Saddle-sore in the wallet department?

I’ve been tempted to cycle to work, like many others, but my lack of distance fitness and my innate risk aversion keeps me out of the saddle, from the peridiodic stories of cyclists being squashed all the way down to simple things like repairing punctures in the rain, etc. Not my thing at all. One of my hardy colleagues, however, is more confident in his cycling proficiency than I am in mine so he pedals umpteen miles into the City on a daily basis and he’s happy to cope with the elements and whatever gremlins may beset him but just last week he was struck by an event that even this cycling ninja found to be challenging.

He’d already cycled 10 out of his 13 miles from Sutton and had just reached Oval when there was a loud crack as his saddle unexpectedly dropped off. He stopped outside a shop and a friendly shop-keeper looked through his toolbox to see if he could help but to no avail and in the end our hardy hero packed the broken saddle in his rucksack and cycled the remaining three miles standing on the pedals, risking impaling his chocolate starfish on a piece of protruding bike frame should he have to suddenly stop. Thankfully for both him and his family he made it in without incident but little did he know that his woes were only just beginning.

Replacing the broken thread should, at least technically, have been an easy matter but when he went into the rather dilapidated “Pedal-It” cycle shop near Elephant & Castle but they didn’t offer to replace the bolt and instead he was told that he’d have to buy a whole new seat post at the cost of £60. SIXTY QUID??? Understandably miffed he decided to take his business elsewhere but the story was repeated at “On Your Bike” and Evans Cycles, both on Tooley Street, so in the end he decided to try his local cycle shop in Sutton as a last resort before he had to submit to the hardware section of B&Q. He went off down to Pearsons on Sutton High Street and was directed through to the repair shop where they invited him to look through a box of odds and ends and came up trumps with the prized thread in there. He asked how much that would cost and they waved him off… nothing… free… gratis!!!

Saddle fixed, problem solved. Now THAT’S what I call service!

Do leave a comment about places that have given you great service.