When are we open?

Our regular opening hours are:

10am-5.30pm Monday - Saturday
Closed Sunday and Bank Holidays

How do I buy from Epic Cyles?

At Epic Cycles we believe for most products, and especially for bikes, that contact with customers is essential, either in person, over the phone or via email, to ensure that the item you are interested in is fully suitable for your needs.

For this reason we do not accept on-line orders (with exception of our Ebay shop, through which we do sell some selected traded in, ex-display or off-the-peg accessories).

Many of our customers first make contact with us either by phone on 01584 879245 or via email at info@epic.cycles.co.uk - we will always respond in full to your queries, but are sometimes unable to do so immediately as the volume of calls and emails is frequently very high, and try as we might we can't get back to you straight away. The whole buying process can of course be carried out remotely, but a large number of customers who initially talk to us from afar do come over to see us for face-to-face advice or to collect their bike and have it properly adjusted during a free set-up session.

Don't think that we are a faceless mail order warehouse though - Epic Cycles is a large and welcoming bike store set in a quiet location away from the bustle of Ludlow's bustling Castle Square and high street, so that we have the time and space to talk to you properly about your requirements. And we always have coffee and tea on the go, together with some soft seating should you need to wait for anything, such as a bike service etc.

Either way, we will not blind you with science or try to sell you something unsuitable, and none of our staff work on commission, so you will not be subjected to any hard selling techniques.

All of our MTBs include a free set-up session, but if you are unable to visit the store for any reason we will happily advise on sizing over the phone or via email.

If the item you require is in stock and needs no alteration you can either take it away or we will deliver it to you free of charge. If the item you require needs to be adapted for you, or needs to be ordered from a supplier, we will take a small deposit to secure your order and either ship it to you when ready or let you know when it is ready for collection. Note: for bespoke items (such as made to measure framesets, unique paint finishes, or items that are not part of the normal UK range from a supplier and so need to be imported specifically for you) we may require a larger deposit, and in some rare circumstances we may need to ask for payment in full in advance.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We are able to take payments using all major debit and credit cards - please note that for card payments over the telephone we will need to verify your card and shipping address and may need to ask for additional security checks for high value items which can take up to 7 days to complete. We also accept payment using BACS transfer (fastest option for mail order), in cash for personal callers and by cheque (please allow time for cheques to clear before collection or shipping of item).

New - for all purchases over £100 we can also accept payments using PayPal. For many customers this is a convenient, secure and efficient method of payment, whether you have a PayPal account or not. If you would prefer to pay using PayPal we will simply email you a PayPal invoice for your purchase - you then just log into your PayPal account and process the transaction (or enter your card details into PayPal's secure payment page) just as you would with a Buy-It-Now purchase via Ebay. Payments using a PayPal account clear instantly, which means fast delivery!

As we wish to keep prices as low as possible, we do not offer 0% finance options as this would require us to cover interest or commision charges that would need to be built into our bike prices!

What is your pricing policy?

At Epic Cycles we operate an Every Day Fair Pricing policy – but what does that mean?

Well, at its most basic, it means that at Epic Cycles we offer genuinely competitive prices across our range of products, to all of our customers, every day of the year – not just at sale times or on one or two promotional items. It means that we offer the same great prices to every customer – no haggling, no having to prove that you belong to an approved society in order to get a few percent off. We have one set of prices – our best prices – in store for everyone. Every day.

That doesn’t mean that we don’t look out for special purchase opportunities with our suppliers that then lead to special offers in the store. But it does mean that any specials are on top of, not instead of, our day-in-day-out competitive pricing.

In practice, this means that we spend time every week looking at prices in the marketplace to ensure that we are offering great value. We don’t promise to be the very cheapest on every item – there will always be a few products out there being offered at silly money to attract your attention – but across the range and throughout the year we do guarantee that we will offer excellent value and great service.

And we are honest with our prices – some things Epic Cycles WON’T do:

• Sell grey imports at knock down prices, but with no warranty.
• Advertise give-away prices on items we don’t actually stock – or only have in sizes or colours no-one wants.
• Discount last year’s model and “forget” to tell you the differences with the current model
• Use one or two eye catching offers to create the impression of low prices all round
• Claim to be offering big price reductions against prices we never offered in the first place. We may tell you the SRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) and compare it with our price – but never that it is being offered at “20% off” unless we have previously sold it at the higher price.
• Label a product with its SRP and then offer you a great deal or on the spot discount if pressed. We will label every item with our genuine best price from the start.

Who needs the stress of haggling and wondering if you really did get the best price? At Epic Cycles that is one stress you can forget.  The bottom line is that our prices are highly competitive and genuine. For everyone. Every day.

