Like most bike shops, John Bikes is staffed by people who clearly know what they're talking about…read more I needed a bike to ride to work and they had a good selection (not as much selection as I hoped for, but still good). I had to wait a while to be served; they get very busy in lunchtimes. For Bath, its quite a big shop. They've joined together two shops into one and a few doors down they also have a service centre.

I had to think long and hard about my rating. The shop is lovely and most of the staff is great…read more But there is this little sh*t with long hair and too much of an attitude that thinks rather highly of himself. I'm certainly not new to bikes and needed a quick fix (i was visiting a friend and had no tools on me). He takes a quick look at it and tells me I should most certainly dump it and get a new one. Something I happen to know as utter rubbish. I won't go on a rant about that situation. Long story short, a less knowledgeable costumer would've done what he suggested, and spent a fortune on a new bike. That is not costumer service and, quite frankly, a fairly dishonest thing to do. Like I said, bar that guy, the shop is great.

I have used Tri UK in Yeovil for several years, not because they are cheaper (you can buy the same…read moreproducts cheaper elsewhere on line), not because of their customer service (more of that later!) but because I believe in supporting local businesses on the high street in a of growing culture of internet sales dominance. I have shopped with them for years, bought three expensive bikes and accessories (all cheaper on line) and always used them to have the bikes serviced, but due to their woeful customer service, condescending attitude and abject refusal to compromise, this is one occasion where Mary Portas and I differ and this is one high street store consumers can definitely do without. The first incident occurred a couple of years ago when I purchase some very expensive Continental bike tyres (£40 a pop!). On getting them home, fitting them in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and taking them out for a ride, within two miles something caught my eye and I noticed a bulge in the side wall of the front tyre moments before it caught my brake pad, bursting the tyre and sending me out of control across the opposite lane of the road and into a hedge. On inspection it appeared that the tyre wall had split allowing the inner tube to bulge outwards causing the catastrophic failure. On returning to Tri UK to explain the situation and request the faulty tyre be exchanged for a new one (as I believed it to be faulty), I was initially refused an exchange on the grounds that I "must have fitted the tyre incorrectly". On stating that I had followed guidance on the packaging and that the rear type was fine and fitted in exactly the same manner, I was then told that it was my responsibility to contact Continental (in Germany!) to have the tyre investigated and that it wasn't their responsibility to replace the tyre. Throughout this dialogue I had to rely on the shop assistant to relay messages to and from the staff room as the manager was on his break and too busy to come out! Leaving without satisfaction, I vowed to never use Tri UK again. However, time and my misplaced assumption that personalities can change and that I'd probably just had a "bad experience" lead me back to using them again. Take two: Having recently bought my wife a road bike for use in triathlons, I was keen to buy her some accessories to ensure that she was carrying the right kit should she ever need to change a flat tyre or to carry out basic maintenance before or during a race. Once again my misplaced desire to buy local took me back to Tri UK where I bought a saddle pack (unsurprisingly cheaper on line). On getting it home we realised that it was far too big to be practical for triathlon and returned to the store with the item in perfect nick to get a refund. Once again I was dealt with by a different but seemingly equally unempowered sales assistant who would not give a refund without his manager's approval, which he duly sought. Not thinking this would be too much of an issue, I calmly explained to the manager (not on a break this time!) that the saddle bag was surplus to requirement and I would like a refund, to which he then replied with an overt air of confrontation that he "was not obliged to give a refund and that I could have store credit", not a huge issue in itself but when I asked for clarification stating that I had the receipt and that the item was in 100% saleable condition having not been removed from it original packaging, he replied that he "knew consumer law better than I did" and that he "wasn't going to give a refund" before beginning to walk away. Annoyed, embarrassed and more than a little shocked at this unwarranted dressing down, I recommended that Tri UK perhaps advertise their returns policy, to which he relied that they were "under no obligation to do so" before he walked off. Whereas I have no doubt that he is probably correct, the disgraceful and contemptuous manner in which I was dealt with for the sake of a £15 accessory has convinced me that in a society where items are bought and returned without quibble or fuss and without the need to be interact with archaic, ill mannered trumped up shop assistants like this (as a "manager" he certainly isn't!), leads me to conclude that in the case of Tri UK, local isn't cheaper, better or a more pleasurable experience. Tri UK is another moribund organisation that appears to view customer service and satisfaction as surplus to requirement and has ensured once and for all, that I shall be shopping elsewhere in future.

One of the best bike shops I have ever visited. Huuuuge with professional brand products with tons…read moreof bicycles to choose from, every single spare part you could imagine, bicycle shoes , uniforms, special accessories for professional or not bikers, tyres and lots more. They also can service you bike ( thats my purpose of visit) with great care and time punctuality. The personnel are extremely helpuful and above all great professionals. I definitely recommend this bike shop since their prices were reasonable enough for the market and I will visit TRI UK again. For those that do not believe me you can check their web site.

