Commuting - Are commuters really that esoteric?

I'm temporarily in a new town (St. Simons, GA) and the place is crawling with bikes. There are MUPs everywhere, something we don't have in my hometown, any bike lanes or racks or even an LBS.
What is amazing to me is I haven't seen the first rack on a single bike. Plenty of folks carrying plastic bags on the handlebars with their groceries and such, but no one has a properly outfitted commuter. And the only lights I've seen are blinkies on a few roadies' bikes. There are two bike shops here, neither even sells racks, they only cater to the cheep beach cruiser market. Are commuters really that esoteric of a market? I buy most of my equipment on line because I have no other outlet. What's the commuter market of those of y'all who live in smaller towns, or areas that aren't a biking Mecca?

Let me rephrase that: are outfitted commuters that esoteric?

I dunno! I've only lived in college towns and big cities all my life... where commuters have never been completely rare. But in most other places where I've visited, I've never seen any properly outfitted commuters at all. In beach towns, it's mostly only immigrant workers that I've seen riding bikes to work, usually department store bikes.

I am one of THE commuters in my small town...and unfortunately that is only part time at the moment. There is one other guy that I would consider a commuter and he rides a Schwinn Deluxe 7. I do have a couple of LBS's that I deal with. One in town the other in a larger town 25 miles away. Neither stocks much in the line of commuter specific stuff. I usually have them order in what I want or buy on line. The LBS in town is a combination lawnmower and bike shop. The other LBS is much larger and sells a lot of different stuff, high end MTB and Road, with some cruisers. Both shops are happy to order what ever I need and I usually get a discount off of list price. Some things it is easier to just go ahead and order online.

Aaron:)

I have a road bike with rack and panniers. I pass a woman going the opposite direction with a MTB with rack and trunk. Everyone else uses a backpack.

A city of 500,000 plus here, but most of the shops here seem to focus almost exclusively on the "sport" of cycling. Fortunately, there's a city of 2 million not that far down the road where I can shop for more specialised equipment (racks, panniers etc). I think it comes down to two factors here, firstly, commuting just isn't a big market. Very few of the people who ride here will even consider riding to work. Secondly, there just doesn't seem to be that much money to make out of the average commuter.

In most cases it seems your average 'sport' cyclist will spend a lot more money on things than your average commuter -- I know that many of the cyclists around here basically buy equipment for the look of it -- and for those people the expensive price tag is a good attribute in itself. If that's where there's money to be made, that's what they'll sell.

I'm temporarily in a new town (St. Simons, GA) and the place is crawling with bikes. There are MUPs everywhere, something we don't have in my hometown, any bike lanes or racks or even an LBS.
What is amazing to me is I haven't seen the first rack on a single bike. Plenty of folks carrying plastic bags on the handlebars with their groceries and such, but no one has a properly outfitted commuter. And the only lights I've seen are blinkies on a few roadies' bikes. There are two bike shops here, neither even sells racks, they only cater to the cheep beach cruiser market. Are commuters really that esoteric of a market? I buy most of my equipment on line because I have no other outlet. What's the commuter market of those of y'all who live in smaller towns, or areas that aren't a biking Mecca?
Wait until the last drop of oil is burned.

Cycling will be the best way to get around, and all the grocery-bag-cyclists will be overshadowed by motorists-turned-cyclists sporting every form of "look-at-me" paraphernalia. :D

Wait until the last drop of oil is burned.

Cycling will be the best way to get around, and all the grocery-bag-cyclists will be overshadowed by motorists-turned-cyclists sporting every form of "look-at-me" paraphernalia. :D
I disagree.

When the last drop of oil is burned, grocery-bag-cyclists will come out of the woodwork.

:D

I disagree.

When the last drop of oil is burned, grocery-bag-cyclists will come out of the woodwork.

:D
No, when the last drop of oil is burned, grocery bags will be a scarce commodity.

(Geez, LBM, get a grip...)

I've actually ridden with a grocery bag, but that was only a couple of times. :p

If that's where there's money to be made, that's what they'll sell.
There, that's it.

Let me rephrase that: are outfitted commuters that esoteric?

My findings are that people do not realize the possibilities of bike accessories and/or they are not motivated enough to try to make their bike more functional

Esoteric? In the dictionary sense? Not around here, the information, materials, and people who do it are available. Your being half way between Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL may have landed you in a commuting desert. Bear with it, nothing lasts forever.

