Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

[Milfred Cubicle]

I've always had excellent service from Spa Cycles. Something must have happened since then after my recent experience.

I called last week to make enquiries about a fork. A very pleasant lad explained that he wasn't an expert, but that he would try to help. He explained that the people in the know we're at lunch. He did the best he could, but couldn't answer all of my questions.

So I called back today. Obviously I got through to the expert in forks, but somebody who has no business answering a 'phone!
We all know that sometimes mobile phones lose reception, on this occasion halfway through our conversation my end went 'dead'. Now a normal person would maybe say 'hello....hello...' a few times. Not this chap. He gets all riled up and starts moaning about 'talking to his ****ing self'.
Unfortunately for him, he was coming through loud and clear on my speakerphone!
I understand that dealing with customers can be frustrating, but is there any need for bad language at such little excuse? It stank of treating customers with contempt, all over a silly breakdown in mobile signal.
I called him back, on a landline, and asked if there was any need for that kind of behaviour. He tried to shrug it off and justify his rudeness by saying the phone went dead on him. And that's when a sale went dead on him. I informed him that he could stick his forks. I didn't get the chance to tell him that they could go the same way as the SON wheel I was going to order, and the £2000 Elan bike I wanted to enquire about.
If a retailer can get his knickers in a twist over a 5 second phone call, there's no way I'm giving them the best part of £2500. Heaven forbid I had a problem after parting with the money.

[Cyril Haearn]

Maybe everybody has a bad day occasionally, maybe not, or a private problem or illness that is affecting them

One really should try to be nice to partners, suppliers, customers, always, I do, and usually succeed but I do not telephone very much

I would try not to retaliate with rudeness, I wonder where he put his forks

Mind, I am always in a good mood, because I cycle to work

[Sweep]

I'd bear with them milfred.

Plenty of "have a nice day" plastic organisations that treat their customers like &&&& while using formula phrases from the customer care handbook.

[JohnW]

One or two of us have reported similar experiences - either our own or witnessed someone else's 'encounter'.
I can say, from my own experience, that in fact the guy isn't like that and on my own one experience he finished up by giving me service quite beyond the normal call of duty.
He's not like that really.
I'm with Sweep.

[SimonCelsa]

I didn't get the chance to tell him that they could go the same way as the SON wheel I was going to order, and the £2000 Elan bike I wanted to enquire about.

So you both ended up losing out!! Very unproductive, a few deep breaths normally helps, we all have off-days.

[landsurfer]

I've been a great fan of SPA for a couple of years now ... but .... having paid the best part of £1000 for a Steel Touring ... and then less than £600 for a Jamis Aurora ... which is pretty much a match in quality, i'm wondering if the premium for SPA is not too high.
My Jamis does not have someones name on the wheels but has provided over 3000 miles of fun and adventure without a hiccup ... once i had disposed of the bar end levers !!
The frame is almost identical even down to the pump fittings but comes with a 3 spoke carrier brazed to the frame ... neat.

So before spending cash on the SPA range have a good look about .....

[Vantage]

Spa are only a small bike shop though and may not have the buying power of the bigger bike companies.
Their bikes however, can be built to the owners specification on purchase. I'm willing to bet that many local lbs's and places like Evans would be a bit funny if asked to change certain components on an off the shelf bike.

[reohn2]

I've been a great fan of SPA for a couple of years now ... but .... having paid the best part of £1000 for a Steel Touring ... and then less than £600 for a Jamis Aurora ... which is pretty much a match in quality, i'm wondering if the premium for SPA is not too high.
My Jamis does not have someones name on the wheels but has provided over 3000 miles of fun and adventure without a hiccup ... once i had disposed of the bar end levers !!
The frame is almost identical even down to the pump fittings but comes with a 3 spoke carrier brazed to the frame ... neat.

So before spending cash on the SPA range have a good look about .....

What's the spec of the Jamis compared to the Spa,I'm betting the Spa I higher spec and has hand built wheels on Deore(?)hubs against the Jamis machine built wheels and low spec hubs,you also mention you needed to change the(much cheaper)b/end changers,to STI's?

