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The pros and cons of mom-and-pop bicycle shops.

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The pros and cons of mom-and-pop bicycle shops.

Old 02-13-19, 07:03 PM
  #126  
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This thread is pointless. Both independent and chain bike shops are going out of business at a record rate and will be as rare as book stores in the very near future.

All you need is a $100 toolkit and youtube videos. Far less than that if you are only an occasional rider (90% of bicycle riders).
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Old 02-13-19, 10:14 PM
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Originally Posted by radroad
This thread is pointless. Both independent and chain bike shops are going out of business at a record rate and will be as rare as book stores in the very near future.

All you need is a $100 toolkit and youtube videos. Far less than that if you are only an occasional rider (90% of bicycle riders).
Where did you get your information about bike shops going out of business at a record rate? We have about 25 well established LBSs within a 50 mile radius of our small community.
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Old 02-13-19, 11:00 PM
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Originally Posted by radroad
This thread is pointless. Both independent and chain bike shops are going out of business at a record rate and will be as rare as book stores in the very near future.

All you need is a $100 toolkit and youtube videos. Far less than that if you are only an occasional rider (90% of bicycle riders).
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...sorry just had to laugh at that one. So extremely funny. All the shops in my neck of the woods like 15 of them or more are all still in business and not planning on going out of said thing.

I also laugh at just needing a cheap toolkit and some videos. Maybe for some minor repairs on cheaper bikes but there is a lot more to knowledge then a few videos even if it is Calvin Jones. Having people with knowledge from seeing and fixing hundreds if not thousands of various bikes over their lifetime and knowing a lot of tech knowledge that some of these yootoobers aren't or can't go into in a short video is invaluable. I get it people don't like to think there are experts out there who might now a lot more than they do it is hard to admit you still have a lot to learn and some people might actually know more than you. It sucks sometimes but there are people who have skills and knowledge that don't come from cheap tools and a computer screen. However if my memory serves me we already explained this to you but it might take time for it to sink in.

Torque wrenches aren't cheap (and the cheap ones aren't good) Truing stands and repair stands cost money and most cheap kits don't come with things like quality allen wrenches, JIS screwdrivers (for working on Shimano derailleurs and yes while a phillips head sort of works it is easy to strip those screws and I see it frequently from home mechanics and inexperienced wrenches) and this is not mentioning the other tools like derailleur hanger alignment gauges, press fit tools for headset and bottom brackets, and other extremely useful tools that are rather expensive and not used often but when you need them except no substitutes.

I would love to see you pull apart a Powertap hub with your $100 toolkit and put new bearings in and have the hub still function or properly build, tension, true and dish a wheel without the proper tools which generally will go above your toolkit or work on various odd standards and old parts that are hard to find tools for like old Dura Ace headsets or other oddities. How about a complete overhaul on a bike pulling everything apart and regreasing and cleaning and such in a short amount of time. Easy to do at a shop with the right knowledge and a right pain in butt to do at home with limited tools and skills and no parts washer. Yes it all can be done but what should generally be about 1-3 hours could take 1-3 days at home even if you have diligently watched all the youtubes.

I am not opposed to D.I.Y. and learning things on your own but to say shops are all closing and not needed is absolutely and utterly ridiculous. However I wish you well and please if you ever need help on your bike come on down to my shop and we will take care of you, we have plenty of tools and knowledge from many years of doing this and many different people from many different backgrounds in cycling who have picked up a thing or two that don't come in a book, a video or riding sometimes.
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Old 02-14-19, 03:15 AM
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LOL, someone's getting defensive. Bike repair ain't rocket science, son. Most bike mechanics are minimum wage employees and no educational background is required.

As far as your specific points, a high quality truing stand runs for $40, $50 tops. A good quality torque wrench, the same. A cheap toolkit (as you put it) is more than sufficient for 95% minimum of home mechanics, probably closer to 99 or even 100%. "Quality" Allen keys, lol. Put down the JD and come to your senses.

I bought a $6 multi-tool 15 years ago at supergo and it still works perfectly.

The data is in. Bike shops are closing at a record rate. They're unnecessary. More and more people are discovering that they can save thousands of dollars by buying direct and learning some very basic wrenching along the way. No amount of typing on your part can change this reality.

Originally Posted by veganbikes
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...sorry just had to laugh at that one. So extremely funny. All the shops in my neck of the woods like 15 of them or more are all still in business and not planning on going out of said thing.