My findings are that people do not realize the possibilities of bike accessories and/or they are not motivated enough to try to make their bike more functional
+1.

My findings are that people do not realize the possibilities of bike accessories and/or they are not motivated enough to try to make their bike more functional

Why would people in a bike shop or department store realize the possibility of bike accessories useful for commuting? Bikes equipped with such functional accessories are almost never on display or portrayed in the sales catalogs. Have you ever heard of a bike salesperson EVER recommending such equipment to a customer of a new bicycle?

Hell you can hardly find such equipment in many LBSs.

Hell you can hardly find such equipment in many LBSs.

Agreed. LBS is what I meant when I wrote bike shop.

The popular mail order stores are no better. Try and find a basket or a 700c tire wider than 23mm on their web sites, let alone a bike equipped for commuting. Maybe they are buried somewhere amongst the endless pages of racing equipment, "technical clothing," computers/HRM and "hydration systems."

Catch-22. Nobody even knows that "proper" equipment exists, so they don't ask for it. Nobody asks for it, so stores don't stock it.

There's one shop here that is about half bikes, half kayaking and a few other sports. The owner was car-free until he was nearly 30. He does stock a little commuting stuff, but not a lot.

The other stores around here are almost exclusively racing shops.

How many bike commuters are cheap? They insist on using their bikes forever, refusing to buy new models every year. Some make their own commuter parts, baskets, lights or trailers.
This makes it very hard for a store to survive on selling commuter parts.

Roadies buy new stuff ll the time. Mtn bikers break everything all the time. You sell to your market. Stores that don't go out of business.

Agreed. LBS is what I meant when I wrote bike shop.

The popular mail order stores are no better. Try and find a basket or a 700c tire wider than 23mm on their web sites, let alone a bike equipped for commuting. Maybe they are buried somewhere amongst the endless pages of racing equipment, "technical clothing," computers/HRM and "hydration systems."

Nope:p...only website that even comes close to carrying that type of stuff is bikepartsusa.com The shipping charges will kill you on the larger stuff. I have one LBS that does stock some of that stuff. But if you want something higher end like a Jandd Rack I have to have it ordered or order it online.

Aaron:)

Why would people in a bike shop or department store realize the possibility of bike accessories useful for commuting? Bikes equipped with such functional accessories are almost never on display or portrayed in the sales catalogs. Have you ever heard of a bike salesperson EVER recommending such equipment to a customer of a new bicycle?

That statement and this thread surprise me a little.

Maybe I should get around to a few more bike shops, but I have yet to go into one that I felt was intentionally underrepresenting commuting accessories.

Our shop carries racks, bags, lights, fenders, baskets, horns, bells, wide and winter tires, visibility clothing and flags...and we sell out of them several times in a year. Baskets have been an especially popular item this year, though perhaps that is not considered a "hardcore" commuting item. We always make suggestions for needed equipment, have several bikes on the floor with accessories installed, and we commute ourselves (just a short 6 miles for me) so we always encourage it.

Those of you disgruntled with the apparent lack of focus of your LBS on commuting...is that due to them not having the specific items you are looking for in stock, or do they actively dissuade people from riding bikes for utility over racing/recreation? I've seen a few specialty online shops that appear to have the opposite bias: 100% focus on commuters, and have seen a few online shops that obviously focus on racing, but very few neighborhood shops are willing to miss out on a sale opportunity if it's there. If a town has several shops in competition I can see each one finding a niche to focus on. The only shop I can think of in this region that might give that impression is focused on Downhill and BMX bikes...and is only 400 sq ft. They have very little room for display, but I'd wager they could order me anything I needed.

Can anyone be more specific about how these shops are making you feel neglected? What stuff aren't they carrying? Have any of them discouraged you verbally or made fun of your fully-equipped rig? I'd honestly like to know so that our shop can be more accommodating.

That statement and this thread surprise me a little.

Maybe I should get around to a few more bike shops, but I have yet to go into one that I felt was intentionally underrepresenting commuting accessories.

Our shop carries racks, bags, lights, fenders, baskets, horns, bells, wide and winter tires, visibility clothing and flags...and we sell out of them several times in a year. Baskets have been an especially popular item this year, though perhaps that is not considered a "hardcore" commuting item. We always make suggestions for needed equipment, have several bikes on the floor with accessories installed, and we commute ourselves (just a short 6 miles for me) so we always encourage it.

