RobE30

I was out for my ride this morning on my Ross and my bottle of water kept falling out of my pocket in my jacket. So, I stopped past a new bike shop in town to see if they had a clamp on bottle holder. The owner took one look at my bike and said, "We have nothing like that here. We only sell high end products, we have nothing for you." So I responded,"Thanks" and rode away. I felt like Ferris Bueller when they went into the fancy restraunt and the waiter was so very snooty. I just find that to be in poor taste and bad business practice. Oh well his loss (eventually). It was too nice of a day to stay ticked at someone like that, so I smiled to myself and enjoyed a wonderful ride through some nice farmland. Thanks for letting me rant!

Bam42685

Haha, some people just don't appreciate. I stopped by a bike repair booth fundraiser on campus earlier this year just to talk shop for a second and they dude working took one look at my modern Ultegra clipless pedals on my Miyata and asked "Why did you put on pedals that are worth more than the whole bike?" The guy at the bike shop you stopped by says he only sells high end products, but if I had to guess I'd say he doesn't sell any products at all... at least not to you.

EjustE

I am sure that the "high end" aluminum frames they sell cost less to build and they give a worse riding experience than your Ross. Their loss (in so many ways.) You are a tad away from me (I live in Center Valley) but if you can make it to Emmaus, South Mountain Cycles, right on Main street are ultra cool people and bend backwards for every request, and if they don't have it, they order it. Pretty killer coffee to boot, too. Also, if you want to venture west a bit, I am sure that in the Kutztown area there are several bike shops that deal with Amish folks and their noses are not that stuck up about "bike quality".

On another note, I remember that about 15 years ago, I got one of those to strap it on my top tube because I thought I needed a third bottle holder. I never used it. Give me this weekend to dig through my parts bin and if it's there, it's yours.

jacksbike

I distinctly remember a learning experience that I had when I owned my bike shop. It was late Fall in New England, and a woman in hert 40's, about 5 foot 2, wearing a backpack came in. She asked for road bikes, and I showed her 3 Fujis in her size, ranging in price from $250 to $500. From her outward appearance, I judged that there was no way she could afford anything that I sold. She pondered, then asked me to figure out a price for the $500 bike plus a Kryptonite lock. Came back in 15 minutes with cash and bought the best bike that I showed her. From that point on I never judged a customer by their appearance, or need. Don't misunderstand, we did not care if a customer needed a spare water bottle braze on piece or a high end bike-they were all treated nicely as customers. The local rich banker tried to buy 3 bikes with his gold credit card, which was denied, too. Your local new shop should have bent over backwards to make a new customer, especially in these tough economic times.

banjo_mole 

Jesus... That kind of rudeness blows me away. I mean, it totally floors me. That's unbelieveable.

Totally over the top.

What shop was it, if you remember? Remind me not to go there.

Or.. A mob of C&V riders can go there on high-end bikes and request a bunch of parts he doesn't have, just to see him get mad.

He probably denied you so rudely because he was secretly embarassed he didn't have the part you needed.

mumei

The sheer decency, for lack of a better word, in this community never ceases to amaze me. It really is special.

Kudos to you EjustE, really! Kudos!!

crazyed27

Spread the word around about ow much of a Jack that guy was....I sometimes go to the best LBS in town...on my modern Schwinn of course, I lock the the bike up and a guy is standing there waiting for me. Last i went in there I needed a spoke wrench....this bike shop did not have the single ones...but is the biggest bike shop in St. Louis??? Strange huh? All they had was the multi ones...for 14 bucks??? Dang....every time I go there I feel like I am looked at like a less than them attitude.

The bike shops like that need to be bad mouthed for real. OK so you have a $8,000 LOOK in your shop but a guy on a budget you cannot accommodate??? Get real....next bike shop!!!!!

crazyed27

Should have stopped at Target...Wal-Mart...ect...you could have had one for 6 bucks without the bull crap....just saying!

WNG

What poor business conduct! No way to drum up business and draw in patrons. Sad. Next time, pay him a visit during his Going Out of Business Sale.

