Foo - something that pissed me off

the reason that i almost never go to one of the local lbs's

every time i go in there they say something that pisses me off. i rarely ever take my bike down there. but i have actually gone down there in full kit before. but yesterday i was just beating around in jeans and a pressed shirt. I went in and the guy asked me

"hey is that your dad's bike?"

ummmm no?

last time i rolled in i was wearing my ride your bike to work day shirt and i got asked "do you have a bicycle?" 3 times. it just seems like unless i come in dressed in full kit they assume i dont have a bike, or know how to ride.

so i take my business elsewhere where the guys are a bit more laid back and tend not to bother me but have to put up with the fact i dont want to put trek branded part on a specialized frame

ok i am done ranting

I feel your pain, c0urt.

I wouldn't go there either.

Have you thought of bringing them a cookie. Might make them a bit more helpful.

Tell them how insensitive they are being and how they hurt your feelings.

Ok, you said you rarely take your bike down there, but you do go there in full kit sometimes. Are you saying you drove there in your car in a full kit? That's kind of gay.

Ok, you said you rarely take your bike down there, but you do go there in full kit sometimes. Are you saying you drove there in your car in a full kit? That's kind of gay.

i dont own a car.

next

most LBS owners/employees are *******s. Sorry to whoever that offends but aside from your services as mechanics, you're nearly worthless.

That's not been my experience, BLIMP, but I do think it's true that when it's bad, it's really bad.

I just don't like the pricing. I can buy something online, and if I'm incapable of installing it myself it's still FAR cheaper than having the LBS do everything. There are some exceptions to this rule but those generally fall under the buddy system and, in my mind, are excluded.

most LBS owners/employees are *******s. Sorry to whoever that offends but aside from your services as mechanics, you're nearly worthless.Don't be sorry, but your statement just told me you are probably an ******* also. My guess is that any usefulness you might impart onto my life is a negligible as you deem my usefulness is on yours. So, I guess we are both just mutually useless to each other.

Unless you have met and interacted with "most" LBS employees and owners, you have no clue as to their usefulness. Something tells me you haven't.

I have. My most recent bike was purchased from the mech for a rather elite pyschocross team. It's not to say they're not without knowledge that is incredibly useful, but I've had a long history of dealing with complete ******bags in shops who aren't willing to accept that my preferred build is not theirs. This has led to me slowly accumulate my own tools and competence to work on my own bikes. Don't mistake this to mean that I hate all mechs, just a lot of them. Even then, it's mostly the retail people I have issue with.

My gripe is with how all the shops here seem to cater to "performance" riders...and the ones that don't only seem to cater to x-mart bikes, cruisers, and lowe-end bikes in general.

I guess I fit a weird niche, where I like quality parts, but my first and foremost priority are parts that will not crap out on me, ever. Basically a bike equal to "the working man's sportscar".

My gripe is with how all the shops here seem to cater to "performance" riders...and the ones that don't only seem to cater to x-mart bikes, cruisers, and lowe-end bikes in general.

I guess I fit a weird niche, where I like quality parts, but my first and foremost priority are parts that will not crap out on me, ever. Basically a bike equal to "the working man's sportscar".

then buy 105 or ultegra.

then buy 105 or ultegra.

Right now it's a mix of LX and XT since it's a mountain bike. :p The roadie is mixed centaur/chorus/record only where it's presence doesn't impact reliability, that bike is nothing short of incredible...but even the LBS was a pain about that concept "you shouldnt mix grouppos". Oh well, I don't want CF in high-load environments, since metal will fare better in a crash....if they won't do it, I'll just do it online :)

I will be moving to full XT as time goes on...now to find a non rapid-rise version...I really don't like RR...it just feels wrong.

Sound like a few (but very few) experiences I've had. It seems to be common a "high pressure" shops that are just trying to talk you in to a new bike. One bike shop that played this game was desperately trying to talk me into a bike that didn't fit me "right that minute" instead of ordering the correct fit one.

