Destination dealer: Bike Stop, Stevenage
Old school motorcycle and clothing dealership charm sits in a 17th-century, woodbeamed shop in Hertfordshire. And they really know they’re biking onions, too!
There’s a lot to be said for motorcycle and clothing dealerships that offer more than just a service to sell you things. We’re talking destination dealerships, the ones where motorcyclists can rock up and browse bikes or kit without pressure to buy and still hang out with like-minded people. Somewhere to go on your bikes and enjoy.
And if you’re in the area (or even if you’re not) then Bike Stop in Stevenage is a prime place to go because it’s exactly that – a fine example of a destination dealership.
Based in the quaint Old Town part of Stevenage, Bike Stop has long been an established motorcycle shop in the area. Mostly selling bike riding kit and accessories for every type of rider with every type of level of experience; right from the very novice to the super-experienced.
The longest-standing Dainese store in the UK (it’s a UK D-Air Dainese dealer, the first to sell both theDAir Race and the D-Air Street range, plus fully made to measure), RST and Belstaff are also among the ranges Bike Stop carries; plus luggage from Givi and Kriega.
It was in August 2012 when the dealership found new owners. Martin, Monica and David Brown joined forces with partner Mike Rogers and it’s Monica and Martin who are based in the dealership for the day-to-day to-ings and fro-ings of a busy motorcycle kit shop.
Martin said: “We’re all bikers and we’re all about creating the right atmosphere here. It’s essential that our customers feel like they get really good service and are looked after.
“There’s no pressure to buy, there’s no rushing about. If you want the right motorcycle product for you then come to see us and we’ll make sure that we take the time to find out what and how you ride, what you want to achieve and then we’ll advise accordingly.
“It might be that the pricey option you were thinking of isn’t actually the right thing for you, and if that’s the case then we’ll tell you and showyou every sort of alternative there is.”
Recently their hard work has been noticed with a host of awards including a customer service Feefo rating of 97%, making them a ‘Gold Trusted merchant’, and a Trading Standards’ approved award. The awards reflect the underlying philosophies of the shop; to be able to offer whatever any rider needs regardless of budget, age or experience from the very first outing of a complete novice to the dyed-in-the-wool lifelong biker and to just help whenever they can without any pressure on the customer to buy anything.
“None of our staff are on commission,” saysMonica: “We wanted to create a place where bikers can come and feel comfortable just hanging out or chatting about bikes with us here. We’ll happily spend asmuch time as necessary giving the right advice to anyone who wants it and there’s never any pressure fromour staff.”
Sounds a bit old-school doesn’t it? And in a way the dealership does feel like that. It’s a quaint way of dealing in motorcycle life and there’s a great feel to the place – there’s even homemade cakes made by Martin’s mumfor customers at weekends!
It’s worth a proper look if you fancy a bit of the old-style customer service.