http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: MacDonald Cycles en Fri, 22 May 2026 06:54:02 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=3#post-136753 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 19:29:08 +0000 Charterhall 136753@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I needed a new headset the other day, Matt from justbikerepairs.co.uk was able to fit me in right away, picked the bike up in the morning and returned it in the evening, £40-something including the pickup. Besides fitting a new headset he also adjusted the brakes and gears.<br /> This is the second time I've used Matt, very happy customer. Not having to take the bike into town to a traditional workshop a huge benefit. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=3#post-136749 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 18:48:20 +0000 LaidBack 136749@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Know this is OT and could start a new thread but I need to clarify that the Paper Bicycle uses the Sturmey Archer 8 speed and not the 5 speed.</p> <p>One of my (satisfied) 8 speed Paper Bicycle customers pointed out an earlier post on this thread out. The light and brake combo make a nice bike and we wouldn't hand a bike over with non-working gears. I would expect everything to be adjusted as well as possible. </p> <p><em>Closer to topic..<br /> </em><br /> Bike shops are only as good as their last sale. No-one wants excuses just stuff done on time and to spec. With bikes that are made to order this can be difficult but we do try. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=3#post-136596 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 23:54:01 +0000 chdot 136596@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://bikecraftedinburgh.co.uk" rel="nofollow">http://bikecraftedinburgh.co.uk</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=3#post-136593 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 23:47:20 +0000 Dougie 136593@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>After a break down on Nepn I went to fairly new shop. Bike Craft at 40 Ferry Rd. Got the bike back in two days and probably would have been one but a part needed ordered, Friendly and helpful </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=3#post-136591 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 23:36:08 +0000 allebong 136591@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Never been to Pedals yet but from a quick glance at their prices they seem pretty reasonable and much better than EBC at any rate. I'll be needing to get the BB shell of my mountain bike faced soon for some shiny new cranks so I might take my business there for a change. If VE go under it'll become a habit. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=3#post-136568 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 21:46:45 +0000 Try Cycle 136568@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em> I'd phone up EBC about getting a headset put in and they'd want me waiting a week/10 days/2 weeks and be charging quite a bit for it as well. Call VE and I get it put in the same day for half the price.</em></p> <p>I had this with EBC too - 2 week wait for to get a bottom bracket replaced. on the way home i spotted Pedals, never seen it before, and popped in on the off chance they could do something. They had my bike ready the next day and at almost half the price of EBC (£30 v £55). Really impressed with the guys, they know their stuff and are happy to chat. </p> <p>Probably will still use EBC for buying bits and bobs but Pedals for any future repairs, no harm spreading my (admittedly sparse) business around.</p> <p>a little sad about MacDonalds, only bought a few things there when I was stuck for time and paid over the odds and guys working there didn't seem too interested. I'd be pretty disappointed if its replaced by yet another sandwich or charity shop, seems to be nothing but them around that part of town </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=3#post-136561 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 21:01:20 +0000 gembo 136561@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>No EBC were happy to price match for me. Still charged me £67.50 for pair of castelli bib shorts. They are nice but scorpion logo starting to come off.guess if you can find something less than their cost price then the price match deal not so good. Up there with factory records selling one million copies of new order's blue Monday. 12 inch single that cost 1p more to produce than the selling price. I keep this up I will be in running for old business man of the year. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=3#post-136555 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 20:11:37 +0000 Baldcyclist 136555@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/comms/site_sizing/price-match.htm?ebcTag_content=banner&amp;ebcTag_campaign=price">http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/comms/site_sizing/price-match.htm?ebcTag_content=banner&amp;ebcTag_campaign=price</a></p> <p>I have used the EBC price match before to much huffing an puffing. Ultegra chain I think it was that they didn't really want to part with for £16. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=3#post-136554 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 20:06:44 +0000 allebong 136554@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I recall some rumor of a shop that had a price match policy but got extremely upset and angry if you actually tried to use it. You'd get a lecture about how the internet is ruining their business etc - course they'd still have to honour the price match anyway, so who knows why they bothered. This *might* have been EBC I'm remembering, but as I said a rumour - friend of a friend, random thread on a forum thing.