Originally Posted by
operator
This isn't a car or motorcycle. Customers usually have the preception that LBS's make the most on new bike sales. The reverse is true. All you can do is ask if the price is negotiable on the bike. Don't be a ****** hardass about it. If you don't like the price, go buy it from somewhere else - seriously.
All I am saying is there is no harm in trying to make a deal on a bike. If every dealer sold the bikes for the same price like a washing machine or a toaster then there might be no wiggle room. My LBS just had a summer sale. They sold the same bikes as they had in July but discounted. So what harm would there have been in asking for that price July 31st?
When I buy musical instruments I check all of the online sites and other music stores and find the best price. I then go to the Guitar Center that I have been a customer of for a few years and ask to talk to the department manager. I show him the advertisement and see if he can make the same deal. If he gets close enough to save me the effort and gas I buy the instrument from him. In the last five years there have been very few times I have gone to another store.