Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Please be fair and thoughtful in your opinions. No rants please.
pete75
Posts: 16370
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by pete75 »

Ontherivet77 wrote:
pete75 wrote:
Ontherivet77 wrote:They're your words not mine. I suggest you read the posts and draw your own conclusions.


As I said don't beat about the bush - lacking factual veracity and untruthful are more or less the same thing. No you're the one making the claim taht some postings are lacking factual veracity so it's up to you to point out which ones. Or is your claim lacking factual veracity?


Okay, then here's my take on it and what I mean is authenticity not truthfulness.
A thread about a business should be impartial, in fairness to the business and the people who might use it.
It should work (hypothetically) like this Person A posts a positive review, which is followed up persons B & C saying they had a positive experience also. Then along comes Person D who says he had a terrible experience and the owner threatened him an inner tube etc. Things should move in that cycle to give a balanced view of the shop in question. What's happening in this thread is :
Person A responds by saying he is sorry about that but he had a good experience.
Person B claims person D is bitter and has got it in for the shop
Person C undermines the person D by saying I don't know what you are complaining about etc.

In reality this thread is full of repeated posts of persons not offering anything new from a factual experience of good service, but repeating what they have already said previously. Now, there may be no other reason than they love the shop, but what's to stop someone connected to the shop planting good reviews? Have a look at the online feedback of Arrow XL and tell me how long it takes you spot the planted feedback. So, no I am not accusing anyone of lying what I am saying is allow people to state their opinions without trying either intentionally or unintentionally to skew things back in the favour of the business concerned. To me that is just as bad as someone with an axe to grind coming on the forum for the sole purpose of slagging off a business.


The only Arrow XL I can find is some sort of delivery service. What has their feedback , planted or otherwise, to do with Spa cycles? As I said if you think some posts in this thread lack veracity please point out which ones. Referring to comments on the website of a completely different company proves nothing.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
niggle
Posts: 3435
Joined: 11 Mar 2009, 10:29pm
Location: Cornwall, near England

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by niggle »

Well on the one hand I have had some great products from them at very reasonable prices, especially cranksets and chainsets, but OTOH I have had two incidents of them getting an order slightly wrong and one incident of them delaying sending an order without telling me a thing, when an item was actually out of stock despite being 'in stock' on the website. However when I have had cause to ask them to rectify a mistake they have always done so promptly and courteously. I continue to use them when what they are offering is unique or the best price, but knowing that they are prone to the odd hiccup I make sure I don't rely on them getting something to me in less than two weeks. There are other good on line shops for many things they offer, e.g. SJS, Cyclebasket, Practical Cycles, Taylor Wheels, Rose Bikes, Paul Hewitt Cycles, etc., but certain things such as the chainsets, Spa brand leather saddles and their own bikes and frames are pretty much in the unique category.
loz123
Posts: 5
Joined: 28 May 2011, 12:26pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by loz123 »

Ordered a silver hub from this this week, was sent a black one. Not the end of the world, great price though
steady eddy
Posts: 676
Joined: 1 May 2008, 11:02am
Location: Norfolk

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by steady eddy »

Just got some Ergon grips for my wife's bike from them, almost by return of post. They and SJS are surely the "go to" retailers for touring cyclists. I have always had excellent service from both.
wearwell
Posts: 357
Joined: 3 Feb 2011, 8:45am

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by wearwell »

Very boring this thread.
Spa shouldn't be getting any special credit for just providing a normal service i.e. delivering goods ordered in a reasonable time - just like every other half successful mail order business!!
wearwell
Posts: 357
Joined: 3 Feb 2011, 8:45am

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by wearwell »

niggle wrote:...certain things such as the chainsets, Spa brand leather saddles and their own bikes and frames are pretty much in the unique category.
I got their cheap triple chainset. It's OK except it doesn't pick up too well from middle ring to high. A bit clunky.
Nothing unique about their frames.
Spa's biggest strength is the website. Simple functional design implies simple functional bike shop - good marketing whether or not true! Web designers over-design more often than not. Keeping it simple seems to take a special skill.
Bowedw
Posts: 359
Joined: 22 Feb 2011, 10:26pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by Bowedw »