</p> <p>I mean if a shop doesn't have a price match at all and the prices are more online I still might buy from the shop for convenience, or because I want to try out/inspect the item in person, or heck maybe just because I want to support the shop. But if you do offer a price match you can't exactly complain about people taking massive advantage of it can you? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=3#post-136553 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:59:30 +0000 gembo 136553@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>They used to, they put up signs in the shop and I thought it would just be if you saw item in another shop cheaper but no, Internet too. Not a viable long term solution according to the new business man Gembo I seem to be styling myself as. So not sure it is still happening.? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=3#post-136551 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:47:33 +0000 Cyclingmollie 136551@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@gembo, I didn't know they did that. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136550 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:19:57 +0000 gembo 136550@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@cyclingmollie are EBC not still doing their price match? You find it cheaper they match it? Or indeed in my experience they google the bib shorts and found them cheaper and matched it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136547 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 19:01:05 +0000 Cyclingmollie 136547@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My issue with McDonalds in Musselburgh was that I tried really hard to support them. I bought bikes and components there. I went in every weekend for six weeks to see if my frame was fixed before accepting that they probably couldn't ream threads. I go up to the point of (in fact way beyond) being a dupe when I buy stuff from LBSs but I persist. I spent nearly £30 over the online price for cycling shoes at EBC because I felt a loyalty to them from back in the days when James Towlson was the shop manager. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136486 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 14:14:07 +0000 Focus 136486@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It was only the day before this thread started that I was in the attic and came across my Giro Air Attack in its limited edition Greg Lemond Z team design. Only when I looked at the price sticker on the box did I remember it had come from MacDonald's.</p> <p>It always seems a bit disingenuous to be sorry about somewhere closing whilst saying you didn't really shop there much (if at all) but I feel the same. When shopping for my current road bike, I did go in there as they were a Bianchi stockist, and was offered a test ride of the Via Narone I was interested in. It was really only a dislike for the Campagnola Ergopower thumb shifter compared to Shimano's Ultegra STI which put me off taking the ride, otherwise they might have had a sale. I probably only shopped there a handful of times and whilst I did get a bit of the 'in-crowd' vibe about the staff, I would never say they were anything other than helpful when approached.</p> <p>I haven't found too much bother with either Evans' or Velo Ecosse's staff either.I prefer to approach the staff rather than the other way around and that is a key difference between different customers (and different shop's approaches to business). At Evans, I got good advice on a Gilet and in VE I got good advice on overshoes with a suggestion of an alternative without having it pushed on me, even though it may have been a better margin for them. I like EBC and they have been my longest-standing LBS of choice - the bigger problem there tends to be finding someone free to serve you and sometimes it's hard to know who actually <em>is</em> free. But everyone I've dealt with has been polite. I do miss Big Ged being in the store (and seeing his gigantic bike chained up across the road!) I did say hi as I passed him on the return from a long ride one day last year, presumably heading home from the Dalmeny HQ.</p> <p>Bike shops in general seem to have an air of a club atmosphere. I suppose it depends what club you appear to be in! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136472 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 13:37:17 +0000 Baldcyclist 136472@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<br /> Internet not always cheaper (Amazon or Wiggle often quite pricey) but as WC surmises, convenience and breadth of choice are king. Internet 'always open', even at 2am if you want to order then...<br /> "</p> <p>For me internet is where most components are sourced.Regardless of price, I just don't have the time, work, then add 3hrs+ a day cycling to/from work means out of the house from ~7am - ~7.30pm. Weekends are most definitely not for running round bike shops for bits, unless it's a replacement for something that is broken and needed for Monday.</p> <p>WRT buying my Pashley from Evans, that was definitely a 'it's in stock, and I can have it soon' decision. Mentioned before that we bought my wife's Pashley in Nicholson's in Dundee, service there was excellent. I would have had to wait 6wks if I had bought mine there too. I wish I had waited the 6wks though, and it would have been the same price as some brands just don't allow discounting by the big shops. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136464 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 13:05:18 +0000 chdot 136464@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://m.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/danny-macaskill-bike-shop-macdonald-cycles-closes-1-3228404" rel="nofollow">http://m.