Hello, I am doing a little market research kind of.

The question is as a commuter what is it that you look for in a bike shop???


All Imput will help very much thank you

D


#25 Ok so it seems like we have ended that topic... Thanks for the awesome feed back...

If you are all up for it lets expand on this.?.?.?.?.?.

Question 2: What are the products do you support the most? (The Products/Company that you recommend all the time. The companys you stand by. List forum would be best please)

A wide variety of products, styles and types of riding, i.e., I've learnt to avoid boutique "commuter" shops like the plague from bitter experience, The shop must have an excellent repair dept.

Big, high discount, high volume, chains are also best avoided as they generally don't give a crap beyond making a sale, any sale.

Good examples of truly excellent shops in London, UK, are Condor Cycles and Brixton Cycles. Both stock everything from high end road bikes to bare bones fixies to full DH/FR rigs. They both have excellent repair, custom bike fitting and general services.

https://www.condorcycles.com/store.html
https://www.brixtoncycles.co.uk/find_us.html

edit: Condor Cycles and Brixton Cycles both have excellent reputations with professional riders (pros and cycle couriers).

I look for shops with employees that are nice and really know what they're talking about. I live in Calgary and Bow Cycle is my favourite place to go, the people there are great and never try to rip you off!

The employees are key. A good selection of parts helps, too. I pretty much insist on an excellent repair/parts department staffed by people who know what they're doing and won't try to sell me something I don't want or need. Also, it's good to have people who don't get too snobby about bikes. If a person shows up at the service desk with a $400 hybrid and a flat tire they don't know how to fix, they should be treated the same as someone who rolls in on a $4000 road bike.

Customer service is key. If I don't get decent customer service I may as well shop online. Its also nice to feel like you are part of the community at the local bike shop.

I don't bother with bike shops any more, and just use the internet. It is cheaper, faster, with better service and more knowledgeable staff.

good honest service/experience.

+1

Best bike shop is home. Second best is a professional shop that has people who actually know what they're doing (unlike me, who has to figure it out as I go), and who are friendly. I don't need to feel like I won an award, or anything -- just friendly. We have one really good shop in town -- it's run by people who make you want to feel welcome and who share a real zeal for just about anything having to do with bikes, one co-op type thing that's pretty good where the parts are cheap and the chief mechanic is really nice, and one not-so-nice shop.

At the not-so-nice shop, some guy was working there actually made fun of my first commuter, calling it a "toy." Okay, so it was a department store bike. Not much, but that's what I had. I was interested in budgeting for a better bike, but I hadn't felt comfortable then buying something used off craigslist. I wasn't mechanically inclined. I told him that. It was my first stop into his shop, because it's close, so I figured my first bike-shop bike would be from there. I guess he decided against that idea, so he treat me like I'm some kind of bum. He speaks for the company, I can only assume. I've gone in their twice since that first encounter in the last two years. I still can't shake that feeling, so I leave and buy my stuff elsewhere.

That experience taught me a valuable lesson about how I should treat my own clients. Nobody comes to me with their little problems. Everybody needs to be treated like they're important. Incidentally, I got rid of the department store bike, as I learned on my own what to look for in a bike that suits me. I do my own wrenching, and I buy my tools as the need arises. I'd suggest this route, even though I fell into it.

Common parts to be in stock
Decent range of stock.
Short repair times for when you need something doing.
Discounts for repeat customers.
Willingness to order stuff.

My bike shop has all of this and excellent service. Popped in today to buy a waterproof shell, extra tyre levers, chain cleaner, lube and a new seat post collar. I'd stripped the head of the bolt and needed a new one, while I was checking some other stuff they got it off and installed it for me saving me 15 minutes swearing time and didn't charge me for the part.

Competitive prices. I don't expect Nashbar or Performance prices but I am not paying MSRP. I don't care how nice your staff is or how knowledgeable they are if I'm consistently being bent over on prices.

Example: Ultegra SPD-SL pedals. MSRP: $160, LBS Price: $160, Price from a shop in England including shipping: $85. Really?

Staff are not little kids who tell me what I need.
Stuff for commuting.
$$$$$......Sorry, if you mark it up 110%, Im going to a website.

I don't have a shop, but rather a few ones that I patronize. Here are what I need.

1. A good repair shop for the very few times I actually need someone to do the repairs. I have one that doesn't sell bikes, so it gladly repairs bikes that weren't sold by them (even in the spring) and that has a decent turnaround time. Most importantly, it won't refuse to repair a bike because it has an "outdated" transmission (i.e. non-indexed 7-speed with downtube shifters).

2. Good parts at a good price. For that, I have three other shops. The best one, price wise and content wise, is the closest to home, but there are a few things they don't have.


And here is what I would like to find.

