There are various signs that can help you find a good shop, and some things you should think about asking:
Organisations and certificates:
Many shops will display a sign or certificate mentioning one of the following:
Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) -
This is just what it says. The association represents shops, and to become a member the shop has to promise to comply with their code of conduct (and pay a membership fee, of course). The ACT provides it’s members with information about British Standards and other legal requirements. Some shops do not belong to the ACT because they feel that it does not represent them properly, or is not worth the membership fee.
Consortium Of Bicycle Retailers (COBR) -
This is again similar to the ACT, and is also a buying group - member shops club together to get discounts from suppliers, and cooperate on advertising and promotion.
CyTech -
Short for Cycle Technicians, CyTech is an accreditation scheme for bike mechanics administered by the ACT. There are three levels, and to become a level-3 mechanic requires a lot of work. Unfortunately many smaller shops cannot afford to put their mechanics through CyTech (it is quite expensive), even though they are very good.
XXXX Authorised Dealer -
Many shops display signs or stickers saying that they are Authorised Dealers for a brand of bikes or components. It is very hard to work out what these mean - some companies require shops to send their mechanics on special courses to become authorised, others just insist that the shop buys enough from them.
Talk to the salesperson:
Salespeople who are keen cyclists themselves will have a wealth of useful knowledge - good ones won’t try to force it down your neck! A salesperson who does not cycle will not really know what they are talking about.
Find out about services:
Bike components bed in after the first few weeks of riding, and a good bike shop will readjust everything which needs doing after this for free. Many will also offer reduced rates on maintenance and repairs for longer periods - a year or two, or even the lifetime of the bike.
Ask about customisation:
Good bike shops will fit any accessories you want for free at the time of purchase, and if you want to swap the saddle for example will do this for you too - though they’ll probably ask you to pay the difference if you are getting a more expensive one!
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