Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Please be fair and thoughtful in your opinions. No rants please.
videoman
Posts: 78
Joined: 23 Aug 2007, 10:04pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by videoman »

I've recently used Spa for the first time for some parts as they were cheaper than Wiggle or anyone else and the parts arrived within two days which I would say was excellent service and will certainly use them again hopefully for a new bike once further restrictions are lifted and I can visit Harrogate to try for size.
arnsider
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Joined: 27 Jul 2011, 12:44am
Location: Carnforth, Lancashire

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by arnsider »

I really don't care about the comments in response to mine.
I do care about being spoken to in a civil manner.
If people think they can mitigate lousy customer service by the pressure of custom, we are on a slippery slope.
It's futile trying to make that point on here.
pete75
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Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by pete75 »

arnsider wrote: 7 Apr 2021, 12:38am I really don't care about the comments in response to mine.
I do care about being spoken to in a civil manner.
If people think they can mitigate lousy customer service by the pressure of custom, we are on a slippery slope.
It's futile trying to make that point on here.
You say you weren't spoken to in a civil manner. There are two sides to any conversation and that begs the question what were you saying to cause that reaction on the part of the shopkeeper.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
Bonefishblues
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Joined: 7 Jul 2014, 9:45pm
Location: Near Bicester Oxon

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by Bonefishblues »

pete75 wrote: 10 Apr 2021, 6:29am
arnsider wrote: 7 Apr 2021, 12:38am I really don't care about the comments in response to mine.
I do care about being spoken to in a civil manner.
If people think they can mitigate lousy customer service by the pressure of custom, we are on a slippery slope.
It's futile trying to make that point on here.
You say you weren't spoken to in a civil manner. There are two sides to any conversation and that begs the question what were you saying to cause that reaction on the part of the shopkeeper.
tbf there are sufficient reports of a certain eccentricity, shall we say, to mean that the answer to that might be 'nothing at all'
TimeTraveller
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Joined: 7 Mar 2019, 8:49pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by TimeTraveller »

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=145201


Not bad,..... but not expected :)
Pete... I think
arnsider
Posts: 448
Joined: 27 Jul 2011, 12:44am
Location: Carnforth, Lancashire

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by arnsider »

"You say you weren't spoken to in a civil manner. There are two sides to any conversation and that begs the question what were you saying to cause that reaction on the part of the shopkeeper."
That's rubbish!
I made an enquiry in a normal and reasonable manner. There aren't two sides to a conversation like that and don't try to imply otherwise.
Clouded Leopard
Posts: 43
Joined: 2 May 2020, 1:08pm
Location: East Lancashire Moors

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by Clouded Leopard »

Just collected my Steel Tourer from Spa. From the placing of the order, in person, their service was brilliant. Unsure of sizing I tried two frame sizes to see which I preferred. After a 2mile ride on cycles of each frame size I settled for the most comfortable when riding.

After a long conversation about cycle usage and terrain we selected the drive train. Other options were explained and together with the obligatory Brooks B17 standard the specs were finalised.

Speed of build especially in these times was just over 4 weeks.

I have nothing but praise and admiration for the Staff at Spa and shall be upgrading with another Spa cycle next year.
When the earth becomes sick the animals will begin to die. When that happens The Warriors of the Rainbow will come to save them.
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Sweep
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Joined: 20 Oct 2011, 4:57pm
Location: London

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by Sweep »

Clouded Leopard wrote: 21 May 2021, 3:09pm Just collected my Steel Tourer from Spa. From the placing of the order, in person, their service was brilliant. Unsure of sizing I tried two frame sizes to see which I preferred. After a 2mile ride on cycles of each frame size I settled for the most comfortable when riding.

After a long conversation about cycle usage and terrain we selected the drive train. Other options were explained and together with the obligatory Brooks B17 standard the specs were finalised.

Speed of build especially in these times was just over 4 weeks.

