kiteboarder

So I walk into Nytro Racing in Encinitas California the other day to look into buying a pair of shoes and a helmet to finally complete my road setup. It's a high end roadie shop with a bunch of cool bikes. Well, I actually rode to the shop on my Electra cruiser. I didn't have a lock so I pull my bike into the shop and park it out of the way. "These guys only sell road bikes so it shouldn't cause a confusion at all", I thought. Well, a few minutes later I ask a shop employee, "Hey is my bike fine here?" And the guy answers, sort of mumbling, "Uh, I guess, it should be fine. But you could also put it outside the front door. It should be fine." I say, "OK, thanks" And start walking to the back of the shop thinking the guy gave me the option of leaving it there or taking it outside. I mean, I wasn't comfortable leaving my prized Electra outside the front door without a lock! So suddenly and before I have a chance to go any further, the employee says, "NO. I mean, put it outsite the front door. It SHOULD be fine!" So this guy just asked me to park my bike outside and on top of that tries to assure me that it SHOULD be fine! What is that supposed to mean?!!! "Should" doesn't sound very safe to me. Anyway, I'm definitely not going back to that shop again. I thought the guy was rude and inconsiderate. And if he was simply shunning me down because I was riding a beach cruiser, then with more reason will I NOT buy from these guys ever. WHAT DO YOU THINK??

Johnny_Monkey

I think you should probably carry a bike lock with you. Saying that though, if your bike wasn't in the way he should have let it be.

mentat6059

just get a lock and stop trying to make something out of nothing. Their shop, they have a right not to have you park your bike in it.

CB HI

A LBS here had several locked bikes stolen from just outside the door.

Allen

A bike shop that won't let you bring your bike inside? Screw em, go elsewhere.

seosamh

aye out of order that i reckon...

mlts22 

I'm not sure of the situation, so can't really judge.

I personally would just carry a lock, preferably the usual Sold Secure ones, but some type of lock that forces a thief to commit a prosecutable crime to obtain the bike. Even a cable lock that shouts "I wuv bolt cutters" is better than nothing.

One thing I wish the makers of the Townie would do, especially with the models that are European cruisers... install Axa Basta or that type of lock on the rear wheel/seatstays, preferably the model that has a cable. No, its not as solid security as a good U-lock, but it guarentees that the bike has some way of staying put.

twahl

If pet shops allow you to walk around the store with your dog, bike shops should allow bikes inside. I'd find a manager and inquire if that was the policy, and if so, find someplace else to shop.

seosamh

and let the shop know why..

oneredstar

I work in a shop and people bring their bikes in to the shop on occasion. At times it is okay at others it is not. We get extremely busy and can't have someones bike in the way. Most people tend to want to put their bikes up against the wall that has products on it, most often a rack of clothing! It just makes a mess of things.

I would really suggest getting a bike lock. I assume the shop had a bike rack out front that you could lock it to?

wrafl

Solution, always carry a bike lock regardless. LBS isn't always a safe place to park a bike unlock. Although I have seen a couple shopping with their touring bikes inside a REI store, maybe they didn't have locks with them?

Flak

A building full of bikes wont allow you to park yours indoors while you shop?

Uhh ok.

rule

Get on bike.

Just keep riding.

Never go back.

Yup, that'ld do it.

chephy

A bike shop that won't let you bring your bike inside? I wouldn't come back.

(If the shop were really crowded and I were asked politely to park my bike outside because of that, and maybe even provided with a lender lock if I didn't have one, then it would've been ok.)

noisebeam

The several LBSs I've visited would be a nightmare on busy weekend hours if everyone brought their bike in who wasn't getting it repaired.
There are already enough bikes being moved around for customer demos, repair, etc. Some of these LBSs have bike repair entrance at rear so as to avoid the bike traffic thru the showroom.

Al

stokessd

My LBS is on one of the worst cycling roads in town. So it solves the problem nicely for me. I drive to the bike store...


Sheldon

slyjackson

I think you should have brought a bike lock with you if you knew that you were going to a store. The store is not the problem for not letting you bring your bike inside. A store is required to have certain items in certain areas for safety reasons. There is no provision in most LBS for customers to park their bikes "Inside" while they shop. Could you imagine the mess it would be if LBS let Customers park inside the store? There would be law suits and damaged merchandise everywhere.

What you have done is like asking me to let you park you bike in my living room and my right to say “NO” does not mean I am the one with a problem. ....

noisebeam

I've been to LBSs that do let customers bring bikes in and it can be annoying with several customer bikes leaning up against display counters or wall racks and trying to look at stuff.

Al

vulpes

I park my bike in their rack outside the service entrance. One day I was just running in for a minute so I didn't lock it. When it looked like I was going to take longer, I said the LBS guy, "I better go lock my bike up." and he said, "Or you could just bring it inside. You can put it that stand right there." (It was a free-standing floor rack.) Admittedly, they were not very busy that day, but they get brownie points for being so accommodating. It's a pretty good shop. A little pricey on some things, but not bad.

Rev.Chuck

We prefer that customers not bring their bike in the store. It is small and there is not much room as it is.(I sometimes have to store my bike outside because there is not enough storage room) They also tend to do things like lean them against the clothing in the racks(We have had to sell clothing as used because of oil/dirt from drivetrains.
However we do have loaner locks for people to lock them up outside, where we have a rack, and we have let people that work in the shopping center store their bikes in the back when they forgot to bring a lock.

2manybikes

Since it was there for a few minutes with no problems then it was totally fine. You never should have asked the question. The shop employee was just trying to avoid a silly sounding answer. He did not know how to answer a question that made absolutely no sense, the answer was clear already, it was fine. That's why he was mumbling, silly question. He said it was fine inside, and it was fine outside. He did not mind either location. He was trying to say it does not matter.

But when he thought you were going to park it outside he wanted to keep you from leaving it unlocked outside and possibly loosing it. That is why he said "Should" so many times. He was trying to say, I can't promise it won't be stolen. He was trying to help you. You did not understand him, he was trying to help you not get your bike stolen. He was not shunning you because of your bike, he was trying to keep it from being stolen. That shows that he values you not loosing your bike. You did not understand. You imagine that they might look down on your Electra on your own. There is nothing indicating they do. You imagined the bike might be in the way, there was nothing indicating it was. In fact there was indication that it was not in the way. ********************???

chephy

One more argument for kickstands.

Yes, I could imagine that situation because that's what I encounter every day I visit any of my several favourite LBSs. They all allow bikes inside.

At any rate, the real question to ask in the OP's case is whether a customer with a Trek Madone would be told to park the bike outside at that store.

noisebeam

Sure, but a bike using a kickstand can take up more floorspace. When folks use the kick stand they couldn't usually put it in the middle of the aisle, blocking it, but instead close to wall, which usually has a display of some sort.

Al

I-Like-To-Bike

A lender lock? How 'bout some free beer and pizza too in case anybody forgot to bring their own?

Edit: I see that Rev Chuck's LBS does provide loaner locks to characters that "forget" their own; how 'bout that beer and pizza loaner policy?

Sheldon Brown

I would never do business with a bike shop that objected to me bringing my bike inside.

Sheldon "It's A BIKE Shop!" Brown