What is involved in a Mountain Bike set-up session?

Included every new MTB sale is a free set-up session (does not apply to used bikes sold in our Ebay shop). This covers full adjustments to ensure your bike fits you correctly and that forks/shocks etc are properly set-up to meet your individual needs. While there is of course some overlap, our MTB set-up session is a quite different session to the road bike fitting sessions we carry out, as off road riding positions need to cater for hugely varying conditions and body positions within a single ride. The correct set-up therefore needs to much less proscriptive to enable on-the-bike adaptation as necessary.

We will also provide advice on how you may need to vary bike set-up to handle certain specific riding conditions, and of course show you how to make adjustments and carry out basic maintenance tasks on your new bike.

The underlying principles for our MTB set-up service are that a riding position must be comfortable, flexible, efficient, promote good handling, and be tuned to the individual characteristics of both the rider (body proportions, weight, experience, fitness etc) and the types of terrain/riding that you are planning to take on.

All of our new MTBs include a free set-up session on collection, but if you are unable to visit the store for any reason we will happily advise on basic sizing and bike set-up over the phone or via email.

Do you offer test rides on MTBs?

Unlike with our road bikes, we do not operate an in-house demo fleet. However, for some of the higher spec MTBs from Scott and Cannondale we do have rapid access to their demo bikes. So if you are considering a top level bike from one of these brands please contact us and we will try and set up a test ride for you, based from our Ludlow store. We are just a few minutes ride away from the outstanding trails of the Mortimer Forest, so you would be hard pressed to find a more suitable location for a test!

In addition, please look out for our periodic demo days, again based in the Mortimer Forest.

If you do plan to test ride a bike please bring some form of identification with you (such as drivers licence or passport) and suitable clothing.

Finally, if you opt to collect your new bike, why not take it out for a thorough field test across this varied and challenging terrain? If the set-up needs any tweaking as a result, then we are on the doorstep to make any quick changes you may need.

How are items delivered and what will it cost?

If you would like us to deliver your item to you, rather than taking it away in person, we are very happy to do so.

Bikes, frames and some larger items such as wheels are delivered via ParcelForce or TNT, who need someone to be at the destination address to sign for the package (for this reason many customers choose to have items delivered to a work or business address). Smaller items are delivered via Royal Mail.

New bikes and framesets are delivered free to addresses classified as "UK Mainland" by TNT (this excludes Highlands and Islands). Other items, or deliveries to non "UK Mainland" addresses, including used bikes purchased from our Ebay shop, will be subject to a small delivery charge that depends mainly on size and weight of the package - in these cases please contact us for delivery prices.

Deliveries via ParcelForce or TNT are made on Mondays to Fridays, during normal business hours - if you require delivery outside of these times (e.g. on a Saturday) please contact us for a quote - in all cases we will aim to minimise delivery costs to you while attempting to meet your scheduling requirements. Please note that deliveries using ParcelForce can take place up until 7pm to residential addresses during busy periods, such as pre-Christmas.

If the item we are shipping requires a signature or is too large to fit through a standard letter box we will contact you to agree the shipping date before sending the item out. It is at this point that we will also take the balance of any payments due on the item.

Although we are able to ship items out on a Friday, they will not arrive until Monday morning using our standard service. This means they will spend the weekend in a warehouse - therefore we usually advise customers to delay shipping until the following Monday with the goods arriving on the Tuesday.

All bikes are subject to a full Pre Delivery Inspection (PDI) and tuned up ready to ride before despatch. Most bikes will then be shipped with the front wheel and seatpost/saddle removed, the handlebars twited to one side and turned under, and if you have ordered pedals these will not be fitted. All you will need is a couple of standard allen keys in order to reassemble the seatpost, handlebars and pedals - we will provide verbal or written instructions on how to do this if you need them.

Receipt of Goods - Important!

All items will be carefully packed to minimise the risk of transit damage - in the highly unlikely event that your item does arrive with damaged packaging please advise the courier on the spot (before signing for the package). It is important to fully inspect your item before signing for the package as being in good condition - if you are not able to immediately open and inspect the item, please sign for the package as "damaged" or "unchecked" as any issues that arise after the goods have been accepted in good condition will not be accepted by the courier. If uponn inspection, the item itself has suffered any transit damage please advise us by phone on 01584 879245 or via email at info@epic.cycles.co.uk within 48 hours. Please inspect your items carefully, as any claims for transit/packing damage cannot be accepted once the item has been used.

What counts as Highlands and Islands?

