Originally Posted by
T Stew
Agreed on the bike shops, but realize not all of us have one close by. My closest one is an hour trip, and you better want Bontrager because that is all they have.
I have never had an issue with Amazon (fingers crossed) and I use it for just about everything.
I did have a similar issue ordering tires from Nashbar once. I ordered 2 of their streetwise tires. I got one of those, and one knobby mountain tire. Completely opposite types of tires. Don't know how anyone with half a brain would think they are the same thing, even if a tag was miss marked on one of them.
Ditto. Nearest LBS to me is over an hour away, one way. I've never set foot in the place in the 14 years that I've lived here. Back when I kived in the 'burbs, where there were local LBS's close-by, I quickly became disgusted with those shops, as they seemed to be bothered by people such as i who'd just go in to buy a cable or tire, and not one of their shiny new $2600 (at the time) Cannondales.
I haven't set foot in an LBS in over 25 years. I order all of my stuff on the interwebz, and do all of my own work. Life is good. The LBS is an obsolete retail model. They could be somewhat relevant, due to convenience and service, in some markets- but those aspects are out-stripped by the fact that the LBS retail supply chain is seriously out-dated. I mean, in this day and age, who is going to pay full retail and wait two weeks or more for an ordered item, when you can have it in three days and for half the price from the interwebz?
If the bike industry doesn't adopt, and do it fast, LBS's are goin to be more rare than corded phones. The big bike manufacturers had better relent and start allowing sales of their bikes online, or they're going to lose serious market share, as the LBS field dries up, and as fewer people want to (or need to) use an LBS.
This is a classic example of an industry which has failed to adapt to modern conditions, and which is just lumbering along towards extinction, because no one seems to want to upset the apple cart by adapting...so instead, they'll let the apples rot. My condolences to anyone who owns an LBS- They're on life-support.