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/danny-macaskill-bike-shop-macdonald-cycles-closes-1-3228404</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136459 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 12:45:31 +0000 crowriver 136459@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>These days with the ubiquity of the internet, I'm likely to buy accessories for my bikes that way - bits are bits, and I can comparison shop without hoofing it all over town and spending a lot of time.</em></p> <p>I agree with that. Of course many internet retailers on fleaBay are LBSes, often in smaller towns or obscure corners of larger ones. They have seen there's a market for certain components and sell either difficult to find NOS items or standard items cheaper sometimes than even CRC can manage.</p> <p>Internet not always cheaper (Amazon or Wiggle often quite pricey) but as WC surmises, convenience and breadth of choice are king. Internet 'always open', even at 2am if you want to order then...</p> <p>I do still buy stuff from my LBS (Eastside Bikes) but I mainly get my bikes serviced there (the trickier jobs like bearings, mostly).</p> <p>Oh and I can't stand self-service tills in supermercados. The terminals are just dumb, there's always some niggling wee issue like you haven't placed items in bag, something scanned incorrectly, etc. Takes more faffing around than a real till operator. I tried it but never again. Apart from anything else, why should I do the supermercado's job for nothing? Maybe I'm not easily embarrassed by the contents of my wallet but give me a human being on the till any day, however zoned out they may be. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136457 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 12:36:54 +0000 EddieD 136457@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I like self service checkouts because I don't get embarassed as I clear my wallet/pockets/tables of loose change. The staff in the local co-op are very friendly, but they must think that I do nothing but drink, as that's mostly what I buy there.</p> <p>On the other hand, I get up nice and early on Saturday and get 90% of my week's food shopping from Farmers' market, where I normally have a grand chin-wag with the stall keepers, and because of that I can now get special orders of some of the more arcane foods (e.g. hearts and kidneys, black or blue potatoes) that I like and are hard to source in most local shops.</p> <p>These days with the ubiquity of the internet, I'm likely to buy accessories for my bikes that way - bits are bits, and I can comparison shop without hoofing it all over town and spending a lot of time. I'll buy bikes in the shops though - fitting a bike is like fitting clothes, something else I don't buy across the internet.</p> <p>The advent of the internet is still causing ripples and unfortunately specialist retailers are probably going to be the biggest casualties. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136455 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 12:28:56 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 136455@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>A <em>huge</em> amount is down to opening times as well (though Bicycle Works bucks this). Supermarkets are open till all hours (and beyond). Porty has a fantastic butcher in Findlays, but I can only use it at the weekends because during the week it's impossible for me to get to during opening hours. But use it I do at the weekends, as well as the nice independent beer shop, and Earthy (what counts as 'independent' and 'chain' - Earthy has three shops now...).</p> <p>But during the week? If I can I'll get stuff in my lunch hour (today I'm heading to Real Foods in the hope they have a specific type of pasta and some broccoli), but otherwise my choices after 6, when I get home, are sorely limited. And I know Asda will have what I need (and in fairness Asda always seems to have really nice people on the tills).</p> <p>AND when it comes to a weekly shop and convenience... I don't even have to go to the supermarket, they'll deliver to me. Is that lazy? Well yes, but is it also a better use of my time so I can go about doing the things I enjoy on a weekend escape from the office? Hell yes!</p> <p>There's a place for both, and I do lament the passing of independent stores, but there has been a serious evolution in the way we shop - to big chains and the internet - that independent stores have to try and grasp. Whether that be through better opening hours; more reliance on the internet; or really really pushing being a more personal experience that people will enjoy (my lunchtime coffees are spread around various little independent stores around here, despite the attentions of Starbucks and Costa - sold on the actual product being better, the spaces being nicer and more comfortable, and the staff being more 'human').</p> <p>I'm waffling now, but a prime example of people wanting a de-personalised shopping experience? Self service checkouts. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136454 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 12:25:00 +0000 amir 136454@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Of course, Evans was an LBS until fairly recently. It expanded quite a bit then was taken over by a Private Equity company and expanded enormously since.</p> <p><a href="http://www.evanscycles.com/help/about-evans-cycles" rel="nofollow">http://www.evanscycles.com/help/about-evans-cycles</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136453 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 12:18:33 +0000 crowriver 136453@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>There are some people who like 'impersonal' when shopping (not just bikes).</em></p> <p>Seems to be most people. Otherwise we'd all be going to the local independent butcher, grocer, baker, ironmonger, etc. rather than the supermarché or out of town box shifter. Most UK high streets are dominated by chains too.