Originally Posted by
skookum
I thought the 21st century LBS was going to be like Velo Cult in Portland. Craft beer, coffees, repairs and sales and a cool place to hang out. They appeared to have it figured out. They closed last year. One of the staff told me that their major business was repairs. Bikes are getting more complex and trickier to fix, and we live in a society where people value their time and have the money to pay others to do stuff for them. E-bikes add a another layer of complexity, so more specialized skills needed. Mechanical work is one thing that you can't get on the internet.
I used to have 3 bike shops within a 10 minute walk, but they are all gone now. We have one pretty big mega shop that stocks hundreds of bikes, carries lots of parts and do so many repairs you have to book weeks in advance. They are also mega expensive. They appear to be thriving.
Another model is a one man shop that specializes in recumbent trikes and electrifying regular bikes. He runs it out of his garage. He has demo bikes and if you wantto buy one you have to order it. You need to make an appointment for a test ride or to drop off a repair, you can't just walk in.
Those are two extremes that seem to be doing well. I think it is tough for the shops in the middle.
It’s all good.
I have at least three solid LBS within 20 miles of my home. They are all pretty traditional and doing well but I only use one of them for all of my maintenance and repairs because I have enough common sense/retail smarts to know the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Shame on OP for not having the same and instead ranting about the entire industry in general.
Where my daughter goes to college there is a hip little bike shop that also has an açaí bowl counter.
It’s an interesting place with a bit of inventory but the average employee age is 21 and I don’t think it would be my first choice for any type of repair service.
But they do make a decent pineapple/Nutella bowl. Call me crazy.