Evan's Cycles in trouble - ?

[ebikeerwidnes]

I run a small business, it still amazes me how many other businesses I come across that don't seem to get this. I am in the process of trying to buy a piece of machinery. It will be something used and basic so not a big spend but it is a starter and may well lead to more significant investment in future. Trying to get someone who actually wants my business has been a massive chore as they are only interested in someone that wants to spend 4 or 5 times my budget. The lack of foresight is incredible.

Yup - when I worked in an IT department I would come across companies that didn;t want to let me have a trial or limited version of their software
because "we can;t just give stuff away"

well no
but if I recommend this and it costs less than £100,000 (in the 1990s) to upgrade to the bigger version then it will pretty much go through on the nod
so maybe letting me have a go at the smaller version for the cost of a 10 minute phone call might just be worth it

 

[Big T]

The Evans shop in Nottingham has closed down, so on Saturday I made the trip up to Shirebrook, on the Notts/Derbys border, to their store there, which is next to the Sports Direct HQ. Not the easiest place to get to, for me anyway, but the shop is certainly worth the trip. It’s probably the biggest bike shop I’ve ever been in. It’s about 3 times the size of the old Nottingham store.

They had all of the cheaper models of road bikes from Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Ridley, Vitus and Pinnacle, and they had each model on display in the most popular sizes - 52/54/56 and 58. And that was just the road bikes. Loads of MTB’s, gravel bikes, hybrids, Bromptons, too. Also, a decent selection of clothing and accessories too. I managed to snag a DHB Thermal winter top for £50. They had Endura and Rapha stuff too. I like to be able to try stuff on rather than buying online. well worth the trip if you are nearby or passing. It’s not far off M1 Junction 29.

 

[Cavalol]

Commonly bike mechanics -are- on minimum wage (in my experience), and the Evans we have in the town does repairs and sales.

I assumed they all did services and repairs, to be honest.

Has anyone else got a 'Fettle' cycle repair shop in their town, I think they share space with Kwik-Fit? It's worth looking at their service and repair charges if you're bored, or want a laugh.

 

[Punkawallah]

I assumed they all did services and repairs, to be honest.

Has anyone else got a 'Fettle' cycle repair shop in their town, I think they share space with Kwik-Fit? It's worth looking at their service and repair charges if you're bored, or want a laugh.

Not in mine, as far as I can tell.

 

[yello]

I worked there from 1985 to 1989. We had people like Richard Ballantine, Bettina Selby, Tom Vernon and Josie Dew as customers. Happy days.

Blimey, I went in looking to buy a bike around that time. I'd been in the country for a few years by that stage but missed my bike, which was gathering dust and cobwebs in a garage the other side of the world. Sadly, I was skint and everything was out of my budget. Ended up buying a Raleigh 10 speed '2nd hand' (but probably stolen, not that I knew that back then) from Brick Lane market. Served me well that bike did. I wasn't a 'cyclist' back then, just someone who road a bike.

 

[yello]

I can call myself a factory trained bicycle technician because I blew a weekend watching a bunch of the training videos my employer has on his internal training site

I did a day course at some Shimano accredited place and got a certificate to prove it. I often wondered if I could blag a job off the back of that. It really wasn't difficult, I already had a knowledge from my own spannering. There was nothing 'real world' gnarly. It was nice having a good supply of tools that both work and fit within reach though. So I guess I did learn something useful then - jobs are SO much easier with the right tools.

 

[yello]

A most informative and entertaining thread, thank you to all that contributed. I wasn't aware of the old Halford cycling shop, I don't recall ever seeing one in truth. Maybe before my time.

I do recall the original (?) Condor cycles though, and went in there to browse on a number of occasions. It was probably the sort of place that @Dogtrousers would have been wary of, certainly I never spoke to anyone there much less bought anything.

I recall also a bike shop in Soho. As I recall, they only sold cycling shirts etc. At least, that's what interested me and why I went in!

 

[mickle]

I recall also a bike shop in Soho. As I recall, they only sold cycling shirts etc. At least, that's what interested me and why I went in!

Soho Cycling Society? Great Poultney Street if I remember. Owned by Paulo Garbini and his lovely daughter. He sponsored a race team (Soho Cycling Club?) and would pace up and down by the start/ finish line at Eastway Cycle Circuit gesticulating and shouting in Italian at his riders, wearing an ankle length leather coat over cycling shorts and jersey! He was quite a character. They had a boxed Campagnolo 50th Anniversary groupset in the window, which was "NOT FOR SALE"!!!

 

[raleighnut]

Soho Cycling Society? Great Poultney Street if I remember. Owned by Paulo Garbini and his lovely daughter. He sponsored a race team (Soho Cycling Club?) and would pace up and down by the start/ finish line at Eastway Cycle Circuit gesticulating and shouting in Italian at his riders, wearing an ankle length leather coat over cycling shorts and jersey! He was quite a character. They had a boxed Campagnolo 50th Anniversary groupset in the window, which was "NOT FOR SALE"!!!

