Balfe's Bikes - Islington Reviews 

1,087
•
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.7

33 Essex Road, Islington, N1 2SA London, GB

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Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Long wait for the bike to be prepared- I had the mechanic Anthony in Islington- who was excellent- he had to get the bike ready as the mechanic from the day before hadn’t set it up. I did ask for som... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Super helpful, attentive and provided a superb service — I did the bike to work scheme and they held onto my bike for a week or so… Courtney was great throughout the process. Fully recommend.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Everyone was really helpful and knowledgeable, from first phone call to test drive and then collection. I was unsure about size, setup and how it worked with cycle to work scheme. I initially phoned t... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

this is a serious bike shop. Everyone there from the mechanic to the front of house guys, just gets it. It was an absolute pleasure to get our bike there. Nothing silly just exactly what we needed.... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. #62 of 93 best companies in Bicycle Shop
  2. #54 of 122 best companies in Activewear shop
  3. #24 of 32 best companies in Bicycle repair shop
  4. #38 of 55 best companies in Bike accessories store
  5. #11 of 21 best companies in Road Cycling

About Balfe's Bikes - Islington

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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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

  • 33 Essex Road, Islington, N1 2SA, London, United Kingdom

  • 020 45315550

4.7

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

1k reviews

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4.7

All reviews

(1,087)

4,959 reviews in the last 12 months

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Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Super helpful

Super helpful, attentive and provided a superb service — I did the bike to work scheme and they held onto my bike for a week or so… Courtney was great throughout the process. Fully recommend.

12 September 2026
Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Long wait for the bike to be prepared-…

Long wait for the bike to be prepared- I had the mechanic Anthony in Islington- who was excellent- he had to get the bike ready as the mechanic from the day before hadn’t set it up. I did ask for some mudguards on the spot, but it was still a 4 hour wait. They lent me a bike to go for a ride whilst they worked on it, which was great. The bike I bought was in a sale, and so great value. But having been in the day before, I had hoped the bike would be ready first thing the following day.

14 September 2026
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Small but well equipped shop

Small but well equipped shop, fast orders when item not in stock.
Great Team, very helpful! I got discounts which make me even more happy so I can spend money on whiskey and coco to keep me going on my enduro bike :))

2 September 2026
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Reply from Balfe's Bikes - Islington

Thank you for your review, we are glad we could help and get you out on a new bike

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great service

28 August 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Balfe's Bikes - Islington

Thank you for your review, we are glad we could help

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great shop and great service

Thanks. Top notch service as always. Much appreciated.

23 August 2026
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Reply from Balfe's Bikes - Islington

Thank you for your review, we are glad we could help

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

this is a serious bike shop

this is a serious bike shop. Everyone there from the mechanic to the front of house guys, just gets it. It was an absolute pleasure to get our bike there. Nothing silly just exactly what we needed.

Hundred percent recommended …and then some

21 August 2026
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Reply from Balfe's Bikes - Islington

Thank you for your review, we are glad everyone was able to help you out.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent service from Ed

Excellent service from Ed. Quickly sorted out a minor brake leak and swapped brake pads out despite having a stack of bikes to work through on a busy Saturday.

23 August 2026
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Reply from Balfe's Bikes - Islington

We are happy to hear Ed has got you all sorted and back out on the road again.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Great service

Great service, all goods in stock. The shop looked good.

18 July 2026
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Reply from Balfe's Bikes - Islington

Thank you for your review, we are glad we could help

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great Knowledge

Great Knowledge; great service. All round fantastic experience. Highly recommended.

14 August 2026
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Reply from Balfe's Bikes - Islington

Thank you for your review, we are glad we could help

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Always a polite service

Always a polite service, even if you’re drooling over the great looking bikes.
Quick service and enquiries are answered well.

16 August 2026
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Reply from Balfe's Bikes - Islington

Thank you for your review, we are glad we could help

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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Reply from Balfe's Bikes - Islington

Thank you for your review and we are sorry to see that our shop floor team has let you down whilst you where enquiring about your workshop booking. It is not something that we expect them to be doing. We will take this onboard with the team to ensure it does not happen again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Purchasing a bike and accessories

When the staff is ready to serve you, they will be with you to help and advise you until you have all your questions answered. Very nice service and never feel pressured to purchase anything unnecessarily

9 August 2026
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Reply from Balfe's Bikes - Islington

Thank you for your review, we are glad we could help and give you the answers you needed.

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