Fitzrovia Bikes, 136-138 New Cavendish Street London, 020 7631 5060, www.fitzroviabicycles.com, @FitzroviaBikes
Amazing, I love these guys, in a way that a guy loves his bike shop, they used to be Cavendish cycle, but then the guys bought the shop off whoever owned it, now they own it, rebranded, etc etc. They have over the years educated me in all was bikes, and fixies, they have never sold me anything unnecessarily, and have given advice time after time without me buying anything. So now I recommend to anybody who will listen, and will only shop there. I can not recommend enough. Support your local independent. Enough said.
Barcalys Bikes, Dalston
Gotta be my 2nd place bike shop, I've only been in a few times, but theres no bull shit here, they don’t over or under sell, they don’t look at you like your jumping on some bandwagon, they will help if they can, and if you go in with no attitude your get none back. To me this is really important, some shops [below] this aint the case.
14 Bike Co.
Had some wicked stock, and some pretty sound staff, but just a little up there arse for my liking, esp. if you know a bit about bikes but not a lot, if thats the case they kinda patronised you, well this is what it felt like when I went in there. Put it this way I wouldn’t go in there looking for help, I'd go in knowing what I wanted, and getting it. But it was a super styli shop. Alas no longer, but is online here.
Mosquito Bikes, Essex Road.
So, the chain snapping situation meant that this shop was my saviour, so you'd think I'd give it a better review, but alas even after saving me I left the shop thinking, f**k you, I aint coming back. In hind sight I think part of me reacted this way as I don’t like being told what to do, but my general experience was pretty unfriendly. For starters, I felt that walking in with my custom bodge job brakeless fixie put me in there bad books instantly. I was polite, friendly, and at their mercy. They were unwelcoming, unfriendly, and preachy. I felt that if I wasn’t prepared to spend £1000's then they weren't interested. I also felt that if I hadn't of actually spent money they would have shoed me out the door to not dirty up their poncy shop. And finally at one point the mechanic came out the back just to tell me off about my bike. Now he may have been in the right, probably was, but if your gonna preach to someone, do it in a way that doesn't piss them off instantly, then I would have listened, but treat me like a retard and I will act like a retard. I would like to say the mechanic who actually sorted my bike, he seemed sound, so none of this criticism is for him.
Brick Lane Bikes
Hum, without being a complete c**t, I would never ever ever ever go in this shop again, I would never recommend this shop, I have no love for this shop, which is a shame because I am a big supporter of independents, but I would go to any chain cycle store over this one. And sadder still Im not alone in this thinking, sorry folks but get over yourself you aint cycle gods. I will stop now before I get too angry.
Chain Bike stores. As I have mentioned above I support independents [other than BLB], so if I have to I'd go to chain store then it's a Cycle Surgery before Evans, not sure why they just seem better.
Finally, just because I find it hilarious, I don’t know why, and I actually have respect [well some] for the old bill, heres a pic of cops on bikes, always makes me laugh, just get the feeling they wanted to be SWAT or something, just weren't good enough, so they got the push bike.
So rant over, all pics stolen from google.
Support your independent shop, and if your London based, support Fitzrovia Bikes.
Adios.
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