Over the past two years I have sat in on conversations about how bike shops are struggling because of on-line sales and such. I know there is something to that. Most businesses are feeling that pinch. I usually order my components from Amazon and do my own work. It's cheaper.

But I stopped in one of the local bike shops in my area a couple of days ago. Basically I was wanting to look at some stems and seat posts. The ones on my bike are black, and I would like to change them to silver. Why not buy local for a change?

So I stopped at a local LBS, wheeled the bike in, and explained what I wanted. The person I was talking too wanted to know why I wanted a different stem and seat post. So I explained it to him.

His response was to wave me off and say "I'd just leave it way it is and just ride it."

Wow. His first was to assume that I really cared what he would do. It is my bike, and if I want to change my stem and seat post, that is my business. It used to be you walked into an LBS and they would be happy to show you what they had on hand, or at least offer to order it. You could spend a bit of time chatting about the advantages of one over another.... It was called "customer service" and it generated loyalty.

And so I left without purchasing anything. I did need some spokes and cables as well.... didn't buy those either.

If local bike shops are struggling because of internet sales, I don't see it. If they can wave off a potential $100 or so worth of sales just like that, then they are doing just fine.

Once I got home I ordered what I wanted from Amazon. All to be delivered in 2 days. And I probably saved $30 in the process. Oh well!

Ok, rant off. Coffee anyone?

Find a different shop. We will gladly order you in silver parts if that is what you want, and we will gladly take your money, no questions asked. We will even let you come around the counter to look at the computer to make sure you get what it is you want.

These rants are getting old.


I think each time I see one I will counter with an opposite experience....


After more than six years of regular use, including thousands of miles of fully loaded touring, much of which was in hilly and mountainous areas, I needed some drivetrain components (chainrings, cassette and chain) of my LHT replaced. I went to a LBS I use often. They listened to what I wanted, did some research based on my desires and found me a great set of quality chainrings in black that looked far better than the original silver ones. (The cassette and chain were no-brainers.) Parts were ordered and installed in a short period of time, and they performed flawlessly on last month's 800+ mile tour in MT and ID.

See my post above. That is precisely what the LBS did with the set of chainrings they suggested.

Lets face it, some shops just flat out suck. Some are really awesome, and then there are the mediocre ones that you go into, and remember nothing about. Find a shop that is awesome!

People post here all the time wanting to do something new. Some of us try to dissuade them first if it looks like they're trying to do something stupid. If you don't care enough to explain to a store clerk that you know it will work but you want to do it anyway, why do you care enough to post a whine on bf?

Wow, a business turning down money. How very odd.

First, I'm going to agree with the LBS employee. On the Specialized hybrid? Leave it alone.


Second, why not go in intending to buy the spokes and cables that you really needed, and then once those were taken care of, turn to the additional "want, but don't need" items. That would've made more sense, no?

That is the majority of my LBS issue. If I am walking in for parts, I need something NOW. If I have to wait a couple days for you to order it in, I'm simply going to order it myself to my home, and have a far wider selection of options and prices than the shop can offer. As to the rest, I am quite capable of doing my own research, even when walking in I generally already have an idea of what I want.

OTOH, if you have what I need on hand, I'm quite happy to pay you a premium to walk out the door with it NOW.

My LBS saves me money. Of course, I do them favors, so I get a good discount. But I don't try to use my own judgement on what will work best for my needs most of the time, I let them advise me, and they get the sales. I know people that buy things on the internet that end up spending much more because they do it wrong. It's not that easy, and experience is worth it. Of course, I have a very good bike shop. Some of them are way to arrogant and don't try to understand your needs before they tell you what you really want. The oldest bike shop in town will do that, and every time I go in there I leave feeling annoyed. I know this sounds contradictory, but there is a subtle and important difference between the two approaches.

This.

I work with this one guy, endlessly upgrading what was a rather plain Jane Felt Cafe 7. He came in our shop looking for upgrades after another shop turned him away, much like the one in the OP. We were happy to do the work, happy to turn the bike into what he wanted, and started offering him a substantial discount on parts because of the amount of business he was doing with us.

The other day, I stopped by the shop for some parts, and there was a guy with a bike purchased at another shop, his son's bike that needed some basic adjustments and a new brake cable noodle. He expected to drop it off, but I did the work on the spot while he waited. Not a regular occurrence, but he was thrilled to get the bike back in ten minutes instead of the next day or two.

If the OP stopped in, same thing as above -- work with them, if we don't have what they want, see what we can order, go over different quality options, see if they are interested in any change in stem rise/reach. And hopefully provide the proper length spoke from existing stock.

We can't compete on internet pricing, but hopefully make up for it in quality of work, depth off knowledge, and friendly customer service.

Please. Go back and re-read what I wrote. You will see where I stated that I explained to the LBS person what I wanted. We are talking about purchasing a silver stem and seat post to replace a black stem and seat post. I was not looking to put drum brakes on a surf board or carbon forks on a child's tricycle. In have been in that shop before. I have bought tubes, tires, cables, spokes, tools.... Enough for them to know that I know I am doing. Perhaps none that shows that I have the technical inclination obviously required to make a choice between black and silver. That must be it. How rude of me not to see that.

