food

Why, as a BF.net collective, do we show such reverence for the LBS? I am well aware that there are some standout shops that really and truly cater to those in the sport, but I've noticed lately that most LBS' are not quite up to par with the standard we hold them to. Disgruntled or uninformed salespeople, questionable prices, odd advice, and mediocre service make me think that overall, the LBS experience is not all it's cracked up to be.

Yes, there are many things in road biking that are subjective and are best explained in person, but I refuse to believe that our collective experience is any less adequate than a random shop we have no idea about. So when we quickly refer someone to the LBS without even fielding their query, I cringe a little; can we not aggregate our knowledge and put together something a little bit better than one salesperson at the LBS?

lmans66

I like my LBS......I needed a bit of fixing today and went to my LBS...they were booked solid. But, they took my bike, fixed it and out the door while others had a long wait. No charge too!... I will do business with them for that is "service"...... Once I find a store that has service, I stick with it regardless of what they sell. Keep looking, an LBS is driven by their employees and you will find one worth keeping.

CPcyclist

Personally I find it to be a balance of $$$/quality/help/time. I shop were I get what I want of these thing. Sometimes it is the LBS as I get to take things home today/no shipping fee other times online e-tailers have insane low prices and I am willing to wait for the item.

It is great to see both side of this on theis board. The LBS charges to much, the online took weeks to get X to me.

Serpico

there's only so much that can be communicated over a forum like this. there's an active thread where a cyclist asked for suggestions for a steel frame, he gave his price range and components

I gave the guy two suggestions, another guy gave him 20+, he was also given suggestions by a few dozen other people--some just stating which bikes they thought were hot

sometimes it's best to talk to someone in person who can show you a bike, size you up, etc--I always stress though, if you get a lame/pushy salesman, leave.

goldfish

as stated above, it really does come down to the people that work there. the shop i go to has some really great staff members. one of them in particular, i would trust to take care of my bike without worrying much at all. and honestly, thats saying somthing, because my soloist is my most prized possession. i sold my '84 RX7 so i could afford to get into cycling(and just in general because i couldn't afford to keep that car running anymore) and so i value my bike quite a bit, and trusting a person or a establishment becomes a major issue when somthing is worth a lot to you. its a whole different aspect with somthing like that than with a bunch of (admittedly very knowledgeable) people on a forum like this.

i'm not sure i made my point the way i wanted to, but there it is, for what its worth.

Waldo

Reverence, ha! You need to look around the forum more if you think that's at all close to the truth.
It's interesting to watch on here. You have guys constantly making blanket statements about the lack of knowledge and mechanical aptitude at LBS. These same guys never actually contribute knowledge, just seize upon any opportunity to poke fun at the LBS.
You have guys talking about how pleased they are with their LBS, citing specific examples of what they feel was above and beyond.
There's threads asking about tipping. Those are the most interesting to me-you get a poster that feels he received exceptional service and wants to reward the shop for same, then a bunch of people jump all over the guy for having such a crazy idea.
The ones that make me really cringe are the people that have never had a bad experience of their own but make a thread about how not to get ripped off because they have been scared by other's postings.
Bottom line is that many people on here seem unable to step back from their own experiences with LBS and accept that others' experiences may be quite different.

Hipcycler

I have a unique set up I think...

My LBS is a small local shop, near where I work.
The owner is there almost every day.

He's the guy who sold me my first bike and has coached/mentored me for five years now. We've become friends.

He and his staff have catered to my every whim about my bikes/gear...numerous times making adjustments or changes at no charge whatsoever.

When I go there it's not like I am entering a bike shop....It's more like I'm going over to a really cool friend's house that's loaded with cycling stuff and he's ready to help me out with whatever I need, be it gear, repairs, advice, or just plain cycling talk from an expert, who himself teaches a cycling class at UW-Milwaukee.

SpongeDad

I've gone to 4 or 5 shops over the last few years. Some are volume shops - great selection but the salesman is looking to close a deal. I only go to these if I have to.

Others are more service oriented, although the selection is in some respects more narrow (but they'll order what you need). I guess I'm high maintenance, because that's where I dropped $$$ on my new bike.

johnny99

Some shops are much better than others. Ask your friends for recommendations. As a last resort, you can even ask the Internet about shops in your town.

For best service, go on a weekday during the day. Usually the more senior staff is working then and the shop is less crowded.

You do need to do your own homework as well. Figure out what kind of riding you plan on doing and what your fitness level really is. Decide on 1 or 2 geometries to test ride. Have a plan for your test rides: what do you really want to learn? During the fitting process, have a good idea about what riding position you really want, especially in the personal preference areas like handlebar reach.

food

Let's be clear here, my situation is similar to many of you, I actually *do* have a good LBS, and I make use of it and my many other resources, such as you great folks here, and online retailers, etc. etc.