I have nothing but praise and admiration for the Staff at Spa and shall be upgrading with another Spa cycle next year.
sounds great tho wonder why you are contemplating an "upgrade" so soon.
You definitely need a good bike with good gearing for those "east lancashire moors" - deceptively tough riding.
Sweep
Stripey71
Posts: 2
Joined: 5 Jun 2021, 11:59am

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by Stripey71 »

I've just built up the Spa Elan Ti frame I got to replace my unloved, uninspiring and dead feeling Planet X London Road frame.

John has been great to deal with quick to respond and also very fair in sorting out an incorrect spec seat collar. Isaac called me while checking the frame to ask whether I wanted the headset fitting.

I'm a very happy customer and look forward to eventually visiting the shop in person.

Thank you all on here for the lively discussions and special thanks to @531Colin for all of the informative responses to others questions about the Elan and all of the othe Spa models.
biketips666
Posts: 217
Joined: 19 Jun 2021, 7:17pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by biketips666 »

Another post of praise for Spa Cycles here.

I just called them to get a small part for me, a derailleur hanger for a Ridgeback, as Ridgeback wouldn't sell directly to me. Given that this wasn't going to be exactly sale of the century for Spa, Bob (I think that was his name) couldn't have been more helpful, even calling back to let me know that in fact the postage from Ridgeback to Spa was free, not the £7 he originally thought. I would have been happy to learn that when I pick it up, he didn't need to call me back. But he did, customer service.

I've bought a fair bit from Spa. Not a whole bike, but most of it, apart from the frame, in fact. They are usually very courteous and often exceed expectations. Occasionally they can be a little brusque or impatient on the phone, but that's usually when I'm asking damn fool questions. I'm in Yorkshire too, so I don't mind a bit of bluntness.

I think their "systems" might be a little creaky, email probably isn't the most reliable way of contacting them. Sometimes the website is a little inaccurate - I bought an M525A from them which was advertised as M525, which may seem like a trivial difference, but I was buying it for spares, so isn't.

I think the, how can I put it, "interpersonal experience" you get may depend very much on who you talk to, and what their day has been like. Which is fine, we're all human.

If there's a business that seems to straddle the divide between an on-line supplier, and an LBS that has time to care, I would say it's Spa. Maybe SJS is the same for the South West.
wearwell
Posts: 357
Joined: 3 Feb 2011, 8:45am

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by wearwell »

arnsider wrote: 28 Mar 2021, 6:27am What is the point of this thread?????
All it does is demonstrate just how up and down customer relationships go.
I agree
My own experience of Spa has been mediocre..........
Me too. Was good for years over many routine items but then I bought a whole bike which was a disaster with no happy outcome.
Richard of York
Posts: 69
Joined: 21 Mar 2021, 6:41pm

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by Richard of York »

Got a Spa Audax just over a year ago. Had some pretty serious use. Got some spoke loosening on none drive side of rear wheel recently. Dropped wheel off for an hour, Bobby at Spa re-tensioned wheel and trued it. All foc. Pretty good after sales service I reckon. So I bought some brake cables and bar tape for winter bike, which is what tends to happen if you get good service.
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sussex cyclist
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Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by sussex cyclist »

I just bought a new frame from them. Here it is on its way home from the post office with me yesterday:

Image

I dealt with Bob. He was very helpful, and the package was shipped almost straight away to arrive the next day, my retrieval of it thwarted only by the weather and some bad timing.

Our long driveway (actually a bridleway) currently being impassible, I'd had it shipped to a local post office, not remembering they always close midday, whereas the Parcelforce driver – I hadn't expected things to still be on the move during the strike – would usually arrive after that. Thus for a couple of days it had gone back to the depot, and he'd have driven straight by our house while I was powerless to retrieve it from him. I finally managed to get the address changed to another PO, which would normally be accomplished easily but had some hiccups due to current events.

You can't, of course, truly judge a company until something goes wrong, but at least it's been a good start with Spa for me.
Ray
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Joined: 27 Jan 2007, 11:10am
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by Ray »

Looks like a modern megalith. Should endure for ages.
Ray
The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt - Bertrand Russell
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sussex cyclist
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Re: Spa Cycles (Harrogate)

Post by sussex cyclist »

It's only warrantied for 10 years, but I'm hoping for an advanced age.
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