Bike Hub Howth -closed

Daroxtar · 21-11-2014 1:44pm #1

From their Facebook page...
"It is with huge regret and sadness that I need to inform you that as of this week The Bike Hub has closed it's doors and ceased trading. We would like to thank all of our customers for your loyal support over the last four years. Hopefully we will see you up the road!"

Shame to see a nice shop gone. I only popped in a couple of times to get a few bits but they seemed like nice guys. Maybe a tad expensive though. Still, I wish them well in the future

Raam · 21-11-2014 1:54pm

I'm sad to see this shop gone. I always had great service and a sound bunch of lads. I hope the future holds something bright for them.

Cyclingtourist · 21-11-2014 2:01pm

Bad news. Been in lots of times but never bought anything. Bit expensive and generally have only the price of a coffee and scone anytime I'm out there on my bike.

Think Sutton would have been a better location for a bike shop.

Jocry · 21-11-2014 2:09pm

Really sad to see it go. These guys were great and being local so convenient for everything. Hope the future holds well for them also.

Pigeon Reaper · 21-11-2014 3:20pm

I heard locally that it was a problem with the lease on the shop that forced them to close. It's a shame to think that a landlords problem closed a viable business.

disco1 · 21-11-2014 3:26pm

Always very helpfull this shop, stripped a bb out one day at is was creaking going up howth hill.popped it back greased and tight no charge.

Is a shame.

NeedMoreGears · 21-11-2014 4:00pm

Really sorry to see this. Always very helpful to me when I was picking up bits and pieces for the various bikes in our house.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 21-11-2014 4:06pm

Well I'm shocked at this news. I loved that shop and always had a good experience there.. I particularly liked the chit-chat, the discounts I got felt a little special because no matter what I bought it was always "will you put that on M*****'s account''.

Harry was sound, no matter how busy he'd be he'd make time to say hello ~ I think he knew everyone's name?.. I got some great nutritional & training advice from Paul.

Often I'd be wondering where to go for a spin, a round trip from my house to the shop was a 20k sprint and so I'd often find an excuse to drop out.

Sadly missed, I hope they re-open somewhere else soon.

Honorable mention to Martin the mechanic too, funny lad

07Lapierre · 21-11-2014 4:27pm

Sad news alright. It seems the only business that can survive in Howth are restaurants and/or pubs....

del_boy13 · 21-11-2014 4:27pm

That's a shame popped in a couple of times when I was out in Howth but never picked anything up.

To me its a reminder to buy local even some of the time because 1) IMO its important to support the local economy and 2) you never know when you might need something in a hurry and local almost always beats the web

Zyzz · 21-11-2014 4:51pm

Charged me a tenner to change a tube way back when..

Never went back :pac:

Harrybelafonte · 21-11-2014 4:55pm

Zyzz wrote: »

Charged me a tenner to change a tube way back when..

Never went back :pac:

Classy!

el tel · 21-11-2014 5:00pm

Cyclingtourist wrote: »

Been in lots of times but never bought anything. Bit expensive and generally have only the price of a coffee and scone anytime I'm out there on my bike.

It's great fun isn't it, shopping without the means to actually buy anything.

It's just like using the premises as a drop in centre!

:rolleyes:

arybvtcw0eolkf · 21-11-2014 5:52pm

Zyzz wrote: »

Charged me a tenner to change a tube way back when..

Never went back :pac:

I got stuck in Howth with a puncture and no spare ~ charged me a tenner too, I was glad of it, got me back on the road in ten minutes.

I went back lots of times afterwards.

Zyzz · 21-11-2014 6:23pm

Karlie Tangy Wish wrote: »

I got stuck in Howth with a puncture and no spare ~ charged me a tenner too, I was glad of it, got me back on the road in ten minutes.

I went back lots of times afterwards.

