Erik's Bike Shop

08/29/07

Only average sized customers are welcome in Erik the Bikeman's bike club!!!

by stevemcbride

I have been a customer of Erik's for about 6 years now. Our family has purchased two new bikes and go to the St. Louis park location for all service. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and I highly recommend them to anyone who asks.

It was during a recent visit that I had my first "hiccup" with the relationship that has been developed over the past six years - I hope Erik personally get's a chance to read this and respond!

I enquired about joining Eriks bike club which has a number of good perks, including a free Erik's biking shirt when you join. When I went to join I was informed that the largest size shirt they had was XL. I requested a 2XL ( I am 6" 5' tall) and I was informed that some calls would need to be made and that they would get back to me. Two weeks passed with no phone call, so I personally went back to the store and enquired as to why I was not contacted. An apology was offered and accepted, and then a phone call to another location revealed that there are no shirts larger than XL available (even though the store sells 2XL shirts), and that Erik's was not willing to resolve this matter on my behalf. It would appear that only people that are of a "average size" are eligible to join the bike club. That smacks of discrimination (intentional or not) to me!I have spent alot of $$$ at Erik's in the past and until now I have been completely satisfied. It was very disappointing that whoever was on the other end of the phone call would not/could not empower the great staff at this location to do the right thing by a loyal customer. I guess I will have to wear a competitor's shirt as I bike!

You and I have met on several occassions Erik, and until now I was always impressed with the way you ran your business. I think you need to address this, and I would welcome a resolution to this for me and others who may have experienced this as well.

Sincerely,

Steve McBride - St. Louis Park - (My contact info is in your data base!)

• Pros: Great service - Fair prices
• Cons: Not all customers are allowed to be "eligible" for the bike club based on their size

07/06/07

Good Service

by vins0010

My fiance and I were recently looking for a road bike for her. We went to Erik's, where the service was very attentive; they took the time to explain the bikes. I am a fairly knowledgable road cyclist and tend to know the bikes from research beforehand. The salesperson there was not misleading with respect to the bikes, kept the discussion to bike features, and didn't excessively push "women's" bikes, bike colors, or other superficialities unnecessarily (I observed this happening more than I would have thought with my fiance). We didn't end up getting the bike there; however, this is because we found a better fit in a line of bikes they didn't carry. I would certainly visit Erik's again.

• Pros: attentive service, decent closeouts section for a LBS, didn't talk down to women
• Cons: mostly specialized and cannondales (may be a pro for you)