Another 24 hour hour delivery from Spa Cycles of tyres, tubes and stainless chainring bolts. Excellent products and service, worthy of a mention in my opinion.
I do shop around and recently bought 3 sram cassettes from Cycle Republic as much cheaper than anyone.
The first delivery(from Cycle Republic) was of a well packed item,the other 2 deliveries consisted of the cassettes all loose rattling around in a plastic bag. Would I order anything less robust from then? I think not.
Last edited by Bowedw on 24 Aug 2018, 3:41am, edited 3 times in total.
geocycle
Posts: 2177
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 9:46am

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by geocycle »

Had a visit to Spa today. Tried a Ti audax and Elan. Both superb bikes, well done Colin! I’m leaning toward the audax to differentiate my fleet from my trusty Thorn. Service was excellent, relaxed informative and very honest about good and bad components. Trying the bikes was simplicity itself and the greenways behind the shop were a good test track. Will have a think in the week and maybe pick up the phone...
landsurfer
Posts: 5327
Joined: 27 Oct 2012, 9:13pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by landsurfer »

loz123 wrote:Ordered a silver hub from this this week, was sent a black one. Not the end of the world, great price though


My latest order for a silver 33 tooth chainring produced a black one ... "the devils in the detail".
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
JohnW
Posts: 6667
Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by JohnW »

landsurfer wrote:
loz123 wrote:Ordered a silver hub from this this week, was sent a black one. Not the end of the world, great price though


My latest order for a silver 33 tooth chainring produced a black one ... "the devils in the detail".

Nothing to do with Spa, but a month or so ago I ordered a silver chainring from my LBS. He had to order. He 'phoned me to say that the agents had black in stock in all sizes, but for a silver one I'd have to wait at least six months. He'd tried other importers/agents/wholesalers and no-one had a silver chainring in the size and to fit my chainset. Not the end of the world, and a black chainring is better than no chainring. The manufacturer lists a silver chainring, but none in stock at the moment. Just one of those things.
teamonster
Posts: 107
Joined: 21 Feb 2010, 9:04pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by teamonster »

Ordered a pair of Tyres from Spa on Weds evening after work, they turned up this morning at 8.45 - not bad considering I didn’t pay for any express delivery !
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by Tangled Metal »

Never bought anything from Spa Cycles but if I had their service would be excellent. Best shop in the world, ever! They deliver ordered items before you order them they're that great.

To CUK bosses can we set up a free advert for Spa Cycles so this thread doesn't have to be resurrected to provide that promotion function? :wink:

We get it, 35 pages worth of getting the message, they're a good bike shop.

Seriously though, why can't threads such as this get started and locked after a few pages instead of running for so long adding very little.

If the standards of a shop drops I'm sure we're clever enough to start another, more current thread to pass that information on.

There's also a search function that allows (with mixed results ime) people to find information such as reviews, warnings or recommendations of cycle retailers.

Does anyone else think these threads should get locked so they don't keep getting resurrected by people really not adding anything of value. That includes me!
Jezrant
Posts: 868
Joined: 14 Dec 2007, 8:11pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by Jezrant »

Let it run forever. It's not just for the benefit of us cyclists. It also provides the retailer with feedback. Spa has gone through some rough patches. I like to think some of the negative feedback they've had over the years has helped them improve their customer service.
Flinders
Posts: 3023
Joined: 10 Mar 2009, 6:47pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by Flinders »

Jezrant wrote:Let it run forever. It's not just for the benefit of us cyclists. It also provides the retailer with feedback. Spa has gone through some rough patches. I like to think some of the negative feedback they've had over the years has helped them improve their customer service.


I'm inclined to agree. I'm moving north in the next year or two, and may end up within striking distance of Spa and won't be able to take refuge in my super LBS here, so I have been following this thread with interest. Places change, and threads can reflect that, which is helpful. Had I just been left remembering this thread from a few years ago, I'd not have gone near the place.

And of course, if a place that has had problems changes, credit where credit is due is only fair, both to customers looking for somewhere to buy, and to the shop as well.
JohnW
Posts: 6667
Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by JohnW »

Flinders wrote:
Jezrant wrote:Let it run forever. It's not just for the benefit of us cyclists. It also provides the retailer with feedback. Spa has gone through some rough patches. I like to think some of the negative feedback they've had over the years has helped them improve their customer service.


I'm inclined to agree.....................

Me too - +1.

Which town will you be coming to Flinders?
Post Reply