Those of you disgruntled with the apparent lack of focus of your LBS on commuting...is that due to them not having the specific items you are looking for in stock, or do they actively dissuade people from riding bikes for utility over racing/recreation? I've seen a few specialty online shops that appear to have the opposite bias: 100% focus on commuters, and have seen a few online shops that obviously focus on racing, but very few neighborhood shops are willing to miss out on a sale opportunity if it's there. If a town has several shops in competition I can see each one finding a niche to focus on. The only shop I can think of in this region that might give that impression is focused on Downhill and BMX bikes...and is only 400 sq ft. They have very little room for display, but I'd wager they could order me anything I needed.

Can anyone be more specific about how these shops are making you feel neglected? What stuff aren't they carrying? Have any of them discouraged you verbally or made fun of your fully-equipped rig? I'd honestly like to know so that our shop can be more accommodating.

My higher end LBS carries little to nothing for the commuter...the last time I was in there they had one medium sized Wald basket, no frame mount racks, and no fenders available and only 2 bikes that would make suitable commuters. FWIW I was ordering a set of the yellow Freddy Fenders for a current project. My other LBS has the baskets and fenders, but they are aimed at the very low end utility crowd. Even Xmart doesn't carry commuter items any more. I suspect the pickings may be better in larger cities.

In response to your question on neglect...I have to order tires, clothes, lights, racks, bags, wheels, rims, spokes, hubs, etc to build up bikes for commuting/utility use. I don't need or want 12 spoke carbon wheels, $2000 CF frame sets, jersey's plastered with advertising, uberlightweight clip in pedals... I needed 2 tires in the 26x1-3/8" size for a rebuild I was doing for a friend. The LBS had two...one gumwall, one black wall. I needed 700x40c for my city bike they had none in stock. I realize they can't stock everything, and that they have to stock the things that sell in this area. I will give them credit in that they will order what I ask for with no guff, unlike another shop that I no longer frequent. But it would be nice once in a while to walk in and purchase some things off the shelf. Their light selection is pretty slim too. I wanted a Planet Bike Super Flash...they had never seen one. I ordered mine and after seeing it they ordered a couple more for stock. They stock no generators or lights for generator systems. Unfortunately this area is very carcentric and there are very few of us that are dedicated commuters, I am not at the moment due to job constraints, however I commuted almost 20 years before being forced back into the automotive mode of transportation. I am making my plans to get back to the cycling way of life.


Aaron:)

I was under the impression that the buzz in the bike biz is commuting is the next big ten year trend...

No?

My higher end LBS carries little to nothing for the commuter...the last time I was in there they had one medium sized Wald basket, no frame mount racks, and no fenders available and only 2 bikes that would make suitable commuters. FWIW I was ordering a set of the yellow Freddy Fenders for a current project. My other LBS has the baskets and fenders, but they are aimed at the very low end utility crowd. Even Xmart doesn't carry commuter items any more. I suspect the pickings may be better in larger cities.

In response to your question on neglect...I have to order tires, clothes, lights, racks, bags, wheels, rims, spokes, hubs, etc to build up bikes for commuting/utility use. I don't need or want 12 spoke carbon wheels, $2000 CF frame sets, jersey's plastered with advertising, uberlightweight clip in pedals... I needed 2 tires in the 26x1-3/8" size for a rebuild I was doing for a friend. The LBS had two...one gumwall, one black wall. I needed 700x40c for my city bike they had none in stock. I realize they can't stock everything, and that they have to stock the things that sell in this area. I will give them credit in that they will order what I ask for with no guff, unlike another shop that I no longer frequent. But it would be nice once in a while to walk in and purchase some things off the shelf. Their light selection is pretty slim too. I wanted a Planet Bike Super Flash...they had never seen one. I ordered mine and after seeing it they ordered a couple more for stock. They stock no generators or lights for generator systems. Unfortunately this area is very carcentric and there are very few of us that are dedicated commuters, I am not at the moment due to job constraints, however I commuted almost 20 years before being forced back into the automotive mode of transportation. I am making my plans to get back to the cycling way of life.


Aaron:)
Aaron, the problem for any shop is stocking items for any and every person that comes in. The parts you described range from the very low end (I have yet to see a 26X1-3/8" tire of any quality above the $10 mark...but yes, we have them) to the truly esoteric. If you look in any one of our distributer catalogs, there is typically three or four pages of blinky lights alone. The sheer odds of having the particular light you're looking for in stock is against you, ditto for some of the other items.

