Putney Cycles

Mixed feelings about Putney Cycles. On the one hand they get the job done. On the other, their prices seem pretty steep to me. I brought them my bicycle for a «premium service» twice, and both times I ended up paying around 200 pounds.
The service itself is 80£, and fine: both times I was recommended to change a number of parts (chain, cassette, brake pads, brake cables, etc.). What puzzles me is their prices for said replacement parts.
E.g.: I was quoted 115£ for a pair of Campagnolo Veloce brakes. I only needed one, but they told me they are only sold in pairs. A quick Google search reveals they are actually available in single units… for about 28 pounds.
I ended up not changing the brake, and just paid for cassette, chain, pads and inners: cassette and chain came for 10/​15% more than the average retail price I could find on the internet.

I recently had my bike serviced at this store and WOW!
I had their premium service carried out on my trusty old commuter and it’s like a new bike!
Ok, it does get used a hell of a lot and I had to have cogs, chain, brake pads etc replaced but the results were nothing short of amazing.
I chose to have a few accessories fitted at the same time which saved me a lot of bruised/​grazed knuckles.
It cost me over a hundred quid but I ride my bike every day and it saves me a stack of money on public transport.

Good stock but poor service. They ask if you need help but then give it with an unhelpful arrogance, giving you the sense that if you’re not a bike expert then they’re not happy to advise you or too bothered about serving you. On the occasion that they have provided advice it was generally about buying the most expensive item in the range with no real reason for why it’s better or suitable for my needs. I have used PC’s a few times but after my last visit I won’t be going there again.

Worst, rudest and most immature service i have ever received in a London bike shop.
After informing a member of staff i required an entire new chainset, they happily helped me out and ordered one for me.
The problem came when the part arrived, the staff member had informed me that he had ordered me a complete chain set with cranks and chainring, although what he had infact ordered was just cranks and the chainring would cost me an extra £50. Since i had already paid i was pretty annoyed and said i would like a refund because i would have got a cheaper complete set for that kind of money.
This is when they turned nasty, they where extremely rude on the phone and claimed it was my fault that this had happened. Refusing to take responsibility and insisting i was in the wrong. After a few minutes of arguing i convinced them to give me a refund.
When i went into the shop management was extremely rude to me, made immature comments and acted like a stroppy child. I have dealt with this shop before and they have been very kind and helpful, although be warned. If you require a refund, which is completely reasonable, prepare yourself for a torrent of immature behavior and abuse.

When I walk into Putney Cycles a wash of familiarity comes over me. The smell of grease and the friendly staff, it really is a nice place to be. I have traipsed around many bike stores lately and found the Putney Bridge store to be one of the best.
I would recommend these guys for guidance if you are purchasing a new bike. They have a nice bike selection and all the accessories to boot.
On the down side, their repairs are booked out quite heavily, expect a 5 day wait before they can even start fixing your bike. Their price is competitive with Evans, but not so much with smaller more local stores.

The repair store for Putney Cycles, only down the road from their main store.
They offer personal and friendly service, and at a fraction of the price that a repair can cost you on a big chain bike store.
As an example, they did a repair on my bike after an accident for £83, when Evans Cycles had quoted £161 for the exact same work. That speaks for itself.

I have used the shop once to get by folding bike serviced
Day 1: Agreed bike would be ready from 5 PM, got a call 5:15 PM to approve the cost and let me know it could be ready for next morning. Nice to get a call to approve the price, but I would prefer to get the call earlier in the day so they could complete the job by 5 PM as agreed.
Day 2: The new gear cables were too short so the bike couldn’t be folded any longer (really not great for a folding bike !!!) Try to explain to the other passenger on the train that your folding bike can’t fold.
Day 3: Gear very bad adjusted… just gave up on Putney Cycles.
Doubt very much I will use them again… they didn’t not even apologise for the problems… :-(