I also laugh at just needing a cheap toolkit and some videos. Maybe for some minor repairs on cheaper bikes but there is a lot more to knowledge then a few videos even if it is Calvin Jones. Having people with knowledge from seeing and fixing hundreds if not thousands of various bikes over their lifetime and knowing a lot of tech knowledge that some of these yootoobers aren't or can't go into in a short video is invaluable. I get it people don't like to think there are experts out there who might now a lot more than they do it is hard to admit you still have a lot to learn and some people might actually know more than you. It sucks sometimes but there are people who have skills and knowledge that don't come from cheap tools and a computer screen. However if my memory serves me we already explained this to you but it might take time for it to sink in.

Torque wrenches aren't cheap (and the cheap ones aren't good) Truing stands and repair stands cost money and most cheap kits don't come with things like quality allen wrenches, JIS screwdrivers (for working on Shimano derailleurs and yes while a phillips head sort of works it is easy to strip those screws and I see it frequently from home mechanics and inexperienced wrenches) and this is not mentioning the other tools like derailleur hanger alignment gauges, press fit tools for headset and bottom brackets, and other extremely useful tools that are rather expensive and not used often but when you need them except no substitutes.

I would love to see you pull apart a Powertap hub with your $100 toolkit and put new bearings in and have the hub still function or properly build, tension, true and dish a wheel without the proper tools which generally will go above your toolkit or work on various odd standards and old parts that are hard to find tools for like old Dura Ace headsets or other oddities. How about a complete overhaul on a bike pulling everything apart and regreasing and cleaning and such in a short amount of time. Easy to do at a shop with the right knowledge and a right pain in butt to do at home with limited tools and skills and no parts washer. Yes it all can be done but what should generally be about 1-3 hours could take 1-3 days at home even if you have diligently watched all the youtubes.

I am not opposed to D.I.Y. and learning things on your own but to say shops are all closing and not needed is absolutely and utterly ridiculous. However I wish you well and please if you ever need help on your bike come on down to my shop and we will take care of you, we have plenty of tools and knowledge from many years of doing this and many different people from many different backgrounds in cycling who have picked up a thing or two that don't come in a book, a video or riding sometimes.
Originally Posted by Doug64
Where did you get your information about bike shops going out of business at a record rate? We have about 25 well established LBSs within a 50 mile radius of our small community.
I already posted the industry data. Take a look at one of my previous threads.

Last edited by radroad; 02-14-19 at 03:18 AM.
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Old 02-14-19, 05:22 AM
  #130  
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This isn't just the USA but in Europe and the UK, retail is changing but I think it will stabilise rather than eliminate local bike shops. It isn't rocket science and most practical people can maintain their bikes no problem but others have well paid jobs or simply don't have mechanical skills and they are better served by a local bike shop. I mean if you have limited spare time and a high hourly rate it clearly makes sense to get someone else to sort your bike rather than use your own time unless you find repairing and servicing your bike therapeutic. Cycling is something that allows for all budgets, you can buy a simple secondhand bike for peanuts and maintain it using very budget parts or you can spend serious money on the latest performance bike and get it maintained by your LBS those are 2 extremes of spending. I could buy and run a bike for probably a £5 if I had to per year. I bought a bike recently for 99p off ebay and it really doesn't need much attention apart from a bit of oil and pumping up the tyres. If I had to that bike could last me 10 years. 99p is infinitely more expensive than many bikes I've seen on freecycle. I'm just making the point cycling can cost as little or as much as you want and in that spectrum of spending habits LBS's exist. While I was in a LBS on Monday woman was considering the purchase of 2 e-bikes each costing about £3,000. She was getting a lot of advice and trying out various models as I looked around at the models I was interested in, whether she bought them there or just took the advice and looked for the cheapest price online later is another matter. Seemed an ideal situation for a LBS, a much more complicated bicycle requiring more careful selling to make sure the product suited the customer. She clearly wasn't technical and would likely rely on that shop a lot after the initial purchase.
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Old 02-14-19, 08:26 AM
  #131  
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Originally Posted by veganbikes
I am not opposed to D.I.Y. and learning things on your own but to say shops are all closing and not needed is absolutely and utterly ridiculous. However I wish you well and please if you ever need help on your bike come on down to my shop and we will take care of you, we have plenty of tools and knowledge from many years of doing this and many different people from many different backgrounds in cycling who have picked up a thing or two that don't come in a book, a video or riding sometimes.
Not gonna lie, ripping apart, rebuilding, and then tuning a four bank carb system on a motorcycle is considerably more difficult than anything done on a bike, yet I also did that at home with minimal specialty tools. Bikes simply are not that complicated. I've trued numerous wheels using nothing but zipties and felt pens with the wheels on the frame, to very good success. Yes, some special tools are required, but every special bike tool that is truly needed to do 99% of what a normal person will ever do on a bike will cost you less than an hour's labor at a shop.