As a shop we certainly do try to accommodate everyone (we're the only shop in town), and we also handle orders in a similar fashion. If a customer orders a specific item, we figure that they can't be the only person that wants this item, so we order a few more. Often times...they are the only person and we sit on merchandise we can't sell. The next person that comes in will require yet another specific item (even while similar and compatible items sit on the shelf), we'll order, the cycle continues...

I have had customers come into our shop upset that we don't have:

*Replacement hoods for vintage Campy brake levers
*The latest hot BMX brand (usually kids that you know have no job)
*A $4000+ (insert brand here) road bike, DH, or MTB in an (insert specific size, model and color here) for them to "demo" (short for "demolish"?)
*One-inch-pitch chains
*A tandem stoker stem to fit an antique bike that has a 7/8" seatpost and all branding stripped off the frame
*A replacement freehub for aero wheels that the date of manufacture is unknown
*Replaceable derailleur hangers for brands we don't sell
*A rack to fit the largest Wald baskets onto a Mongoose full suspension bike
*Not just the size, valve length and type of a given tube, but specific brand and model
*(Insert fringe product here, bicycle-related or not)

As you can see, it would be impossible to please everyone all of the time unless the shop specialized in a given niche, and even then, items go out of stock, get backordered, colors change, models change, specs change, etc. All of the above customers were disappointed that we didn't have the item in stock, if we did that we weren't offering it at our cost, on closeout, at a specific discount or even free since they purchased a bike. Many asked merely to comparison shop with no intent to buy, some even wanted to see a part to check on compatibility (often without bringing parts in to verify the fit) before purchasing elsewhere...and even boldly said as much. To accuse a shop of neglecting or marginalizing any given niche of cycling based upon what is on the shelf versus what you are specifically looking for may not be a fair judgement. Sure, the stock on the shelves may give a good idea of what a shop's niche or passion may be, but that is only part of the story.

Please, don't get me wrong...I'm not complaining. I do love my job and am doing my best to meet needs/wants/desires at a local level. I just feel that by explaining how these things work, perhaps some understanding might be met between retailers and consumers.

I was under the impression that the buzz in the bike biz is commuting is the next big ten year trend...

No?

My impression is that the "buzz," such as it is, exists at the conventioneer/media/Interbike level and is perhaps known to a few aficionados who follow such hype on the Internet. The buzz has not made its presence known on the showroom floor (except in a few unique enclaves) or in the sales brochures of the major players.

/shrug
I live in the suburb of a semi-large city of a couple million. I have 3 bike shops within a 15 min drive of me. 2 of the 3 have a full range of racks, bags, lights and other great accessories for commuting. Or I can go for a 30 min drive and hit an MEC store that has pretty much everything.

My area is bike riding mecca with tens of thousands of frequent recreational riders (road and off-road) but relatively few who use bicycles for transportation, errands or commuting. There's a dozen LBS and a Performance store within a 15 mile radius. Accessories to make a bike more useful for transportation or commuting are pretty scarce. Maybe 10 percent of the bikes sold by a typical LBS would feasible to install a rack, pannier fenders or basket, so it's not surprising that few LBS around my area stock these accessories. I buy nearly all parts and accessories from the web, saves lots of time from checking lots of LBS and still not finding what I was looking for.

I'm temporarily in a new town (St. Simons, GA) and the place is crawling with bikes. There are MUPs everywhere, something we don't have in my hometown, any bike lanes or racks or even an LBS.

Just a comment, looking at the first couple of google hits on your town for promotion as a resort, etc, I found no mention of bicycles. Including cycling terms in the search yielded a page from Elderhostel about the exceptional bike paths on Jekyl and St. Simons Islands.

So either the folks there take the MUPs for granted, or maybe cyclists are not the demographic that the tourism industry there is seeking. bummer, it sounds like a cool place.

Near where I work, there's two LBSes, two Wal-Marts, and one Target.

One LBS has VERY little selection of anything, high prices ($16 for a Third Eye? WTF?), and is closed on Tuesdays.

The other has fair prices, decent selection, and fair service. (I wouldn't say good service, just fair.) Basically, if I need something, they've probably got something that'll work, but I could get it for less money, with better service, and probably a better match from Performance. The downside is, Performance is about a 30 minute one way drive from where I live, and 40 minutes from where I work. (Mail order IS a good thing.)