I had a tube and everything, no other customers in the shop and he said "well Im not doing else so Ill do it for you" ..did it..that'll be 10 euro please :roll eyes:

Thats just my experience, everyone is different

Borderfox · 21-11-2014 6:27pm

That's a pity, always enjoyed a browse and bought a couple of bits and pieces when out in Howth in the car

el tel · 21-11-2014 6:33pm

Zyzz wrote: »

I had a tube and everything, no other customers in the shop and he said "well Im not doing else so Ill do it for you" ..did it..that'll be 10 euro please :roll eyes:

Thats just my experience, everyone is different

He must have thought you were one of the multitude numpties who call to his shop incapable of of replacing a tube.:pac:

Zyzz · 21-11-2014 9:13pm

el tel wrote: »

He must have thought you were one of the multitude numpties who call to his shop incapable of of replacing a tube.:pac:

Not really..

Rim tape moved when I went into a drain going up the hill, ripped the valve so when I tried to pump it, very difficult to find the source!

12 sprocket · 21-11-2014 9:17pm

There might be a bit of a lesson here for all the people who shop on the internet to save a few quid, book shops are another group that are under threat from this. There is nothing as nice as going browsing and buying in a good bike or book shop. and the benefits of having a shop with people who are passionate and experienced about their business is surely worth more than the few quid that is sometimes saved.
its often false economy ... eh mister I bought this on the internet and cannot fit it will you fit it for me.......... of course I will, it will cost X and there goes the few quid that was saved and more with it...

Brian? · 21-11-2014 10:19pm

12 sprocket wrote: »

There might be a bit of a lesson here for all the people who shop on the internet to save a few quid, book shops are another group that are under threat from this. There is nothing as nice as going browsing and buying in a good bike or book shop. and the benefits of having a shop with people who are passionate and experienced about their business is surely worth more than the few quid that is sometimes saved.
its often false economy ... eh mister I bought this on the internet and cannot fit it will you fit it for me.......... of course I will, it will cost X and there goes the few quid that was saved and more with it...

I split my shopping equally between online and bricks and mortar shops, but the price difference is sometimes outrageous.

Hail 2 Da Thief · 21-11-2014 11:22pm

Zyzz wrote: »

no other customers in the shop and he said "well Im not doing else so Ill do it for you" ..did it..that'll be 10 euro please :roll eyes:

Crazy eh!..........I mean it's not like they were trying to run a business or anything :rolleyes:

a148pro · 21-11-2014 11:45pm

Sad to see this, was only in once and they did a good job putting bar tape on for me on the spot even though they were busy enough

Zyzz wrote: »

Not really..

Rim tape moved when I went into a drain going up the hill, ripped the valve so when I tried to pump it, very difficult to find the source!

Ah, so you required the services of a professional and you had to pay for it!

Changing a tube is a pain in the hole - can't see how people could really expect to pay less than ten euro for it

Raam · 21-11-2014 11:50pm

I hope that you have since learned to change your own tubes. The news here is not that someone paid a tenner for an on the spot tube change (so I hope not to discuss it further) but that 5 lads are out of a job and an important service is gone.

carltonleon · 22-11-2014 12:03am

Hopefully will open back up somewhere around Sutton Cross which is probably a better location. Sad to see the lads out of work. Always comforting to know when doing hill repeats of Howth Head that if something went wrong with the bike they were close by for emergency fixes.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 22-11-2014 12:38am

12 sprocket wrote: »

There might be a bit of a lesson here for all the people who shop on the internet to save a few quid, book shops are another group that are under threat from this. There is nothing as nice as going browsing and buying in a good bike or book shop. and the benefits of having a shop with people who are passionate and experienced about their business is surely worth more than the few quid that is sometimes saved.
its often false economy ... eh mister I bought this on the internet and cannot fit it will you fit it for me.......... of course I will, it will cost X and there goes the few quid that was saved and more with it...

It's definitely difficult to compete with online prices, but you can't beat the service you find in your LBS.

Sad to hear this shop go, however it was kinda expensive

ROK ON · 22-11-2014 1:31am

I bought a frame on btw in BikeHub recently, they provided the parts and built up complete bike for me.

The price I paid for the frMe was €50 more than the price from the manufacturer. The frame was a 1250 frame. 50quid mark up is peanuts.
In terms of seatpost, bar etc etc the price was cheaper than online.

Christ these guys were trying hard - maybe too hard.

@12sprocket - I could nit endorse what someone has said more. Shopping local is more than a fabric of an economy in my opinion, it is part if society.

