Originally Posted by
iltb-2
There are quite a few desirable commuting bikes on that web site, and priced right too. Is there a good selection of those models on the floor of the shop? Unfortunately I think your LBS is a rare breed. I have read of a few other LBS that actuall ypromote the sale of such bikes, but not many. Hopefully they are not all special order at your LBS with a long wait time and used as bait to sell available product that the salesmen are really interested in.
Perhaps our wise Forum members can inform us if their LBS also have a similar selection of reasonably priced full fender, bikes designed for city commuting actually on the floor ready for sale?
To be honest I haven't noticed because it's not the type of bike I drool over. I go there for parts and to see what's in their "salvage yard". I'm curious now and I'll stop by sometime this week to see. It wouldn't surprise me if they did have those models on the floor because the place is run by, and caters to, people who live on their bikes as opposed to weekend warriors. That's why I like it. Pretty much the first thing you see when you walk in is a wall filled with racks and bags.
Even so, I suspect not many people buy the "commuter" bikes. There are two people in our neighborhood that own cruisers. Both were purchased for reasons of fashion and image rather than utility. One of the folks bought a pink and white one with white sidewalls because she likes the retro look. The other person likes the Euro look of his and rides it wearing a twead jacket and flat cap.
Neither bike is ridden much more than a few times a season from what I can tell.
Cycling is a popular in Minneapolis and there are LBSes all over the place. This one and a couple of others are geared more towards the transportational cyclist. Others have their own niche markets. If a city has a healthy number of commuters, there's more likely to be an LBS set up to serve them.