Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - LBS @ssholes!

I'm a new guy here, but have been lurking for a while and have been tinkering with the idea of building up a SS for myself. I know it's possible with just about every every setup out there if you're willing to work at it, which I am.

Seems to me though, that none of the guys at the smaller LBS's in town are interested in helping a guy out. All I seem to get is discouragement everywhere I go.

I'll ask for a part or how one could go about doing this or that and all I get in response is, "why would you do that?!! You're better off buying a new bike for $200!" or something to the effect of, "you're an idiot kid!"

Granted, I'm not a gear head and I don't know a lot about bikes, but I want to learn and part of that process involves getting my hands greasy. If all I wanted was an expensive single speed, sure I'd go out and buy one from these A-holes, but that's not what I want.

I have a very DIY mentality and enjoy learning new things.

But it seems that this sport is one of the hardest to get into because of the constant bashing.

Just my rant. Maybe you all think new guys are dumb too. Who knows? But I'm going to do this regardless!

Some LBS aren't into SS or anything... and they want you to buy the full bike from them. Because that's what brings in the most money.. try some other shops, is all I can say

where do you live btw?

Originally posted by Yuppie


But it seems that this sport is one of the hardest to get into because of the constant bashing.


I can definitely see why you might think that. I thought (most) musicians were jerks until I started fooling with bikes. It seems neither of the two fields has a shortage of attitude.


Maybe you all think new guys are dumb too.

Nah. A lot of the guys and gals here seem to be class acts. There might be one or two that you have to ignore, but most seem pretty cool about stuff. You should have no problem finding people here to help you.

That sucks dude


Ask us some questions!!

get the book "Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance" its a great book to have if you want to mess around and learn about how a bike works.. you could use an old roadbike and just take it apart and put it back together, you'll learn a lot that way. www.sheldonbrown.com also has a lot of info on single speed/fixed gears, it's worth a look.. but yeah ask questions

I had a set of Mavic Open Pro wheels made by a LBS, to which I supplied the fixed-gear hubset, they supplied the spokes, labour and rims. The bill was around $350 CDN. I told them that when the wheels were done I would bring the bike in and have them put the bike on a stand and check for chainline, since I may have needed spacers to get the proper line, and I live 3 hours away from the LBS. I told them the cranks were not torqued in since they may have to be removed for spacers et all. I had a box with me with my Brooks Team Pro saddle and cogs. The mechanic had the same attitude as you describe. The attitude was to say that I was crazy to build a fixie, and after grudgingly inspecting the bike on the stand, said that the line was way off and nothing could be done. He took the bike off the stand and went off to do something else. This was just before I went to the till and shelled out the $350 for a project that was not going to work, apparently. I took it all home and worked on it myself. I thought that the chainline should work out since the crank set-vintage '60's Dura-Ace EX and the hubs were probably intended to go together. As it turned out, the chainline was perfect with the old 151 BCD cranks and hubs. The finished project is more than I expected.
The message is: IN this esoteric realm you really have to get someone at an LBS who understands why you want to do something. The rest of them think of you as an inconvenience and probably a time-waster. Find the first type, and if you think you have got the second type respectfully ask to speak to someone else.

Originally posted by banjo bob
...you could use an old roadbike and just take it apart and put it back together, you'll learn a lot that way.

This is essentially what I am doing right now but the dudes at the shop think I'm nuts and that wasting time on an old bike is exactly that....WASTING TIME!

I mean...I don't get it. If they help me out, I'm helping them out cause I'm spending money in their store. But I guess they don't have time to waste on my money.

Ever see that movie Two Secondes? They're like that italian guy. Except he opens up in the movie. I don't know if these guys will do the same.

yeah barnaby's right.. find someone who understands why youre interested in converting it, he/she'll be much more helpful. if you learn something or get enjoyment out of working on your old bike, you're not wasting your time, and don't be discouraged by those who tell you otherwise.

not to sound like a broken record but "Zinn and the art of roadbike (or mountainbike) maintenance" (by Leonard Zinn i think) really is a good investment if you want to learn how to work on your bike. i knew almost nothing about bike maintenance until i got that book..it doesn't have anything about fixie/singlespeed, but it'll give you a really good understanding of all the mechanical workings of the bike, and will make it that much easier if/when you decide to do it yourself.

not all lbs's deal with fixed gear/ss stuff simply because it's not that good for business. the majority of people ride factory-assembled new bikes.

i'm willing to bet though, that there's a bike shop in your nearest city center which does ss/fixed, because almost always, in a city that has bike couriers, there's a bike shop that caters to them. in portland, we have at least 2 shops that are really big on fixed gear/track/single speed. it took me a while to find them, too.

I remember going into a few of the LBS near me and asking if they carry track bikes etc.. they looked at me like I was crazy and I was not even asking about converting a bike. Keep looking around I'm sure you'll find a LBS that will cater to them.

If you are really having trouble with your LBS I am sure you can talk to Sheldon Brown and get whatever answers you need! And probably any parts you need. Then all you'd have to do is go to your LBS and tell them to "shut the **** up and put it together." He he.

