Hybrid Bicycles - Supporting you local Bike Shop

Do you go out of you way to support the local shop. My LBS tends to be more of a road bike shop with lots of carbon. I have had great experiences with them over the years. I find the things I want on line and usually have them order it for me. They are kinda far from the city so the don't do a lot of commuter business. They do tend to like what I order and try stocking it to see if it will move. I go out of my way to give my business to them and they treat me well even though I am not a carbon supporter

The LBS I go to is pretty balanced. They definitely have the plethora of road bikes, but some hybrids, and plenty of knowledge and interest in vintage bikes too, which is good for me.

The closest LBS to me is pretty famous, Orange20. It's not for me so much. The Hybrids they carry I can't afford and the rest seems pretty road bikey and hipster.

I bring my business to Budget Pro Bicycles. The guys there are amazing. Always very kind and don't make me feel like an idiot. They are a Trek dealer and have, what I think is, a lot of hybrids. Of course there are all sorts of "fast" bikes there as well. It's not close, about 10 or so L.A. miles which is far :D

We have a great number of bike shops as despite the northern locale our cycling community is a large one.

Aside from the specialty road and mtb shops we do have several large and well established shops that carry pretty much everything in the way of hybrid and city bikes.

The service can be hit or miss depending on the shop.

My closest LBS is my own and the the guy who works there is a bit of a retro grouch sometimes.

:lol:

For bicycle components, tires, wheels, etc. I will order from the LBS. Suprisingly there is only one bike shop in this university town of 16K college students. The shop carries three brands and seems to cater to road bike clients more than MTB or urban/path cyclists.

The courteous and knowledgeable staff is comprised of the owner and two mechanics. The owner recommended the Trek FX series for a fitness bike that met my criteria. Left to my own devices there is no telling what I might have selected. They answered all my questions, fitted me for the bike and informed me about local clubs and meetings.

Cycling apparel I usually buy from Internet vendors.

I have three LBS...well ok four, that I peruse( or stalk ) on a regular basis:) They are all good in their own ways and what one store doesn't stock one of the other three usually do.

My only beef that I've come across a few times is that even though they may not sell a competitors bike brand they should know enough of that brand to tell me why yours brand is better than that one. Luckily I tend to over-research before buying anything:D

Having checked out The Old Spokes Home up here, which I found to be an excellent shop with more-than-reasonable prices, I'll give this LBS a go next time I need something. And I have a lead - thank you marvelous, on another LBS up here I have yet to check out. With the crooked shop that didn't do work for me that I paid for - I was strictly internet unless it was a big-ticket item. Like a patch-kit.

how is this hybrid specific?

how is this hybrid specific?

It is specific in the sense that many bikes shops do not cater to the needs of average cyclists very well be that because they lack stock or because they lack product knowledge or interest in what they are selling.

One of our local shops stocks an impressive selection of urban bikes but their staff are very mountain bike and road oriented so getting information can be a pain... I will say that they have been improving as more and more people are moving away from dedicated road and mountain bikes and looking for a more urban friendly design.

At one time the city / hybrid bike was almost an extinct species here as every shop thought a mountain bike was the solution to people's riding needs.

Knowing what shops cater best to this is good information to have.

how is this hybrid specific?

Ok, are you in Hybrids JUST to question every post and how it's hybrid specific. Seriously, check the other forums, it's natural to go off topic a little because we're groups of people with common interests so other common topics will show up.

of course but apparently I can't go off topic without getting moved ... :(

you know what? I think hybrid owners in genersal have a chip on their shoulder cuz they're and have been discriminated against ... think so?

of course but apparently I can't go off topic without getting moved ... :(

you know what? I think hybrid owners in genersal have a chip on their shoulder cuz they're and have been discriminated against ... think so?

