Sydney bike shop recommendations

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Just wondering what everybody's favourite bike shops in the Sydney region are, and why...

(I've been working my way around 'em, but it's taking a while and I haven't found the "perfect LBS" yet!)

Chris at Ramsay's (http://www.ramsays-online.com/) is a great guy. Always there with useful tips as well as promptly replying to any questions. Of course, he's in Sydney, Nova Scotia, which may be a bit of a haul for you.



Originally posted by Mouse Potato
Just wondering what everybody's favourite bike shops in the Sydney region are, and why...

(I've been working my way around 'em, but it's taking a while and I haven't found the "perfect LBS" yet!)

Originally posted by velomane
Chris at Ramsay's (http://www.ramsays-online.com/) is a great guy. Always there with useful tips as well as promptly replying to any questions. Of course, he's in Sydney, Nova Scotia, which may be a bit of a haul for you.

Just a bit. ;)

Peter Bundy Cycles at Riverwood and LJS Macarthur Bikes at Mt Annan.Both great guys.

Originally posted by Mouse Potato
Just wondering what everybody's favourite bike shops in the Sydney region are, and why...

(I've been working my way around 'em, but it's taking a while and I haven't found the "perfect LBS" yet!)

Turramurra Cyclery at, wait for it, Turramurra. On the Pacific Highway about midway between Chatswood and Hornsby.

Lot of racers from all over Sydney purchase and have their bikes serviced there because they are switched on to the racing scene.

Originally posted by Mouse Potato
Just wondering what everybody's favourite bike shops in the Sydney region are, and why...

(I've been working my way around 'em, but it's taking a while and I haven't found the "perfect LBS" yet!)

ABC Bikes at Liverpool! I just bought my new bike from them 2 days ago, and the customer service I recieved there was brilliant. I've been to Blackmans before, but went in there one day and Blackman himself decided to treat me like s^!t... so I went looking for an alternative...

But yeah, ABC Bikes at liverpool is what I reccomend :), and on a sidenote, the owner of the store (Kerry) builds bike frames.. so that gives you an understanding that he knows what he's talking about.

Kez

How much time do you have ?

I'm a roadie of about 1 year and a road racer in Sutherland.

I've visited most of the bike stores south of the harbour in addition to the store in Alfred Street North Sydney and Renegade at Lane Cove as i'm currently doing a survey of road cyclists in Sutherland.

As such I now have some stong opinions of each of the stores I have visited. There is not enough place to give you all of the info I have, such as types of bikes, size of store, staff friendliness etc and if I put all of it up here then because I've used my real name in this profile, I'd not be welcome in some stores in Sydney.

Basically though, the highest proportion of stores per area is in Sutherland, second is Hurstville and the st george region, then there are a few out the eastern suburbs and inner city, then they become less frequent out west towards liverpool. (I didn't go near parramatta basically running from liverpool to Auburn and the city to the eastern suburbs and then south).

In the Sutherland shire, Tony at Engadine is my favourite, having given me an hour of his time FOC to set me up on a bike that I'd bought from another store six months earlier.

Durban Cycles in Sutherland have a good reputation, Kirrawee has a strong roadie customer base, I bought my bike from Endeavour at Gymea (nothing more to say there) and Chain Reaction and Frasers are like supermarkets.

In and around hurstville, David Short at Penshurst is more towards roadies and of course no-one will ever have a bad thing to say about Peter Bundy. If I lived closer to riverwood, that would be the place. Bates bikes at hurstville is a big place with plenty of stuff and Rocky Point Road cycles has a good reputation with a mate of mine (its a smaller store but I find they are better in the long run for service and added value). Blakehurst cyclery closed its doors last weekend after 19 years. Who said the economy was going well. The bike shed at mortdale does not do road bikes at all. The stores at punchbowl aren't all that well stocked and Jack Walsh cycles is for families.

Out towards liverpool you only have ABC and they look pretty switched on. Auburn Cycles are you typical smaller store with lots of things and good experience.

One of my favouries is Stanmore Cycles on parammatta road. If you want service go there.

