e-rider
Banned member
- Location
- South West
that is quite unbelieveable - business must be booming if they can be so selective!
Trek from Evans or Local bike shop?
- Thread starter Monsieur
- Start date
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e-rider
Banned member
- Location
- South West
My experience of Evans can be summarised by saying that their web service is pretty good, but the shop service is poor!
The web prices are often quite good, they ship fast and never question returns or warranty claims IME - very happy with that.
The shops are full of under qualified or incompetent staff (no surprise if you look at their salary) and are therefore generally not very helpful or useful! However, this is usually the case for most LBSs too!
I guess most people expect a different service in a shop than via the internet. If you walk into a shop, buy something and walk out you would have no problems either!
The web prices are often quite good, they ship fast and never question returns or warranty claims IME - very happy with that.
The shops are full of under qualified or incompetent staff (no surprise if you look at their salary) and are therefore generally not very helpful or useful! However, this is usually the case for most LBSs too!
I guess most people expect a different service in a shop than via the internet. If you walk into a shop, buy something and walk out you would have no problems either!
smokeysmoo
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bolton, not very far from Nob End
Er, excuse me! Very true. There are two shops in my home town that actually have signs on their doors. One saying they are taking no further work in, and one saying they only work on bikes they have sold.
Perhaps they are more flexible if you speak to them, but with a sign like that in the door would you even bother? There are other cycle shops in the town who are not so 'selective'!
Guess so
OP
OP
Monsieur
Senior member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Are disc brakes worth the extra? My car and my motorcycle have disc brakes...I'm 50 this year so don't plan on breaking any speed records so are disc brakes a necessity?
e-rider
Banned member
- Location
- South West
you don't need them, but you could buy them!
smokeysmoo
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bolton, not very far from Nob End
I wouldn't say so. They're heavier than rim brakes, and IME from my MTB days the pads wear quicker and are more expensive, although I've not used discs since switching exclusively to road bikes in 2009. I've never used mechanical discs either, only hydraulic, so all in all not much help I'm afraid 
The Jogger
Legendary Member
- Location
- Spain
If you're getting them on a bike that is fifty quid cheaper than your LBS and better spec it really is a no brainer. I'm 54 and I'm picking up a bike on Sunday which will have disc brakes so age and speed has nothing to do with it but coming down Duncton Hill or stopping in the wet has.
marzjennings
Legendary Member
- Location
- Houston, Texas, USA
Er, excuse me! Very true. There are two shops in my home town that actually have signs on their doors. One saying they are taking no further work in, and one saying they only work on bikes they have sold.
Perhaps they are more flexible if you speak to them, but with a sign like that in the door would you even bother? There are other cycle shops in the town who are not so 'selective'!
Guess so
I stand corrected and am quite stunned.
The one thing that differentiates an LBS from a internet store is services. And if a store restricts who they serve then I can only assume the owner/manager is an idiot.
Possibly a response to people buying cheap bikes/BSO's from online or supermarkets then expecting the LBS to sort them out. Problem is once the LBS has made the initial setup the customer will expect the LBS to put the bike right again FOC once the bike inevitably goes out of adjustment. The shop owners probably don't think the aggro and arguments with customers is worth the effort!
CopperCyclist
Veteran
I can confirm that there's one LBS in my neck of the woods that also sports a sign outside saying something along the lines of "Unfortunately due to high demand, we can only offer service and repair on bikes sold by us".
Has always made me think I'd rather not go them anyway!
NotthatJasonKenny
Faster on HFLC
- Location
- Bolton
I work in the sales department of a car franchise, if we did this, firstly the service and parts dept would shut down as we need everyones business and secondly how would we get the chance to impress potential 'next time' customers?
There really is a gap in the market for a great national franchised bike dealer which not only stocks all the models of maybe three or four brands and all the accessories/upgrades you will ever need PLUS has a great service department. It should be Halfords really but they are more jack of all trades...
Incidentally, am I the only one who wold like to go into a bike shop and see the full range laid out one after the other so I can see the differences? Are the Specialized concept stores like that?
OP
OP
Monsieur
Senior member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Decisions time today!!!
Trek FX 7.2 or 7.3 (disc)?
Trek FX 7.2 or 7.3 (disc)?
7.3 Disc. But then I am biased!
e-rider
Banned member
- Location
- South West
it's certainly a tough life