I have no doubt that a bike shop can do anything I can faster, I have many doubts the kid that is working a summer job can do a better job though. And, with the expectation of turning around as many bikes as possible, as you have already stated in this thread, mechanics sometimes have the pressure to get stuff out the door without verifying their work, and without having the attention to detail that I will put into my own bike.
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Old 02-14-19, 09:06 AM
  #132  
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Originally Posted by radroad
I already posted the industry data. Take a look at one of my previous threads.
Seriously?

No one's that interesting.
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Old 02-14-19, 02:06 PM
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Bonzo Banana you make a solid point with e-bike purchases. Aside from the typical bicycle parts, the drive train and controllers are not as simple and easy to dig into and service. Bike shops are welcoming e-bikes just like they did with mountain bikes, albeit, not at such a large volume. The mechanics I know are excited to service them as well as servicing the electronic shifting systems. It is a new skill they can develop and charge higher labor rates for that skill.
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Old 02-14-19, 02:32 PM
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Originally Posted by TiHabanero
Bonzo Banana you make a solid point with e-bike purchases. Aside from the typical bicycle parts, the drive train and controllers are not as simple and easy to dig into and service. Bike shops are welcoming e-bikes just like they did with mountain bikes, albeit, not at such a large volume. The mechanics I know are excited to service them as well as servicing the electronic shifting systems. It is a new skill they can develop and charge higher labor rates for that skill.

E-bikes are also benefiting from the George Foreman grill factor--a new thing that looks useful enough that people want them. The stores may taper off on the amount of floor space for them if the market gets saturated, like happened with Foreman grills and Keurig coffee machines. Jury is still out on whether a lot of these are going to end up barely used in the garage.
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Old 02-14-19, 03:50 PM
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
E-bikes are also benefiting from the George Foreman grill factor--a new thing that looks useful enough that people want them. The stores may taper off on the amount of floor space for them if the market gets saturated, like happened with Foreman grills and Keurig coffee machines. Jury is still out on whether a lot of these are going to end up barely used in the garage.
Bike shop floor space is becoming irrelevant. Google direct to consumer sales.
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Old 02-14-19, 03:54 PM
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Originally Posted by radroad
Bike shop floor space is becoming irrelevant. Google direct to consumer sales.
Google "i've been in a bunch of bike stores in the past year that are all selling a lot of bikes" and "don't condescend to people like you're the only one aware of online sales".
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Old 02-14-19, 04:09 PM
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Google "i've been in a bunch of bike stores in the past year that are all selling a lot of bikes" and "don't condescend to people like you're the only one aware of online sales".
Google 10% drop in bicycle unit sales YOY, record bike shop closures, and anecdotal evidence lol
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Old 02-14-19, 05:54 PM
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"Jury is still out on whether a lot of these are going to end up barely used in the garage."

Agreed. I suspect a lot of like new used e-bikes will be available in a few years.
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Old 02-14-19, 07:59 PM
  #139  
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Originally Posted by radroad
LOL, someone's getting defensive. Bike repair ain't rocket science, son. Most bike mechanics are minimum wage employees and no educational background is required.

As far as your specific points, a high quality truing stand runs for $40, $50 tops. A good quality torque wrench, the same. A cheap toolkit (as you put it) is more than sufficient for 95% minimum of home mechanics, probably closer to 99 or even 100%. "Quality" Allen keys, lol. Put down the JD and come to your senses.

I bought a $6 multi-tool 15 years ago at supergo and it still works perfectly.

The data is in. Bike shops are closing at a record rate. They're unnecessary. More and more people are discovering that they can save thousands of dollars by buying direct and learning some very basic wrenching along the way. No amount of typing on your part can change this reality.





I already posted the industry data. Take a look at one of my previous threads.
You know what I will leave your to your delusions. You probably are a rocket scientist also and probably the best one there is. There was a good video on youtube that shows you how to be a rocket scientist and clearly you must have watched it. You are the best mechanic ever and nobody could ever be better than you and your 6 dollar multi tool is the only tool you need. Enjoy the delusion, friend : )
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Old 02-15-19, 08:28 AM
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I don't know, seems this thread is on the threshold of getting flushed . . . it certainly seems to be circling. As usual, I think it suffices to say that different folks have different opinions on matters, and that's what makes the world go around.

