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There's a new shop in town

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    Not sure what happened to the rumour of Evans opening but there is now a new shop in Edinburgh's Bicycle Quarter.


    Soul Cycles says it has "Scotland's best selection of cheap second hand bikes". It's only been open since Monday and will be selling secondhand bikes (with no intention of selling new ones) and doing repairs seven days a week.

    It joins two other repair shops in the Bicycle Quarter - Bicycle Works and pedals which are both working flat out at this time of year.

    There's definitely a demand for good secondhand bikes in Edinburgh. Judging by the bikes on display today the business has a plan to keep them coming in. Paying cash and collecting unwanted bikes will help.

    Not bad for a retro Raleigh with 531 tubes and forks plus Deore bits.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. kaputnik
    Moderator

    It joins two other repair shops in the Bicycle Quarter - Bicycle Works and pedals

    Biketrax? MacDonald? EBC? VeloEccose?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    Yes but -

    I'm differentiating between bike shops that do repairs and shops where the repair part is the main business.

    I'm not suggesting that the others don't do repairs or that the repair 'specialists' are better in any way.

    As I always say -

    "Edinburgh is fortunate to have a range of shops. Try a few, ask for advice, choose one you feel comfortable with."

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Yes but - I was being pedantic :)

    How many quarters does Edinburgh have now anyway? Must be up to about 3 Edinburghsworths of quarters

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. Kim
    Member

    Care to tell the rest of us the address?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. Nelly
    Member

    Used to be a music shop - just along from Cloisters pub toward meadows I think.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    I thought it would be obvious from their web site.

    But it's not! (Have to scroll.)

    2 Brougham Pl Tollcross Edinburgh EH39HW

    Just along from http://www.bombay-bicycle-club.co.uk

    Proper web site is under development. More info on FB.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. wingpig
    Member

    Used to be QBC boards (I think, unless they were on the other side of that block of hedge) before it became Mev Taylor's stopover from Morrison St on the way to S. Clerk St. I didn't pass that way much before 1995 so don't know what was before QBC...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. crowriver
    Member

    I've been passing this shop the past few weeks. Saw bikes in the window nut wasn't sure what it was all about, looked like just MTBs. If it's a repairs and 2nd hand specialist then the main equivalent shop in Edinburgh is Eastside Bikes, one of my local LBS's. Eastside focus on repairs, especially for old steel racer frames. They have a range of quite nice 'vintage' bikes there too, some nice old steel frames too. Personally if I was in the South of the city I'd be up scouring the Bike Station for bargains rather than Soul Cycles... Good luck to them, anyhow.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. chdot
    Admin

    Yep, there really is an Edinburgh Bicycle Quarter.

    http://innertubemap.com/blog/post/129

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    yes one of the "innertube"'s aims does seem to be giving things that have perfectly reasonable and sensible names new and nondescriptive ones (e.g. "Blue line", "Red line")

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. wingpig
    Member

    The name Soul Cycles is ringing a bell. Have I seen them when searching Gumtree for joke bikes to suggest to anth to replace his dead fixie recently? Can't see it at work and don't want to spend too long tapping at my phone when I ought to be working.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. chdot
    Admin

    "Have I seen them when searching Gumtree"

    Probably. Their FB site has bikes for sale from a couple of months ago.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. crowriver
    Member

    "Yep, there really is an Edinburgh Bicycle Quarter."

    The problem with this map is that it does not cover the East of the city very well.

    Where is Eastside Bikes? The Abbeyhill branch of Leith Cycle Co. (formerly Sandy Gilchrist Cycles)? Not exactly a Quarter, but still a wee cluster...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. chdot
    Admin

    "Used to be a music shop"

    Meanwhile in London -

    Photo John Hill

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. Aligrieve
    Member

    Thanks for all the postive comments about my shop.
    I used to sell second hand bikes as a hobby on gumtree and realised that there was such a demand that I decided to open a used bike store.
    Back in 1993 I used to work in Daves second hand bike store (argyle place )along with my current store manager Euan. Head mechanic Gav joins us as well in the team. Between us we have 50 years heavily involved in the cycling fraternity.
    We aim to differentiate from the bike station in that you can purchase a bike in a leisurely fashion when it suits you. Not be part of a mad saturday morning scramble to get something that doesn't fit.
    The shop will develop over the course of the next few months to get to where it needs to be. Working with the other shops in the area passing customers in a simbiotic manner to create a good relationship with other local stores

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Don't suppose you sell just frames do you?

