Evans Cycles for Reading?

Paul B said:

Rumour, fact, speculation?

Was told this by a guy in the trade during a conversation regarding the
demise of the Freewheel shop. The centre of Reading could do with a decent
outlet.

Guess you'll have to settle for an Evans.

-Alex

Thus spake Alex:

Quoted message said:

Paul B said:

Rumour, fact, speculation?

Was told this by a guy in the trade during a conversation regarding
the demise of the Freewheel shop. The centre of Reading could do
with a decent outlet.

Guess you'll have to settle for an Evans.

-Alex

LOL

I was half expecting such a comment but left the last sentence unedited on
the rather flimsy grounds that a lot more than mere paragraph separated
"Evans" & "decent". Many things are relative & an Evans branch would be an
improvement - even Reading's centre deserves something better than it has
now!

Caversham is served by AW Cycles but my initial visit didn't impress. Like
restaurants, it takes more than one meal to form anything approaching an
informed opinion so I won't swear an oath that I'll never return.

My favourite LBSs are iBike in Crowthorne & Mountain Trax - both closer to
me than Reading anyway.

--
Basically, I hate people who preface nearly every sentence with the word
'basically'!

"Paul B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was half expecting such a comment but left the last sentence unedited on
the rather flimsy grounds that a lot more than mere paragraph separated
"Evans" & "decent". Many things are relative & an Evans branch would be an
improvement - even Reading's centre deserves something better than it has
now!

Caversham is served by AW Cycles but my initial visit didn't impress. Like
restaurants, it takes more than one meal to form anything approaching an
informed opinion so I won't swear an oath that I'll never return.

My favourite LBSs are iBike in Crowthorne & Mountain Trax - both closer to
me than Reading anyway.

For me, a bike shop "rating" has 2 parts: the stuff they sale and the
workshops. Evans sale good stuff, and a huge variety, but I wouldn't take
my bike to be reparied there. I don't feel that their staff is very
knowlegable.

It is a shame that a small local shop is closing and a big chain moving in.
That's always sad...

By the way, does anybody know what's the deal with the Canary Wharf Evans
branch? They announced in for May, nothing happened. Then June, nothing
happened and now July and there's still rubble in the place where the shop
should be. It doesn't look that anybody is doing any work there and it
would be soooooo handy to have a bike shop a block away from the office!

--
Vivian
-------
"We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school".
No Surrender

On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 19:51:47 +0100, "Paul B" <[email hidden]> said in
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Caversham is served by AW Cycles but my initial visit didn't impress. Like
restaurants, it takes more than one meal to form anything approaching an
informed opinion so I won't swear an oath that I'll never return.

AW is actually very good. I use it frequently (it being close to
home). It has a whole floor of road bikes, for a start.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Vivian said:

"Paul B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

[evans coming to Reading?]

It is a shame that a small local shop is closing and a big chain moving in.
That's always sad...

By the way, does anybody know what's the deal with the Canary Wharf Evans
branch? They announced in for May, nothing happened. Then June, nothing
happened and now July and there's still rubble in the place where the shop
should be. It doesn't look that anybody is doing any work there and it
would be soooooo handy to have a bike shop a block away from the office!

DKUATB! You already have one[1] only it will probably end up closing
when Evans opens. Still you will be able to get a wider range of stock
items for more money backed by slightly worse service.

LBS. Use it or lose it

best wishes
james

[1] http://www.wharfcycles.co.uk/ Although the web site looks dead,
the shop isn't and runs on commuter friendly hours

Thus spake Just zis Guy, you know?:

Quoted message said:

On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 19:51:47 +0100, "Paul B" <[email hidden]> said in
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Caversham is served by AW Cycles but my initial visit didn't
impress. Like restaurants, it takes more than one meal to form
anything approaching an informed opinion so I won't swear an oath
that I'll never return.

AW is actually very good. I use it frequently (it being close to
home). It has a whole floor of road bikes, for a start.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

"This carbon riser bar is very good value at £69!"
"Great! I'll take it. I'll carry on looking round to see if there's any
other bits I need."
Goes back to till a few mins later, "Sorry it's £89, not £69."
"In that case, are you willing to give any discount?"
"No. We don't do discounts."
Not the exact words, I'm sure. Ironically, I'd just rejoined CTC online that
very morning. The reply was so emphatic, I didn't even bother mentioning it.

One advantage of a shop this big is the range of sizes (of practically
anything) they carry compared to the average LBS.

iBike in Crowthorne have a 50/50 of road to off-road & even Mountain Trax
have sold road stuff for a number of years now. My memory of Cycology
(originally a few shops away from iBike) was very much MTB only. A very
single straw poll of French bike shops from some friend's experience in
Brittany is that you are far more likely to have your road bike needs
catered for than for velo de montagne!

--
Basically, I hate people who preface nearly every sentence with the word
'basically'!

Quoting Just zis Guy, you know? <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

AW is actually very good. I use it frequently (it being close to
home). It has a whole floor of road bikes, for a start.

AW are OK, but getting the tandem back on the road has made me more aware
of which shops can be relied upon for unusual spares. So far Ben Haywards
in Cambridge score highest for physical shops, but mostly it's been SJS to
the rescue...
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> Kill the tomato!
Today is Second Epithumia, July - a weekend.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

DKUATB! You already have one[1] only it will probably end up closing
when Evans opens. Still you will be able to get a wider range of stock
items for more money backed by slightly worse service.