Various people have been compiling a comprehensive FAQ on single speeds for MTBR. Here's the link to it, it's almost complete and should have everything you need.

Get your hands dirty and get riding!

http://twinoak.altelco.net/~emenaker/temp/MTBR.com/ssFaq.htm

LBS...sometimes stands for Lot o Bull S***. Sad to hear you encountered that. But we should all give thanks to Al Gore for inventing the Internet...it gives us a better resource (Sheldon Brown, this forum, etc) for doing what we need to do. If an LBS ever shrugs you off, go somewhere else. And this is not restricted to a city...now that we have cyber-communities! DIY is great-the experience is invaluable. Maybe you can go back and show the LBS'rs what you know. Or just forget about them and let them sell the mass-manufactured bikes.

I basically patronize the several LBS's in my area to order and buy parts only, period!

Originally posted by Barnaby
I thought that the chainline should work out since the crank set-vintage '60's Dura-Ace EX and the hubs were probably intended to go together.

http://corporate.shimano.com/about/company_history.asp?.locale=en

Not to start any flaming or any thing, BUT, as a longtime bikeshop guy, most of you guys are coming across as a bunch of narrow minded presuming a$$holes yourselves.
I will work on anything a customer brings in, for whatever reason they bring it in, I will also tell them if I think it is unwise to invest money in their project and if they still want the work done, request a deposit to prompt their return (I get more than a thousand dollars in abandoned repairs every year.)
In the three monthes since I joined this forum I have spent more than a hundred hours posting answers to tech questions, apparantly quite often for people that don't like what I do, where I work, or those like me. This is the second "I hate bikeshops whine" this evening. You guys have a lovely evening, I am going to bed.
P.S. There are shops out there that can help you, I stock track hubs, cogs, lock rings, built wheels, heavy 1/8th chain, cheap caliper brakes and levers. I build up converted road bikes for fixed at home and sell them in the store, convert bikes for customers and even added a section for fixed on our web site(May be off now, fixed is a winter thing here).

Rev. Chuck, your workplace rocks then. It is, however, the truth that most LBSs will wonder why the hell you're bothering them with fixed questions; they seem to think that fixed gear bikes don't really qualify as bikes that should be sold in a bike shop... The floor people at the 4 or 5 LBSs around here don't even know the shimano and campy component lineup, let alone answering questions about conversions.

This doesn't mean that all LBSs suck. I spend a lot of money at my favorite LBS; however, these guys know what they're talking about. They know their bikes, they know their history, and they have first-hand experience. Good LBSs are hard to come by. The typical average LBS experience is starting to look more and more like shopping at Walmart. The guys there have no real knowledge of their products. They just know that this Trek has a carbon fork and that's why it's $300 more than that other Trek.

Your workplace sounds awesome and I am angry at those who don't appreciate it. More people need to appreciate the true bike shops because they are fading away quickly, replaced with this other over-commercialized, brand-happy crap.

Originally posted by Rev.Chuck
Not to start any flaming or any thing, BUT, as a longtime bikeshop guy, most of you guys are coming across as a bunch of narrow minded presuming xxxxxxxx yourselves.


I don't see it in the previous posts (at least for the most part). People seem to be relaying their personal experiences, and most have, in fact, recommended going to another shop if not satisfied. I am sure that you would agree with that logic. No one that I recall has even come close to suggesting that the original poster should abandon hope of ever finding a shop that will help, they have just offered additional resources that he/she could look into. Hopefully, after reading your post, the individual will see that there are still some shops out there that can and will help.

Keep up the good work, both here and at your shop, it doesn't go entirely unnoticed.

The floor people at the 4 or 5 LBSs around here don't even know the shimano and campy component lineup, let alone answering questions about conversions.
That tells me there are not a lot of people buying fixedgear bikes and so remembering all the components are not a priority. Secondly you are not going to find a lot of people with a lot of experience in bike shops because the pay is not that good and will remain that way because of the prices people pay at online stores. Look at what you pay for work done at your LBS and what you would pay at your auto dealership.

In the three monthes since I joined this forum I have spent more than a hundred hours posting answers to tech questions, apparantly quite often for people that don't like what I do, where I work, or those like me.

This is the reason why I quit working in a bike shop some 20 years ago. I see things haven't changed a bit.

In the three monthes since I joined this forum I have spent more than a hundred hours posting answers to tech questions, apparantly quite often for people that don't like what I do, where I work, or those like me Yup there's a bunch of ingrates in the world.

the whole "internet killed the bike shop star" phenomenon is bluring the border between good bike shops and bad bike shops. the whole issue has turned into "support the bike shops!" regardless of their quality? i don't think so.

it seems that any arbitrary bike mechanic is offended by an insult to any bike shop. this type of generalization is nonsensical. i've had really bad experiences with bike shops that i no longer frequent and specifically turn my friends away from. if you take offense to me doing this, you're doing nothing to prolong the life of the truly good bike shops that we need much more of.

am i grateful for my LBS? damn right!! i've had nothing but good advice and great work coming from them. i point everyone to them. i do everything i can to prolong their business. it's a terrible thing if you do good work and get no respect... but if you do bad work and don't care about your customers, it's a terrible thing that you're taking business away from the other shops.