The chip on my shoulder is towards folks who are elitist and think that their bike is better than someone elses. Isn't the point simply that we have bikes, ride, etc. I just don't see a point to taking time to purposely bash and be the person who you mention, you know the one, the discriminating one. One thing is for sure, I won't go into another forum and bash a roadie or a fixie or something. Frankly, I don't care if anyone likes my upright comfy city bike. HELL, I live in a freaking huge city and ride and crowded city streets...

Anywho...this will be my last response because responding to you is, umm, err, unproductive.

of course but apparently I can't go off topic without getting moved ... :(
Only if the topic is off-topic to begin with.



you know what? I think hybrid owners in genersal have a chip on their shoulder cuz they're and have been discriminated against ... think so?
That's not the reason why. We have chips on our shoulders because we are better than everyone else.

I support one shop around here. It is basically a one man operation. The owner is a little curmudgeonly, maybe even a retro grouch, but he really knows bikes and has a decent line of bikes and accessories.

(thanks Danw for getting us back on track :D ) Or bike path so have you.

I have three shops in my neighborhood. All of them sell well known, respected brands of bikes.

One caters primarily (but not exclusively) to road bike enthusiasts. I've bought a few things there and find them pretty good, if not a wee bit on the expensive side. All of the staff at this shop really know what they're talking about -- not only with road bikes but with all other bikes as well.

Another one is a local chain that sells primarily to families -- not bad prices but I've found them to have mostly young kids working there who really don't know as much as they ought to. Their prices are pretty good for most items.

The third is a store that specializes in new and used sports gear but is also a bike dealer (they carry three brands). I purchased my bike from this shop because they sell the brand that I was interested in buying. They didn't have my size in stock when I bought it but ordered it in and I had it in a few days. Their service so far has been pretty good but again, they have a lot of young kids in there who don't know as much about bikes as they should. I find that most of the time I talk to the owner or the bike mechanic -- both of whom know their stuff quite well. The mechanic is exceptionally knowledgeable and is always willing to discuss bikes and offer sound advice.

So far I've made a few of my purchases from the first LBS and most of my purchases from the 3rd one where I bought my bike.

In all honestly, I think that all of them are decent shops but I tend to go where I feel the most comfortable with the people who work there, so it tends to be the shop where I bought my bike.

I've never purchased bike stuff online and doubt much that I ever will -- I'm a big proponent of supporting local businesses.

I guess there are 2 stores we frequent and 1 in our neighborhood which we don't go to but is popular.

For my bike I go to Budget Pro Bicycles (http://www.yelp.com/biz/budget-pro-bicycles-los-angeles)(as I mentioned earlier). They are so nice there so efficient and AMAZING customer service. They are Trek and Gary Fischer dealers and don't sell a whole lot of things that TerraSkye and I love like bells, baskets and bags :)) The are just over 8 miles from me :( No clue why they have no website so Yelp is all I got, besides one bad review, all good.

My husband bought his bike from Performance Bikes. It's a little further than my shop at 9.1 miles away but they had a bigger selection and he loved a bike he found before looking at my shop (boo on him). The sales people there are blech in my opinion. At my shop I get lifetime tuneups, I'm not sure if his are for a year or lifetime but truth be told, when he got a flat, we took it to my shop. We definitely prefer to support our LBS.

Now, the closest store to us is the infamous Orange 20, (http://orange20bikes.com/) a hipsters paradise :) This is 1.7 miles from us on a cool hip block that includes one of my fave vegan restaurants and homemade ice cream spots. And to tie this all together, Orange 20 has a nice selection of "urban bikes" (http://orange20bikes.com/nav-2/urban-bikes/):D

Calmar in Santa Clara, CA is my LBS and I try to buy all my bicycle stuff from them.

My LBS is awful. There are some not so LBS that are good not too far away.

I'm glad I found a good one across my city. The other one - that sent me scurrying to the internet - wouldn't know a cone-wrench from an earwig.

