Commuting - Confused LBS?

Ok... they're not really confused, but they think I'm a bit off! :p

Went in today, and was waiting to talk to someone... Two employees are talking to one customer, and they bring up mileage... the customer mentions that he put 300 some miles on his bike in June, both employees make a comment about not being able to spend that much time on their bikes. One says she got 112 miles, the guy says he got about 150.

So... anyway... I went in to get a shorter stem... the reach is too long for me. The guy helps me look around, but ... it's an old threaded headset... the only threaded stem is for a mountain bike but .. they have an adapter for a threadless stem... so then we start looking around at the stems, and can't find any short enough. So... I'm looking at the mountain bike stem again... it looks to be about the size I want. He says "But... that'll look funny on a road bike" ...

Heh... I just look over at my Raleigh, with the folded up grocery panniers, rack, peanut butter jar full of tools in the second water bottle cage.... So... this stem will make my bike look wierd? *laughs*

So.. then I'm paying for it, and some new bar tape, and the lady looks over at my bike, asks me if it's mine. Yup. "It's WAY too big for you... you can't ride that."

I tell her I put 649 miles on it in the last month... she gives me a funny look, and says "I guess it's all what you're used to... I couldn't even get ON that."


*laughs*

Here's to more miles in the month of July, on my too big for me funny looking bike with the mountain bike stem and panniers and all!

Oh... got the new stem put on, bars taped (doesn't look bad, considering it's the first time I ever taped bars) and tried it out... Seems much better to me... We'll see how it works next ride. (probably tomorrow)

pics pics pics pics pics!

LOL, who cares what it looks like, you are doing what works for you.

What confuses me about the guy at the LBS is that most road bikes now use mtn bike style stems...... even on bikes costing over 5k.

Frankenbike pics, please!

What confuses me about the guy at the LBS is that most road bikes now use mtn bike style stems...... even on bikes costing over 5k.
Stems for threadless forks? Yep it did came from MTB world. Anyway want real entertainment go to performance bike shop and ask for tubular glue. :rolleyes:

One would think that the stem was a road stem after all. 1) they didn't make that many MTB threaded stems in the last decade or so. 2) If the clamp fit your road (?) bars...

Props for the mileage.

I'll get some pics up for everyone in a few minutes. Been sick today, or I'd have been out riding. :(

Ok... here ya go! (Don't make TOO much fun of me, ok?) :p

Looks great!

2) If the clamp fit your road (?) bars...

Props for the mileage.

From what I understand, there's really only two sizes for bars, Italy-made (sometimes called 'Road') and everyone else. (Mountain bikes and Road bikes)

Ok.. .more than two, but mainly two... (http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_st-z.html#stem)

I think it looks just fine.

Most bike shops don't really have a clue what commuters need and want. I know there are exceptions but they are unusual. I am constantly ordering odd parts for my variety of bikes. The shop I usually order from has learned not to question me or my judgement...besides I am paying for it!:p The last "odd" item that I ordered was my new Redline 9.2.5, they didn't even know it existed. They had seen a monocog. They aslo know that the first place I look for stuff is the discount table. I don't have to have the latest and greatest, just want what works best for me.

BTW looks good to me! only thing I would personally want would be fenders.;)

Aaron:)

BTW looks good to me! only thing I would personally want would be fenders.;)

Aaron:)

The only water I've seen so far has been overflow from sprinklers along the Platte River Trail.... May look at fenders later on, but... so far I just slow down if I have to go through a little puddle, it keeps the water and mud off of me well enough.

I'd remove the black finish (I'm just picky like that), but other than that looks great.

Ok... they're not really confused, but they think I'm a bit off!

(Insert unspellable gutteral expression here) I get the same thing too! I think it's because there are so few bike commuters in the area. Or they've heard so many people wine about high gas prices and then never see anything happen. Or I'm the only one to have ridden their bike to the shop.

My guess is that most of the bicycle market is sport/recreational. There are just not enough utilitarian cyclists out there. I'm not trying to place blame with the LBS or the industry. It's just the way it is. Maybe in the big commuter cities it's different.

So my LBS thinks I'm a bit of a freak too. Not really a roadie... not really a mountain biker... not really anything they know. The only thing they are sure of is that my bike is ridden a lot. Perhaps they have heard of bike commuters, but haven't seen any for so long they can't believe it when they do. I don't take it personally. Hey, at least they remember me. And they are happy they sold at least one bike that won't be rusting in a basement somewhere.

From a commuter stand point the only bike to be ashamed of or make fun of is one that isn't ridden. And I use grocery panniers too.

What annoys the hell out of me is the fact that 3 out of 4 bike shops I've been to near me don't have a bike rack

What the??????

What is wrong with these people? I mean... I know they don't have a problem with me bringing my bike in the store, but, still... if everyone did that, you couldn't walk, and I don't NEED to bring my bike in the store with me.

I think even most of the bike shops see bikes as toys. Something to be played with for a while, and then put away.

They're like "You actually RODE your bike over here? What kind of freak ARE you?"

Thanks for the Peanut butter jar idea!!!! Hey man, the funnier the bike, the more props the commuter gets.

Thanks for the Peanut butter jar idea!!!! Hey man, the funnier the bike, the more props the commuter gets.

Hah! I stole that off the touring forum!!!

I've seen other ones, including water bottles that seem good, but the peanut butter jar seems easier to get all the tools out of.

