Originally Posted by
Papa Tom
It's fairly obvious that many people choose not to commute because they need to look (and smell) up to a certain standard at work. I can totally understand that, but imagine if that standard did not exist?
All it would take is an advantage to be gained by dressing a certain way (e.g., suits) and it becomes a de facto standard.
How come every bike shop in my area has walls and racks brimming with hundred dollar shorts, jerseys, goggles, computers, and every other non-essential item for cycling, but I have to go online to buy a basic set of tires or an emergency spoke repair kit that should be in every saddle bag but can't be found in a single bike shop?
I suspect that most sales of accessories are made in conjunction with the sale of a new bike. If it's like typical retail, the big ticket items are low margin because people do more careful comparison shopping on the bike than on the shorts. At the extreme, the dealer makes most of their money on the accessories added to the sale of a bike.
Truth be told, most bikes will never need new tires, and talking to the customer about roadside repairs would discourage bike sales.
I suspect that the accessories do more to attract new cyclists, than to deter them. The 50 year old duffer in Spandex and a racing helmet is probably just enjoying his new toys.
With that said, the LBS nearest my house has a pretty good selection of commuter type accessories such as racks, bags, fenders, etc.