Please see my post in the Fav LBS thread. LBS are good, I worked for a shop in CO and really didn;t like the elitest attitude that permeated to retail shop (it was like a fart in sealed card). Ever since then, I have been very skeptical with shops (not prejudice, SKEPTICAL) as to their service. Most suck. MOST...and usually it is just one or two people in the shop. Hell, most messengers I know are elitest pricks too. And I can't stand them either.

Hi, new guy here. Figgered I'd start in the local flame war, as they're usually pretty interesting. I have found that Generally the concepts of Local Bike Shop and Do It Yerself mix like Oil and Water. I have found a local guy who is supportive of my tinkering, who gets my business on jobs for which I do not have the tools, such as headset installation, and for the quickie purchases like bottle cages, etc... Fixed gear is still somewhat of a foreign language to them, but they think my 1973 Schwinn Supersport Fiixe is reasonably cool. I still buy a lot of stuff on-line, but if I can wait for Boneshakers to order it, and the price is competetive, why not give the order to the LBS. It keeps my money in my community.

Shrimpx, look at it this way, there are two black guys standing on the corner. One of them is a bum and the other a businessman. Some dude walks up to the bum and calls him any one of a number of derogatory terms,some that may even apply. By your reasoning the bussinessman should not be offended.(As far as that goes he should be annoyed with the bum for presenting a poor image just as I get annoyed at other shops that present a poor image)
Look at the title, "Bikeshop @ssholes" What does that say right from the start?
When someone slams a bikeshop publicly, in this case for not carrying the parts he wanted or being familar with what he wanted to do, that strikes me as wrong. That might be a great shop to take a suspension fork. You would have to admit, that fixed is a tiny, tiny percentage of bike usage. The only forum that gets as low a play as this one is vintage.
I work my ass off every day often for customers that do not appreciate what I do. That is how I support my shop and shops in general, by presenting a good shop with good service.
When someone slams a shop because they feel wronged on a forum that thousands of people might read that is bad for all shops . This is especially true as most people on the web tend to "enhance" the level of error. It is also completely anonomous. That is something else I don't like, that is why my picture is on my avatar and my shop is listed in my profile. (Check out the fixed page this fall, it is on break right now)

Here's the skinny:
-Some bike shops have a staff that deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
-Some bike shops have a staff that deserves syphillis.
-Some bike shop customers are the best: I learned from one customer in CO that cold beer is always appreciated!
-Some bike shop customers deserve a slow beheading.

So what is a person to do?
Find a place to go; be it online or on the street. I have my favs, as I am sure we all do. The bike shops I go to have an older staff, so to speak, as I prefer someone who has knowledge acquired by experience, not via Matt Hoffman videos (you know what I am saying here).
And maybe the thread could have read "xxxholes works at my LBS' since I think that is a fair statement and not overly general. If I have offended anyone in this rant, deal with it. Maybe you are too fragile for this forum...

Looking forward to the Fixed page Chuck. I'd come out and visit you, but the sis just moved to Charlotte (she was in the RT for about 2+ yrs).

I have had a bikeshop guy compare my ol' trek 850 to a yugo and his shop to a ferrari dealer; and i have consistently relied on other bikeshop mechanics for great detailed advice on wheelbuilding, ss conversions, suspension tuning, and so forth. Not all bikeshops are the same; although all are strapped for cash when trying to compete with the big department stores and an exercise-averse public.

My poorman's strategy is to DIY for the majority, but buy a couple components from the lbs to support them as much as i can (and to get an oppurtunity to show off what i am working on and get welcome admiration from people who understand).

PS The kid who called my 850 a yugo was just that.. a high school kid... the mechanic who gives me great advice is a 20 year vet of the industry. Age and commitment are certainly factors!

Rev. Chuck,

While I"m not here to kiss your @ss, but you're a cool guy on this board. Don't take the shenanigans of some of these folks on such a personal level. You must have, in your experiences as a LBS guy, had some yahoo's employed for you.

People have the unfortunate ability to remember the 10% bad experience, and forget the 90% good experience.

I want to hate Preformance bike for buying my LBS chain. I went in with the intention of leaving pissed off. With only one exception, my experience has been great. I've latched on to one guy who knows about what I want to do and how I want to do, and he's also not afraid to tell me I'm unrealistic, or tell me that some choices could be really bad. I still don't like that it's a large chain, but the service has been great.

It's who you deal with, and if your expectations are reasonable.

Don't expect people here to all be lovey dovey. Shoot, I'm one of the @ssholes at times myself.

Don't sweat it.

That is the thing about Performance , when you go into a brick and mortar store it is pretty much like a regular shop only bigger and everybody has on the same shirt. Before I worked in a shop I used to drive to Chapelhill to go to a Performance because the prices were good.