Is this the UK's poshest bike shop?

[icowden]

Sums what up? It's not like it's a budget wheelset.

It sums up that they have a very limited target clientele at the very top end of bicycle purchasing, so unless they are getting good sales, they won't be making much money. This seems to be borne out by the accounts.

 

[presta]

How much do they charge for a gear lever for a Raliegh Chopper?

 

[Pale Rider]

How much do they charge for a gear lever for a Raliegh Chopper?

About six inches, but they don't use it as a rule.

Sorry, wrong joke.

 

[Globalti]

One never knows what's behind a business.

There's a bike shop in the North East which, rumour has it, exists at least in part to launder drugs money from one of the more successful Tyneside villains.

I know of a motor dealer where that was certainly the case - the two brothers who ran it are currently serving 16 years each.

A friend who's in the Police reckons most vape shops are just there to launder drug money.

 

[Stompier]

Why the envy of those able to afford these kind of bikes btw?

I don't see any evidence of 'envy' - so I doubt it's about 'affordability' as such. More about how they position themselves like some kind of vintage wine merchant or traditional Savile Row tailor.

 

[Rusty Nails]

I'll be in the Lake District soon, do you know if they sell trouser clips?

 

[jongooligan]

was you on The Donny Chain Gang ?

Yup. Worked in Epworth at the time - that's how I knew Mike & Duncan Ward. They introduced me to the Donny mob - mostly Donny Wheelers but others from all over South Yorkshire. Meet at Hall Cross on Saturday morning for a shortish (40 - 50 miles) but brutal ride. Didn't go very often as I had to work a lot of Saturdays.

 

[Nibor]

Depends where you draw the line. Frame builders merely assemble frames from tubing or carbon fibre, with a bit of brazing or resin thrown in. Wheel builders merely assemble wheels from spokes, hubs and rims.

Anyway ... if they can keep their bike business going then more power to them, whether or not Cycle Chat likes their use of language or their poshness.

I agree with you regarding carbon as to make a mold for a bespoke carbon frame would be unrealistically expensive. However a good steel frame builder will build a bespoke frame to fit you properly. it is the difference between an off the peg suit and having one tailored specifically for you. However there are precious few builders of this quality and it would cost a fortune.

I applaud any bricks and mortar business surviving in the current internet market and to succeed you have to set yourself apart from your competition which this business appears to have done and us being a bunch of grumpy old gits mocking their use of language will have no detriment to them as we are mostly clearly not their target market.

 

[confusedcyclist]

A friend who's in the Police reckons most vape shops are just there to launder drug money.

You know, I always wondered how they were viable.

 

[Pale Rider]

A friend who's in the Police reckons most vape shops are just there to launder drug money.

Years ago it was launderettes.

And the classic sarf London armed robbery 'team' always had a motor trader and a scrap metal dealer in it.

"Get your trousers on, you're nicked," as Jack Regan said more than once.

 

[rogerzilla]

Good on Rose and the Germans. Rose also sell lots of sensible stuff the likes of Chain Reaction gave up on long ago as just so beneath the new golf.

I have a four "bespoke" bikes amongst my many - three of them built up from quality frames and swappable bits I got for £21, £30 and £30.

As you say, bespoke is more generally associated with gent's tailoring - maybe the link/derivation is it that it gives practitioners an excuse to measure inside legs.

I wonder how well Rose will survive if Our Glorious Prime Minister doesn't achieve a free trade deal in the next 366 days? Otherwise it'll be like ordering parts from the USA, and that's rarely viable. VAT, duties, repacking charges, punitive international postage rates.

 

[Globalti]

I guess tanning studios, nail bars and tattoo parlours might also be funded with dodgy money, the nail bars certainly often employing trafficked women.

 

[Pale Rider]

I guess tanning studios, nail bars and tattoo parlours might also be funded with dodgy money, the nail bars certainly often employing trafficked women.

Domestic rental property is another, certainly in the North East where buying prices are still cheap, but rents less so making the return on capital attractive.

 

[cyberknight]

I bet the bike fitting is where they make most of the moolah , local ex pro around here shut his shop and now does bike fitting at home , always seems to be well booked and i have been to his house , long story his son taught tai chi and wu shu when i was into it and its not a 2 up 2 down by any means .

 

[icowden]

Private Eye have been doing a great investigation of those tourist tat shops that seem to be able to be viable in prime london locations like the Trocadero. They definitely are money laundering operations. The owners / directors of the companies change regularly every few weeks having invested heavily and paid dividends out without being too concerned about actually having customers...