Argos bikes - any good?

"davek" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

What kind of reputation do Argos bikes have? It's not a
brand I'm familiar with but from what I can see on their
website I rather like the look of them.

I'm mainly asking because I'm tempted by an ad in this
week's Cycling Weekly for a secondhand Argos Audax at
what looks like a good price - though I expect it's
probably gone by now, and I'm not sure I've got the cash
anyway... ho hum.

d.

They have a very good reputation, as high-quality, hand-
built bikes. They are based in Bristol, and I know quite a
few people with one, and they are all complimentary. I have
got them to respray a couple of my bikes, and the service
and the painting were both excellent.

Quoted message said:

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davek said:

What kind of reputation do Argos bikes have? It's not a
brand I'm familiar with but from what I can see on their
website I rather like the look of them.

I'm mainly asking because I'm tempted by an ad in this
week's Cycling Weekly for a secondhand Argos Audax at
what looks like a good price - though I expect it's
probably gone by now, and I'm not sure I've got the cash
anyway... ho hum.

d.

I recently rode with someone who had an Argos Audax bike and
it was lovely. He was very happy with it.

Ian
--
Remove the nice brown paste in my signature if you
want to reply!

"Ian W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

davek usenet- said:

What kind of reputation do Argos bikes have? It's not a
brand I'm familiar with but from what I can see on their
website I rather like the look of them.

Quoted message said:

I recently rode with someone who had an Argos Audax bike
and it was lovely. He was very happy with it.

Does this mean its not an Argos catalogue bike?

taywood said:

"Ian W" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

davek usenet- said:

What kind of reputation do Argos bikes have? It's not a
brand I'm familiar with but from what I can see on their
website I rather like the look of them.

Quoted message said:

I recently rode with someone who had an Argos Audax bike
and it was lovely. He was very happy with it.

Does this mean its not an Argos catalogue bike?

I didn't realize they did catalogue bikes - I thought they
were all bespoke. Hold on - we're not talking at cross-
purposes here are we? You're not talking about 'Argos' as
in the high-street catalogue shops are you? If so, you
should know that 'Argos' is also a Bristol-based maker of
quality hand-made bikes, and that's what we've been talking
about here!

Ian

--
www.drianwalker.com

Remove the nice brown paste in my signature if you
want to reply!

davek said:

What kind of reputation do Argos bikes have? It's not a
brand I'm familiar with but from what I can see on their
website I rather like the look of them.

I'm mainly asking because I'm tempted by an ad in this
week's Cycling Weekly for a secondhand Argos Audax at
what looks like a good price - though I expect it's
probably gone by now, and I'm not sure I've got the cash
anyway... ho hum.

They're very expensive new - comparable to a Bob Jackson.

Ian W said:

Quoted message said:

Does this mean its not an Argos catalogue bike?

I didn't realize they did catalogue bikes - I thought they
were all bespoke. Hold on - we're not talking at cross-
purposes here are we? You're not talking about 'Argos' as
in the high-street catalogue shops are you? If so, you
should know that 'Argos' is also a Bristol-based maker of
quality hand-made bikes, and that's what we've been
talking about here!

I have to confess that when I first saw the ad I was
confused as to why someone would be advertising a bike they
bought out of the Argos catalogue in Cycling Weekly, which
is why I had to investigate further.

Thanks all for the replies - I am now a wiser person, and
glad to hear that they are as splendid as they sound.

d.

Zog The Undeniable said:

They're very expensive new - comparable to a Bob Jackson.

Is that lots-of-money-but-worth-it expensive or not-very-good-
value expensive?

I suppose it's academic if I'm looking at a second-hand one,
but then I'd have to start wondering why it was so cheap...
It might be academic anyway because I called in to the
EBNSLBS* while I was out this morning and the nice lady more
or less talked me into parting with £900 there and then for
a shiny new Orbea...

d.

*Excellent But Not So Local Bike Shop, compared to the
CBVLBS - [censored] But Very etc.

davek said:

What kind of reputation do Argos bikes have?

No idea - but as a workshop, they do lovely work -
especially paint.

--
Smert' spamionam

david kenning said:

Zog The Undeniable said:

They're very expensive new - comparable to a Bob Jackson.

Is that lots-of-money-but-worth-it expensive or not-very-good-
value expensive?

The trouble with custom built bikes is that the extra cost
for some builders isn't immediately apparent in quality. You
know what the tubeset is, so the frame will weigh the same
as someone else's. A mis-aligned steel frame can be coldset
later quite cheaply - if you ever notice, that is. If you
specify the geometry it will fit. A lot of builders farm out
painting to a third party, some of whom are better at
painting than the top builders, because they're specialists.

OTOH if they overheat the tubing when brazing the BB and
the chainstays crack 5 years later, maybe you'll wish you'd
paid more!

snip>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Does this mean its not an Argos catalogue bike?

I didn't realize they did catalogue bikes - I thought they
were all bespoke. Hold on - we're not talking at cross-
purposes here are we? You're not talking about 'Argos' as
in the high-street catalogue shops are you?

Yep.

Quoted message said:

If so, you should know that 'Argos' is also a Bristol-
based maker of quality hand-made bikes, and that's what
we've been talking about here!

Thanks. I can see that now!!