In my experiences, 90% of bike shops are totally cool and laid back - e.g. not like that.

My best ever bike shop was the one when I was growing up, it was a dirty run down shop with an elderly gentleman that knew more about bikes than you would ever realise he knew.

He never had new bikes on display, but every now and again I would see people come out of the shop with a brand new top of the line bike.

When I started doing some racing I discovered half the people at the track all got the bikes from him, turned out he had the bikes around the corner out of sight and would only sell you the bike if he thought you where worthy off the bike.

He kept my old bike and me cycling very cheaply even once replaced my fork for free after I had wiped out one day.

Never found anyone like him since and I guess I never will.

My experiences here in Kyoto with local bike shops has been mixed.
It is very strange here...If you purchase from a large cycle store which has stores all over Japan, they generally don't give a sh1t about the fit etc. and send you out the door as soon as they have your money. Maybe like the staff of a large variety store over there in the States.

If you go to a LBS which is a few generations old and family owned and run, you will always be treated like a king.
I have two shops I frequent and recommend to friends here.
One has incredibly low prices (permanently 20% below retail) and the other wonderful mechanical skills.
They don't mind you purchasing from one and fitting by the other. In fact will tell you if the prices are cheaper elsewhere. I've even seen a delivery truck from one shop, deliver parts to another to help out if they run out of stock (???confused why???).
Everyone seems to work and help each other. The customer always benefits.

BUT, the bike shops I've experienced on the Gold Coast in Australia is a different story. Once you have outlaid the big dollars on your initial bike purchase, you are dropped like a sack of spuds for any trivial / incidental purchases. There was only one bike shop which was the exception. It was a Tri Shop which always made you welcome and always remembered you. Probably why he is the most successful LBS there.

It's funny. Everyone's stories sound like the good and bad in all retail. I think because most of us feel more strongly about our bikes that most of our other possessions, we get so passionate about this issue.

Thank God for my local shop! They cater across the boards, from performance riders to fixing X-Mart bikes. Not that they won't try to sell you a decent entry bike if you come in with a broken X-Mart special, but they will fix it and give it back to you safe to ride if that's your preference!:D

It's funny. Everyone's stories sound like the good and bad in all retail. I think because most of us feel more strongly about our bikes that most of our other possessions, we get so passionate about this issue.

A wise observation. :)

Court,

I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you have a bike?

Love,

Jeff

PS, please do not kill me.

i dont own a car.

next

Do you have a bike? :D :lol: ;)

Edit: Ack...beat me to the punch again, Jeff, and I will kill you myself...and your little dog too!

It's funny. Everyone's stories sound like the good and bad in all retail. I think because most of us feel more strongly about our bikes that most of our other possessions, we get so passionate about this issue.

True....

Once we get so deep into something, sometimes we actually become our own niche customer group, and shops just can't afford to cater to that group...so we end up singling ourselves out.

It's partof why I really don't raise much of a stink about it...I like tinkering with things, so I'll just go where ever I can source the parts from with the least hassle and do it myself. As a bonus I can say "I built this".

Thank God for my local shop! They cater across the boards, from performance riders to fixing X-Mart bikes. Not that they won't try to sell you a decent entry bike if you come in with a broken X-Mart special, but they will fix it and give it back to you safe to ride if that's your preference!:D

+1 for me too. I got mine at REI and while they were nice, it was my local bike shop who helped get it fitted properly (alot cheaper I might add) and get all the new bike kinks out.

most LBS owners/employees are *******s. Sorry to whoever that offends but aside from your services as mechanics, you're nearly worthless.

point of reference, i was a shop tech in a small town ibs before i lost my memory. some techs are just more useful than others. not offended by your statement because some of the guys i have met i wouldn't let assemble huffys at wally-world


i tend to only go to shops for parts or to browse.


and no jeff i dont have a bike, but my wheel chair is running a full 105 grouppo now though

mag wheels, pegs...lucky