For a long while now Canada has been more resilient in the face of recessions than the USA - a lot of scholars are exploring whether or not this may have something to donwith the very high proportion of small local businesses in Canada and less reliance on global business. It is worth considering.

The stores that I buy bike stuff in are not significantly more expensive than online big brands. There is a perception as to the value of online. In a lot of cases that perception is reality. In many other cases not so in my own experience. Shopping is a social as well as an economic activity. Online shopping is purely economic.

Daroxtar · 22-11-2014 10:34am

ROK ON wrote: »

Christ these guys were trying hard - maybe too hard.

@12sprocket - I could nit endorse what someone has said more. Shopping local is more than a fabric of an economy in my opinion, it is part if society.

For a long while now Canada has been more resilient in the face of recessions than the USA - a lot of scholars are exploring whether or not this may have something to donwith the very high proportion of small local businesses in Canada and less reliance on global business. It is worth considering.

The stores that I buy bike stuff in are not significantly more expensive than online big brands. There is a perception as to the value of online. In a lot of cases that perception is reality. In many other cases not so in my own experience. Shopping is a social as well as an economic activity. Online shopping is purely economic.

I had a quick chat with the owner about prices when I was looking to buy my bike. He said his prices were governed by the UK Wilier distributor owning the Irish distribution rights. The UK prices were far higher than those on the continent. This must have been a serious handicap to his competitiveness. I actually felt quite annoyed for the chap. The greed of the UK distributor cost him IMHO.
Obviously that's just one brand but if other brands had a similar arrangement you'd wonder how anyone could compete with online.

Raam · 22-11-2014 10:38am

This story is nothing to do with The Bike Hub, rather a German bike store who stocks Specialized, or at least used to.

The store was dictated to by Specialized who decided themselves which bikes and how many of them they wanted him to sell. Some road stuff but also a load of MTB. The store owner, who knows his customers, tells them that no one wants to buy MTB bikes from him and that his business is all road. On top of that, Specialized wanted him to buy all the stuff straight up, which equated to some stupid amount in the hundreds of thousands. Needless to say he no longer stocks their stuff.

deandean · 22-11-2014 10:48am

That's a pity. I got my bike serviced there a few times. good mechanic.
There is a recently opened bike shop in clontarf on the seafront where oddbins was. haven't been into it yet.Anyone used them?

Raam · 22-11-2014 10:51am

deandean wrote: »

That's a pity. I got my bike serviced there a few times. good mechanic.
There is a recently opened bike shop in clontarf on the seafront where oddbins was. haven't been into it yet.Anyone used them?

Yep, got a few smaller things from them.

Tenzor07 · 22-11-2014 11:11am

It's a shame to see another bike shop close down and people lose their jobs.

And as others have said maybe Howth is not the best location for a bike shop, as all along that road it's all Cafe's, bars and restaurants.
Although at weekends and summer evenings there'd be a lot of passing cyclists, on weekdays however I would say there would be very little passing trade.

Michelin · 22-11-2014 11:15am

Shame to hear about this shop closing, was a classy bike shop. I really liked the shop for the quality clothing they had in stock in particular Castelli and Sportful. Two fantastic brands that were hard to get a hold of in Ireland for years.

Been cycling for 30 years and until the recent bike popularity explosion I always found bike shops were often unfriendly places to shop in hated going into them. Hopefully these customer friendly guys will be back in business.

a148pro · 22-11-2014 11:36am

Tenzor07 wrote: »

And as others have said maybe Howth is not the best location for a bike shop, as all along that road it's all Cafe's, bars and restaurants.
Although at weekends and summer evenings there'd be a lot of passing cyclists, on weekdays however I would say there would be very little passing trade.

I don't know about this, there are a huge amount of cyclists that go out to Howth, plus a decent and generally wealthy population. There is parking and loads of random passing trade (albeit most of it foreign tourists).

People are suggesting Sutton but Sutton is a place you pass through. Its much harder to stop in and there'd be no parking outside the shop (at Sutton cross anyway).

Either way best of luck to the owners if they do go somewhere else.

