Originally Posted by
bkaapcke
First off, You MUST become your own mechanic. It's not that tough with the help of a good repair manual available at most bookstores. Second, you will soon get the hang of tuning your drivetrain, and forevermore, it will always work really well. Not that LBS tuning is bad, but you can adjust it whenever it gets even slightly off. Third, the money you save on LBS work will pay for the tools in no time. Fourth, if there is trouble on the trail, you will know your bike intimately, and most likely, can do a limp home fix right there. What could be better than that? bk
I agree with Bkaapcke, You do need to become your own mechanic. Also you are not responsible for the success of your LBS , If he can't make his business work he needs to get the hell out.
As far as the clothing goes I can sympathize somewhat with the LBS . If they can't move clothing on the rack they often have to sell it below cost at the end of the season. As for special orders, having a no return policy or a return fee isn't that unreasonable, most every small retailer has this policy. Some will offer to resell the item for you on consignment. You are better off with the mail order houses usually on clothing since they often have liberal return policies.