LBS. Use it or lose it

best wishes
james

a) what's DKUATB?
b) I don't live in Reading
c) what's LBS?

--
Vivian
-------
"We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school".
No Surrender

On 31 Jul 2006 15:03:23 +0100 (BST), David Damerell
<[email hidden]> said in
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

AW is actually very good. I use it frequently (it being close to
home). It has a whole floor of road bikes, for a start.

Quoted message said:

AW are OK, but getting the tandem back on the road has made me more aware
of which shops can be relied upon for unusual spares. So far Ben Haywards
in Cambridge score highest for physical shops, but mostly it's been SJS to
the rescue...

For this I have Bob Bristow :-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

On Mon, 31 Jul 2006 10:56:21 +0100, "Paul B" <[email hidden]> said in
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

"No. We don't do discounts."

I get a discount. CTC, Reading Cycle Campaign, Reading Cycle Club,
probably some others.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

Vivian' of said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

DKUATB! You already have one[1] only it will probably end up closing
when Evans opens. Still you will be able to get a wider range of stock
items for more money backed by slightly worse service.

LBS. Use it or lose it

best wishes
james

a) what's DKUATB?

Do keep up at the back

Quoted message said:

b) I don't live in Reading
c) what's LBS?

Local bike shop.
--
Steph Peters
Chorlton Wanderers Cycling Group
Monthly slow and easy rides from South Manchester
http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/cycling/chwan.htm

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

On 31 Jul 2006 15:03:23 +0100 (BST), David Damerell
<[email hidden]> said in
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

AW is actually very good. I use it frequently (it being close to
home). It has a whole floor of road bikes, for a start.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

AW are OK, but getting the tandem back on the road has made me more aware
of which shops can be relied upon for unusual spares. So far Ben Haywards
in Cambridge score highest for physical shops, but mostly it's been SJS to
the rescue...

Quoted message said:

For this I have Bob Bristow :-)

Lucky man!
I have Francis Thurmer.

Every cyclist needs a tame mechanic/supplier.

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

you know? said:

On Mon, 31 Jul 2006 10:56:21 +0100, "Paul B" <[email hidden]> said in
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

"No. We don't do discounts."

I get a discount. CTC, Reading Cycle Campaign, Reading Cycle Club,
probably some others.

Discounts in bike shops are intriguing.

I used to get 10 percent in a (now closed) LBS in Crawley. I didn't
spend _that_ much there, certainly never bought a whole bike there.
Just chatted a bit to the owner. I'm not a member of the CTC or any
local cycling clubs (am in AUK and the Tandem Club though). Mind you,
the shop closed as he couldn't make money - I wonder if the two things
are related?

I get a discount sometimes in the current LBS in town, generally if I
spend more than just a few quid. Again, never bought a whole bike
there.

Darth Ian has been known to knock a few bob off if he's serving me,
but not his minions.

Are bike shops the only places that do this?

Tim

Tim Hall said:

Discounts in bike shops are intriguing.

I get a discount sometimes in the current LBS in town, generally if I
spend more than just a few quid. Again, never bought a whole bike
there.

I tend to not get a discount in my LBS but occasionally get small items
thrown in (e.g. I was buying a few bits and needed some replacement
barrel adjuster cable stops - He had some unboxed (possibly second hand
but as new) so threw them in for no charge.)

I can also get internet prices on special order items if I ask nicely -
and am prepared to wait till they have an order going in to keep the
shipping costs down.

...d

Tim Hall said:

Discounts in bike shops are intriguing.

[SNIP]

Quoted message said:

I get a discount sometimes in the current LBS in town, generally if I
spend more than just a few quid. Again, never bought a whole bike
there.

LCC (London Cycling Campaign) Membership (32 quid a year) gives you 10%
off in Evans (off bikes and bits).

No advertised discount in my LBS (Strattons on East Hill) but my
brother bought a Brooks B66 the other day and he threw the seat cover
in for free (equiv 10% discount).

I'll still go to the LBS for essential/emergency bits, the rest comes
from Wiggle or EBay (shiny new B17). I'll go to Evans if I want
something quickly that the LBS don't do.

-Alex

Thus spake Just zis Guy, you know?:

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 31 Jul 2006 10:56:21 +0100, "Paul B" <[email hidden]> said in
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

"No. We don't do discounts."

I get a discount. CTC, Reading Cycle Campaign, Reading Cycle Club,
probably some others.

That's was why I rejoined CTC when I did: earlier that morning. The bars
were bought from a LBS with 10% off without membership of anything just my
past patronage - I preferred to take my custom elsewhere on that occasion. I
find after a couple of visits that many if not most bike shops will discount
although I didn't try in Evans Woking the previous month without CTC
membership - hadn't been there for over 5 yrs.

If one is solely interested in discounts in the Reading area, joining RC
Campaign is the cheapest option.
--
Basically, I hate people who preface nearly every sentence with the word
'basically'!

In article <[email hidden]>,

Helen Deborah Vecht said:

Every cyclist needs a tame mechanic/supplier.

I have a mirror :-)

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village
http://www.millport.net