Buying a bike in Belfast

belfastgirl23

Have to say I also have had mixed experiences with mcconveys. Bought my bike there initially from the owner, very nice, brought it in for its month service, very helpful, and they did do a few bits and bobs for a while on it. But then I went back with a small problem (spoke broken) and the guy was so unhelpful - no it couldn't be fixed, couldn't replace wheel, clear implication it was a c**p bike anyway and indeed that sunday cyclists are out of place in a professional bike shop. I grumbled about it to a nice neighbour, he looked at it, cut off the spoke and said that in my type of bike that would be fine. And it was. Seemed a real shame to me that the guy in the shop couldn't have managed it - he left me thinking I needed a new bike (or rather thinking McConveys were going to gouge me for a new bike when my own was perfectly fine).

Then I spoke to the owner again at an event. Again really helpful, I had a minor problem with the bike which he fixed there and then, and noticed it was one of his, said it was a good bike. I tried to tell him that that wasn't the opinion of his staff member when I was last in the shop but he really didn't want to hear.

So my advice is, if you're going there, deal with the owner not the staff. And if you're the owner reading it, you need to make sure that everyone else's customer service is up to your own standards.

dot.bargain

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

Have to say I also have had mixed experiences with mcconveys. Bought my bike there initially from the owner, very nice, brought it in for its month service, very helpful, and they did do a few bits and bobs for a while on it. But then I went back with a small problem (spoke broken) and the guy was so unhelpful - no it couldn't be fixed, couldn't replace wheel, clear implication it was a c**p bike anyway and indeed that sunday cyclists are out of place in a professional bike shop. I grumbled about it to a nice neighbour, he looked at it, cut off the spoke and said that in my type of bike that would be fine. And it was. Seemed a real shame to me that the guy in the shop couldn't have managed it - he left me thinking I needed a new bike (or rather thinking McConveys were going to gouge me for a new bike when my own was perfectly fine).

Then I spoke to the owner again at an event. Again really helpful, I had a minor problem with the bike which he fixed there and then, and noticed it was one of his, said it was a good bike. I tried to tell him that that wasn't the opinion of his staff member when I was last in the shop but he really didn't want to hear.

So my advice is, if you're going there, deal with the owner not the staff. And if you're the owner reading it, you need to make sure that everyone else's customer service is up to your own standards.

McConveys started out at the top of the Ormeau Rd, years ago, used to be Geddis cycles, owned by the most helpful couple you were ever likely to meet.

Times have changed, small independent bike shops have gotten too big for their boots, the owner should have listened to your complaint about his staff. You dont see him taking that attitude when he appears on UTV live to talk about his sons racing.

A broken spoke is actually quite major, but an easy fix, any good cycle mechanic should be able to fit one in a short space of time, McConveys have thousands of them in stock, they obviously tried to force the sale of a complete new wheel (stroke you)

If you still have a missing spoke, I have plenty of spares and will fit it for nowt to proove a point.

I would avoid Bikedock and Halfrauds.

Decathalon have opened up beside IKEA, sure to give chainreaction cycles and all the independent shops a run for their money.