King Street and Inner City Cycles are for "not your average roadie" though I bought my polar HRM from Inner City cycles over the net at $150 cheaper than any other store.

Around the eastern suburbs, Maroubra Cycles is well stocked and I never got to Pedal Pushers (now at alexandria) but they seem to be well spoken about. I won't go near Oxford Street or Centennial Park cycles ever again.

Whoolies Wheels, Cheeky Monkey and Clarence street are all strong with the roadies but I have had no direct dealings with them having sent my survey with others.

The alfred street store at northsydney is a well laid out larger store but at the time I was illegally parked and didn't see much more of it. Renegade at lane cove is in a shopping centre and looks more like a sports store than a cycle store.

I like the places where you can have a chat to the owner (who is free with their knowledge) and you get to know the mechanics.

I hate the places where you can't work out their pricing policy and if your not in then you just not in.

If you want to email me I can give you more detailed info specific to you riding and needs.

Hi there,
I want to buy a bike for my partner as a 30th b'day gift, but i've left it to the last minute (of course) and really know nothing! Can you recommend a shop around the Sydney CBD or eastern suburbs (have you tried the one on Glenayr ave in Bondi?) where I will get value for money and good advice? Thanks!

Originally posted by Rod White
How much time do you have ?

I'm a roadie of about 1 year and a road racer in Sutherland.

I've visited most of the bike stores south of the harbour in addition to the store in Alfred Street North Sydney and Renegade at Lane Cove as i'm currently doing a survey of road cyclists in Sutherland.

As such I now have some stong opinions of each of the stores I have visited. There is not enough place to give you all of the info I have, such as types of bikes, size of store, staff friendliness etc and if I put all of it up here then because I've used my real name in this profile, I'd not be welcome in some stores in Sydney.

Basically though, the highest proportion of stores per area is in Sutherland, second is Hurstville and the st george region, then there are a few out the eastern suburbs and inner city, then they become less frequent out west towards liverpool. (I didn't go near parramatta basically running from liverpool to Auburn and the city to the eastern suburbs and then south).

In the Sutherland shire, Tony at Engadine is my favourite, having given me an hour of his time FOC to set me up on a bike that I'd bought from another store six months earlier.

Durban Cycles in Sutherland have a good reputation, Kirrawee has a strong roadie customer base, I bought my bike from Endeavour at Gymea (nothing more to say there) and Chain Reaction and Frasers are like supermarkets.

In and around hurstville, David Short at Penshurst is more towards roadies and of course no-one will ever have a bad thing to say about Peter Bundy. If I lived closer to riverwood, that would be the place. Bates bikes at hurstville is a big place with plenty of stuff and Rocky Point Road cycles has a good reputation with a mate of mine (its a smaller store but I find they are better in the long run for service and added value). Blakehurst cyclery closed its doors last weekend after 19 years. Who said the economy was going well. The bike shed at mortdale does not do road bikes at all. The stores at punchbowl aren't all that well stocked and Jack Walsh cycles is for families.

Out towards liverpool you only have ABC and they look pretty switched on. Auburn Cycles are you typical smaller store with lots of things and good experience.

One of my favouries is Stanmore Cycles on parammatta road. If you want service go there.

King Street and Inner City Cycles are for "not your average roadie" though I bought my polar HRM from Inner City cycles over the net at $150 cheaper than any other store.

Around the eastern suburbs, Maroubra Cycles is well stocked and I never got to Pedal Pushers (now at alexandria) but they seem to be well spoken about. I won't go near Oxford Street or Centennial Park cycles ever again.

Whoolies Wheels, Cheeky Monkey and Clarence street are all strong with the roadies but I have had no direct dealings with them having sent my survey with others.

The alfred street store at northsydney is a well laid out larger store but at the time I was illegally parked and didn't see much more of it. Renegade at lane cove is in a shopping centre and looks more like a sports store than a cycle store.

I like the places where you can have a chat to the owner (who is free with their knowledge) and you get to know the mechanics.

I hate the places where you can't work out their pricing policy and if your not in then you just not in.