As for the X-marts... one Wal-Mart has a downright lousy selection (heck, they don't even carry Denalis,) one is fair, and the Target has a lousy selection as well.

Where I live, XMart is a chain of 'adult' stores. I hear they don't have any parts for bike commuting, either.

This is a university town, so the bike shops here are better equipped for commuters. OTOH, the town that I grew up in, down in SW Florida, probably doesn't have shops that stock anything besides beach cruisers, adult trikes and very high end stuff for the poseurs.

xxxxx cycles actively promotes cycling by:

* Encouraging cycling as a way of life and well being.
* Sponsoring and promoting race teams and riders.
* Sponsoring and promoting bicycle races and events.
* Providing sponsorship and sag, mechanical support for community rides and events.
* Encouraging bicycling as transportation.


There's one shop near me that has the slogan "We support bicycles as transportation" on their web page. I went in there expecting to find at least a few commuting type items... nope. They didn't have racks, panniers, trunk bags, or any light that wouldn't look at home on a sub 17lb racing bike... nothing.

The CHEAPEST bike they sold (in stock) was an $1,100 entry level racing bike.

You explain to me how that's supporting bicycles as transportation.

That said, I do manage to find a decent selection at some of the other places... including Performance, REI, and a couple LBS's.

Oh, and I should say... I do see a lot of transportational cyclists... bags are common, but so are baskets, and I've even seen one guy with a plywood-and-2x4 rack. Weight weenies, cower in fear! :roflmao:

As for X-Mart... you've not been watching the right videos. There's a video out there suggesting a... modification for womens bikes that could make commuting MUCH more fun for them. :eek: :lol: And, that's where you'd get the parts for it.

Prescott, AZ, isn't a megalopolis (yet) but has 3 shops that carry items for commuters. I've seen fenders, baskets, lights, mirrors and commuter bikes like Breezers with full commuter set ups. The three shops sell Trek, Giant, Gary Fisher, Sun, etc. but no Electra. Of course I see a lot of bags hanging off of handlebars too.I just bought a Mirrycle which I adore. Am thinking of a rack next, then maybe fenders for winter.

Let me rephrase that: are outfitted commuters that esoteric?

Here in hawaii you're more likely to see bikes with surfboard racks than bikes with normal "pannier" racks. How's that for esoteric?

Why would people in a bike shop or department store realize the possibility of bike accessories useful for commuting? Bikes equipped with such functional accessories are almost never on display or portrayed in the sales catalogs. Have you ever heard of a bike salesperson EVER recommending such equipment to a customer of a new bicycle?


http://www.intownbicycles.com/

"We're especially passionate about bicycle transportation here at Intown Bicycles. We bike commute ourselves, and love helping other people do it too."

Here in Redmond, it's possible to find all sorts of commuter gear at all the shops. While not every shop will have everything you want, all the shops will have some bit of it.

I go to REI or Sammamish Valley Cycles for my reflective gear and waterproof items (booties, gloves, etc.) I head to Redmond Cycle for obscure vintage equipment (spare bolts and such from old derailleurs) and I go to any shop for general commuter gear (fenders, lights, etc.)

Aaron, the problem for any shop is stocking items for any and every person that comes in. The parts you described range from the very low end (I have yet to see a 26X1-3/8" tire of any quality above the $10 mark...but yes, we have them) to the truly esoteric. If you look in any one of our distributer catalogs, there is typically three or four pages of blinky lights alone. The sheer odds of having the particular light you're looking for in stock is against you, ditto for some of the other items.

Believe me I KNOW what is in the distributors catalogs...:D (Hawleys, QBP and J&B to name a few;)) When I wanted my YELLOW Freddy Fenders I fully expected to order them and would not have thought otherwise. They were listed in all 3 distributors catalogs that the LBS uses on a normal basis. However only one distributor had them in stock. As far as the 26x1-3/8" tires, I would have been happy with a matched pair:(. BTW Schwalbe does make a very nice one in the Marathon line, but I would not expect it to be a stock item at very many stores if any. But when it comes to racks, bags, pedals and the like I think some stock would be better than none at all.