Now You are telling this guy he can't make his bike look like he wants it to look?

Why? because it is "only" a hybrid, and you think only "road bikes" can try to qualify for the "Hot 'r Not" thread, where people buy hundreds of dollars worth of parts just to get a specific appearance? But hybrids aren't "real" bikes and hybrid riders aren't "real" cyclists so they cannot take pride in how their bikes look?


HE WENT THERE INTENDING TO BUY A HUNDRED BUCKS WORTH OF STUFF HE WANTED!!!!!!!!!

You don't get to decide what other people "want" or "need." You don't get to decide the value of other people's desires or their bikes (unless you arr planning to buy the bike.)

The employee at that shop was an Idiot. If it had been my shop he would have been out the door before the OP was able to walk away.

Sell the Customer what the Customer Wants to Buy. it really isn't a tough concept. For some.

+1
I don't patronize many shops, but I have a couple to use for help or if I lack a special tool. I have several cycling friends that are better at wrenching than me and they assist often.

When working on a vintage French bike without the unique tools, my closest LBS pulled the crank for NO CHARGE. Amazon, ebay, the UK online businesses can never do that. I always return the favor with giving them some of my cycling dollars and a positive review to other cyclists.

Bicycle Center of Issaquah

The "issue" with a bike shop is that they cannot carry everything in the world in stock. It is a bike shop, not Amazon. We cannot stock 14 different sizes of Thomson seatposts and collars. It sure would be nice but it is not a reality. Most shops carry what they sell the most of, like we carry a lot of 6,7,8 speed chains because our shop sees a myriad of BSO's from Wal-Mart because we are across the street from a major university. For every high end seatpost we order in and sell, we probably sell about 500 of those chains.

The better response for the bike shop employee?

Shop: Hello, how can I help you?
OP: I'd like new bars and stem in silver.
Shop: For this bike?
OP: Yes
Shop: Not sure I'd do it for this bike but here is what we have. (giving the shop an out here) These are the low end and these are the high end. What style of bars and stem are you looking for? We also have a few take-offs tht could save you some money if you're interested in that route.


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Made more sense? Nope. At least not to me. I know, it is only a lowly Specialized hybrid. But it is MY Specialized Hybrid, one which I have made many changes too and enjoy riding every chance I get. That is what matters to me. And that is what should matter to the LBS employee. At least it should if they want to make a sale! I did not go there seeking his approaval on what color stem I have on my bike.

This! We have a guy that comes in with an old beat up Trek 830. He drops about $275 in each time because he abuses the crap out of it, leaves it outside in the rain, doesn't air the tires, never lubes the chain etc. He likes the bike. Do we judge him on it? Absolutely. Do we ever say anything negative to him about it? Nope. His money, his decision to spend it how he sees fit. He could have purchased a much better bike than what he has already with how much he spends on repairs. We keep our mouths shut.

I understand that perfectly well, but for me personally, the benefit I get from a bike shop is I can walk out with what I need now. Quite happy to support them in the cases where they can do that, but not so much if they exist as a middleman to ordering stuff off the internet.

Exactly as you should. We had many of those customers when I worked at Office Max, you help them when you can, but if they are set on something and are shoving money in your face, you take it and make the sale.

O.K., Veruca Salt.


Seriously....Other than when I damaged a chain link during a ride (which the LBS that built my road frame fixed for free) and maybe a tire, I can't recall the last time I needed a part "NOW."

Generally it is when I am refurbing something, have it halfway apart, and realize something else is in far worse shape than I though. Or when I remember the damn Helicomatics take different size bearings on each side of the rear hub after I've already torn into it. But still, from a philosophical standpoint, why would I ever want to pay them to just be a middleman to an internet order that I can do just as easily, and more conveniently, from my couch?

But in general, I still far prefer walking into a shop, see what I'm buying in person, and walking out with it now versus internet shopping, even if it does cost more. I place a high amount of value on going home with what I want, not waiting days for it to show up.

This is my take on bike shops and places like Radio Shack. I just drop in to pick up consumables like lube, chains, and cables mostly, but if I have something more in mind I'll drop by to see what they've got in the off chance that I don't need to wait a couple weeks for it.

I agree, that was an asinine reponse from the bike shop clerk. But as others have said, some shops simply arent very good.

Personally as much as I would love to support the local shops near me, I rarely go in them. It's simply SO much cheaper (and often easier) to buy online if you know what you need.

Of course as another poster pointed out, you can make mistakes too and have to order things mulitple times to get it right. Something I've never, ever done..ever!

How good is Amazon in fixing something on your bike while you wait?

As someone who manages a small business, that was a poor response by that bike shop employee. If a customer comes in wanting to buy something you're selling, sell it to them whether you think they need it or not. It's different if they ask you something, say like, if they ask if they need new brakes and their brakes are fine, for instance. But someone wanting to spend money to swap a part because he likes the looks of the other one better? Sure thing, how much you want to spend?

This is why so many brick-and-mortar stores go out of business.