We use ParcelForce or TNT for most of our deliveries, and they classify places according to postcodes when it comes to charges and delivery timescales.

The areas considered by our carriers as being outside "UK Mainland" for delivery purposes are:

Channel Islands, Isles of Sicily, Isle of Man, certain Scottish postcodes (IV, KW1-14, PA34, PA37-39, PH19-40, PH41 Sector 4 and PH49-50) and the Scottish Islands.

Can you deliver Internationally (outside the UK)?

We are able to deliver items, including bikes, to most countries using TNT. Charges to international destinations vary according to the country we are shipping to and the nature, size and weight of the item we are sending, so please contact us via email at info@epic.cycles.co.uk or by calling 01584 879245 for a competitive delivery quote.

How long are quotes valid for?

As you may be aware, the bike industry is currently going through a period of extreme price volatility. If we have given you a written quote for an item the price will be valid for 7 days - however, even though we can't guarantee prices for any longer than this in the current climate, in practice most quotes will remain unchanged for much longer.

Once you have placed an order with with us (secured by a small deposit), the price of your item(s) will of course remain fixed as long as you don't make any changes to the order content or delivery destination.

How long will my item take to arrive?

When you order an item from us we will give you an expected delivery date.

If you are purchasing an in-stock mail order item from us, we will agree a shipping date with you at the time of purchase, which could be as soon as the following working day for straight forward products that are ordered before our daily carrier collection.

For in-stock bikes, we may need to make size adjustments or alterations for you, or if the item is not yet fully assembled we will need to carry out a full Pre Delivery Inspection. This may mean there is a short delay before delivery or collection takes place, but we will alert you to this at the time.

If you are ordering a customised product (e.g. a custom built or tailored bike), a one-off item, or a product that we will need to order from a supplier, we will provide you with an estimated availability date, and keep you informed about any variations on that date.

Once your item is ready we will contact you to confirm any final details regarding shipping or collection and to settle any outstanding balances on the order.

How do I return items if I have a problem?

At Epic Cycles we inspect all products thoroughly before shipping or collection to make sure they are in perfect condition, we also package everything carefully to ensure that it won't get damaged in transit - we also attempt to provide as much information as possible to all customers to minimise the chances of purchasing the wrong item (this is especially important for customers who can't visit the store).

However, despite our best efforts there may be rare occasions on which you need to return the item to us.

1. If you are unhappy for any reason with an item that you have mail ordered from us, either over the telephone or electronically, simply return the item to us unused, in its original condition, and securely packaged, within 7 days of receipt. Please include a note within the packaging to let us know the reason for the return and a copy of the invoice or receipt that included the item. We will issue a full refund (for bespoke items please see following paragraph), less any postage costs associated with the return and any refund charges imposed by your credit card company. You will be responsible for the returned item until it reaches us, so please ensure that your return shipment is adequately insured.

1.b. For bespoke items (such as made to measure framesets, unique paint finishes, or items that are not part of the normal UK range from a supplier and so need to be imported specifically for you) we will not be able to offer a refund, as the item will be unique to yourself and so will not be suitable for resale or return to supplier.

2. If your item is delivered in damaged packaging please advise the carrier immediately (before signing for the package). If the item itself has suffered any transit damage please advise us by email at info@epic.cycles.co.uk or by calling 01584 879245 within 48 hours, so that we can discuss the best course of action. Do not attempt to use a damaged item under any circumstances. Please inspect your purchases carefully, as any claims for transit/packing damage cannot be accepted once the item has been used.

3. If your item is faulty please contact us immediately on 01584 879245 or via email at info@epic.cycles.co.uk so that we can discuss the best course of action. If you subsequently need to return an item to us or to the manufacturer for rectification, please note that all warranty agreements are "return to base", and the buyer will be responsible for any associated postage or return costs.

How do I find Epic Cycles?

We are situated in Ludlow, a minute from the A49 by car or a few minutes on foot by train - full instructions can be found here. We have a large customer car park to the side of the shop - the centre of town is about 5 minutes by foot.

How do I contact Epic Cycles?

We are only too happy to talk bikes over the phone on 01584 879245, face to face, or via email at info@epic.cycles.co.uk . Buying a bike or cycling accessory should be an enjoyable experience, we will do everything we can to ensure that it is - we offer honest advice and guidance, and will not try to sell you something that is unsuitable for your needs!

We will always respond to your queries and calls, but we are sometimes unable to do so immediately as the volume of calls and emails we receive is frequently very high, and try as we might we can't get back to you straight away. We also try to reply to all queries fully - not just with short "yes" or "no" answers, but with information that we hope will be of genuine help.