In some ways I think the bicycle manufacturers are doing the stores and consumers a major disservice by the obsolescence of some items. I have been involved in one way or another with cycling for almost 40 years, there have been a few great technology advances, but for the most part all I see is repackaging of stuff for advertising purposes and to convince Roady Warbucks he needs the latest and greatest or he will never make the grade:rolleyes:

I realize that various manufacturers come and go, are merged and absorbed. But I think that the rush to come out with a new line of everything every year is ridiculous, but I guess they think they have to do it to get the sales. I think my disappointment lies in the fact that the items are available but not readily so, and if you don't get it now it will not be available tomorrow.

Aaron:)

Where I live, XMart is a chain of 'adult' stores. I hear they don't have any parts for bike commuting, either.~snip~


Perhaps I should italize the X:D We use X-mart as a generic term for any big box store that carries everything in the world that they want you to think you need, except what you are looking for. Around here that encompasses Walmart, Target, Kmart and few others.

Aaron:)

Alot of people as questions about my bicycle even though I am in the large city of Atlanta. I can really move down the road loaded with a good amount of cargo. The way I think about bicycles post BF's is entirely different than before I came here. The vast knowledge I have learned has allowed me to build a extremely functional commuter. When people ask me about my bike I try to express the importance of bicycle education. Rather, than running out and buying a new bicycle, keep riding the old one as you read BF's so that when you act it will be with purpose.

I'm a gear junkie. I have my Specialized Expedition outfitted with a rack and rack bag with a center and two side pockets and its full of stuff :ie: 2 extra tubes plus a patch kit some latex gloves and a multi tool and set of allen wrenches a couple of metric wrenches, rainpants, full finger gloves, first aid kit a couple of granola bars and a bunch of other stuff I haven't seen for a while but will need sometime I'm sure. Its got a permanently mounted cateye double row blinkie that will blind you if you look straight at it up close and a night rider headlight and another secondary headlight powered by 4 AA batteries. Oh yeah a pump and waterbottle plus I carry a backpack with my lunch and work related stuff. I didn't have any problems finding all this stuff at my LBS but I didn't buy all of it there. I used e-bay, Bike Nashbar, Performance and a host of other places. I would recommend if you want a rear rack get it at your LBS so if there are any fit issues they can take care of it unless you are a pretty good wrench and want to do it yourself. Sorry to go on but there should be no problem getting anything you want for your ride these days. Does this make me esoteric? My wife thinks I may be a bit obsessive compulsive and sometimes just plain annoying :) Enjoy its all good

Original Question: Have you ever heard of a bike salesperson EVER recommending such equipment to a customer of a new bicycle?

http://www.intownbicycles.com/

"We're especially passionate about bicycle transportation here at Intown Bicycles. We bike commute ourselves, and love helping other people do it too."

Thanks, now I have read about one.

Just a comment, looking at the first couple of google hits on your town for promotion as a resort, etc, I found no mention of bicycles. Including cycling terms in the search yielded a page from Elderhostel about the exceptional bike paths on Jekyl and St. Simons Islands.

So either the folks there take the MUPs for granted, or maybe cyclists are not the demographic that the tourism industry there is seeking. bummer, it sounds like a cool place.

The bike paths are really wide sidewalks, but they are separated from the roads, and they go everywhere. A little rough riding on my 23mm commuter, but on my wider tire bikes they're great. And if I really wanted to haul ass on my thin tired bike I'd be in the street anyhow.

St. Simons is packed full of people, and road traffic is thick with a heavy "elderly vs. yuppie" flavor; Jekyl however is nine miles away and has huge bike paths that stretch for miles along empty beach, and nothing in between. It's an interesting dichotomy and both are ideally suited for using a bike instead of a car.

That statement and this thread surprise me a little.

Maybe I should get around to a few more bike shops, but I have yet to go into one that I felt was intentionally underrepresenting commuting accessories.

After talking to the owner of one of the LBS's in St. Simons, it seems that all the business he gets call for are beach cruisers for a tourist market. I didn't really get into it about the commuter market, they were busy and I did not want to take up too much time. I did get the impression that to him the word pannier=Randonnée=not his market, and he did wish that he could cary road bikes and more of the sport side of cycling (not that he had anything against commuting, just that his love of the game comes from racing). I don't know if they are missing the utilitarian market because of an overwhelming tourist trade, of if it's truly absent.


Can anyone be more specific about how these shops are making you feel neglected? What stuff aren't they carrying? Have any of them discouraged you verbally or made fun of your fully-equipped rig? I'd honestly like to know so that our shop can be more accommodating.