Good selection of gear appropriate for commuting. And I don't talk about "special" commuter helmets, but rather:
– A good display of powerful LED battery- and generator-operated headlights and taillights. I have found very few good taillights locally, but the only way to know what is good is to read this forum. For instance, in the entire city of Montréal (as far as I know, I could be slightly wrong): only one store sells the Planet Bike Superflash, two or three were selling the Cateye TL-LD1000, but nobody sells the TL-LD1100 (two stopped carrying Cateye lights altogether), and one or two are selling BLT lights which are good, but hard to attach to a bike with racks.
– Generator systems. I know I can order from Peter White and a few other U.S. sources, and I have. But these headlights and headlights in general would be much more popular if they were indeed accessible on the shelf.
– Places with stuff on display. Except for MEC (good prices and interesting but limited selection) and one or two pricy stores, all of them keep their stuff behind the counter. It's ok if one actually knows what he or she wants, but most riders haven't heard about good lights, good packs... so they won't see them until they actually see me on the road.

YES!

Last month I went shopping for my first "real" bike, and I found that one of the really large local bike shops with the very best prices had absolutely no connection to its customers. I saw a couple of bikes I was interested in and went there THREE TIMES to check them out. The first salesman was just disinterested in helping. The second was knowledgeable, but also seemed to be laughing to himself when I'd describe what I wanted or asked questions (I think I even caught him laughing when he thought I wasn't looking). The third guy was friendly but not particularly helpful otherwise.

Three chances where I was ready to buy. Three different sales people blew it.

I must have tried 6 or 7 different shops. The one I bought from was the one with the best attitude. Helpful without being condescending. Enthusiastic without excluding beginners. Also, making suggestions instead of saying "Yeah, sure, you can do that."

Like when I seemed dead set on meaty 700x42 tires to handle my commute, the good shop strongly recommended thinner tires because I seemed overly cautious about gravel and the rolling resistance would be a bigger factor. They didn't go for the quick sale, they wanted to make sure I got what was right for me. After taking my new bike on the commute, I see they were 100% right, and I trust them that much more because of it.

Also, they negotiated. I had a $450 budget. The bike I wanted was $500. I didn't even ask...I was just ready to leave because every other shop I went to refused to bargain. But when I said, "Too bad this one's too much. I really can't go over $450," he checked the invoice and met me at my price.

I'll be going back there for anything else I need. I won't be stupid about price, but if they're atleast competitive, they have my support.

Good mechanics, patient people who don't b*ll**** you. A wide variety of stock. For example I was looking for a larger road/touring tire for my crossbike 700x32. I went to the most well known and popular
bikeshop in Wellington and the could not find me a tire any larger than 28. The guy said I would "struggle" to find a shop that stocked them. I walked into the next bike shop 5 mins away and they had several sets. The guy there said "well we don't sell many but there are people out there that use them and we have to cater for them". I know which shop I will be going in more now.

A wide variety of racks, panniers, fenders, lights, bags, bells, etc. I don't know if it's true everywhere, but I find it very hard to find commuting stuff in Houston. I hate that I have to go to 4 or 5 shops trying to find a product and then end up buying it on line after I spent $10 in gas. Or, I have to get 1 thing at 3 shops to fill my 3 part shopping list. I end up buying things on line even though I want to spend my money locally.

Luckily, here in Ypsi, we have a good Bike store.

They carry everything I need. But I think, as a commuter, a large selection of accessories. Messenger bags, backpacks, racks, panniers, frame pumps. tires built for commuting. Multi-tools, Tubes, etc etc etc

But its more than just parts, It's the service. Someone who knows the area, and can recommend what is best for that area.

My LBS is too small to carry a lot of stuff in-stock. There just isn't room in the store.

But, several of the staff commute and that's important. They understand the differences in the way commuters ride as opposed to racerboys.

Most importantly, there's a separate service bay for ride-ins, with car-free and commuters getting priority. I like it that when I ride in, instead of being asked, "When can you pick it up?", I'm asked, "Can you wait a minute until I finish putting new brake pads of this bike?"

I like a bike shop with knowledable staff, and competitive prices. Also, one of the 2 shops i go to everything isn't all neat and organized, but they actually have it. i can also go in there to ask questions, toss around ideas, and they're not expecting a sale every single time (though i try to buy something most times)

edit: the other one is very clean and tidy, but they don't have much for the size of the shop, and they're not too excited about ordering it for you.

Here's what I wish I could find: A store staffed by commuters, not roadie wannabes.

Personally I'd like to find a shop that stocks less expensive parts. I've got a $350 bike with nearly 15K miles on it and I'm happy with it. If I need to replace the rear derailler, for instance, I don't want a $200 RD, I want a $25 one. All I seem to find are shops with high end components, so I wind up having to order online.

+100
I rarely even bother looking around at the shops anymore, I am not in the market for 23c tires and the latest carbon fiber whatever so they are not really interested in my business..

+2

People who are not just trying to sell you something but fit something to you, or help you fit what you already have. Also, sometimes shops seem more specialized in one type of cycling, though can service any. If you had to really good shops to chose from and one's style more matched yours, go with it.

MEC
Nashbar
Canadian Tire
Local Dollar Store
Local Thrift Shop

That's where I get my stuff ... and that's the level of service I want.

Ok so it seems like we have ended that topic... Thanks for the awesome feed back...

If you are all up for it lets expand on this.?.?.?.?.?.

Question 2: What are the products do you support the most? (The Products/Company that you recommend all the time. The companys you stand by. List forum would be best please)