for it, though I admit possibly in vain.

 

[Slick]

Have you not answered your own question?

Probably, other than I really liked the boss in the original shop who supplied a few new bikes at good prices and I still have a set of wheels that are damaged beyond repair, well the rear wheel is after only a couple of hundred miles and I need to get them replaced so another couple of visits at least. The fact they are attached to a garden centre with a terrific cafe had no bearing in my decision.

 

[rivers]

Quite a few in the Bristol/Bath area are still open. Mainly for servicing, but if you need something, then you can make an appointment to enter the shop.

 

[sleuthey]

It is open here.

Only time I’ve ever used it though was to get a written quote for a respray for an insurance claim. I think my phone has C19 as when I typed respray above it automatically changed it to respirator.