Bicycle Mechanics - Another Stupid LBS....

With this great, unseasonable weather I did the road ride out of one of our LBSs yesterday morning. At the end of the ride I went in to the shop (family owned and only family work there) to buy a set of of Look cleats for my shoes. When the owner handed them to me she stated that they were made in France and she would prefer to the ones made in China. I ask why, thinking that there may have been some quality issue. Appears she is still angry with the French for being right about Iraq and no WMDs. I told her that she is entitled to her opinion but that she could keep the cleats and I would shop someplace else. Somewhere that might does not make right. And they are poor mechainics, besides.

Like many of you, I don't have what I consider a decent LBS. I went into a custom shop in Media, PA yesterday, as well. Started talking to the #2 guy there about the possibility of buying one of their custom framesets. And then he starts bad-mouthing my current ride. That was pretty much the end that conversation. And I am sure he will now complain that I was wasting his time.

These folks are definitely entitled to their opinions. But they should do it in a manner that does not aleinate their customers. And then they wonder why they have to struggle.

The best LBS around here is really only interested in fat tire, vintage and BMX. While the owner is the best mechanic I have ever dealt with and happily does any work I bring in, he couldn't care less about getting high-end parts for either road or MTB. That, and my money, is why I do 99% of my shopping/buying/selling on the web.

FWIW, China also was against us going into Iraq (as was most of the rest of the world).

No coment about the mass graves or freedom of speech?Just wmd.Give it a rest.

As with most small Ma & Pa business owners, they don't really anything outside of their rather stunted sphere of orbit. So didn't want to confuse the issue.

Shokhead - How can you, in good faith with dubya, ride a "Marseille". Have you not shame. But, I will have to drop back into the LBS, as they are a Fuji dealer, and see if they are carrying said model. :roflmao:

I consider myself a smart small business owner. Even as a flag-waving patriot as I am, I don't display our flag at my place of business because I'll probably lose most of my left-winged clients. I keep my politics aside when it comes to running my business.

George!

Too bad you feel that way about our flag. Difficult to get left of me politically and I am sure I am every bit as big a flag waving patriot as you are. Even spent 8+ years on active duty to protect the right to be so. And I don't know a single other lefty (and I know a bunch) who isn't also a big flag waving patriot. I won't even own a foreign made car.

As with most small Ma & Pa business owners, they don't really anything outside of their rather stunted sphere of orbit. So didn't want to confuse the issue.

Shokhead - How can you, in good faith with dubya, ride a "Marseille". Have you not shame. But, I will have to drop back into the LBS, as they are a Fuji dealer, and see if they are carrying said model. :roflmao:
2004 Marseille is different from the 2003.Just a nice red,white and blue bike.

Yes it is. Just like it should. Displaying the French national colors. Red, white and blue. Like on there national flag. The colors we copied in our national flag. While I have not researched it, is very possible that we copied those colors in our flag to honor the French, without whom we would have lost the Revolutionary War. Their blockade of the Cheasepeake kept Cornwallis from being either resupplied, reinforced or relieved. We may have helped them a couple of times in the last century, but we would not have been able to do so without their help at our beginning.

And all of this means what?You like my bike?You want to live in france?You think they are nice?They are.You drink the wine?I dont.We should change the flag colors?You think they were right to say we should'nt have gone to war?Frances under the table,backdoor deals might be found out.Hay,i dont care about any of this really except i like my bike,do you?

Not sure. Same about your bike. But I do like its colors (U.S. or France). I would like to live in France for a while. I definitely drink their wine (as I do all good wines). I like our flag colors. And theirs. I don't think we should have gone to war as we did not have a plan and are and continue to pay the price for no plan (other than to get over there and shoot'em up). France has no more deals than we do. Probably many less. And if they do what business is it of ours? Still not sure about your bike, though. Have to see one first.

The French did send Fighter planes and ground troops to Afghanistan after 9/11. I have several friends who are boycotting french products, Germany was against the war in Iraq too, but no one seems to want to get rid of thier BMW, or Mercedes.........

Displaying the French national colors. Red, white and blue. Like on there national flag. The colors we copied in our national flag. While I have not researched it, is very possible that we copied those colors in our flag to honor the French, without whom we would have lost the Revolutionary War.

Sorry, bud, but the French tricoleur flag didn't exist until after the French revolution, in 1789. The previous royal French flag was a blue backgroung with a white fleur-de-lis in the center (quite similar to the Quebec provincial flag). We didn't copy the French flag.

Red was the color of the revolutionaries, who wore red "liberty caps". When the revolutionaries took power, they decided to add red to the previous colors, but to make the flag as simple as possible.

and, while we're talking about our "allies" during the war, don't forget the Prussians, without who we wouldn't have benefited from the organizational skills of General Steuben. I'm fairly sure that Louis XVI only gave us support so that the Prussians wouldn't be the only power helping us against their common enemy, England. Louis certainly wasn't a big supporter of personal liberty.

Sorry, bud, but the French tricoleur flag didn't exist until after the French revolution, in 1789. The previous royal French flag was a blue backgroung with a white fleur-de-lis in the center (quite similar to the Quebec provincial flag). We didn't copy the French flag.

Red was the color of the revolutionaries, who wore red "liberty caps". When the revolutionaries took power, they decided to add red to the previous colors, but to make the flag as simple as possible.

and, while we're talking about our "allies" during the war, don't forget the Prussians, without who we wouldn't have benefited from the organizational skills of General Steuben. I'm fairly sure that Louis XVI only gave us support so that the Prussians wouldn't be the only power helping us against their common enemy, England. Louis certainly wasn't a big supporter of personal liberty.
Do you think any of those guys road a Fuji Marseille?I sure like mine.

Well, I for one stopped eating French Fries and French Toast!

You guys need to lighten up a bit!

L8R

Its ok, a2psyklnut, those food are terrible for you anyway.:D

I am offended at how easily people are offended these days. A bike shop should be good with bikes, not politics. They should keep their mouth shut about telling you what to buy from a political standpoint. You should make that decision for yourself.

All of this "great knowledge" that the general public seems to think they have about what is going on in the government amazes me. Any of you guys that have been in the military should realize that the public has no clue about what is really going on. If we go in somewhere we are usually a lot closer to a major problem than the public realizes.

France just seems to take the other side from the US. No matter what. :mad: But, I still can't quite get away from those fries.

If anyone disagrees with me, I will be highly offended :D

If you want to see how it is all going to turn out, go here! (This is R rated for language, so watch your speakers so you don't offend anyone) But, it is funny!

www.ebaumsworld.com/endofworld.html (http://www.ebaumsworld.com/endofworld.html)

No great lover of France here either, but I love my Fuji Marseille. It wasn't built in France anyway, so who cares? I hope I don't have to skip going to New Orleans because it has a French name, or not watch the TdF next year.

No great lover of France here either, but I love my Fuji Marseille. It wasn't built in France anyway, so who cares? I hope I don't have to skip going to New Orleans because it has a French name, or not watch the TdF next year.
Any problems with yours?I almost have 1000 miles and zero problems.The best $1099 i've spent so far.

Not really. I mangled a chain link with a bad shift at <100 miles, but after adjusting the front derailleur, no issues at all. Shifts smoothly, rides nice and to top it off, looks great!

I'm very pleased.