Originally Posted by
robmcl
Touring bikes are kind of hard to come by at LBSs. Did they have any touring bikes in stock? Maybe in his mind he was just trying to substitute out what he thought was one road bike for another one that was in stock. I don't think a lot of people know about all the nuances that define touring bikes such as long chainstays, etc.
I've seen it too. I think it's a function of a bike shop hiring racers rather than salespeople, if that makes any sense.
The racer (roadie or MTB) sees the world defined in terms of the bikes (s)he knows intimately. Other bikes are known to exist, much in the same way we know about life in a place we've never visited. He's met a couple of people from there, maybe seen pictures, but can't really fathom what it's about. There are even a couple around here that commute. Mostly it's on fast, fenderless, rackless, shiny bikes in perfect weather. (those whom I count as friends, I enjoy calling "soft" :-).
A decent sales person, OTOH, exists to move product. Repeat sales move more product, so a really good sales rep actually listens to you. They don't, however, project their own fantasies of glory onto every Bob or Fred that walks or rides through the door.