Yeah, the closest LBS to my hometown, about 20 miles away, had a Bianchi with a nexus 8 hub, fenders, etc. (pretty bike, too small for me though) that they were trying get rid of. "The Blond Dude" tried to sell it to me as a Bianchi with a Rohloff, "because we don't want that crap in here any more". When I brought up that was an Nexus, not a Rohloff--"Same thing, Shimano owns Rohloff. But whatever I ride single speed in the dirt." About 40 miles away are much better LBS's in a college town.

"Same thing, Shimano owns Rohloff. But whatever I ride single speed in the dirt."

:roflmao:

Should have showed him your ride with the Nuvinci continuously variable planetary hub. You know, Shimano's latest hub. You really would had him goin'. :D

^^^
It's on an E-Bike with an Xtracycle kit, would have been too much for him.

he did wish that he could cary road bikes and more of the sport side of cycling (not that he had anything against commuting, just that his love of the game comes from racing).
I suspect that part of the problem commuters and other utilitarians have with finding LBS'es that meet their needs is that many shop owners and employees got into the business because of their love for racing, road cycling, track racing, mountain biking, BMX, etc. That is to say, they really identify with cycling as a sport first, utility often coming in last or not at all. There's nothing inherently wrong with people who prefer the athletic end of cycling, it's just not where my interests lie. When I go into a shop that carries very little of what interests me, I'm left with the impression that my business is not important to them. That's okay, I'm just not going to buy anything - even when I know they can order most things for me if I asked. There's at least 5 shops where I live that cater to an adequate extent to commuters/utilitarians and I feel welcome in those shops. (especially the one where 2 of the 4 co-owners are female utility cyclists. :)) We all tend to feel more comfortable in places where the people are more like ourselves than less. That's just human nature.

The CHEAPEST bike they sold (in stock) was an $1,100 entry level racing bike.

You explain to me how that's supporting bicycles as transportation.


That bike Sir, will transport the not too well to do weight weenie on his 20 mile weekend "training" ride in full USPS kit with the requisite Powerbars and energy drinks present and accounted for. At the end of said ride it will live the rest of its days hanging from the ceiling in full readiness for the next training ride of 2018.

We have a shop similar to that here - they specialize in carbon fiber road bikes. Unfortunately for me I was a little overwhelmed when I walked in and the average price was over $3000 for the bikes. I'm sure there was something in a bargain bin for maybe $1k but I didn't spend that much time to look around.

If you're looking to spend several thousand though, I have just the store for you :D

Funny replies in this thread.

I want to sell that Blonde Dude a one-speed shifter...Shimano, of course.

After reading some of them though, I can tell that our shop might be seen as "commuter unfriendly". The shop owner has a racing background and still looks at riding as training and recreation. I too have a racing background, but all that's behind me now. We sell mountainbikes predominantly, then comfort/cruisers, then kids bikes, then BMX, then road. Very few people take commuting seriously around here...other than my Dad and me (I'll have to post some pics of my Dad's Bleriot once he gets his Nitto racks and Carradice bags installed) and I know the shop stock reflects what the owner feels will sell the best.

Also, my apologies to AllenG for the threadjack, but I do appreciate the input on how to make the shop better. I've been working for some time now towards owning it, and I can see several changes in focus and attitude being made once I do. Thanks. :)

Not in Austin. But I assume that a city with a >50000 student university isn't indicative of the population at large.

That bike Sir, will transport the not too well to do weight weenie on his 20 mile weekend "training" ride in full USPS kit with the requisite Powerbars and energy drinks present and accounted for. At the end of said ride it will live the rest of its days hanging from the ceiling in full readiness for the next training ride of 2018.

Jesus god, are commuters bitter. Not enough to lash out at 'cagers', they turn on their fellow cyclists. Some of you need to step the **** off of your pedestals and join the human race.

Well, in Portland outfitted (as well as the usual DUIs, and full out roadies, etcetera etcetera) are quite common. But it's Portland. In certain neighborhoods each block will average at leats a few "serious" comuters.


In missoula, I see more sport oriented stuff. Also people suck at riding their bikes a lot of the time (sidwalks). But there are a lot of cyclists, and enough serious commuters that it's a little like a mini-Portland. Then again, I've lived here all of 2 weeks.

Mountain biking is king here, anways. Which is why naturally I'm going to go out for the college road racing team/club. Bass ackwards as usual:D