Possibly the Best Bike Shop in the World

[Blue Hills]

Both look very nice. I was thinking of the name and location! Just a bit cheeky.

Is the Hewitt photo taken in Lancashire? Reminds me of a strange shaped almost triangular crossroads where one road leads off to Inglewhite? I can't remember where the others go or where the crossroads actually are!!

The Hewitt photo was taken in the centre of Bolton by Bowland - on my normal route to Hellifield for a bike trip using the Settle Carlisle railway, though that pic was taken on a day-ride.

 

[PaulSB]

The Hewitt photo was taken in the centre of Bolton by Bowland - on my normal route to Hellifield for a bike trip using the Settle Carlisle railway, though that pic was taken on a day-ride.

Ah yes, I knew it was familiar but not the spot I was thinking of.

 

[Paul_Smith SRCC]

Brown coat - don't forget the obligatory brown coat. That's vital.

Back in the day when I was the manager at Pearson Cycles Sutton, I wore a blue Raleigh overall (coat style; I still have it 😍 ), white shirt, red tie and smart polished leather shoes. We didn't have a 'till' as such, just a wooden drawer with a spring; I hand wrote receipts with a fountain pen.

I recall one chap, a lovely, regular and very loyal customer, he was a civil servant of some kind, I assume quite high ranking as midweek he would often send his chauffeur in to collect things he had ordered from us, including a pair of 'bags trousers' that we stocked as they were one of the first travel clothing companies and I felt a good choice for touring. The trousers were supplied very long, the customer had to cut to length and then use hemming tape to reduce to the correct length.

A week or so after purchase the civil servant popped in with a sheepish look on his face and asked if we could possibly obtain some material as he had cut far to much off and he felt like a schoolboy still wearing trousers that he had grown too tall for ! To Rohan's credit we were able to get some; one happy customer; for the next few visits I would smile as he entered the store and reference it with some silly banter. One particular visit I didn't mention it at all in any way; but at the bottom of his receipt I wrote "just because I didn't mention it that doesn't mean I have forgotten....", he read it on the way out of the store, laughed loudly, looked back and said "that's why I come here, you won't get that in Marks and Spencer...".

Fast forward to many many years later when the family still had the Sutton store, I popped into to say hello, coincidentally he was in there and asking William Pearson if I still visited, William pointed to me with a chuckle and said "yes, there he is...", at which point smiling he shook my hand and asked if I remembered that story, he then took out his wallet and rooting around in the dingly depths he produced that very receipt, "I keep it Paul just because I like it"; I don't deny that made me feel like a 'million dollars'.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

That's a lovely story.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Looks like they are following Giant's Business model. They only sell Ribble bikes so it does not matter if it is bought online or at store as it comes from the same place.

They also are using clever semantics -

"Ribble’s bikes are then built up in the UK by one mechanic from start to finish and either delivered or available for click and collect."

It gives the parochial impression that it is built in the UK when "built up" actually means assembled which every LBS does. The "one mechanic" suggest a customised build by an artisan, again a month old new mechanic in an LBS can do the assembly.

They had an issue with a major component supplier in the past not sure if it has been resolved after the sale to the new owners, former staff of Boardman in 2017.

Giant main revenue stream is its factory and its the World's biggest OEM for other well known global brands. The Giant stores are for brand building and services and a showroom, similar to Apple and Samsung stores.

It will interesting to find out where their frames are built. Giant operates a well known "Chinese wall" model for its OEM business in its vast complex so who knows.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

There was a story doing the rounds up 'ere, late last year, that Ribble had orders for over 1,000 new bikes and couldn't find inner tubes anywhere.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

Back in the day when I was the manager at Pearson Cycles Sutton, I wore a blue Raleigh overall (coat style; I still have it 😍 ), white shirt, red tie and smart polished leather shoes. We didn't have a 'till' as such, just a wooden drawer with a spring; I hand wrote receipts with a fountain pen.

I recall one chap, a lovely, regular and very loyal customer, he was civil servant of some kind, I assume quite a high ranking as midweek he would often send his chauffeur in to collect things he had ordered from us, including a pair of 'bags trousers' that we stocked as they were one of the first travel clothing companies and I felt a good choice for touring. The trousers were supplied very long, the customer had to cut to length and then use hemming tape to reduce to the correct length.