    Just found the thread and seen that you're 5 minutes walk from my work. Going to have a wander along this lunchtime for a gander.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    @Anth - did you ever sort your crack?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Nope. Not 100% convinced I'm actually going to replace the frame. The Kaffenback has been brilliant for commuting; the Cotic X should be finished in the next couple of weeks (pending pay day); the Sunbeam... well... who knows... the parts hunt/bodge working out continues. With those 3, plus the Soul MTB, I'm beginning to wonder if I've actually reached 'n' without the need for '+1'...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. crowriver
    Member

    Good luck with the shop Ali. I think I was in touch with you back in January when I was looking for an old CrMo MYB frame. Found one in Eastside Bikes in the end.

    I know what you mean about the Bike Station. Usually all reserved/sold by the time I trundle along. Nice selection of forks and old parts though!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. Aligrieve
    Member

    @ Anth
    We do have a couple of frames knocking about. What height are you.
    Got a nice Harry Hall 531 fixie in at the mo for £95 with 3 month guarentee

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. cb
    Member

    Colin and Justin were at the Bike Station. Story was in the Metro, but this is the only one online I could find:

    http://local.stv.tv/edinburgh/news/257962-colin-and-justin-get-on-their-saddles-for-bike-week/

    In the Metro one of them was quoted as saying how it's good to see Scotland starting to catch up with America in terms of cycling. Is Scotland behind?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. crowriver
    Member

    “It’s kind of like design - it’s not about what you know, you don’t have to know about the history of art or period furniture, you just know what makes you tick, what makes you smile.

    “It’s the same with bikes, people are put off by the weight of the bike, the number of gears. You don’t have to worry about all that, you just want to get it from A to B and have as much fun as possible.”

    Er, sorry but I disagree. To be a half decent designer you do need to know the history of your field, or else you just end up re-inventing the wheel. Similarly if you are stuck with a single speed BSO made from industrial grade gas pipe, your A to B is not going to be "as much fun as possible".

    Then it gets left rusting after something breaks or it starts to make funny noises...

    Back in the olden days, before the era of disposable everything that supposedly "just works" (or "just breaks" then chuck it), I seem to recall that any bloke worth his salt would know how to fix a bike, or at least the basics of keeping the bike maintained. There wasn't even the interweb thingy with lots of "how to" guides on every conceivable topic. Mind you, they used to fix their own cars back then too. How times have changed.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  24. Min
    Member

    "In the Metro one of them was quoted as saying how it's good to see Scotland starting to catch up with America in terms of cycling."

    "Catching up with America"?? Dear lord, are things really that bad here? :-(

    Posted 13 years ago #

  25. chdot
    Admin

    ""Catching up with America"??"

    Think we need a new thread...

    Be interesting to know what was meant by that.

    Though I think they be more used to Glasgow.

    AND some bits of America are better. NY (depending on who the Mayor is!) and Portland and?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  26. cb
    Member

    Well, when I read it I did think that 'we' are used to Edinburgh which is streets ahead of the rest of Scotland (IME at least).

    Posted 13 years ago #

  27. crowriver
    Member

    "Be interesting to know what was meant by that."

    These 'designers' who think that you don't need to worry about the history of design; cyclists who don't worry about weight or gears.

    Do we really expect them to know anything about urban planning or transport policy?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  28. Aligrieve
    Member

    IMO Edinburgh is light years ahead of the rest of the nation when it comes to cycling. Still room for lots mopre bikes on the roads.
    If we had a decent council that took cycling seriously that would help a lot of not so confident riders get out there and on the roads. Battling your way down princes st among Taxi's LRT's and First buses while dodging the infernal tram lines is not for the faint hearted.£500m pissed up against a wall and not one penny of it for cyclists

    Posted 13 years ago #

  29. gembo
    Member

    Apparently Justin and Colin split their time between Scotland and Canada? Perhaps we are behind Canada?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  30. crowriver
    Member

    Perhaps we are behind Canada?

    Quite possibly!

    Posted 13 years ago #

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