If you want to email me I can give you more detailed info specific to you riding and needs.

Penny

As I live in Sutherland I have made no purchases from any inner city or eastern suburbs bike stores. I have a personal feeling about one or two of them, principally the one on oxford street and the centennial park cycle store (not cheeky monkey, the other one) becuase I felt they were downright rude and not at all helpful with my survey whereas the others were.

It would be wrong of me to post third hand anecdotes up here so even if I'd heard stories about stores I won't tell.

I do however, really like Bob at Stanmore Cycles. He is the only cycle store to have returned to me 15 surveys that he got his riders to fill in. Everytime I visit him we have a chat and I never buy anything from him. He deserves a plug just for that.

All I can advise is that you visit one or two and get a few recommendations on bikes for your husband. Ask lots of questions like how much is a service, how often should it be serviced, how much would it cost to change this thing to something better and ask if they will set the bike up for your husband. Some stores sell a package bike that has some lower quality components that your husband may want to replace later on.

The few things I feel that are more important than getting the best price (you want a good price but service and information is more valuable in the end).

Firstly location and parking/access. You don't want to have to ride your bike just to get to the store when the store has no parking around it. Secondly you don't want to have to travel all the way across town just to get to the store. If I didn't have so many stores in Sutherland and a preference for Engadine I would be off to Peter Bundy at Riverwood. When you get to the store try not to be served straight away and just listen for a while. They say of Peter Bundy that you might have to wait a little while because he is always giving people advice and taking real care of them, whoever they are, rather than just selling things to them.

In the long run if you or your husband become keen cyclists, a good rapport with your local bike shop makes the whole thing much more enjoyable. I made the mistake of buying a bike from one store and then changing stores. I feel embarrassed that I'm taking a bike into a store that I purchased from another store because of the deal I got from the other store. This is why getting the lowest price is not always the best thing, because the store owner has to make some money and those stores selling bargain basement bikes aren't going to give you alot of their time.

Also, buying a bike for your husband is a good idea because you are buying him health but if time is short you could perhaps give him your decision to buy a bike and then take him down to the stores you have visited and get him involved in the decision. He still gets the bike for his birthday, the pressure is off you and he gets to be involved in the selection of the bike store. For some people, people like me, buying a bike is not like buying a television, someone buying me a tele is ok, but unless I told them what I wanted in a bike, I'd rather they not. However, if they offered to buy me what I chose in a bike, that would be something completely acceptible. Like if my wife gave me a card saying that she's going to spend several thousand bucks on a new carbon frame for my birthday I'd be over the moon and would enjoy so much going and buying it.

If you really want cheap go to kmart but since you are on this forum then I don't think kmart is the way to go.

Hope this helps a bit.

Rod

Originally posted by Mouse Potato
Just wondering what everybody's favourite bike shops in the Sydney region are, and why...

(I've been working my way around 'em, but it's taking a while and I haven't found the "perfect LBS" yet!)

Have a look at the internet stores. The AUD is 0.75 USD and I just bought some Sidi shoes and Look pedals for AUD 233 incl post from UK and US. I defy anyone to buy new equipment of that quality at that price in Australia. There was no GST and no customs on either.

cheers

Originally posted by jimmy kazimmy
Have a look at the internet stores. The AUD is 0.75 USD and I just bought some Sidi shoes and Look pedals for AUD 233 incl post from UK and US. I defy anyone to buy new equipment of that quality at that price in Australia. There was no GST and no customs on either.
Correct you can get good deals thru ebay and stuff BUT ive read some feedback from people who did get slugged import fees (supposedly anything with a value over $200).
I scored some look PP396 pedals for $100 thur ebay from the UK.
Also the internet stores arent real handy when you need something done to your bike.

Originally posted by Lasalles
Correct you can get good deals thru ebay and stuff BUT ive read some feedback from people who did get slugged import fees (supposedly anything with a value over $200).
I scored some look PP396 pedals for $100 thur ebay from the UK.
Also the internet stores arent real handy when you need something done to your bike.