A week or so after purchase the civil servant popped in with a sheepish look on his face and asked if we could possibly obtain some material as he had cut far to much off and he felt like a schoolboy still wearing trousers that he had grown too tall for ! To Rohan's credit we were able to get some; one happy customer; for the next few visits I would smile as he entered the store and reference it with some silly banter. One particular visit I didn't mention it at all in any way; but at the bottom of his receipt I wrote "just because I didn't mention it that doesn't mean I have forgotten....", he read it on the way out of the store, laughed loudly, looked back and said "that's why I come here, you won't get that in Marks and Spencer...".

Fast forward to many many years later when the family still had the Sutton store, I popped into to say hello, coincidentally he was in there and asking William Pearson if I still visited, William pointed to me with a chuckle and said "yes, there he is...", at which point smiling he shook my hand and asked if I remembered that story, he then took out his wallet and rooting around in the dingly depths he produced that very receipt, "I keep it Paul just because I like it"; I don't deny that made me feel like a 'million dollars'.

That is great, made my afternoon reading to that.

 

[Blue Hills]

Not the case round here. There are some very fancy Ribbles kicking about. We are only 5-6 miles away.

I think zilla's impression may be from a few years ago. I used to associate them with good value budget dayride bikes, often blue and ally. But they have as you say gone way upmarket since then. Left their roots behind to tap into the new golf market. I liked your initial post as useful info. May well pop in as I said See if they do anything like an electric hybrid. For the future decrepitude.

 

[Justified_Sinner]

The Hewitt photo was taken in the centre of Bolton by Bowland - on my normal route to Hellifield for a bike trip using the Settle Carlisle railway, though that pic was taken on a day-ride.

Good grief!
I used to work in Holden Clough Nurseries in Bolton by Bowland. Not thought about that place in decades!!

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Good grief!
I used to work in Holden Clough Nurseries in Bolton by Bowland. Not thought about that place in decades!!

Good grief. We went there a few years ago and bought some end of season daffodils. £1 a pot. We bought 5 pots. They have naturalised well. A very good buy. I wonder if you were there then?

 

[Justified_Sinner]

I wonder if you were there then?

Definitely not. I worked there from 1983 - 86 and only on University holidays! I did ride the most absurdly patched-together Raleigh road bike from Gisburn every day, borrowed from a friend of Peter, the owner at that time. He specialised in alpines and the plants were always really good quality. I just had a look at their website and it is no longer owned by the same family and looks to be much less specialist. It looks as if it is still a good one, though.
(Can't be doing with the chain "garden centres".)

 

[Drago]

I think zilla's impression may be from a few years ago. I used to associate them with good value budget dayride bikes, often blue and ally. But they have as you say gone way upmarket since then. Left their roots behind to tap into the new golf market. I liked your initial post as useful info. May well pop in as I said See if they do anything like an electric hybrid. For the future decrepitude.

I think that Wibble, along with the likes of Endura, Altura, etc, have seen their image shift upmarket while the actual product still seems to occupy the same price/performance/quality niche it always did.

Sadly, these days people seem increasingly unable to see past the gloss, and now they're adding more glass, indirect mood lighting, and even custom scent, then theres no doubt the image will become even further distanced from the product.

 

[Blue Hills]

Good grief!
I used to work in Holden Clough Nurseries in Bolton by Bowland. Not thought about that place in decades!!

good grief?
what the hell happened to you there?
Hope I haven't triggered some bad dreams.
Didn't know it was that interesting.
And even less in holden clough than bolton by bowland - in fact as i recall there's sod all there - last time I was "in", if that's possible, holden clough on a bike ride i stopped to buy some bantam eggs from a nice oldish woman advertising them at the bottom of the garden.
One of my grandads used to breed bantams so as I bought them I asked about the idea that they were somehow more powerful/better/more nutritious than your normal egg.
"No, they're just smaller" she answered.
Wouldn't last a second in the new Ribble's marketing department.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

in fact as i recall there's sod all there

Hasn't changed much

 

[Blue Hills]

Definitely not. I worked there from 1983 - 86 and only on University holidays! I did ride the most absurdly patched-together Raleigh road bike from Gisburn every day, borrowed from a friend of Peter, the owner at that time. He specialised in alpines and the plants were always really good quality. I just had a look at their website and it is no longer owned by the same family and looks to be much less specialist. It looks as if it is still a good one, though.
(Can't be doing with the chain "garden centres".)

Gisburn is of course now world famous due to some mysterious impenetrable french connection

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SuzD_AWYe0

even though there's sod all more in gisburn than holden clough.
It's become a very strange world.