From what I understand, there's really only two sizes for bars, Italy-made (sometimes called 'Road') and everyone else. (Mountain bikes and Road bikes)

Ok.. .more than two, but mainly two... (http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_st-z.html#stem)
Yeah, I was thinking of 26.0
Maybe there are more 25.4 road bars than I thought.
What size is it?
BTW, that's perfectly nice bike except for the nasty pedals and the ugly (IMHO) cable routing of those age-old brake levers.

Yeah, I was thinking of 26.0
Maybe there are more 25.4 road bars than I thought.
What size is it?
BTW, that's perfectly nice bike except for the nasty pedals and the ugly (IMHO) cable routing of those age-old brake levers.

Hah! The pedals were $5 at Walmart! :p Gotta hate needing a pair of pedals at 9pm on a Sunday.

So... yeah, I'll get around to replacing them one of these days... till then, they give me a place to rest my feet! hehe

Not too much I can do about the cable routing, unless I wanna replace the brake levers... and I'm a poor bastage, and trying to save money for deposits and everything for a move later this month.

I'm going to get a pair of campus pedals and mountain bike shoes, but... has to wait a bit.

The bars are 25.4 mm

What annoys the hell out of me is the fact that 3 out of 4 bike shops I've been to near me don't have a bike rack


HAH!...I've never noticed a rack at any shop I've been to either. Riding to a shop is always awkward...I feel weird bringin in my filthy ride and theres literally no place to lock it up outside either. However, most of the shops around here have nice big parking lots. I suppose you are supposed to put you bike on the car rack and drive there. Driving to the LBS is like towing your car in to the shop to have the oil changed or the tires rotated.

You bike looks fine. I love going to LBSs that have no concept of commuting. A lot of people will brag about how many miles they put on the weekend, or a ride, when I put that on over the week, then go riding on the weekend. Most of these people can only ride on closed courses or on the sidewalk. I just tell my LBS's what I need, because for the most part they will have no idea what I'm going to use it for. Good on the OP for the mileage, and using your bike as transportation and not a toy that you walk across intersections.

What annoys the hell out of me is the fact that 3 out of 4 bike shops I've been to near me don't have a bike rack


Mine doesn't. It has a nice open floor plan. I just wheel it in and prop my bike up against something.


They're like "You actually RODE your bike over here? What kind of freak ARE you?"

The LBS I frequent is staffed by a commuter or two.

My new bike sees the repair shop very rarely (knock on wood). They've probably forgotten what I look like by now.

What annoys the hell out of me is the fact that 3 out of 4 bike shops I've been to near me don't have a bike rack

What the??????
Try WalMart. :) There is one at the WalMart here. Seriously how hard is it to lock your bike to a tree, fence, or something else at those 3 bike stores?

Even if a bike rack was provided it would never be good enough for some cyclists to trust with their precious bicycle. Read the posts from all the BFers who insist on bringing their bike into every establishment they visit.

Hey, it's not just a bike. It's a registered seeing eye bike.

Hey, it's not just a bike. It's a registered seeing eye bike.

:roflmao:

Try WalMart. :) There is one at the WalMart here. Seriously how hard is it to lock your bike to a tree, fence, or something else at those 3 bike stores?

Even if a bike rack was provided it would never be good enough for some cyclists to trust with their precious bicycle. Read the posts from all the BFers who insist on bringing their bike into every establishment they visit.

The three stores without racks also don't have any trees or signs close to the store (You have to go across the parking lot out by the street). The Performance store I just bring my bike in with me... The other store really didn't have room to bring a bike in... the one time I was there I ended up parking it outside the window and just locking the wheel to the frame...

a salesman at the other store got PISSED at me when I locked my bike up to their display rack! *laughs his ass off* That was the store that ignored me while I was there (didn't say a word to me till I was unlocking my bike).... I just shrugged at him and left.

Yeah, the Walmart here has a bike rack. Considering that they have several thousand shopping carts and never collect them till the storage areas by the doors are very nearly empty, it's a LOT safer to go through the parking lot by bike than it is by car!!!

I take my bike with me into the bank, ACE cash express while I pay my cell phone bill, and into Lowes when I go to pick stuff up there. I've gotten funny looks wheeling my bike across the bank lobby (from customers), but my boss is a major customer there, and I've been going in there for two years... they all know me and nobody has ever said anything about the bike.

Confused LBS? Isn't that redundant?

I'm fortunate to have one commuter-oriented shop and one shop with several commuter employees. I know the people to talk to and avoid the rest.

I have my stem all the way to the top. So if I put a MTB stem on my bike then I can have the bars up where I like them with out over extending the stem. Nice looking bike.

She looks great - you had me expecting something bizzare!
I left my bike over lunch at the LBS and when I came back they were pointing it out. I have 2 Optronics light housings, a bell, a helmet cam mount, front blinky, cyclometer, and airzounds air horn haning off the aerobars.

She looks great - you had me expecting something bizzare!


No, that's the point... it just doesn't fit in with the LBS's view of bikes as 'toys'!

I'll keep adding stuff to it as I have the money... I'm on a pretty tight budget.

Just think how many more miles you would have gone if that bike fit you. lol

Just think how many more miles you would have gone if that bike fit you. lol

The only bike I ever had that supposedly 'fit' me felt too small. I'm happy with the larger frames.... I just have to be careful about that 'standover' thing! :p

I always bring my bike inside the shop. Why would that be a problem?