New bike shop.

[char1ie]

You'd think when you decide to open a bike shop in East Dulwich that you'd sort the shop out before you open, offer good service, be thorough and be polite.

Oh dear. The new bike shop took my wheel in last weekend for a new spoke and to true the wheel. On Wednesday I get a plaintiff message "we've got no spokes". Today I got to the shop and listened to the manager/owner telling me how hard he'd tried to fix my wheel. He'd given me a black spoke that was too short, the wheel wasn't trued, he'd lost the axle and had to give me a replacement. And when I was there he was rude to the other shop assistant and rude to a customer (approximately 10 years old).

What an embarrassment and this is such a shame because a local bike shop could be great.

Charlie

[Helsie]

That's funny that you've had such a bad experience... I took my bike in there to be fixed and the service was quick and cheap and the service was so friendly!

[joealessi]

Dear Charlie

It's a shame you had a bad experience at the new bike shop, but it is a new business after all and sometimes new businesses have teething troubles and we should give them the benefit of the doubt before submitting a critical post and i'm sorry the owner was rude but we are human after all, not robots and he may have been having a terrible day and snapped.. it's not right but it happens. I would've tried them again before submitting a post and if they proved to be rude and/or inept again, then you have every right to let people know about it, after all that's what this forum's for. Criticism gets around a lot faster than praise! By the way, if you're a keen cyclist i can recommend a couple of good cycling websites: The London Cycling Campaign http://www.lcc.org.uk/ and Cycleroute.com http://www.cycle-route.com/

[citizenED]

It is a real pi$$er when people do not take the "one step backwards" approach when posting about businesses on here. If a shoddy treatment has been experienced, be civil and ask "what are people's experiences of (shop name here)?". Look at the responses and then make a judgement as to whether your experience was the exception.

I've not been in the new bike shop yet, but I'm glad it's there and wish them all the best.

[Harry]

Where is this bike shop ?

[AcedOut]

Is that the place on East Dulwich Road where Raisin used to be? Where the shop name was mocked up with A4 print outs!!?

[Pierre]

Balfe's bikes. The bloke seems to be working pretty hard to set the shop up.

: P

[sphillips]

The shop is in the parade in East Dulwich Road, a few doors up from Locale Restaurant ? it?s opposite the junction of Oakhurst Grove and ED Road. I took my bike there on Friday and had a very friendly chat with the new owner, who was courteous and couldn?t have been more helpful. It can?t be easy establishing a new business, especially at the moment. The guy said he was just setting up, looking to get more stock etc ? so good on him. I hope he succeeds. My experience, I have to say, was very different to Char1ie?s therefore.

[AcedOut]

Well all the best to the new business. I will give him time to bed-in and take a look in a few weeks time. Beats a kiddies clothes shop anywyay!

[Balfe's Bikes]

Dear ED forum,

I am setting up Balfe's Bikes at 50 East Dulwich Road.

I have been amazed by the great response I've had locally, especially with regards to servicing.

I have to admit that I underestimated the servicing demand, so much so in fact that towards to end of last week we became more of a garage than a shop!

I understand that I cannot offer a functioning shop with so much servicing taking place, so to clear a backlog and to properly stock and merchandise the shop I have temporarily closed.

Charl1e is right, customers deserve a good experience. I do not want to promise more than I can deliver hence this decision. We are employing some mechanics, making sure that they are experienced and capable.

I look forward to opening again on Friday 5th September.

I will be at the shop most of the time between then and now, the shutters shall be down but if you would like to pop in and say hello, ask questions or suggests things I could stock then please do not hesitate.

many thanks for your patience,

Richard Balfe.

020 7732 4170.

[teg]

Hi all

Balfe's Bikes - really sorry to hear about your hiccups. Hope everything is sorted soon!!

In the meantime (and I'm only thinking until Balfe's is open for business again - I'm all about supporting local business) I know that Pete at Rat Race Cycles does mobile servicing and actually specialises in hand-built wheels, so if you need your wheel sooner Char1ie maybe give him a call? He's the Pierre who posted above and their website is www.ratracecycles.com.

teg.x

[AcedOut]

Can I suggest you rent a cheap lock-up/garage for the servicing? You can then take the bikes off-site and concentrate on new stock for the shop. A cheap garage in the local area shouldn't cost you more than ?80pm and the last thing you want to be doing is turning down business. Great that you're busy though - I hope you can channel this into a success.

Just a suggestion...

[PinarelloFan]

My experience of the new bike shop was, on the whole, positive. Minor routine maintenance and repair job, but the owner stayed open an extra half hour in the evening to allow me to pick up the bike after I was held up at work. So 10 out of 10 for customer service.

[bawdy-nan]

wow - sounds like you've turned up a big demand locally...

Haven't popped in with my various bike niggles yet but was planning to .... when do you think you might be opening up for gear based clanking problem solving?

[snorky]

a bit harsh on charlie

but bike shops are a bit hit/ miss - a good one that builds up a decent rapport with its customers is invaluable- but the nature of the business is labour intensive for repairs & servicing and things dont often go as would be ideal

I usually go to Herne Hill nowadays, after getting such shoddy service in Peckham & Camberwell in recent times

I'll give an ED bike shop a go tho

[LibraCarr]

Hi,

Is it not time that we embrace a new business that is trying to succeed in the current downturn?. The new shop has placed itself in a arcade that is dying. Three recent owners in the fish and chip shop in as many years. The pottery shop that has gone into receivership twice, the chinese restaurant that is always empty, the newsagents that has had to resort to obtaining a offsales licence to compete and the bad reports of the so called gourmets that frequented the Locale on its opening week.

