You've made two errors with your statement.

1 - by what measure is there so much love for the LBS? I would guess that you are referring to posts you have read indicating support for the LBS, but a much more accurate measurement would be twofold. First, what is the trend for the number of local bike shops over time, and what is the current market share of online sales relative to LBS sales? Comparing the two trends should tell you where the love really is. The emergence of huge, profitable online bike and parts retailers points away from LBS love.

2 - you had some bad LBS experiences and you are extrapolating that and applying it to the rest of the world. I've also ran into a few bad apple LBSs however that does not mean that all shops provide shoddy service/equipment.

When you walk into an LBS, you cannot bring with you the attitude that the LBS is going to fulfill your every desire as if they are an online retailer. That's what the interwebs is for. LBSs, while they do have access to manufacturer catalogs, do not have the vast inventories of online retailers and a stock that is physically limited by floor and shelf space. If you want a Defy but the LBS only stocks Cannondale and Surly, then you can either compromise and buy either of the latter or take your business to the internets.

That would be interesting to know. One article [0] suggests that Internet sales account for a relatively small fraction of bike sales. I'm guessing that bigger threats to LBS's are big-box and general sporting goods stores. Used bikes also cut into new bike sales. Granted, this is all anecdotal and speculative on my part, but I know lots of people who have bought new bikes, and nobody who has bought a bike online. I know very few people who buy parts to use or install themselves, as opposed to getting them installed at a shop.

Another indication is when I look at bikes around town, I rarely see a brand that I don't recognize as being sold through normal retailers including big-box stores.

I think that online bike sales will be an uphill battle, because fit and comfort remain important, an very few people have the mechanical skill even to assemble a boxed bike. The skill to identify the correct size and type of part (even tires) and install it will continue to give local retailers an edge.

[0] Industry Overview 2014 - National Bicycle Dealers Association

Hey, a real, live citation! That's rarity around here. I did completely neglect to mention the big box stores...I would agree with you completely. I tend to lump those sales together with online sales in my own mind, with the LBS being in its own category of course not including stores like Performance, Jenson, etc. Good post.

Reading the replies to my OP have been interesting. Part of my issue is that I may have "good old days" syndrome. When I started riding there was no online shopping, hell there wasn't even an internet. The LBS was the only place. Performance and Nashbar were truly mail order and were marginally cheaper and the quality of their housebrand stuff was iffy. The people that worked in shops rode bikes, worked on bikes and knew their product. As a consumer, I learned about the spec and ride characteristics of a particular bike from my "guy" at the shop. If I was interested in a different brand, I found a "guy" at a different shop.

I guess I want a shop where the people who are selling the product know, at least, as much about the product as I do and can further inform my decision making process. If it is all on me, then I should feel no pain about buying online.

If you're ever in the San Diego area, check this place out:Home | Pacific Coast Cycles : Oceanside, CA : Bike Shop It's the only shop I know of that they will downsell if they think the lower scale product is sufficient.

You may not feel any pain buying online but you also won't feel, ride or smell the bike online before you buy it.
If you want to do either of those three you will most likely need the service of a LBS.
And the most important of the three being smell of course

Hence the problem. I love the smell of a bike shop that unique combination of tires, grease and, well, just bikes. Maybe there needs to be a shop that is not associated with particular brands. They sell clothing, tires, saddles and other consumables. Then add to that a first rate service dept., group rides, team sponsorship and a coffee pot. Disconnecting house brand from good service could attract some interest. As it stands now, if you buy a bike from shop A, that is your shop for all purposes. My regular shop has great people in their service dept. and the fitter is outstanding. I can stay with them for that, but if that quality extended to the sales staff there would be a better experience overall.

Final thought, I can hold my own in this world and deal with my perceptions of quality, or the lack thereof, in bike shops. I guess I would like to see the newest generation of cyclist encounter a place where their passion for the sport is encourage and increased. How many people go into a shop, not knowing much about cycling, and end up with a bike that they set aside after a few months because it didn't meet their needs? Again, maybe it is old days, but my LBS seemed to go that extra mile to earn and keep customers from the moment they walked in the door.

Unless I'm disremembering, that's where I bought my Motobecane around 1976-'77. Their website says they opened in 1977, so maybe I'm thinking of another shop in Oceanside.

Ha! I had a friend that worked there part time. He said the owner is a real hoot!

First post.... I am more than happy with my LBS in Evansville, In. In july I decided to buy a new road bike and stopped in Schellers. The guys went out of the way to help me pick out a bike and measured me to help me get the right size. They answered all my questions and I told them before I buy the bike I wanted to do some internet research. No problem. Upon researching I went and bought a Trek Domane 4.0. from them. I have ridden near 2000 miles since I bought it. I have had a few flats from riding on the highway and they took the time to fix my flats for the cost of the tube. They have had me to leave the bike to check it over with no cost. They have free lifetime adjustments. They have gone out of the way to make me a happy customer. My wife decided to get her a new bike and we bought her a Trek Silque from them.
We rode the Pumpkin Metric a couple weeks back and the guys found out we were doing the ride and had us to bring out bikes and and get checked out. Zero cost.
To say we are happy with our LBS aka Schellers is a understatement.