Bike porn in Soho...........................Naaaaah

 

[mustang1]

You forget one point. As highly as we think of ourselves, us bike mechanics, we are not a skilled trade. Oh we may be very good at servicing bicycles and figuring out Di2 on those rare occasions when it goes wrong, but anybody with basic tool skills can call himself a bike mechanic and get paid for it, learning what he needs to know off of “you tube” on the fly.

I’ve worked with a few experienced bike mechanics who thought they were God’s gift to the cycling world and figured we should be paid the same money as the guy in the back of the Mercedes dealership, but by in large we are a poorly paid bunch of guys with basic tool skills and no formal training.

Because who would bother paying for training for the pay we get.

I can call myself a factory trained bicycle technician because I blew a weekend watching a bunch of the training videos my employer has on his internal training site. None of them made me a better mechanic, I still pick up the best tips off of web sites You Tube, Shimano, SRAM and Park Tool.

But I can learn electrical skills from YouTube. I can even learn how to be a racing car driver from YouTube.

I don't think everyone has the knack to be a mechanic and that's what makes it "skilled". The mechanic at my LBS and I can kind of do the same job, but they can do a better job in half the time.

I say don't put yourself down "just" because you're a bike mechanic.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

But I can learn electrical skills from YouTube. I can even learn how to be a racing car driver from YouTube.

I don't think everyone has the knack to be a mechanic and that's what makes it "skilled". The mechanic at my LBS and I can kind of do the same job, but they can do a better job in half the time.

I say don't put yourself down "just" because you're a bike mechanic.

Unfortunately because of the lack of some form formal requirement any knob can call himself a bike mechanic. I used to work with a guy who installed every bearing with a mallet, saying he didn’t need the bearing presses and fixtures of which we had many. Known as Matt the Mallet he likely did more damage to pressed fit bottom brackets and carbon frames than can ever be calculated.

Prior to retirement I spent a lot of my working life in engineering in automotive bearings… so “the Mallet” drove me nuts.

Luckily he had a tendency to make pedophile jokes in front of customers so he got himself fired.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

I bought my Bianchi from Evans a few year before the Ashley era started. It was on display at the Evans store at the indoor ski centre in Manchester, sadly a victim of cuts since. I asked in store about paying by AMEX but was told that the did take it. No problem, I had a backup Mastercard for such eventualities.

It was then I thought of a plan and told them I would buy it online for collection from store. Using my phone, I went to Evans website, via Topcashback, and paid by AMEX via PayPal (a common loophole) so getting around £50 in combined cashback on it. Order went through and I left with my shiny new bike not long after.

 

[Drago]

Unfortunately because of the lack of some form formal requirement any knob can call himself a bike mechanic. I used to work with a guy who installed every bearing with a mallet, saying he didn’t need the bearing presses and fixtures of which we had many. Known as Matt the Mallet he likely did more damage to pressed fit bottom brackets and carbon frames than can ever be calculated.

Prior to retirement I spent a lot of my working life in engineering in automotive bearings… so “the Mallet” drove me nuts.

Luckily he had a tendency to make pedophile jokes in front of customers so he got himself fired.

Thats a fair point. In the dibble when I was doing the training and ran a fleet of bikes the force's insurers wanted me trained before allowing me to basic maintenance such as tyre changes, puncture repairs, gear and brake adjustments, cable replacements, etc.

So, I got packed off to get my Cytec 1 and 2 tickets. It quite literally didnt teach me a single thing I didn't already know, but my basic competence had been proven and documented to the insurers satisfaction.

Yet it seems these CHIMPS walk jnnoff the street and can get a job at Evans or Hellfrauds with no qualifications, and be let loose on customers bikes. And people have been hurt over the years through incompetence brought about by this basic lack of accountability when it comes to basic competence.

 

[yello]

Soho Cycling Society? Great Poultney Street if I remember.

Yes, that was it. I don't remember the street name but I can visualise the shop front and, looking at a map, it was around that neck of the woods. I went in to buy a shirt for my brother (now he was a cycling fan, me - like I said - I just rode a bike) I think there may still be a 'Soho Cycling Society' sign/plaque on the building, and/or maybe even their old metal penny farthing shop front hanger thingies out front. It's been near on 20 years since I was that way and they were there then.

 

[Punkawallah]

Thats a fair point. In the dibble when I was doing the training and ran a fleet of bikes the force's insurers wanted me trained before allowing me to basic maintenance such as tyre changes, puncture repairs, gear and brake adjustments, cable replacements, etc.

So, I got packed off to get my Cytec 1 and 2 tickets. It quite literally didnt teach me a single thing I didn't already know, but my basic competence had been proven and documented to the insurers satisfaction.

Yet it seems these CHIMPS walk jnnoff the street and can get a job at Evans or Hellfrauds with no qualifications, and be let loose on customers bikes. And people have been hurt over the years through incompetence brought about by this basic lack of accountability when it comes to basic competence.

I don‘t know about ‘chimps’, but some can get a job without formal qualifications. When the local Evans opened, the son of my FLBS owner went for a job and had to prove he had experience before they took him on (in his case, years as a ‘Saturday boy’ at the shop).