Have a look at Australian Customs site. As I understand it provided the item is under AUD $250 (incl freight costs) then it is duty and GST free. Otherwise it will be duty and GST free on some products under $1000 provided that is is sent by mail. Australian Customs has a hotline you can call to confirm. As for maintenance I agree. I bought my bike from Clarence St and they're good with service.

Food for thought; I found out the VERY hard way that despite their (LBS) best intentions, even the best of them can get it wrong. It then comes down to honesty and integrity of the LBS to help fix the problem rather than just lay blame elsewhere.

Originally posted by jimmy kazimmy
Have a look at the internet stores. The AUD is 0.75 USD and I just bought some Sidi shoes and Look pedals for AUD 233 incl post from UK and US. I defy anyone to buy new equipment of that quality at that price in Australia. There was no GST and no customs on either.

cheers

Jimmy

What online stores did you use? A lot of them will not ship inbternationally.

Originally posted by Dominic Sansom
Jimmy

What online stores did you use? A lot of them will not ship inbternationally.

International online purchasing from Australia can appear to be less expensive.

However, try to make a warranty claim locally on your imported product.

What if the new disc wheels you purchased o/s came of the box out of true? Your local LBS would not pass that product on to you but return it to the local agent/representative/importer. If you imported them, you have a long and expensive wait on your hands and maybe difficulty in proving you did not use the wheels.

I once purchased a set of 700c wheels from overseas. I faxed the order with precise specifics. I received 650c wheels. It took me months after the return to receive a credit on my credit card statement and only after the intervention of the credit card providor.

For major warranty items I would prefer to give my custom to my local LBS.

Originally posted by VeloFlash
International online purchasing from Australia can appear to be less expensive.

However, try to make a warranty claim locally on your imported product.

What if the new disc wheels you purchased o/s came of the box out of true? Your local LBS would not pass that product on to you but return it to the local agent/representative/importer. If you imported them, you have a long and expensive wait on your hands and maybe difficulty in proving you did not use the wheels.

For major warranty items I would prefer to give my custom to my local LBS.


Couldn't agree with you more! I also feel it is important to support your LBS. However the nearest LSB to me is over 5000km away (I live and ride in Fiji). I have to rely on online stores for EVERYTHING even bike purchases.

A friend of mine just got caught out with purchases overseas, got slugged GST, Customs, and some credit card charge that was written in small writing somewhere, and on top of that the dollar took a dive between when he put the order in and when his CC was charged.. worked out that he payed about 5 buckers less, but then you get the hassles of warranty and all that sort of thing.. Its not worth it in some cases.

In another case we saved $$$, we put in an order together, and the dealer that sent it, declared the value as $50 for customs, which was just suuuperrrrb of them. we saved about $200 overall on that one.. I guess its a bit of luck and also about how sensible the dealer can be..

I personally use www.phantomcycles.com.au for my usual bits and pieces I need, I find his service is great, easy to talk over the phone, but he's not really that local, being in tahmoor. Delivery is prompt (usualy next day for Sydney) and prices are usually less than RRP.

I also like Phantom Cycles. Bought some things off him and have been very impressed by the quick service. Hence I orderered a Road bike from them and recommended a mate to buy his new Mountain bike from them which he did.

Its easier to drive to Tahmoor than try and get the same prices from inner city shops like Woolys or Clarence St who do not seem to want to price match or even come close to Phantom's prices.

I have ordered some parts for my motorbike from the US. Just make sure all parcels are sent by USPS not the courier companies. If its USPS, 90% of the time u will not pay any charges. I paid $70 Duty when I imported a exhaust system recently. Seeing I paid AUS $980 for the exhaust + $70 where as the local Motor bike dealer wanted $1800!!

IMHO, Phantom or order from O/S unless you have a competitive LBS.

Originally posted by Mouse Potato
Just wondering what everybody's favourite bike shops in the Sydney region are, and why...

(I've been working my way around 'em, but it's taking a while and I haven't found the "perfect LBS" yet!)


John at Camden Discount Cycles is VERY knowledgeable, helpful and his prices are VERY VERY reasonable. I bought two bikes and all my gear from him.