I think that you should take a look at yourself and ask if you are qualifed to comment! It is my understanding that the bike people have opened a shop to service sales through to after sales and beyond. If they wanted to open up a lock-up or garage, they would have done just that, without the huge rent/rates applicable to this area.

It is so easy to slag off companies/individuals that try to provide, in good faith, a service ie Budgens, Raisin, Magdala, Booteeki, and more recent the comments on the traders in North Cross Road.

If you are so expert in trading style help these people out, do not sit behind a computer and write negative piffle as it is you that embarrass yourselves.

Here endeth the second lesson.

Regards,

Libra Carr.

[Moos]

.

[Mark]

Just out of curiosity, who are you talking to LibraCarr? The one person who had a not so good experience at the bike shop which has been addressed by Mr Balfe, or the other dozen or so posts that don't "slag off" the shop and wish it well. You seen to have just written negative piffle about lots of people for no reason.

Anyway I think it's great that we've got a bike shop in East Dulwich now.

[Moos]

I ummed and erred about responding, hence the . above, because I was trying to be too nice and quite direct at the same time. Bad combination.

So here it is without trying to be nice. I think LibraCarr has a point, although I wouldn't have put it quite as he did. This thread has been overwhelmingly positive, and yes Richard Balfe I think responded admirably to charlie's criticism. But I can think of lots of threads where people couldn't wait to leap on a new business and give it a hard time - BlackBird Bakery and Locale to name two - or to make negative comments about one that's just shut down. Of course you can argue that that's what forums and free speech are for, but I agree with LC that it's a shame to do it, especially if (as many people on here have said) you also believe that small independent businesses are a Good Thing in ED.

[Mark]

Yes, I agree with you about local shops, but this isn't (wasn't) a negative thread so why stir up bad vibes? It serves no positive purpose. Heck, even Snorky likes this place and is going to give it a try and if that's not a good omen I don't know what is. People are liking the bike shop, it's really busy and you can find it just past Goose Green, on the left, on the way to Peckham.

[edited once]

[jrthomas_uk]

BTW, what does it mean when you just post a fullstop ?

I've seen it loads on EDF. Can't be just umming and erring is it?

[char1ie]

I embraced it by taking my business there rather than going to the place I normally go to. Yes, I am qualified to comment. No I am not slagging anyone off. I was a bit annoyed by the poor service I got but it's not the end of the world. The owner seemed like a nice guy and I appreciate that he should be supported for opening a local bike shop. On this occasion he wasted my time and lost a piece of my bike.

I'm pleased that otherwise people have received good service. I hope the shop survives and thrives.

Charlie

LibraCarr Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi,

>

> Is it not time that we embrace a new business that

> is trying to succeed in the current downturn?.

> The new shop has placed itself in a arcade that is

> dying. Three recent owners in the fish and chip

> shop in as many years. The pottery shop that has

> gone into receivership twice, the chinese

> restaurant that is always empty, the newsagents

> that has had to resort to obtaining a offsales

> licence to compete and the bad reports of the so

> called gourmets that frequented the Locale on its

> opening week.

>

> I think that you should take a look at yourself

> and ask if you are qualifed to comment! It is my

> understanding that the bike people have opened a

> shop to service sales through to after sales and

> beyond. If they wanted to open up a lock-up or

> garage, they would have done just that, without

> the huge rent/rates applicable to this area.

>

> It is so easy to slag off companies/individuals

> that try to provide, in good faith, a service ie

> Budgens, Raisin, Magdala, Booteeki, and more

> recent the comments on the traders in North Cross

> Road.

>

> If you are so expert in trading style help these

> people out, do not sit behind a computer and write

> negative piffle as it is you that embarrass

> yourselves.

>

> Here endeth the second lesson.

>

> Regards,

> Libra Carr.

[AcedOut]

Lisa - my comment about a seperate garage to service the bikes was a serious suggestion, not a critisism. It would make the shop itself less cluttered with customer bikes. Can I suggest you re-read my post :)

[snorky]

LibraCarr Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi,

>

> Is it not time that we embrace a new business that

> is trying to succeed in the current downturn?.

> The new shop has placed itself in a arcade that is

> dying. Three recent owners in the fish and chip

> shop in as many years. The pottery shop that has

> gone into receivership twice, the chinese

> restaurant that is always empty, the newsagents

> that has had to resort to obtaining a offsales

> licence to compete and the bad reports of the so

> called gourmets that frequented the Locale on its

> opening week.

>

> I think that you should take a look at yourself

> and ask if you are qualifed to comment! It is my

> understanding that the bike people have opened a

> shop to service sales through to after sales and

> beyond. If they wanted to open up a lock-up or

> garage, they would have done just that, without

> the huge rent/rates applicable to this area.

>

> It is so easy to slag off companies/individuals

> that try to provide, in good faith, a service ie

> Budgens, Raisin, Magdala, Booteeki, and more

> recent the comments on the traders in North Cross

> Road.

>

> If you are so expert in trading style help these

> people out, do not sit behind a computer and write

> negative piffle as it is you that embarrass

> yourselves.

>

> Here endeth the second lesson.

>

> Regards,

> Libra Carr.

A bike shop has a pracical use & I can support that

most of the the other shops that have sprung up in the past handful of years sell wasteful expensive tat - if they sell this crap, they should have thick skin enough to handle the comments

[taper]

i'll use the shop if the mechanic's good. one tip from me richard would be to offer a drop in same day service, so no pre-bookings. like brixton cycles, bikefix, or the chap in peckham on the high street. stay open until 7ish too. and go for decent quality niche stock, so not ridgeback/giant type stuff, but a little higher end; perhaps dutch bikes, which would go down well here. all the best.