Stirling Kotze jr: what a piece of work. I just experienced the worst, most aggressive, dishonest and most entitled behaviour of my life. Do yourself a favour - don't ever come here to service your bike and don't buy from here. Such a seriously dodgy business and owner based on my experience earlier today. Please excuse the essay below – I hope the length of the essay reflects how awful this experience was.

Context: We thought my 77 year old mother's Specialized eMTB battery wasn't working properly so I offered to take it in on behalf of my parents, seeing they can't lift the heavy bike themselves. We don't usually use Revolution Cycles because of their poor reputation, tendency to do extra work that's not needed (without checking with the customer first-see other reviews as well) and their excessive prices. But the bike was bought from them, and my parents asked me to take it back to them, as they thought they may be better equipped to test a specialized bike battery.

I dropped the bike off late morning of 27 December, and asked them to ONLY check the battery and give me a quote on repairing a cable that locks out the front shock. I asked no other work to be done as I had just had the bike serviced about a week before at Giant down the road. I was WhatsApp'd soon after and asked to again specify what needed to be done to the bike (did they not listen/make a note the first time around?). I again specified the 2 issues I wanted them to look at, in writing. Within a minute I was informed the battery was fine. I was across the road eating brunch I so popped in to see if I could take the bike back, but they suggested they first do/finish a software update and then also look at/get a quote for cable.

This is where everything went wrong. The software update was not successful (I suspect someone unplugged the bike mid-update) so we had to drive home/ back and forth twice to bring them the battery key so they could hopefully reset the bike. 24hrs after I dropped of the bike I was informed that they cannot solve the software issue, the bike was not usable and they suggested I wait until the new year so they can send the bike to the Specialized Head office Wednesday (3 Jan). Our efforts to have a fully working and serviced bike before our holiday went to waste - so much for biking on our much anticipated holiday up the Garden Route. Revolution Cycles remained unapologetic.

I decided not to argue with them about taking in a perfectly working bike, screwing it up, and leaving us without a bike for the holidays (unfortunately my 77 yr mother can only use an e-bike for health reasons). They also informed me that they would only be able to quote me for the suspension lockout cable in the new year.

Eventually, more than 3 weeks after I dropped the bike of, I was informed that it was ready for collection (curious to know what happened between them supposedly dropping it off on 3 Jan and 18 January). I was hoping for an apology in person, and perhaps for them not to charge me for checking the battery – it took barely 1 minute between me replying to their WhatApp asking me what to check on the bike, and informing me that the battery was fine. Revolution Cycles also never got back to me with a quote to replace the cable.

Instead I was welcomed with a R1200-R1300 bill. I was shocked as it was my understanding that it literally took 1 minute to check the battery and no other work was supposed to be done. When I questioned the cashier what work was done on the bike, the owner, Stirling, interrupted and demanded I pay the bill in full. I explained that I specifically asked ONLY for 2 issues to be looked at (and nothing else), but other work was done on the bike without consulting me. I wasn’t even able to look at the invoice properly before Stirling’s shouting continued. The first 2 line items on the invoice were, I think, “bleeding the brakes” and “software update”. I could not see, nor were the other invoiced items explained to me.

I was told they also “repaired/removed” the cable as it was “dangerous” (previously they had told me to wait so they can get a quote so they could replace the part as a repair was not possible). Stirling’s excuse for doing the additional work on the bike (that I specifically requested not to be done), was that he “refuses to release an unsafe bike”. Giant had just advised me the week before that the bike was working well – in particular they carefully checked and did some work on the brakes and Giant advised me that can leave the cable for now – it’s not an issue. Stirling just kept shouting that either I pay the full bill or I take the bike and leave and never come back. I tried to explain that I already had my bike fully serviced the week before and it certainly wasn’t unsafe when I brought it in. I explained that I paid for Giant to bleed brakes barely a week before, and that I couldn’t understand why they did it again. Stirling then went on the insult Giant and said that they obviously do bad work. I also explained that I specifically requested Revolution Cycles do no additional work other than the 2 items I listed. I did ask them, however, to call me if they noticed if there was anything important that needed fixing. Stirling didn’t want to listen to me and just kept talking over me and demanding I pay in full or leave. When I asked that he explain to me what else I was being billed for, he refused.

He then again asked me to leave his store. I explained I was perfectly willing to discuss and review the invoice, and pay for any work I had requested or agreed upon, but that it was unreasonable to ask me to pay for work I specifically did not request, especially so soon after another comprehensive service. Stirling was not interested in listening to me. I was repeatedly just asked to leave the shop. All this while trying to console my increasingly agitated 2 year old son that was trying to understand why a stranger was shouting at his dad. For my child’s sake I managed to remain quite calm, although Stirling was obviously trying to bully me into paying the bill.

When it was obvious that I could not discuss the invoice, I left without paying, as per Stirling’s instruction. I walked into Revolution Cycles hoping for (but not expecting) an apology that they messed up the software update and that my mother didn’t have a bike for 3 weeks over the holidays. I even dared to hope that maybe, just maybe they would not charge my parents for the 1 min it took them to check the battery. But we were fully willing to pay for any work that was actually done that I requested. Instead, I was met with an incredibly aggressive owner that refused to discuss my reasonable requests for an explanation of the bill and why I was not contacted as I requested, before any additional work was done. I’m not sure I’ve ever been treated so poorly as a customer.

The verbal abuse continued for probably 10min and Stirling followed me out the shop and then shouted that no wonder I’m such a dodgy, dishonest and bad person, because – and a paraphrase- “you have a fancy car and I park like an a..hole”. I mean, now starting to throw throw in personal insults, seriously? For the record, my car isn’t all that special.

I parked where I parked because, I was only expecting to be in the shop for 2 minutes, no other parking was available (for a car with a bike rack), I was carrying a 2 year old and the security guard instructed me to park in front of a garage so as to be out the way of other cars. I repeatedly asked the guard if he was sure. The guard assured me he’d call me if I needed to move as I was parked 5m from the shop.

As I was leaving I realised that I did not know the name of the person shouting at me, so I went back into the shop and asked him. He was as smug as ever declaring he was the shop owner and this should be obvious, and I quote, “I would not allow any of my staff to talk to you like that”. But because he’s the boss, he can be as rude, dishonest and unpleasant as he wants?? Oh the irony, arrogance and the entitlement.

I am very curious as to how many other people they have tried to overcharge and cheat, but couldn’t be bothered to leave a review. I wish more people would take the time to warn the rest of us. Never assume anything with these people. If you simply can’t help yourself and use them anyway, get a quote in writing for everything they offer, you might think they are being helpful, but they are only trying to find ways to charge you more. And don’t be bullied into paying for something you specifically requested not to be done.

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