Gareth's reviews
Review of London Recumbents
14 Jul 08, 10:43
Makes a trip to the park very special 
This is the secret weapon in the arsenal of child entertainment in Dulwich Park. Cafe? Check. Playground? Check. Lots of space to play frisbee and football? Check. Wild areas to go gruffalo hunting? Check. But you don't ususlaly get the opportunity to hire a trike with a huge bin on the front and pedal the kids round for an hour. There's a whole load of options here, from your standard bike with a kiddy seat on the back - so you can check if it's worth you splahsing the cash on buying your own one, through to bikes with enough spaces to carry the Waltons, through to ground-hugging recumbent kids bikes for the older ones. You can even stick the grandparents on a tandem. Prices are good, and even in the dark days of winter it gets everyone out the house for a while.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Psubliminal
09 Jul 08, 11:17
Good indie bike shop
Not much to add to Alan's review, I can't say I was made to feel particularly wlecome here, but then i'm not down with the kids/riding a fixie/or sporting unusual hair/mohican
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Condor Cycles
09 Jul 08, 11:11
Great service - been around since the 40s 
Bike shops seem to be a bit hit and miss as regards to service. I've seen some fairly scathing reviews of this place online, so approached with trepidation, ready to run out the door and hand my hard-earned over at Evans Cycles (perish the thought!). I think some of the negative reviews can stem from people who expect to be served the minute they walk in, and, well, in a shop like this, it isn't going to happen. A busy shop is a good sign, so if the staff are busy with other people, you need to wait your turn. Difficult, i know, in this times of choice, of the customer coming first etc etc, but unless you're simply buying something off the shelf, get in line. I was buying a new bike, and the guy who served me, Rob, clearly knew what he was talking about, and rather than sell me what he wanted to, was able to listen to what I was after, and within the price range i'd given him, dsicuss the options. i didn't feel pressured, and the advice he gave was spot on. They've been in business for 60 years for good reason in my opinion.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Evans Cycles
19 Jun 08, 16:07
The best Evans in London
Saying this is the best branch of Evans is a bit like saying Hess was the least bad nazi, as I find the staff in Evans either ill-informed, unhelpful, or both. It got so bad a copuple of years ago I stopped going into Evans because I didn't want them getting their paws on my hard-earned cash. In this branch i've always found the staff have been pretty helpful, and I've even bought a couple of bikes here over the years. Also handy as a stop-off if you commute into central London from the South East. Just don't ask anyone about child seats in here, they haven't got a clue. Probably because they're too busy getting gnarly up Box hill, or whatever it is they do these days.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Herne Hill Bicycles
06 Jun 08, 14:45
Limited range, but super-great staff
Not the world's biggest bike shops, but where these guys score above the alrger chains in London, is that they really know what they're talking about. If you want to buy a new bike but aren't sure what to get, they'll take the time to discuss your requirements and make some suggestions. When I got a bike from them, I got some extra gear like a kiddy seat, mudguards, panniers and they changed the handlebar for me, and charged me nothing extra for the work they did setting the bike up and didn't let me go until I was happy with it. They're great for repairs and servicing, but you'll need to book well in advance as they're often very busy. Limited range of gear, but they'll order stuff in for you if they don't have it. My favourite bike shop in London, and I've been in loads.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.