</p> <p>Some of that is down to price and range of choice, but the rest? Partly advertising/marketing. A lot is not much to do with the customer: business models, financing, economies of scale, etc. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136445 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 11:55:41 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 136445@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think the people who have bought from Evans either bought before they realised the service was awful, or actually had good customer experiences.</p> <p>I don't buy from <em>any</em> store if the service is awful. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136444 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 11:55:10 +0000 chdot 136444@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"What's going on here? Is this 'the power of the brand'? Are folk just more comfortable with 'soulless' chain stores? Or is it that Evans et al have a certain bike that no-one else stocks (eg. Pashley) at the right price, so forget about service?"</p> <p>All of that (probably). </p> <p>Clearly (some) people have 'relationships' with one (or more) shops - or individuals there. </p> <p>There are some people who like 'impersonal' when shopping (not just bikes). </p> <p>Obviously 'bad experiences' colour opinions. Somehow it's easier to 'excuse' badly trained staff in a chain - though it probably shouldn't be... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136442 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 11:53:19 +0000 steveo 136442@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>What's going on here? Is this 'the power of the brand'? Are folk just more comfortable with 'soulless' chain stores? Or is it that Evans et al have a certain bike that no-one else stocks (eg. Pashley) at the right price, so forget about service? </em></p> <p>Its not a great secret; many people are price sensitve and if you're paying more, odds are indy shop is more expensive, you want to get a better service. </p> <p>Frankly I’ll never put up with bad service but I’ll live with indifference in a big chain as its more likely I’m just browsing and I don’t like to waste small shops time and being left alone is a plus in Halfords/Evans. But when I want to buy something and am paying a premium over CRC then I’d like to feel I’m a valuable customer. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136440 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 11:45:19 +0000 crowriver 136440@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It's been interesting reading the coments on this thread. What I took from them:</p> <p>- Folk will buy from Evans / A.N. Other big chain (eg. Halfords) despite bad or indifferent service, bike set up wrongly, etc. Somehow this is tolerated / expected in 'soulless' big chain stores.</p> <p>- Folk will be completely put off a small independent retailer by bad / indifferent service, and not buy anything. Somehow this is 'personal'. </p> <p>What's going on here? Is this 'the power of the brand'? Are folk just more comfortable with 'soulless' chain stores? Or is it that Evans et al have a certain bike that no-one else stocks (eg. Pashley) at the right price, so forget about service?</p> <p>FWIW I always found the staff in MacDonald Cycles to be helpful. I never bought a bike there but I have picked up parts, accessories in the past. I used to enjoy browsing there while waiting for my son to come out of his drama class. Admired a few nice old frames in there but didn't fancy the prices. Sometimes browsed in Evans too, still not bought anything from them. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136423 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 10:55:53 +0000 kaputnik 136423@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I didn't use VE much because I had a much closer alternative, but their workshop guys were always friendly and seemed to have a good supply of the sort of random "I don't suppose you happen to have a..." bits that even Bike Works didn't sell. Good selection of Continental tyres too.</p> <p>Most of the kit was definitely aimed at the high end road market; Assos and Castelli and the likes. Also had some seriously high-end Pinarello road bikes.</p> <p>I suppose that sort of business might suffer from the trouble of dealing in very low volumes of very high cost gear, it's the sort of thing people might be inclined to Google-around for the best price. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136421 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 10:00:03 +0000 chdot 136421@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>In more ways than one!</p> <p>Three 'new' bike businesses I haven't added. (Like to visit and take photo first).</p> <p>Rumour of a new shop on Ferry Road - anyone noticed?? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136420 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 09:57:01 +0000 SRD 136420@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://edinburghcycleshops.wordpress.com/all/" rel="nofollow">http://edinburghcycleshops.wordpress.com/all/</a></p> <p>Needs updating </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136419 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 09:53:22 +0000 chdot 136419@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>VE - I've been told it's currently shut but <em>may</em> re-open after some financial reorganisation. </p> <p>I expect Pedals got some 'passing trade' from having VE so close. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11831&page=2#post-136416 Wed, 11 Dec 2013 09:15:43 +0000 Min 136416@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I was happy to use Velo Ecosse when I lived in the area. The guy with grey hair seemed nice. Don't think I have ever used MacDonalds but never good to see an Indie bike shop go. </p>