Balfe's Bikes Reviews 

23,588
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.6

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Rated 3 out of 5 stars

We had two problems. Firstly the staff gave us the wrong information about the Trek pannier fitting. Secondly, the Balfe computer system said that the additional fitting we needed was in stock, and w... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

A competitively priced SRAM Rival Group set. Dispatched and delivered on the promised date. However, it was let down by parcel force delivery as packaging was heavily damaged and open on one corner. L... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic customer service from Simon who supported me in deciding on my first road bike for my first triathlon. Talked me through the differences in each of the Liv models and found a bike which actu... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Alex was super helpful with getting the bike set up and explaining how everything worked with suspension adjustment, the motor etc. being my 1st EMTB bike. Would definitely come back here again.


Company details

  1. Bicycle Store
  2. Activewear Store
  3. Bicycle Repair Shop
  4. Bike Accessories Store
  5. Road Cycling

About Balfe's Bikes

Written by the company

The Bike Sales and Servicing Specialists.


Founded in 2008, Balfe’s Bikes has 12 bike shops in London and the South East. We stock the world’s best bike brands including Trek, Specialized, Brompton, Whyte, Giant, BMC, Frog and more, plus all the acccessories you would expect.


We are proud to maintain high standards of service in our shops, our workshops and online. View our website for the latest product releases, deals and more to find everything you need to enjoy cycling.


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Shop Bikes
Shop E-Bikes
Shop Helmets
Shop Accessories

About Balfe's Bikes

Written by the company

Free Click & Collect
To our 12 stores across London and the South East
Free delivery
Free delivery on all bikes over £500 - Free delivery non-bike orders over £30 (*excluding bulky or restricted items free delivery over £100)
0% finance
Available to help spread the cost via Klarna. Terms & Conditions apply.
Cycle to Work available
Vouchers accepted to save 25-39%
Online service booking
For our professional workshops
Balfe’s personal bike delivery
No unpacking required. Bike built and ready to ride straight away, for local customers

Contact info


4.6

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

24K reviews

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4.6

All reviews

(23,588)

4,812 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

terrible

My wife gave me a £200 gift card for this bike shop as I love cycling.

I spent a little on some new inner tubes and then more recently went to get some ew tyres. The shop said the card was over a year old so it wast out of date.

I then called the head office and they said they would not honour the gift card any more and were goimng to keep my money.

Absolutely atrocious and dishonet beahviour, almost theft I am never shopping there again and would highly recommend against them.

11 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase of a Trek Domane e-bike

Purchased a Trek Domane electric road bike from Balfes in Hackney recently. The bike had a number of teething problems which necessitated returning to the shop on a couple of occasions. These were;
1. creaking carbon seat post
2. Tubeless tyres would deflate within a few hours of being pumped up.
3. The electric gear change failed in the middle of a ride.
They sorted all these issues out, but arguably points 1 and 2 (particularly 2) should have been spotted had the bike been thoroughly checked before being released. The mechanic did try to convince me that it was normal for tubeless tyres to deflate and that he pumped his tyres up every day. This is of course bulls--t, the tyres didn't have any tubuless sealant in them, but it took two visits to the shop to get this rectified.
Overall very helpful staff by they seem to be a bit too busy to really provide exceptional service, hence four stars, not five.

10 August 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good customer service and great selection of equipment available at competitive prices

I tried ordering a Met Trenta helmet, and received an email from Ben Lee at Balfe's Bikes informing me that due to a fault on their website the colourway I had selected was no longer available. I was given the chance to select any other product at an equal price point, which was easy because Balfe's had a ridiculous number of Met Trenta colourways to choose from. I then asked Ben if I could pay for express shipping as I was keen to get the helmet asap, and in his timely response I was informed that he had already organised next day shipping free of charge. The helmet was delivered on time and in good condition so, thank you Ben.

7 August 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Love my new bike

Great
Communication along the way and was really helpful when purchasing with a cycle to work voucher. Delivery was quick too. Great bike at a great price.

11 August 2026
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bike delivered incomplete and still waiting for essential parts

I ordered an electric bike from Balfe’s Bikes and it arrived without the charger, pedals or manual.

I contacted the company straight away to report the missing items and was told they would be sent out to me. Despite chasing them more than once, I’m still waiting and nothing has arrived.

The charger especially isn’t an optional extra, it’s an essential part of an electric bike. I’ve paid for a complete product and weeks later I’m still left without parts that should have been included in the original delivery.

What’s most frustrating is that this should have been a very simple issue to fix. Just acknowledge the items were missing, pack them up and send them out. Instead I’ve had to keep chasing with no real resolution.

At this point I’m really disappointed with both the quality control before dispatch and the after sales service.

Balfe’s Bikes, please send the missing charger, pedals and manual that I’ve already paid for.

I’ll happily update this review if it’s finally resolved, but until then I can’t recommend buying from them based on my experience.

24 July 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Straightforward Cyclescheme purchase

Purchased an e-bike through Cyclescheme. The process was straightforward and the Cyclescheme voucher was integrated into the checkout process, which made everything very easy. Communication was clear and the bike arrived as expected. A smooth experience overall.

7 August 2026
Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Poor front of house staff

My poor review is not a reflection of the mechanics, the mechanics seems knowledgeable and lovely.
They need to work on their FOH, wish I got the name of the gentlemen I dealt with on the phone. Completely rude, dismissive, and deflective.
Dropped my bike off for a service and didn't receive any updates from them for days, the confirmation email has a caveat that says your bike might not come back the same day it was dropped off so I thought they were still working on it. I called three days later to learn that they were meant to contact me to suggest all the repairs that needed to be done. There were no attempts of contact and when I had called, I asked some questions for clarification and it was obvious that the FOH was just disinterested to be helpful and was deflective in being unable to answer any questions given there are no mechanics around that day - my questions weren't even technical... it was more administrative. There is just a better way on how to deal with a customer.

6 August 2026

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