The man in the bike shop is so helpful i know nothing about bikes and everytime I have a problem…read morewith my daughters bike was take it down and will explain the fault and repair it for a very small cost. We have had tyres and inner tubes replaced. Last week my daughters breaks stopped working so I popped in with the bike he had a look adjusted them charged me only £1 and we were on our way with a fully working bike. We have never bought a bike from them but we have looked and he offered plenty of advice and help. We have bought a helmet in there which the lady fitted and adjusted which as fab as i hate adjusting them!! There is plenty of parking as it is located next to Haskins.

Derek is fab, very patient and great value great to support…read morea local trader Nick C

Superb bike shop. Great customer service. No pressure. Superb mechanics. Great deals presumably as…read morenot making the place too glitzy. Simply EXCELLENT after sales care.

This great local bike shop won the South Wales Echo's 'They're The Business' award in 2009, which…read morerecognises local businesses that go above and beyond the call of duty for their customers. Now the Bike Shed has moved to Cathedral Road it has more space than at its old premises on Wyndham Crescent, and they've added new makes to their range including Trek, Pashley, Raleigh and Cooper. Apart from the bikes themselves, they also have loads of cycling accessories, from child seats for the back of your bike through to gloves, helmets and clothing. From fairly low-price goods through to high-end brands, they offer stock for most budgets. You can also get your bike repaired and serviced by experienced staff and they supply parts by dozens of cycling brands such as Rock Shox, Endura, Truvativ, Shimano, Mavic, Avid, etc. The staff are all cycling experts, and are knowledgeable on local issues such as good biking trails and Cardiff's Bike To Work scheme - so you can find out all sorts by having a chat with them. Highly recommended for any Cardiff cyclists out there.

This is where local business beats the big national chains…read more National chains usually employ someone who looks decent enough, doesn't have a criminal record and can just about string a sentence together without swearing. They don't care if they have any knowledge or passion about the product they are selling. The people working at the Bike Shed know their stuff and you can tell - their enthusiasm is infectious. They don't won't to sell you a bike to make money, they want to find you the right bike so you enjoy biking. That's why I bought a bike off them that I ride all the time. If you're after a bike or just some advice - pop in here -there is no hard sell just friendly advice.

I walk through the door behind my boyfriend and am hit instantly by the smell of bikes and of men…read more This is a man's shop and you'd better know it. We wander through the aisles, knowing what we are looking for (a lock and a chain for his bike) but unsure where to find them in amongst all of the other equipment. The confusion must show on our faces but all of the sales people are busy so we eventually manage to navigate ourselves in the right direction. Looking at the large range of locks on offer we frown a little at how expensive they are but decide to go for it anyway. Then, he realises he's forgotten his wallet and we have to leave anyway. A few days later, his bike was stolen. The moral of the story is a) always buy a lock for your bike and b) make sure you go back to this shop, where they sell everything you could possibly want for your bike. And if it's not in stock? They've got a website.

Thanks once again to Andrew and the boys, Leon is over the moon with his New 2017…read moreGT Fury, Great service great attitude, Great people to do Business with! See you Soon. Gareth

There's a few sporting shops that have carved out a little enclave for themselves on Whitchurch…read moreRoad, and this one has to be my favourite. It is a really large outlet that is incredibly well stocked, with all manner of gear. You can even buy archery equipment here!!! (Not that this is what I come here for... I'm lethal enough without needing to resort to using something like a bow and arrow! My car is the only potentially dangerous piece of machinery that I'll allow myself to use... I give everything else a wide birth!) My needs that Cardiff Sportsgear meets are of a much more mundane variety. I come here for my swim suits, as I tend to call in at RatRigs, the surf shop just down the road, whilst I'm about it.. (RatRigs have a sale on a the moment, and so I called into both last week to scoop up a couple of bargains. Sadly, Cardiff Sportsgear didn't have what I was looking for in my size on this occasion, (a Speedo with long legs, like the type of suit that competitive swimmers wear... something that is proving nigh on impossible to find)... The staff were really helpful, and said that if I knew exactly what I wanted, then they would happily order it for me. Great service!

Wowee! Whatever sport you're into you will undoubtedly be incredibly impressed by Cardiff…read moreSportsgear. They offer: racquets, cricket gear, pool table, gym equipment, riding helmets, wetsuits, and so much more! Whenever I come in here with friends we like to play a game of how many sports we can count (at least 25 last count). The staff are all incredibly friendly and know their stock well (surprising considering how big this place is). The only thing they don't have much in the way of is, gym clothes, which is ironically the only thing I need.