Not many, I'm sure, but there are also people like me out there not supporting an LBS. Why not?:

1. There's one within a 20 mile radius. A tiny shop that survives with BMX sales to parents and bike repair. No dealership affiliation, few new bikes, odd hours that don't work for me.

2a. I'm retired and SO on a budget; buying a 2015/16 bike of the quality I would be satisfied with is totally out of the question. Neglected refugees of a bygone era are my rebuild candidates.
2b. Part of my cycling satisfaction comes from the constant learning process of bicycle mechanics, fit and theory.
2c. Parts for the above mentioned victims are much cheaper (better quality sought), and more readily available online with delivery faster than an LBS could get them into inventory. Again, refer to 2a regarding an LBS installing the parts sold to me...it's fair and just, but labor rates are beyond my means.

3. I haven't experienced any performance difference in my bikes and those I've ridden with on new state-of-the art, fitted bicycles with shop support, then again, I'm not into organized racing.

Although a small percentage of the general cycling population, I'd bet there's a much higher percentage of like-minded folk here on BF!

You've touched on a few things worth discussing. Yesterday I went into one of my LBSs here in New Orleans to pick up a few tubes. I was greeted at the door by a helpful sales person. He directed me to the tubes and asked if I needed anything else. I told him that I was going to look around a bit. I was greeted no less than 4 times as I walked about. One guy asked if I needed anything. I said nah I'm good. He said something like "just kicking tires?" I told him I came in to get tubes but couldn't come into a bike store without looking at everything and enjoying the smell." He smiled and nodded knowingly. I love the smell of a bike store.

Your experience that the ownership and few other key players are good is the norm. But it's VERY difficult to find and keep good low wage hourly staff in a small store. Most small business owners will tell you that it's their biggest challenge. I don't think too many LBS owners are getting rich. Unfortunately those low wage hourly employees are often the ones we are most likely to go face to face with.

A third point you brought up is the old days. The internet has assured that the old days are gone. In the old days we all pretty much had to go to the LBS for everything. Now much of the money that would go into the LBS is going to online vendors. An LBS simply can't compete with internet warehouses on variety of stock and prices. That money I am spending online could help pay enough to keep good workers around. Our collective customer service mentality has changed too. We have become accustomed to a lower level of service. When Wal-Mart first started taking on the other big box retailers, they were about low prices AND customer service. As hard as it is to believe, Wal-Mart used to emphasize and be good at customer service. Our world has changed.

When I lived in Gulfport MS, I used to ride with a mechanic from one of my LBSs and the manager and main sales guy from another. They were great people with a passion for bikes and riding. One of the stores was a family business. The main sales guy didn't ride. He probably tipped the scales at 300 pounds. He was a nice guy and tried to be helpful, but his lack of passion was evident. Oddly, the converse can be true too. You have an LBS with a few hard core racers on staff. They struggle at times to relate to recreational riders. I have watched in amazement as some of these folks have overwhelmed their customers by going way over their head. Here's another issue. Not really listening to the customer. I wanted to do something a bit unusual for my wife. She has some issues with her wrists where she can't put any weight on them. She loves a cruiser like riding position. I decided I wanted to start with a good quality flat bar road bike, add a stem riser, sweep back bars and a cushy saddle. The end result being a fairly light "high performance" cruiser. I visited 4 bike shops in New Orleans. NONE truly listened to or got what I wanted to do. One employee basically argued with me. I can wrench, so I ordered a bike and the parts I wanted online.

Your assessment is spot on in my opinion. An LBS is a crap shoot of sorts. I have 8 bikes at my house. Two are LBS bikes, one is a craigslist bike, two are mail order bikes and three are builds where I used an assortment of parts most of which I bought online. With good service at an LBS, two of those non-LBS bikes could have been LBS purchases.

Edited to add this: I just dropped down and skimmed the Road Cycling forum. It's safe to assume that the folks that post there are enthusiasts who are generally knowledgeable. If the advice dispensed there is similar to what the posters would dispense as bike shop employees, then you can appreciate the difficulty a shop has in attracting a good employee.

Without the local bike shops the cycling industry will cease to exist. New riders will never get started and the vast majority of existing riders would quit. There must be a local interface for people to continue the hobby. I support my LBS when possible because I want to see our hobby flourish. I agree that they sometimes do not perform up to the standards I would expect but isn't that the case for most retailers anymore? Please remember you are working with people that usually make close to minimum wage and set your expectations at that level. I don't buy everything locally but I do give them some business when I can.