[JohnW]

..................before spending cash on the SPA range have a good look about .....

Yeah - but really, really carefully, Spa are by no means expensive particularly for what you get. Never underestimate the value for money from Spa.

[Bonefishblues]

I've been a great fan of SPA for a couple of years now ... but .... having paid the best part of £1000 for a Steel Touring ... and then less than £600 for a Jamis Aurora ... which is pretty much a match in quality, i'm wondering if the premium for SPA is not too high.
My Jamis does not have someones name on the wheels but has provided over 3000 miles of fun and adventure without a hiccup ... once i had disposed of the bar end levers !!
The frame is almost identical even down to the pump fittings but comes with a 3 spoke carrier brazed to the frame ... neat.

So before spending cash on the SPA range have a good look about .....

What's the spec of the Jamis compared to the Spa,I'm betting the Spa I higher spec and has hand built wheels on Deore(?)hubs against the Jamis machine built wheels and low spec hubs,you also mention you needed to change the(much cheaper)b/end changers,to STI's?

Better tubing, gearing, wheels based on a cursory glance earlier. Jamie cheaper for a reason, but more than adequate for purpose, I'm sure.

[reohn2]

I've been a great fan of SPA for a couple of years now ... but .... having paid the best part of £1000 for a Steel Touring ... and then less than £600 for a Jamis Aurora ... which is pretty much a match in quality, i'm wondering if the premium for SPA is not too high.
My Jamis does not have someones name on the wheels but has provided over 3000 miles of fun and adventure without a hiccup ... once i had disposed of the bar end levers !!
The frame is almost identical even down to the pump fittings but comes with a 3 spoke carrier brazed to the frame ... neat.

So before spending cash on the SPA range have a good look about .....

What's the spec of the Jamis compared to the Spa,I'm betting the Spa I higher spec and has hand built wheels on Deore(?)hubs against the Jamis machine built wheels and low spec hubs,you also mention you needed to change the(much cheaper)b/end changers,to STI's?

Better tubing, gearing, wheels based on a cursory glance earlier. Jamie cheaper for a reason, but more than adequate for purpose, I'm sure.

Yep,lower spec alround and surprisingly a 130mm oln road rear end,bit of a puzzle on a tourer,but as you say adequate for purpose,whereas the Spa is a dedicated tourer and at £1k great VFM IMO.

[Bonefishblues]

Who's Jamie?! Damn you predictive text.

[reohn2]

Who's Jamie?! Damn you predictive text.

Didn't his restraint chain go bust recently

[landsurfer]

Yep,lower spec alround and surprisingly a 130mm oln road rear end,bit of a puzzle on a tourer,but as you say adequate for purpose,whereas the Spa is a dedicated tourer and at £1k great VFM IMO.

Yes i made all the points about the wheels etc in my post ...
I bought a set of handlebars with Sora STI's from EBAY for £32 from a nice chap in Scotland. I just did not get on with the cheaper bar end gear levers.
I am the owner of both bikes mentioned.
I paid for a SPA Steel Touring and I also bought myself a Jamis Aurora.
The SPA was to be my "best bike" and the Jamis my daily hack / winter bike ... the fact that i did my LEJOG on the Jamis should tell you a few things.
£400 is a great deal of difference, and as for wheels..... hand built are excellent, but machine built are very good as well.
Would you rather have a hand built smart phone or a robot built one ??

I offered my as new SPA on here recently for sale for £600 ono. .... a saving of £400 on new .... not the slightest bit of interest from anyone .... or on EBAY ....

SPA bikes are lovely items, jewellery, class .... but mine has now gone to a new home .... It's not about the bike .. it's about the destination...

[Bonefishblues]

Nobody is criticising your choice, nor saying that the Jamie (sic) isn't a good bike. The differences are slightly more extensive than you indicated though, to be fair, plus the ability to 'customise as standard'