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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do similar looking bikes vary so much in price? A: For the same reason as why a Ferrari cost much more than Fiat. Apart from the obvious (e.g. carbon-fibre frame, suspension forks, etc.) components on a dearer bike will usually be of better quality (weight, performance, efficiency, etc.) - sometimes down to the ball bearings used in the wheels. It is in the interest of every bike manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler and vendor to keep their costs and prices down to stay in competition with each other. However, some manufacturers will massively down-grade their offerings to maximise profit - to such an extent that you'll end up with a pile of clap. Buyer beware! A more expensive bike will always perform better, cost less in maintenance and contribute to longer trouble-free cycling.
Only buy from a recommended outlet AND only if you can test ride it.
In our daily life in the bike shop I hear such comments as:
"I could buy a new bike for the price of a set of wheels" When a bike manufacturer goes to China, Taiwan, Bangladesh, etc. to have 100,000 bikes built, s/he'll want 100,000 frames, 100,000 handlebars, etc. and s/he will be discounted for bulk buying and only pay the local price for each item. S/he will also be paying the local labour charges. When these components reach our shores, each item will go through the hands of the importer, wholesaler and then the bike shop - each will add a little to the price to cover their overheads (import duty, re-packaging into smaller quantities, British transport costs, British labour costs, British taxes, etc.) and make a small profit - by the time it reaches you the price may be significantly higher. Environmental impact is minimised (better to buy one item as needed than a whole bike - better to buy British than to get the imports). Improper disposal of a whole bike is not only suicidal to our-planet but also unnecessary in energy requirements.
"I got this bike new for £70 and gears don't seem to work - can you sort them out for me?" Surprisingly bikes can still be bought for less than a £100 - usually with plastic and steel components (heavy, poor brakes, incompatible components, etc.). Thankfully the British public have learnt their lesson and are buying fewer and fewer of these environmental disasters. Our experience tells us that such 'bikes' will never work properly without an expensive replacement of transmission components and gear shifters - most don't even have a chance of working properly. We may work miracles, but we can't raise Lazarus.
"I don't want to get a decent lock because the bike will just be nicked" What can you say? A good lock will deter and (generally) stop the opportunistic thief and a poor lock will cost you another bike and another lock. Cheap bikes should still be equipped with a good lock.
"Why do I need to change the rear cogs when I only want a new chain?" A bike is obviously very different to a motorcycle. A motorbike has an engine to push the heavier vehicle and its over-engineered parts. A bike has to be made lighter and, therefore each component is made to perform just past its basic requirements. That why most components don't last as long. A bicycle is also a group of systems. For example, the drive train system is made up of the chainset (front cogs), the chain and the rear freewheel/cassette (rear cogs). The components wear out together! Changing a worn chain on its own will result in a) it slipping over the worn cogs, b) further wearing the worn cogs and c) wearing the new chain prematurely. You generally have to replace the relevant components together for the system to work.
"Can you give me tell me how to fix ..." Wouldn't it be nice for every bike shop (and for that matter any other shop/outlet) to have a resident guru to impart his/her years of a) knowledge, b) experience, c) skills and d) spilt blood & sweat & tears for free access to all. Although most bike shops will give some information, they can't be expected to stop a job from a paying customer to explain all the intricacies of a given problem. Not only will the paying customer have to wait longer to get their bike back, but the shop will be losing valuable time - the overheads of any small shop are staggering and margins are small. Enough lost time will result in its closure - leaving you with chain stores whose only interest is turnover. So, be understanding when your expectations aren't met.
"Can I borrow such-and-such tool to fix my bike?" Similarly, most bike shops will are reluctant to loan out their tools. Firstly, good bike shop will have tools which are of an infinitely quality than those found in your own toolbox. Secondly, someone from the shop has to keep an eye on the lender (stopping them from getting on with paying customers' jobs) as the tool(s) can be easily damaged if misused and/or stolen. Thirdly, the inevitable plea of "I can't get it to work. What should I do?" take us back to point 5 above. Most importantly, together with his/her years of knowledge, experience, skills and spilt blood & sweat & tears, a mechanic makes a living with his/her tools. Don't expect a bike shop to be open with his toolbox. We charge a small fee for small jobs - its a way of supporting your local shop.
"I was looking at one of your pre-owned bikes and the price of it was just a little higher than that which I can buy from a major chain outlet. Why should I buy from you?" Yes, we too have seen this phenomenon. Initially, we thought "How can they do that? They can't even buy a bike at that price. They must be making a loss." On closer examination it is evident that such outlets have previously sold the bike at their usual prices and, when its time to re-stock for the next year's models, they sell off remaining few bikes (usually from the previous year's models) at a an astonishing price. The tactic employed is to appear to be presenting good prices and to generate web hits. If you can buy such a bargain, our advice is to do so. However, do remember that the bike from us are a) fully built up (not boxed), b) 'bedded-in', c) test-rideable, d) fully prepared, e) from a traceable source (guaranteed not to be stolen) and f) recycled/renovated/restored (as opposed to new and imported).
Please note: This page (and the whole website) is under heavy construction - the content will change and be added to in due time. Updated on: 17-06-09 |
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