Depending on your definition of local, I don't have an LBS. My work hours don't often allow me to go to a bike shop in the city I work in while I driving there or back, and I don't usually drive an hour on my day off just to go to a bike shop so it is far quicker and easier (and cheaper) for me to get stuff online usually. Just got a couple hundred bucks of tools dropped off at the house over the past few days so hopefully I'll be set for most things.

This sounds extreme, but when I think about it, almost all new riders start by visiting local shops, I'd bet. Even if they eventually buy online, (I assume many already shop online and are comfortable with it) because they know nothing of cycling it seems likely most would go to the local bike shops.

Take those away and I'd bet a lot of people would be too scared to make the kind of investment cycling can require. So we'd see a lot more traffic at Wal-Mart and a lot more people buying ill-fitting, maladjusted, overweight bikes which are unsuited to the rider's desires and are no fun to ride.

Some folks would persevere, some would scout through forums and such, but a lot would probably buy a bike which ended up as garage clutter after two seasons of minimal and unenjoyable use.

Im still pretty new to riding again and started out using REI, being a bit intimidated by our two LBS - my older brother has BMX'd for about 25 years and grew up with the guys at our LBS, making the trails and such for our town among other things, so i knew they were all REALLY into it and knew their stuff.

I wanted to learn some on my own and get settled before venturing into one of them, i guess. REI has been great to me though, helping me/doing small things for free even and no doubt they have more to offer when it comes to stock in stores ( i thought).

A few weeks ago i finally went to check them out - starting first with the one my brother loves...now suspecting his loyalty is only because of his friends there, nothing else. I wont be returning.
All the things id read, just on BF, about experiences with their LBS started to give me doubt the other would be any better, and i almost didnt bother. BUT the other one turned out to be amazing - the people were great, the shop was PACKED full of everything (more selection than REI, to my amazement). They sell new and used, and take trade ins as well. And their prices were just slightly, slightly lower than the other LBS and REI. Yet to see if their mechanics hold up, but iv got a feeling they will.

Iv only been to two LBS, but already saw how hit or miss it can be. I understand why people want to/do support their LBS though, and id like to see them stick around. A more personal shopping/repair experience is something id enjoy more.

So if your son (or daughter) comes to you and says he is considering a career in bicycle retail sales..... would you encourage that?

Retail isn't generally a highly paid profession so don't expect the most professional and motivated sales force. And, bicycle shops seem to have a employment draw that is even outside of the normal retail attraction. It isn't unusual to learn that the LBS mechanic was a fairly decent racer at one time. Or.... that the kid helping on the sales floor isn't a cyclist.... but a relative of the shops owner.

Sure most bicycle shops are small businesses (less than 500 employees). But most are just tiny shops, with a mostly part-time staff. The service you get on Tuesday may be nothing like the attention you receive on Friday. I don't know if the LBS shopping experience is unique to cycling. I find the [old] lawnmower shops to be a similar experience.

My expectations of my LBS isn't the same as what I expect from the stores out-at-the-mall. The LBS is.... what it is.

I want to concur with the above post about the St Louis bike shops. My wife and I go to St Louie regular and have stopped at several of the shops there. All were very helpful and very pleasant to speak/deal with.

Why?

Two examples from the last 2 weeks:
1. I bought some 26x1 3/8 tires off Amazon to replace 16x1.75, as I wanted a slightly narrower tire on an older tandem. Couldn't figure out why the hell the tires didn't fit. My LBS owners just smiled, explained size differences, and ordered the right size for me.
2. "Do you have any spoke wrenches?" "Here, take this one. It just laying around in the back. No charge."

I've never bought a new bike from the LBS. I'm definitely not a big spender, as most of my bikes are off Craigslist and I rebuild/repair what I can on my own. But they happily fix what I can't and offer advice when I'm stuck.

There's also the plus of supporting a small, local business.

To the extent that many LBS's are privately owned, you'd expect a wide range of experiences shopping at them. Some will have a vibe you like, some won't. (The better ones will offer you beer!)

To me, it seems like in the ideal case you visit your own local enough the achieve known (and welcome) regular status - and this doesn't really mean buying a fancy bike. Visit often, spend some money, and try not to give the appearance that you're just trying stuff on to go home and order from Amazon.


I wouldn't be surprised if I knew more about a particular bike than the sales staff - particularly if I had been obsessing about and researching that very bike for days or longer (I only have 3-4 bikes to obsess over - how many bikes do they have on the floor?). And, while I might know what groupset the bike has by heart, that's probably not as useful information as what the guy that built that particular bike has. Anyone can memorize a parts sheet.

Of course; if you do all your own wrenching and own a truing stand just order your bike online because you don't need expert mechanics. Or do you?

An indie shop is only as good as it's people; a chain shop is only as good as it's people and it's systems. In theory those systems can make up for some of the weaknesses of it's people, but bring their own problems.

Find a shop with good people, cultivate a relationship, reap the benefits. TANSTAAFL.