I wasn't asking 'how can I find a good LBS?' It was more of a 'why do we keep sending people to the LBS' if there are so many variables that we have no control over? We don't know if their LBS is good or not, and regardless of whether something must be tried in person, the staff will still convey a message verbally, i.e. what to look for, what shouldn't be felt, etc. etc. Are we not able to put together that message here?

The romanticism about the LBS being a small shop started by a guy whose life is cycling and the store being all about craftmanship and pride in service is a little thick around these parts, no? More times than not, unless you establish a relationship (read: spend lots of money) you will most likely be looked over as just a window shopper.

Hipcycler

The romanticism about the LBS being a small shop started by a guy whose life is cycling and the store being all about craftmanship and pride in service is a little thick around these parts, no? More times than not, unless you establish a relationship (read: spend lots of money) you will most likely be looked over as just a window shopper.

Not me.
My guy REALLY IS that guy you describe. His dad was a rider too....raced.

baj32161

My experiences with my LBS (which, actually isn't so local) have been nothing but positive. It is not a small mom and pop store but a chain operation called Bike Line. I think the guys there are just great. Back when I began shopping for my bike they were never anything but helpful and patient. When I aksed them to just let me look around they did so, when I asked for a test ride they let me. I realize that these should not be uncommon practices but 3 of the other shops I visited were just roo pushy or the salesmen were simply too arrogant, The level of service in retail has shrunk mightily in recent years. With internet shopping, TV infomercials, and the like, we have almost forgotten what it feels like to receive attentive personal service. IMHO buying a bicycle, especially a road bike is something for which you need good persinal service. Therefore many of us will continue to use our LBS. I use my LBS for the simple reason that I like them and they treat me well....if they didn't, I wouldn't travel 40 miles to go there.

Cyclist0383

Sounds like my LBS. It's a two man shop owned by a former racer that is now the national team's head mechanic. Lot's of former racers (think guys from 30 to 70 years old) stopping in just to chat about what's up and look at the latest gear.

My LBS has the lowest prices in town, best service, and great selection of new and vinage bikes (anyone looking for a lugged CF Concorde?), a friendly attiude, and no BS. These places do exist.

roadwarrior

They don't contribute because they can't.

One of these days, Waldo, we need to start a thread about how much better life in the LBS would be if the customer's who THINK they know what they are doing, actually did....

LBS's have issues because they are typically run by bike enthusiasts who are not business people. They do not understand banking relationships, lines of credit, margins, and the whole retail thing. So they cannot get what they need to immediately handle problems because they cannot stock it...

Bruce Lowekamp

Conte's, the biggest bike store chain in Hampton Roads, VA is the nightmare described everywhere. Employees who don't care. Several stores have policies against trying a new saddle on your own bike because you might "mar the rails."

BikeBeat, the LBS I deal with, was helpful when my wife came in searching for "some biking thing" to get me as a birthday present when I was getting started. They have a 30 day return policy on saddles so you can be sure it fits you. All of their employees were helpful as I gained experience, and now I ride with them weekly. The rear wheel currently on my bike was loaned to me by one of them while mine was sent to the factory for replacement.

Guess which store gets my money?

Bruce

douchebagonwhlz

I think the shortcomings of a lot of LBS, is that people on these forums know more about bikes than the lbs is ready to accomodate. They probably deal with so many people who just want their flat tire fixed, that when someone comes in with a serious technical question, the lbs staff might just be qualified for the masses. not the minority eenthusiasts.

lmans66

Part of a forum is to learn....I bet the LBS are on the forums as much or...they are around biking so much and racing that they have the best learning method of all, experience!

SquatchCO

I think people here like the LBS because they feel that bikes are a personal purchase, designed to be tailored just to you, and not some commodity that can be bought without a second thought. Because of this, you are encouraged to shop for your bike in person, try it out, et cetera. Plus a bike is something that requires much care and maintenance, most people do not have the knowledge or the tools to do so. This is where bike shops come in...they keep people on their bikes because they have the knowledge to fix it and keep it in good shape, and that's generally agreed upon to be a good thing. The worst thing is for someone to buy a bike, then not get it fixed when something happens, and just say "F*ck it, I'm not gonna bike anymore."

I think it that it is assumed that you go to a "good" LBS. Or at least shop around until you find one. I used to work at a decent one, and even though I was fairly knowledgable, there was always somebody there who knew more.

When looking at a bike shop, I try to follow the rule "Am I qualified to work here?" Generally, if I am, I can do just as good a job as the shop, for a lot cheaper. However, there is one shop in my area that I particularly like, because their knowledge is heads and tails above mine. That is one shop where I just couldn't work...and that's precisely why I go there with questions.

I guess the point is, people here believe that an LBS will enhance the bike experience of someone with a bike question. Not all of them are perfect, but certainly they are better than X-mart or anything like that...even if it is something small like a pair of gloves, the average LBS will do a much better job of setting you up with the right stuff than the alternatives.