X-LinkedRider

This is just a general question even though I know their reasoning is this is when they ride, why do LBS close on sundays? You would think it would be the best day to sell some bicycles and at the same time get passing cyclists. Just a curiosity I always had.

xenologer

Because that is when they ride.

trekker pete

Were I a shop owner, I'd close a day or two during the week to ride. I suspect they have other family/church obligations. Also, it's very easy to have your business open and ride on the same day.

It's called commuting.

wahoonc

Our retail shop is closed on Sunday's so we can spend time with our family and attend church. Small business owners' seldom have the luxury of not working and definitely need a day off. Most LBS's that I know are locally owned family businesses.

Aaron

Retro Grouch 

1. Lots of bike shop guys are racers. What day are most of the races held? Solo rides have their place but they aren't a substitute for races or for group social rides.
2. I have personally known two bike shop owners who closed on Sundays for purely religious reasons.
3. There's more to life than working and riding a bicycle. Bike shop people have lives and families too. I once had to separate from a bike shop that I worked at because I could never never ever get a Sunday off. I missed all of our family get togethers. Incidentally the boss, who took every single Sunday off, couldn't understand why I was upset.

I was recently offered the opportunity to buy an established bike shop for the price of the fixtures. I'm not willing to commit myself to working every weekend again so I took a pass.

You're right about one thing. Sunday tends to be the #2 day of the week for bike sales. I don't think that through the week you make up the sales you lose by being closed Sunday.

zeo_max

This is the first time I hear of this. It's a very strange concept. Where did you come up with this ?

Retro Grouch 

Just wait until you find out about the joys that women and watermelon can provide.

TandemGeek

I'm old enough to remember when all retail was closed on Sundays, and in retrospect.... I miss those days. A couple Rx stores would be open for a few hours, but that was it.

It was kinda nice knowing that at least one day of the week was reserved for time with family and/or recreation: it truly was the day of rest OR a day to pursue hobbies, play or watch sports in the afternoon.

spinnaker

One of my LBSs closes on Sundays during the winter because of lack of business.

pipes

The BEST one around here is Al Petri and Sons in Lincoln Park Michigan and they been closed on Sunday since 1946. There family run and have to have a day off .

tsl

My LBS of choice is closed Sundays and Wednesdays October through March, and open all seven days April through September. In the off-season, I miss the Wednesdays much more than the Sundays.

Retro Grouch 

I remember that. When I moved to Missouri in '79 we had "blue laws". Drug stores and grocery stores were open but pretty much everything else was closed. The laws were goofy too. You could buy food but not baby diapers because that was "clothing". It was great for bicycling. We used empty shopping center parking lots as starting points for big group rides. The riding was better too because there wasn't as much traffic using the roads.

We had an election in '80 or '81 in which the majority of voters chose to continue the blue laws. Within a year, however, our state legislature decided they knew better than the people and now we have Sunday sales.

spinnaker

I was only a kid but I remember those days too. Things were a lot more simple then.

If we did go back to closing businesses on Sunday, it would be hard to get used to at first but in the end I think it would be a good thing. Maybe families would spend more time together instead of running out to the mall.

For sure it would help to keep a lot of cars off the road on Sunday. I rode Christmas Day and it was marvelous. Very few cars on the road. It would be nice to have that once a week.

ChuteTheMall

If I ever retire, I hope I can find a place that's mostly closed on Sundays.

One quiet day per week would benefit everyone, regardless of religion or lack thereof.

pipes

Hohenwald Tn There might be somthing open on Sundays now or try Elkhorn city Ky both dead as 4 o cloclk.

Doohickie

Sundays? That's what Performance Bike is for (but only if I'm desperate). The funny thing is Performance never seems to have what I need in stock.

dynodonn 

The LBS that I frequent is closed every Saturday because of the owner's religious beliefs, but definitely open on Sundays.

wahoonc

They NEVER have what I need in stock. The last 3 times I have made the trip to their closest store they DID NOT have what I needed. Once it was a 26x1.5 city tire for my MTB or I could have used a 700cx40, for my other bike. I also needed a freewheel...not a cassette a freewheel. Most of my bikes are pretty vintage and all they seem to carry is what is supposed to be the latest and the greatest

Aaron

X-LinkedRider

I understand the day or 2 off for time spent with family. It just seems to me that Sundays would be, for a bicycle shop, a very lucrative day as that is when everybody else is off spending time with their family, shopping.

Also, they have employees. I would think that one of them are trustworthy enough to run the shop on sundays if it's not THAT busy. Just a thought. I am speaking out of consumer ignorance of course.

dynodonn 

It would probably be more financially beneficial for bicycle shops to do like our local motorcycle shops do, and close only on Mondays.

X-LinkedRider

Or Tuesdays and thursdays. That is what I would think anyways.

Tapeworm21

Closed for church? What year am I in? 1887?

aidy

eh here shops are only open five days a week... most bike shops are closed on sundays and mondays

wahoonc

Actually a lot of mom and pop shops DON'T have enough employees. Also in most cases bicycle shop employees are also riders and want to ride/race on a Sunday.

We tried "trusting" employees and had some issues in our shop. Bad enough that the decision was made that our store will not be open if one of three family members is not there.

Aaron

MKahrl

I lived for ten years in a city with blue laws. Not only were shops closed on Sunday but after 5:00 as well. Getting all your shopping done on Saturday was complete mayhem. When I had duty onboard the ship on Saturday I was SOL. It probably worked better in an earlier time when wives got all the shopping done during the week.

That said, I can understand owner operated shops keeping closed on Sundays. It's nice if they find a way to be open a few hours after work during the week.