People in Cheeky Monkey near Central Station are usually very busy (so don't expect too much help there) and their shop is relatively poorly stocked as they carry only 50% of items listed on their web site.

Clarence Street Cyclery is the MOST expensive shop, but has lots of stock and staff are quite helpful.

:)

Originally posted by radovan
John at Camden Discount Cycles is VERY knowledgeable, helpful and his prices are VERY VERY reasonable. I bought two bikes and all my gear from him.

People in Cheeky Monkey near Central Station are usually very busy (so don't expect too much help there) and their shop is relatively poorly stocked as they carry only 50% of items listed on their web site.

Clarence Street Cyclery is the MOST expensive shop, but has lots of stock and staff are quite helpful.

:)

Hey guys

Since I first wrote about bike stores in this forum I'm now spedning all of my time at Engadine Cycles in the south of Sydney. Tony and his wife and son will spend hours giving you advice about anything. This morning I was in there asking about how to change my 25 year old bike frame into a track bike in the cheapest possible way. Quesions about cranks, chain rings, fixed hub compatibility etc etc. In the end he offered me the lend of two used carbon wheels because he knows that in time I'll come back to buy more from him. We talked about stick on tyres and how not to use silica tyres at Dunk Grey, and why carbon wheels are heavier than spoked and track bike crank lengths. There are lots of these guys around in small bike stores, such as Peter Bundy and David Short and Bob at Stanmore Cycles. The value in these guys is the advice they will give you on bike setup and equipment. The deal is that for the advice they give, you buy your things from them. At the end of the day some things you will buy from them are cheaper than elsewhere are some are more expensive (swings and roundabouts really). But the accumlated advice means that you save by not buying the wrong thing because of a lack of advice. Here is another example. I recently bought a second hand 24inch Peugot road bike for my 8 year old daughter and wanted tyres and smaller handle bars for it. Tony at Engadine advised me to see Peter Bundy at Riverwood for the tyres because Peter does more childrens racing (because of his sons involvement in the sport). When in Peters store I noticed a set of smaller handlebars that he had but I didn't want to buy them from him, prefering to buy them from Tony. I explained this to Peter and he put the details of the handlebars onto a card and told me to pass it on to Tony. Try doing that over the internet, at Rebel or a larger bike store with paid for time employees not business operators serving you.

For the first time I visited Clarence Street and Cheeky Monkey in the City last week and I got to thinking if Clarence Street was the future of bike stores around my area and what that would mean to me. That is, as smaller stores close down will there be consolidation into a fewer number of larger stores. The reason I thought about this was because recently Blakehurst Cyclery closed its' doors and I've been talking about how tough the market is with a few of the bike store owners. Competition from Rebel, Kmart and the internet will eventually make things more expensive in local bikes stores because as individual stores sell less (because the range of things they are selling is reduced) they will have to put on higher margins or close down. Apparently Rebel's bikes are assembled by an external team to as high a quality as a local bike store and they give heaps of free service. Ask your local family bike store how this is going to affect the price of your new knicks.

It is all well and good to buy stuff over the internet and I'm guilty of this also, but at the end of the day if we don't support our local bike stores then they will be replaced by bigger more expensive super stores which likely will have higher operating costs, more investor mouths to feed and hence higher margins. Just look at the difference between Clarence Street and Cheeky Monkey. Big, expensive compared to small. Right now where I live we have lots and lots of smaller stores each owner operated and all or more similar quality. If we are all chasing the lowest price we will end up having to buy stuff over the internet and then where will the advice come from, reading mags and getting wrong advice from our riding partners ?????

Anyway, enough for the harping on about supporting our local businesses. It is just that recently I was at the start line and placed next to one of the guys in my local cycle club. I noticed he had a brand new bib and brace and jersey on and commented that they looked good. He then was more than happy to tell me how cheap they were on the internet and so on and on. Sitting on his carbon fibre bike and driving a Landcruiser! And I'm thinking, thanks, your the reason my local bike store will close down and I'll have buy tubes over the internet, catch a train into Clarence Street or visit Rebel. Prick.