my lbs takes bikes apart and faces the crown and bb shell (if appropriate). Fork crowns are just about never done right at the factory. That kind of thing is why they are rated so highly. We didn't do that when I was a mechanic, and very few shops do.

I have not been to a lot of co-ops ... but all the ones I have been to were filled with old bikes and old parts ... except for the people with new bikes who were there for the tools, work stands, and advice.

The point is your LBS will not have them. They will have to order them. So what's the point. You order them yourself.

Doing your own work so you go to the shop, let them order the parts, go home, wait, and then go back? :foo:

That's it. :thumb:

One of my LBS has a $15k-ish TT bike sitting in the front window. I have little doubt they could far better assist me with an E-shifting issue or purchase than the co-op, and I really wouldn't put it past at least a couple of them around me to have something in stock.

If I am doing my own work, which I do, than the co-op is as useless to me as a LBS. My experience with co-ops matches [MENTION=423651]Maelochs[/MENTION].

Separate Co Op from LBS. I suggested the CO OP for the OP. He is the person who was asking a question.

What was the last part that you needed that an LBS had that was not common?

You guys get way to serious on here. To funny.

Your comment was actually that one should support co-ops, and that LBS around you are making out like thieves. Forgive me for taking those two comments to go hand in hand.

The co-ops around me would have been as useless to the OPs situation as that LBS was. One needs to assess their local options, and know where to go. If I want parts for my old bikes, I'm going to the co-op or one particular old-timers shop. If I want parts for touring gear, I know one or two that are far more likely to carry it than anyone else. To the OPs situation, there is one shop in particular that I can think about, that does quite a bit of business with the hybrid/cruiser/general family type bikes, that would have been more than happy to switch out parts for something of a different color. That is all my point was.

I don't post here much because I agree with Starbiker - everyone takes themselves too seriously here. But having worked in a retail environment, I'd like to point out that not all employees are equally helpful. Some, like the person the OP dealt with, are not the greatest employees and representatives of the shop. And sorry to say but good help is truly hard to find, especially in that kind of a position. So give your LBS owner a break and don't write them off completely because of one bad experience.

+1. And it's not exclusive to LBSs. I recently went into a wireless store looking for an LG V20. The 19yo behind the counter dismissed me and said I really needed an iPhone. After about 2 minutes asking and him refusing I told him he sucked at selling phones and that I wanted the commission to go to someone else. He changed his tune pretty quick.

The point is it doesn't matter why you want what you want, don't accept poor service and keep pushing till you get it.