I don't normally have much if anything to post but thought the readers would be interested to know it looks like MacDonald Cycles have closed - a notice appeared last week that it was closed until further notice - the day of the storm- then a telephone number was added for people who had purchased bikes for Christmas - this afternoon I have watched them dismantle the window display from my office.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
MacDonald Cycles
(71 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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That's a shame.
Perhaps Evans was the 'final straw'(?)
Posted 11 years ago # -
They were my 'local' bike shop a good few years ago. Servicing and parts fitting was fine but I was never impressed with the shop aspect. Seemed to be exclusively very high end and expensive bikes and little in the way of accessories and parts - had that vibe of a boutique shop rather than a general purpose bit-of-everything warehouse like EBC.
Suspect the internet took a heavy toll and Evans was indeed the finisher. Still a shame to see them go.
Posted 11 years ago # -
That is a shame. I work above Evans but Macdonalds were always my first point of call for services/fixes/spares.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I liked Macdonalds, bought my first 2 road bikes from there,15 years apart.
Their Musselburgh shop closed in 2008, I presume as a result of the financial downturn. Unfortunately though the Edinburgh shop appeared to have been slowly dying since then. Must admit I wondered this morning if it was still occupied on the way past.
I will miss it, even if just for the nostalgia of my first road bike.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yes I saw tht it was closed on the way by.
Never good to see a shop close.
Posted 11 years ago # -
That is a pity, must have been the Evans effect. Farewell MacDonald Cycles.
Posted 11 years ago # -
A shame. Especially after their starring role in Danny Macaskill's breakthrough film.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Horses for courses and everyone's MMV but.... I never liked Macdonalds. Easily the closest to my work, and was closest to my last job, and the job before that, so for about a decade. And I've been in half a dozen times. Always felt like I was inconveniencing the staff by asking for something as simple as brake blocks. So I'm not so sure it's the Evans effect (and every regular cyclist I know can't be bothered with that lot either - if I have time I go further afield).
It's not nice to see independent businesses go, but IF it's because they've gone under there's a part of me thinking they had a role to play in their own demise. Of course it could just be the owner has decided to retire!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Macdonalds eh, a pretty long lineage, around since 1937, and so its sad to see another indie shop go. Always found the staff and owner pretty helpful when i went in,bought my last bike there too, as I lived nearby for about a decade, guid craic, guid prices, limited by range and shop size. Will be missed by me and many others.
RJ
Posted 11 years ago # -
This used to be my local bike shop (well, local for my work). I never bought a bike there but the staff were always very helpful for small items like tubes, blocks etc - and did a couple of minor repairs for free.
Posted 11 years ago # -
While it is sad to see an established local business go under, there has been a blooming of other independent local bike shops of late, so there's obviously still room for them in the market alongside Evans. Although Macdonalds suffered from being close to Evans, biketrax and Veloeccosse are also close and I think have carved themselves out good niches in which to persist.
I think I went into Macdonalds once in the last 5 years and never went back after the bad attitude the distinterested teenagers and their chums behind the desk gave me when I was enquiring about a broken spoke (at the time I knew zip all about bikes and mendings). I was given the distinct feeling that I was getting in the way of them being cool and looking like part of the BMX scene. You never know it could even have been his-knibs Mackaskill himself!
Posted 11 years ago # -
Always sad to see an established local, independent business close. However, I hadn't visited it in years because (as WC mentioned above) it felt like I was invading a gang hut, rather than visiting an actual place of business.
I doubt Evans drove them out of business - because they also offer shocking customer service and, despite being a huge shop, never have what you want to buy in stock.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I doubt Evans drove them out of business - because they also offer shocking customer service and, despite being a huge shop, never have what you want to buy in stock.
Indeed! I've only used them as they offer a pick-up from the web service. Although I did give them a pasting on twitter for calling it "click and collect" as you didn't just click, you had to go through the whole web buying process and pay up front and wait a few days, rather than having something reserved for you that's already in stock.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Like others I found the service there quite poor on the couple of times I went in.
I can actually tolerate poor or indifferent service from big chains (bike shops or not). In a way it feels less like the staff are specifically looking down at you as an individual - just customers in general. Whereas at some independent stores their distaste for you seems so much more targeted and personal. I guess that's the special service you get from smaller businesses.
(There is at least one other small bike shop in Edinburgh that I won't go into because of the attitude I got when I went to investigate buying a bike. I had the money in my pocket and was ready to buy, but the salesman drove me out by his shocking attitude).
