Originally Posted by
garysol1
Its a double edged sword. If your saving 50% off of your LBS prices then either your LBS is pricing stuff to high or your buying close out products from years prior not that there is anything wrong with that. Problem is if everyone buys off the internet then this whole thread would be pointless because there would be no bike shops left to test ride bikes at. Bike shops make a very small percentage of profit from the bikes and rely on accessory sales and service to keep the doors open. Support your local bike shop when you can and they should be there to support you with group rides and cycling events as well as help and knowledge as needed.
All valid points. And it is true that 2 of the 4 items I purchased were closeout products. But so long as so many of these bikes cannot be bought/sold new online, there will be a market for the lbs's. Small and dimishing, unfortunately. But it's there.
And let's also not forget about the immediate gratification buyers out there. I'd be one too if i didnt live in a part of the country that's snow bound 3 months out of the year. Had I decided I wanted to give this biking thing a try in April and not January I'd already be in a bike and would have wanted my pedals/shoes/clothing immediatly so I could not have my new bike hang in the garage staring at me for 1-2 weeks. There's also the people who need a part/accessory in season and don't have the time for the online purchase process.
In the end though the reality is nothing new to any of us. It's a tough climate we're in and we've all got our own but similar situations. And so long as I dont need that immediate gratification, I'm going to go buy the same $100 pedals offered to me at my lbs for $55 online. And I doubt I'm alone on that.