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Stows Cycles

Why Choose Stows Cycles

  1. Advice from keen and experienced cyclists
  2. Top workmanship & bike preparation
  3. Bike fitting & suspension set-up
  4. Great after-sale service
  5. Tax-free bikes, Interest-free finance, Free insurance plus Click & Collect
  6. Help with accident claims
  7. Free customer parking at the rear of our shop

Why supporting your local bike shop matters

Your local bike shop is an amazing source of help and information, not just somewhere to buy a bike. Here are five great reasons to pop along and speak to them. If you haven’t yet met your local bike shop, or LBS, it’s time to look them up, they offer far more than just bike sales.

1) Bike shop staff are immersed in the cycling community

Wondering where the best routes are locally? You can absolutely guarantee someone in your LBS will have an opinion and some sound advice for you. Most people who work in bike shops do so because they love cycling and are committed to the sport, they will have a great insight to what is happening in your local cycle scene from being a part of it themselves and listening to what other customers are getting up to. It’s hard to find this breadth of knowledge anywhere else and it can be invaluable in helping you develop your cycling experiences.

2) They can help you make better buying choices

Spend some time chatting about the type of riding you do and you’ll find that your LBS will be able to point you in the direction of the best kit for you in a way no website ever could. They will know every product in their store inside and out and will most likely have used a lot of them in their own cycling. They want you to buy the right thing and enjoy using it.

3) They will help you learn how to look after your own bike

Mechanics will be happy to explain how the finer details of your bike works, how to maintain it better and how to identify when components need changing. Ultimately this can save you money on your repair bill in the future. If you can’t fix your own puncture or mend a chain someone in your LBS will be able to do this for you or explain how to. It helps if you catch them in a quiet moment and arrive with cake.

4) They won’t just sell you something, they will tell you how to use it

From explaining how to change gear on your fancy new road bike, or not to wear pants under your bib shorts, a bike shop will help you get the most from your new gear. Buying online means you miss out on the little bits of knowledge that bike shops have in abundance. They will also be able to fit the part for you, fix it if it goes wrong or mediate with the manufacturer if you have any problems.

5) Try before you buy

In a shop you can see what you are buying in the flesh and try it on for size, potentially saving a lot of time and money in returning things that aren’t right or worse putting up with something that doesn’t fit properly. Yes, there are some people who go into shops to try on kit fully intending to buy it online once they have had the benefit of a sales person’s free advice. Be honest in the shop, say if you have seen it cheaper elsewhere. They may not be able to knock the price down by much but there may be some other benefit they can offer to be competitive with online retailers, at least give them the chance to try.

Buying a Road Bike

Getting the right bike design and the right frame size is only the start of setting up a bike for your objectives. On all new road bikes, we use motion capture video to fit your bike to you, including cleat alignment on your shoes, saddle height, saddle fore/aft, handlebar reach and drop.

The optimal set-up is based on your cycling objectives, as being fast for a 10 mile time trial isn’t the same as being comfortable for a 50 mile charity ride. Why not give us a call for more information on the process and benefits of a proper bike fit.

Buying a Mountain Bike

You can have the best shock on the market, but, if it’s not set correctly, you won’t get the performance you're entitled to.

Setting up the sag, so the shock works for you on extension, and setting up the rebound, so it doesn’t compress through a series of drops, are part of the service you get from Stows with any new mountain bike priced over £600. That is the point at which your fork will be sophisticated enough to benefit from proper set-up, and we want to ensure you get the most enjoyment from your bike.

You can learn more by calling us or just pop into the store for a chat and demonstration with one of our experts.

Financing Your Purchase

Finance is available when you spend over £300, so you can have the bike you want now and spread your payments over 6, 12, 18 or 24 months. The finance options available for each bike are described on each product page, and all but deeply discounted sale bikes have an interest-free finance option.

If you would like to apply for finance with your purchase, you can make your choice of the credit options at check-out. That will transfer you directly to the V12 application process. V12will collect the relevant information via their secure website, perform a credit check and then let you know if you have qualified. At that point you complete the check-out as usual, but you only pay 10% of the total value as the deposit, and the rest of your payments will be spread out over the number of months you've chosen.

4 Weeks Free Insurance

You get four weeks of free insurance with any bike you buy, and there is no obligation to renew. You can complete your insurance activation in-store or on-line. Here is a link to Cycleplan'sregistration page.