Re buying on line vs buying in a shop, apart from the extra level of service / repairs and the general need to sustain local bike shops to facilitate repairs and parts being gotten easily and quickly, when you support your local shop you are more than likely supporting other people who are very passionate about cycling, and I don't mind paying a few quid extra for that.

Diggabot · 22-11-2014 11:53am

Such a shame. I've had nothing but good experiences with them. I bought a Specialized helmet from them and subsequently had a spill. The helmet was knackered and I was going to replace it through Specialized's crash replacement policy. Turned out the policy didn't apply in Ireland so I had to buy a new lid... Paul ordered a replacement and gave it to me at cost. Most recently I bought a SRAM groupset from them, Paul again gave me a great deal including the fitting of it. Always a pleasure to deal with... I'm sad to see them close their doors. Hopefully they can resurrect the business somewhere else.

Jawgap · 22-11-2014 11:58am

Good lads and a pity to see the shop close.

My wife got one of her bikes from them and was well looked after - they even threw in one of their jerseys for her (since confiscated by me as a consultancy fee!).

Hopefully they'll pop up somewhere else.

Tenzor07 · 22-11-2014 12:47pm

a148pro wrote: »

I don't know about this, there are a huge amount of cyclists that go out to Howth, plus a decent and generally wealthy population. There is parking and loads of random passing trade (albeit most of it foreign tourists).
People are suggesting Sutton but Sutton is a place you pass through. Its much harder to stop in and there'd be no parking outside the shop (at Sutton cross anyway)..

I don't recall seeing anywhere to park the bike securely outside the shop, not sure if they allowed people into the shop with their bikes, after all who'd carry a bike lock out on a spin to Howth?

Also with high end products such as Willier bike or Castelli clothing, people will shop around online to look for discounts and deals, rather than walk into a shop and drop €150 on a pair of bib tights?

Raam · 22-11-2014 12:48pm

Tenzor07 wrote: »

I don't recall seeing anywhere to park the bike outside the shop, not sure if they allowed people into the shop with their bikes, after all who'd carry a bike lock out on a spin to Howth?

Also with high end products such as Willier bike or Castelli clothing, people will shop around online to look for discounts and deals, rather than walk into a shop and drop €150 on a pair of bib tights?

They sure do allow people to park bikes in the shop. Built in bike stands at the counter.

veetwin · 22-11-2014 3:19pm

Having spent money and time and money in nearly every bike shop on the north side of Dublin this one was a head and shoulders above the rest. They guys there really knew their stuff and they only stocked quality gear.

You got the feeling they appreciated your custom and would stop what ever they were doing to get you back on the road in a pinch. They fixed a broken spoke for me in 5 minutes a few weeks ago for €10 even though you could tell they were busy. Many other shops wouldn't have bothered. Hopefully they will be back.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 22-11-2014 3:31pm

Went out that way today, was gonna take a photo but felt like a voyeur to someone elses misfortune so decided against it..

Oh, I think I almost seen a boardsie out in Sutton. I was turning right at Sutton Cross (towards Portmarnock) and heard a shout "BOARDSIE" ~ I looked around all excited (no it wasn't me) expecting to see someone but the place was like 'Dam Square with cyclists in todays sunshine :P

I have to agree some someone else here regarding the location of the shop, I'd have thought it was ideal for cyclists.

The tax man · 22-11-2014 3:46pm

Sad to see these guys go. Only in the shop last week getting some bits and bobs for the cx bike. Did a great job on my bringing my 30yr old wheels back to life and I'd plenty more for them to tackle.
It was the one B+M store that stocked most of the clothing and nutrition brands I use and were handy to pop out to during the week.
They even offered their bike racks(not sure if inside or outside) to a couple of friends to lock their bikes to while they went into the cafe down the road.

iwillhtfu · 22-11-2014 5:39pm

Cyclingtourist wrote: »

Bad news. Been in lots of times but never bought anything. Bit expensive and generally have only the price of a coffee and scone anytime I'm out there on my bike.

Think Sutton would have been a better location for a bike shop.

Seeing as how you mention this I wonder might it have been an idea for this store and possibly others to have a coffee shop/area attached. I know this store in particular had a nice location and could probably have gotten a few tables chairs outside. This in turn might have gottena bit of business picking up tubes bits n bobs etc.

