Townsends Light Blue The Cycle Centre

First class service from professional, knowledgeable and very helpful staff.

I previously had a review on here complaining about being let down by Townsends. This was written immediately after the initial event. I then emailed Townsends and explained my irritation. I got a swift reply. It turned out it was nobody’s fault, as it was caused by a computer glitch, which meant that I hadn’t been informed the bike could be collected. The owner of Townsends then drove from Ely to Cambridge (on New Year’s Eve) just so I could pick up the bike in time for the family member’s birthday. The bike had been very well serviced, at a more than reasonable price, and the owner of the business was a delight to deal with. So they go from 1 to 5 stars for going more than the extra mile. My other dealings with Townsends had all been problem free, so I’m more than happy to recommend them without reservation.

The bike I bought from Townsends was given to me with many of the fixings, including the rear wheel(!) under-tightened. After a week of riding it the rear wheel slipped out of alignment while I was riding at speed in traffic gouging the frame but happily not resulting in a more serious accident. When I complained to Townsends the best they could offer was a slot for the bike to be "fixed" a week later leaving me paying to commute by bus. No apology was offered for failing to do their job in the first place. Avoid this shop but if you do buy a bike from these people check every fitting and fixture is tight before you ride it.