Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
I'm sorry I can't help with the bike fit. Campag4life is your main man for that on the 41. If he doesn't chime in, go ahead and PM him and ask him to get involved in your thread.
But I would like to offer some advice regarding your LBS. No, I am not one of the buy only from your LBS type folks. As much as anyone out here I understand (and agree) that some cyclists simply can't afford to ride in the style they would like at LBS prices. I buy nearly all my "big" stuff online, on ebay, Amazon, and various direct shops. And I do all my own mechanical work with the exception of an occasional headset crown race setting job on an odd head tube fork for which I just cannot justify buying the tool. So up to that point we are saying exactly the same thing. But beyond that you really need a STRONG relationship with your LBS. You have made your choice about where to buy big stuff and you have to face up to it when you deal with your LBS for the occasional odd item. In fact I think it is wise to be right out front with them. Let them know how you operate, but that you value them being there for the things you have to have right now, and don't want to wait a few days to be delivered. Demonstrate your commitment by focusing your business on one main shop. Try to get them involved in your projects buy buying the odds and ends from them you need for maintenance or accessories to complete a big job like rim tape, grease, chain lube, handlebar spacers, bar tape, tubes, water bottles, on-sale clothing items (shoes) that are best fitted in person, etc. If they are smart, they will understand that different customers have different needs, and it is in their interest to accommodate those needs. If they are not interested in your business, such as it is, go elsewhere and try again. And you are making a mistake if you are too embarrassed to take that Motobecane into the shop for some help from time to time. I don't doubt your DIY skills, but everyone needs some wrenching guidance from time to time.
Over the years I have given much more business to my LBS (just 1 1/2 blocks down the street) than someone who buys an expensive bike from them, hangs it in the garage and then is never seen again. Everyone does it differently. If it is a good shop, they will respect the type of cycling customer you need to be and help you to be that.
Robert
Hi Robert,
Thanks for responding. I'm not at all anti-LBS. There's a great one in
Little Five Points (Atlanta - Outback Bikes), which is a half-mile down the road from my house.
If there would be an issue I couldn't handle I'd certainly take it in and tell them where I got the bike. All they sell is Specialized. So, I don't think they'd have a problem if I brought in a bike I didn't buy from them.
I was just being realistic. I don't plan to race, just ride, particularly in groups. I'm social about marathoning so I know I'll be social about cycling. I imagine 99.9% of the things I will run into will be stuff I can handle.
I do plan to strip my cheap mtb to its frame and build it up nicer. But not right away. I plan to do that myself as a project.
Anyway, I didn't mean to imply that I would never go into my LBS or that I'd be embarrassed I bought a bike from BD (I am never embarrassed to save money). I just meant it's likely I'll go in there once every few years. And since I don't need the free servicing that comes with buying a bike at the LBS, etc, I am completely confident getting a bike from BD after reading reviews from other folks.
But, thanks for helping clarify that point. I didn't want to give the wrong idea.
Jen