It seems to be the done thing with many clubs to cycle to a coffee shop or at least stop at one en route to somewhere else.

Either way sorry to see them go under it was a nice store and I almost bought a willier in there at a very good price I might add but circumstances didn't allow.

Good luck to all concerned in finding alternative work.

Raam · 22-11-2014 6:22pm

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Seeing as how you mention this I wonder might it have been an idea for this store and possibly others to have a coffee shop/area attached. I know this store in particular had a nice location and could probably have gotten a few tables chairs outside. This in turn might have gottena bit of business picking up tubes bits n bobs etc.

It seems to be the done thing with many clubs to cycle to a coffee shop or at least stop at one en route to somewhere else.

Either way sorry to see them go under it was a nice store and I almost bought a willier in there at a very good price I might add but circumstances didn't allow.

Good luck to all concerned in finding alternative work.

With a fabulous coffee shop just next door to them it probably wouldn't have gone down too well.

Tenzor07 · 22-11-2014 6:26pm

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Seeing as how you mention this I wonder might it have been an idea for this store and possibly others to have a coffee shop/area attached. I know this store in particular had a nice location and could probably have gotten a few tables chairs outside. This in turn might have gotten a bit of business picking up tubes bits n bobs etc..

My thoughts exactly, would have been nice if the shop was made a destination also considering it's location. Some tables and chairs and a rack for your bike.
And a Coffee like what you'd get at Fixx Coffeehouse...
Look at the amount of cyclists who stop at that shop in the tri-angle in Laragh, they're not cheap but the cakes are nice and you can sit outside with your bike beside you, so it's a great place to stop on your spin...

Tenzor07 · 22-11-2014 6:26pm

Raam wrote: »

With a fabulous coffee shop just next door to them it probably wouldn't have gone down too well.

A bit of competition never hurt anyone!

iamtony · 22-11-2014 7:51pm

I cycle howth quite a bit but I'm ashamed to say I never went in their and the reason is it would affect my loop of howth segment! And I always said if that shop was at sutton cross it would be better. Sounds like a silly reason but I would say a lot of people passed it for the same reason.

Hopefully they can open elsewhere it's never good when a business closes down.

whacker00 · 22-11-2014 9:42pm

Big pity they are gone

They had a great collection service, picked up my bike for a service a few times. Worked perfectly as I worked abroad during the week.

Hopefully they bounce back soon

BrianHenryIE · 22-11-2014 10:08pm

The lock that was on my bike (Sirrus) when it was stolen was bought there for €55. When I was there again, I told the guy about it and he grunted, seemingly uninterested and happy to continue selling it to people.

RobFowl · 22-11-2014 10:12pm

brian.henry wrote: »

The lock that was on my bike (Sirrus) when it was stolen was bought there for €55. When I was there again, I told the guy about it and he grunted, seemingly uninterested and happy to continue selling it to people.

No lock is unbreakable, they act as a deterrent to a greater or lesser extent depending on the quality of the lock....

rollingscone · 22-11-2014 10:14pm

Was there something particularly amiss about the lock? Any lock can be defeated in the right circumstances.

hidinginthebush · 22-11-2014 10:18pm

Shame to see them go, I bought a few bits and pieces in there, as well as my first road bike. As a testament to how sound they were, I was looking for a bike on btw, so said my price, and they gave me a few options, but suggested which one would be best out of those. Anyway I had my bike picked, then they rang me a few days later to inform me that the bike I picked wasn't available from the supplier, so they were going to give the next model up which they had in the shop, but at the same price. Sound as a pound, you wouldn't get that option online.

BrianHenryIE · 22-11-2014 10:36pm

RobFowl wrote: »

No lock is unbreakable, they act as a deterrent to a greater or lesser extent depending on the quality of the lock....

rollingscone wrote: »

Was there something particularly amiss about the lock? Any lock can be defeated in the right circumstances.

It was the -I couldn't give a f uck about the bike you had stolen and I intend to continue selling this lock to others as though it is adequate- attitude that bothered me. Had he answered as either of you have it would been much better.

Bike Hub Howth -closed

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