I've got a great shop close to me, but I don't expect them to have any parts for 30 year old bikes (or older). If they do, then that's great. Times change and shops have to change with them or go out of business. Go into a local camera shop (if you even have one) and ask for focusing screen for a Canon A-1. You'll be really disappointed if you expect them to have one or be able to get one. Ebay is a decent source for vintage stuff and that's what I use them for.

After working for a locally owned company I try my best to support local business. I shudder to think of a world where Wally World (never step foot in the place) and the interweb are the only places I have to shop. Heck, I bought something off of Bonktown a month ago and still feel bad about it. I think the importance of supporting local companies is lost on a lot of younger folks that have grown up with the internet and big box stores at their disposal.

I almost always buy my personal bike parts from the one local shop that has not been completely overtaken with crappy specialized or trek branded parts. Parts for customers bikes are purchased though my wholesale accounts.

I strongly believe in the supply chain and it's importance to my own economy.

My best laugh was when I went to get a park fr-2 suntour freewheel removal tool and the guy at the counter asked if I already had a chain whip for that

I haven't really taken a C&V bike in for work, but have found several local shops very helpful and interested in older bikes. One, Uptown Bikes, helped me out with some little parts for a Raleigh Sports that made it complete. They were apologetic about charging I think $8 for a cable clamp, but there were only so many in the box, and the other bits were cheap. A shop called Iron Cycles is only a few blocks from my house. They are a new/high end shop with a specialty in cyclocross (they sponsor a team) but from what I've seen are enthusiastic about any and all bikes...my neighbor took in a hi-ten Giant hybrid he'd bought at a garage sale and they trued both wheels (which were way, way out) for $20, adjusted the brakes, and told him the bike was a perfect neighborhood cruiser.

It's good to save money but I like supporting local businesses, after all I'd like them to continue to be there.

He would have seemed WAY more knowledgeable, had he asked if you had an eight speed or longer QR skewer for that;).,,,,BD

Funny thing is, I take my vintage bikes (so far three of them...) for all the work I can't do myself like stuck bb cups and fork crowns/headset races (not invested in those tools yet) to a specialized dealer that only sells the latest model. The mechanic who is like me in his early twenties, loves to wrench on older campy more then on modern shimano, or so it seems: he handed my ALAN frame (with rebuild bb) with a big smile and said: I love this old stuff! it's just so well made, all the threads are perfect and you can keep on rebuilding it over and over! no way you can do that with all those modern stuff!

One thing I like about that rare, special LBS, is the variety of take off parts in bins/boxes/whatever. Most LBSs around here just toss that stuff, but one keeps a few bins of misc stuff. I make sure I stop by and give them my local business in return.

+1, and then x1000. You nailed it.

Those sound like two good shops (for slightly different reasons). I applaud you for supporting them! It's kind like my local "non-yuppie" hardware store. I try to buy from them before going to Lowes....

Nearest LBS to me is in a City 100 miles away. I've spent literally thousands at a couple of them when i was buying new bikes and new bike parts but they have zero interest in old bikes or parts, the last time i tried to shop there was for plain old brake cable...they wouldn't sell it...wanted me to buy 40.00 Jagwire teflon coated stuff. While i was there i saw a Brooks Swift. I recently paid 130.00 online for a limited edition model, they were asking 250.00 for the plain Swift...nough said. I buy 95% of my parts online from the US or UK and even with shipping and occasional duty its still half the price i'd pay locally.

Try finding a job at a shop that is worth a damn.

A shop I worked at for a short time was throwing away anything old. They tossed probably 50 pounds of threaded headset parts, whole headsets, NOS bearings. Why? Because it was obsolete, I tried to save a few things from the place but a mechanic only has so much money and space in a tiny apartment.

The last place I worked had pretty decent tools but nothing frame related, no frame straightening anything. I asked the boss one day if he had any of that stuff just stashed away. He said yeah, it's at home. He claimed that his lawyer told him straightening frames was a liability so he refused to even have the tools in the shop.

Customers where I live actually have it pretty good if they know where to go. Almost every shop has old tools, parts and old/good mechanics.

That said even when I worked at a shop I would buy parts off the interweb, it helps to know what wholesale is so when stuff gets blown out at less than wholesale it's actually cheaper than the shops wholesale +10%.

Wow, I love my three local Bike Shops I feel like I have been blessed

I have 2 LBS, one that will take your stuff in the be worked on but will tell you not to waste your time and you should buy a new bike instead. Do so and he will throw in free labor for a year. I stopped going there.

The other has a cache of old bike and frames hanging all over his shop, lots of old race gear, jerseys, ect. He loves old bikes and gets a great sparkle in his eye who you bring in an old bike. He can fix anything and will help you out advice-wise however he can. He can and will fix just about anything too.

He stocks few parts and will encourage you to order things yourself, at least me anyway. He will, as nice as he can, tell you that he cannot part from his stash (horde) of parts. He too would rather sell you a new bike. He is also always slammed with work and has a great deal of support the local cyclist too.

Fantastic guy but as I said no real parts or stock on hand. I stopped in to buy a set of new tires and all he had in stock were 23s in 3 different styles. Lots of serious cyclists have been driving 2 hours to a cyclist/tri shop and a new tri shop opened up last month too. If he changed his business model a bit he could have eliminated the need for the new gear shop in town.

I think even a good shop can work on old bikes with good mechanics. But can you afford it? Bike shop labor rates are pretty nuts, but in order to employ good mechanics, it becomes almost necessary. I work at a student bike shop which is also open to the community. We charge super low rates. 20 dollars for a tuneup including brake and derailleur adjustment with a chain cleaning and lube. 8 bucks a wheel to true. I think 10 dollars for a headset rebuild. Just super cheap stuff. Luckily for them, I'm a decent enough mechanic to make all this happen. So if you had a vintage bike, I could confidently say that I can do anything for you short of frame alignment for pretty darn cheap. We'll just put it right in line with the 5-10 walmart bikes I have to run through in a given day. :lol: However, we can afford it because 1) we're subsidized by the office of sustainability and 2) I really don't get paid anything. Mostly in parts. Works for me.


But anyhow, along with the classic cars vs. modern cars argument, I almost expect the folks on this board to be doing about 80-100% of their own work already depending on how long they've been at it and how many tools they've acquired. In fact, is there ANYONE on this subforum that regularly takes their bike in for routine service?