We have several. Roll: is the closest, they have a small store just a mile or so away from me, then they have another store in another mall called Easton. Then we have two bikesource stores within 5 miles and one more downtown. Plus a couple others that I haven't been in yet like the trek store and a triathlon specialty place. The four I've been to have raised my credit card balance enough already.

That's not the reason why. We have chips on our shoulders because we are better than everyone else.

:roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2::thumb:

one shop gets my undying recomendation every time. the owner even recognizes my voice on the phone:lol: always seems to have what i need, does little things like removing a stubborn pedal for free. and trades stuff with me like vintage bikes i do not want/need for stuff i do want/ errr need yeah thats it neeed shiny:D

I live in a small town so the the nearest bike shop is 40 mins away, but I have bought a lot from them. They are so friendly... it really makes me want to shop and support them. I tried buying another brand (Jamis) at a college town bike shop that is an hour away, but the difference in customer service is pretty huge. The salespeople there seem fairly disinterested so I'd rather shop at my main store.

I do buy from department stores on occasion... My LBS isn't cheap and if I'm buying something small like mirrors or maybe gloves, I will sometimes buy elsewhere... plus the hours are better at the department stores. But that's only a sometime thing as I like the guidance that the LBS gives me and I want to keep that good relationship going.

I try really hard to use my LBS but they just don't seem interested in my money so I've turned to the internet.

I also try to support my LBS, but often buy on the net. The shop I bought my last bike from did not have gloves in my size, so a trip down town was in order.

One of the shops refused to acknowledge my existence after I browsed about ten minutes. When I finally found gloves, the pair that fit me was $40. I left, and went across the street.

That store had one pair of XL Gel gloves. The "gel" was about 1/8" thick, and they were $45. I went home and found a better pair at Nashbar for $11.

BTW, the PI shorts I was looking at were $125 to $140 at the two last LBS. They were $89 online.

Sometimes, I cannot support my LBS.

I have three LBS...well ok four, that I peruse( or stalk ) on a regular basis:) They are all good in their own ways and what one store doesn't stock one of the other three usually do.

My only beef that I've come across a few times is that even though they may not sell a competitors bike brand they should know enough of that brand to tell me why yours brand is better than that one. Luckily I tend to over-research before buying anything:D

There are literally hundreds of bike brands, within some of the larger brands they will produce over 2 hundred models. It's impossible to even begin to think someone could know something about everyone of them. Everyone builds good bikes these days and it really is hard enough to become familier just with the models that are produced by the brands within the store.

The research really is up to you not the guy working in the shop.

I'll go to the 4 LBS's near me to see if they:

a. Have what I want
b. Have it at a decent price

However, as I move around A LOT due to work, I am not loyal to any of them. If its not in store or at a competitive price, I don't feel guilty buying online.

Part of the reason is the service/support you get from the shop is only through that shop. When I move approx every 10 months, why bother paying for the service.

/me puts flame suit on and awaits response

There are literally hundreds of bike brands, within some of the larger brands they will produce over 2 hundred models. It's impossible to even begin to think someone could know something about everyone of them. Everyone builds good bikes these days and it really is hard enough to become familier just with the models that are produced by the brands within the store.

The research really is up to you not the guy working in the shop.

I disagree. If he wants me to buy his product, it behooves him to tell me why his is better........ simple sales 101.

I'm glad I found a good one across my city. The other one - that sent me scurrying to the internet - wouldn't know a cone-wrench from an earwig.

I don't know what either of those things are... :( :cry: hahahaha!

Do you go out of you way to support the local shop.


Absolutely. My LBS has been fantastic, and they support riders of varying abilities/interests. I was referred to them by a friend who has been doing business with them for years, and I've referred a few folks their way myself. I actually pass two or three other shops to get to their place.

I do buy online as well, but mostly just for clothing. Most everything else I get from the shop...partly because their prices are competitive anyway, but also because it's the kind of shop where you can just stop in to chat about cycling, pick up tips on different routes to try, etc.