Posted 11 years ago # -
MacDonalds seems like the last of the old school shops to go. Like Jocky Allan or Sandy Gilchrist but it just took longer.
Posted 11 years ago # -
It's funny how different people can have different experiences in the same place isn't it? 'Gang Hut' is that feeling I was trying to convey for my personal experience, thanks Morningsider.
I did like looking at the old frames they often had in the bigger part of the shop (through the window), but always just a smidge too expensive to tempt me properly.
Posted 11 years ago # -
MacDonalds seems like the last of the old school shops to go.
I believe Biketrax has - under different names - been goign many years. Did it not used to be Williamson Cycles in Stockbridge in the 70s/80s?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Posted 11 years ago #
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I took a bike in for a service at the Musselburgh branch and they forgot to do it. I also asked them to tap out some threads on a frame. Six weeks later, still undone, I just took it back and did it myself. Before it closed someone from the Edinburgh shop came in to improve the servicing but by then I think it was too late.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Williamsons in Stockbridge was where I got my Nigel Dean frame back in nineteen oatcake. Still has the sticker on it. Now Alpine Bikes in the same shop.
Posted 11 years ago # -
This should probably be on another thread but I must admit I'm intrigued by the comments of bad service at Evans. I've bought two bikes from there as well as a load of accessories since they opened and have always found them to be excellent. Even when I've had problems they've been very quick to sort them out and offered vouchers/discounts as recompense.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I also got the gang hut vibe from MacDonalds but its still a shame its gone.
Evans on the other hand couldn't even manage to replace a bottom bracket in the fairly generous time they'd allotted themselves and they never had what I wanted in stock. Bike trax also managed to get themselves a black mark when I paid them to replace an inner tube and they didn’t bother to fish the piece of glass from the carcass leaving me with a nice slow puncture for the next day. Pedals up by the kings were my goto repairers (less busy than Bicycle works and closer to my office and the Co-op isn’t much further away for stuff.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I've used Hart's Cyclery a couple of times since it opened at Corstorphine and have been pleased with the service. Nice guy as well!
Posted 11 years ago # -
I keep meaning to swing by there as its now my lbs for both home and office.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I bought my Pashley from Evans a few weeks ago, and was none too impressed by the state it was handed to me:
1. Front mud guard missing - chap kind of just handed it to me and said "there you go, enjoy, bye". He never noticed, nor apparently did the person who put it together. In fairness they remedied this issue quickly once I pointed it out.
2. No offer of setting up basic sizing, saddle, handlebars etc. Had to do that myself.
3. Gears not really working, this may just be Sturmey Archer 5sp though. They seem rubbish.
4. Rear mud guard appeared to be on squint, actually it wasn't really on at all. All of the allen bolts not even finger tight. Sorted that when the front one arrived.
5. Whilst trying to sort the rear guard as mentioned above. Couldn't get it 'just so', couldn't understand why, and then... hang on, why is the wheel really close to that stay, and really far away from that one? Yep, back wheel not on properly - may also explain poor gear shifting.
6. Neither front or rear brake adjusted properly.
I really am in 2 minds as whether to give it to them for the free 6 week service given they clearly didn't really know how to assemble it in the first place.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Gears not really working, this may just be Sturmey Archer 5sp though. They seem rubbish.
If my experience of the 5 speed on the paper bike is anything to go by, they are indeed. They feel and sound like they are grinding in a number of positions and the changes are clunky.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"This should probably be on another thread but I must admit I'm intrigued by the comments of bad service at Evans"
Not sure anyone had (until steveo below you). My issue with Evans is just the soulless feel of the place and a real lack of stock beyond what's on show (though they'll order anything in, but I think take full payment before they'll do so).
I used to prefer the Bike Chain if I had time to go. Now my last two purchases have both been from the Bicycle Works (excellent opening hours for me heading home after work). EBC have the stock (would never get anything serviced).
Posted 11 years ago # -
Evans does seem to lack that certain something that makes for a good bike shop. The times I have been there the staff have been busy chatting among themselves and ignoring customers (myself included) who fancied a bit of service. When they do decide to serve some customers they have seemed surprisingly poorly informed. Perhaps I've just caught them at bad times - but I've been in a few times and it generally seems to be like this.
I generally go to the Bicycle Works for bike servicing and spares (cheap, great service and opening hours) and EBC/online for bigger stuff.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I made the mistake of enquiring about a bespoke bike build in Ronde the other day. Even though the frame I was asking about had a price tag in 4 figures the young lady behind the till just couldn't be bothered, she didn't seem to have a clue, either about bikes or about customer service.
Posted 11 years ago #
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