I guess it's a coincidence that I have a Ross related bike shop visit need too. I haven't required the help of a LBS in years. But I'm trying to salvage a set of pretty blue anodized high flange Sakae Ringyo hubs from an 78-80s Ross Diamond Cruiser. And I don't have the correct freewheel tool for its rather large splined 5spd FW. It's pretty rusted but I suspect it's a Shimano. I have a feeling it's going to be quite a challenge for the LBS near me. It looks to be all contemporary gear. Since I'm new to the Mesa area, I don't know where the reputable old school shops reside.

crazyed27

Visit all of them...then you will get the feel of all of them. The one in my area is so much more helpful than the Best Bike shop in town. Which I have to take the train to get to.

RobE30

I've been to Saucon valley bikes in Hellertown and they have treated me as "family". Very friendly and helpful staff. Also I've been going to Cycledrome in Trexlertown since they were Fronheisers in Quakertown. Scott and his dad still remember the first bike I bought from them (Dyno Compe). Those are my 2 main shops (but they were the opposite way I was riding)

Thanks E. We need to meet up sometime. Thanks again!

theschwinnman

Here is what you want- and it's only three bucks.

Velo Orange bottle cage clamps.

HamboneSlim

+1 on Saucon Valley Bikes in Helltown. No matter what stupid piddly little piece I'm looking for, they always treat me like I'm their best customer ever. If they don't have it in stock, they get out the catalogs.

Would be fun to ride out to the Only High-End Products Bike Shop & see if they half half-hoods for Mafac brake levers & mounting hardware for my Simplex chainguard.

crazyed27

Bike shops are scams...learn to work on your own bike!!!

beech333

They are not all bad. I go 20 miles to my shop of choice, even though there are two within 1/2 mile.

flammenwurfer

I don't think bike shops are scams. They certainly aren't necessary for 90% of the things people go there for though.

I have a shop about 1.5m from my house that is very nice. It's just two guys that run the place. The owner is probably in his early 50s and the other guy is in his 20s. They're both very nice to me and all I ever go there for are little parts and tools. They seem to appreciate my classic bikes as well. I'm often surprised that they have the thing I'm looking for because it's a small shop, but they usually have what I need and at a reasonable price. Instead of buying two new rims off the internet as cheap as I could find for $60. I got a new rim that had just been sitting around for $20 and an entire front wheel with the size rim I was looking for in pretty good shape for another $5. I was glad I went in to see what they had!

cudak888 

Post the shop's name and city.

-Kurt

EjustE

We should...

Btw, which is the bike shop you had that experience with? So that we all in the area are aware...

Cyclodrome is a sponsor of my team and I get a discount so I have paid a couple visits over there (even though a bit of a ride for me). Great guys indeed. Not much experience with Saucon Valley Cycles other than going in an buying a single brake line with absolutely no raised eyebrows

flammenwurfer

Jerry's Bike Shop in Topeka, KS

mickey85

I love my bike shop. They're just starting out, so they don't have much, but the guy who runs it is the guy who started the bike club here in Linton, and every time I come in, he asks what I'm riding and asks if he could take it around the block. Nothing that I own is newer than 15 years old, and he's all Carbon Fiber and aluminum - the mixte freaked him out! lol

crazyed27

True I have my one of choice too. I just don't find many as informative as they should be.

cudak888 

"Oh, that doesn't matter. I only buy from highly respectful organizations; I have no business for you."

-Kurt

RobE30

I like that^^. I think the shop is called Thunder Dog Cycles in Topton Pa. I don't like saying negative things against small business owners (maybe he was having a bad day), but his approach was all wrong.

RobbieTunes 

"I guess you don't sell tires, tubes, cables, housing, lube, chains, bar wrap, tools, pedals, water bottles, gloves, shoes, jersey, shorts, helmets, cyclo-computers, levers, CO2, either. What a shame."

I admire your ability to tolerate the fool.

My three closest bike shops, quoted:

"They should have stopped at 8 speeds."

"Now THAT is a bike." (Looking at a Trek 520 full touring package, in dire need of new bar ends)

"Hey, I got a Lemans in yesterday, for $20. You want it, or can I give it to this guy I know that needs one?"