We should keep in mind, however, that unfounded and overly broad statements are bound to be challenged, so if you want to maintain any credibility you should be ready to back them up with references. Don't expect others to dig up corroborating data that you claim you posted in some other unnamed thread. That's just FAIL.
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Old 02-15-19, 08:32 AM
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I need (and use) bike shops. There are plenty of people who don't want to or don't have the time to perform their owns repairs and maintenance. Think busy grad student living in a small apartment in a 3 story walk-up. She needs her beater tuned and the occasional flat fixed so she can stay mobile. She's not going to buy a truing stand or torque wrench for that sort of thing. Anyone who doesn't understand that has a myopic view of society.

****

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Old 02-15-19, 09:13 AM
  #142  
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Performance Bike had a shop close to my house. They were my shop for two years, and now they’re all closing. It sucks because the people who worked there didn’t act like it was a corporate store. They were always friendly and would regularly go the extra mile to help people out.
Most of the LBSs here are near the university, which makes sense, but that’s the opposite end of town for me. The closest one—Ajo Bikes—is decent, but the atmosphere there is rather puritanical. At least it was the last time I went there. If you’re not the kind of rider they cater to, they’ll still take your money, but they treat you like an outsider, give super short answers to questions about products you’re looking to buy, etc. I’m actually dreading the idea of finding a new shop.
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Old 02-15-19, 09:40 AM
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Originally Posted by BillyD

We should keep in mind, however, that unfounded and overly broad statements are bound to be challenged, so if you want to maintain any credibility you should be ready to back them up with references. Don't expect others to dig up corroborating data that you claim you posted in some other unnamed thread. That's just FAIL.
It's funny a bit though how frequently folks will tell you they're not answering some questions since it would be easily answered by a 10 second google search. Clicking on a user's "more recent posts by" link, for example, took about 20 seconds to find this:
2018 Industry Figures: 78% Increase in E-Bike Sales$: All Other Categories in Decline
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Old 02-17-19, 07:06 PM
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Originally Posted by veganbikes
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...sorry just had to laugh at that one. So extremely funny. All the shops in my neck of the woods like 15 of them or more are all still in business and not planning on going out of said thing.

I also laugh at just needing a cheap toolkit and some videos. Maybe for some minor repairs on cheaper bikes but there is a lot more to knowledge then a few videos even if it is Calvin Jones. Having people with knowledge from seeing and fixing hundreds if not thousands of various bikes over their lifetime and knowing a lot of tech knowledge that some of these yootoobers aren't or can't go into in a short video is invaluable. I get it people don't like to think there are experts out there who might now a lot more than they do it is hard to admit you still have a lot to learn and some people might actually know more than you. It sucks sometimes but there are people who have skills and knowledge that don't come from cheap tools and a computer screen. However if my memory serves me we already explained this to you but it might take time for it to sink in.

Torque wrenches aren't cheap (and the cheap ones aren't good) Truing stands and repair stands cost money and most cheap kits don't come with things like quality allen wrenches, JIS screwdrivers (for working on Shimano derailleurs and yes while a phillips head sort of works it is easy to strip those screws and I see it frequently from home mechanics and inexperienced wrenches) and this is not mentioning the other tools like derailleur hanger alignment gauges, press fit tools for headset and bottom brackets, and other extremely useful tools that are rather expensive and not used often but when you need them except no substitutes.

I would love to see you pull apart a Powertap hub with your $100 toolkit and put new bearings in and have the hub still function or properly build, tension, true and dish a wheel without the proper tools which generally will go above your toolkit or work on various odd standards and old parts that are hard to find tools for like old Dura Ace headsets or other oddities. How about a complete overhaul on a bike pulling everything apart and regreasing and cleaning and such in a short amount of time. Easy to do at a shop with the right knowledge and a right pain in butt to do at home with limited tools and skills and no parts washer. Yes it all can be done but what should generally be about 1-3 hours could take 1-3 days at home even if you have diligently watched all the youtubes.

I am not opposed to D.I.Y. and learning things on your own but to say shops are all closing and not needed is absolutely and utterly ridiculous. However I wish you well and please if you ever need help on your bike come on down to my shop and we will take care of you, we have plenty of tools and knowledge from many years of doing this and many different people from many different backgrounds in cycling who have picked up a thing or two that don't come in a book, a video or riding sometimes.
lmaooooo man. As a young person/
(22) the cycling community which is older seems to have the biggest ego I have ever witnessed. Bikes are bikes man. There’s NOTHING to complicated. Literally everything on a bike is simple and do able with common sense/YouTube/and google. The last point is valid, if it was so hard and required “years” of experience why are ppl getting paid min wage. Nothing on a bike is not do able by a semi competent person.
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Old 02-17-19, 07:39 PM
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Some folks seem to think since they don’t find value in something no one else should/would. There will always be a use for LBS’s. They may be in decline in some areas but they’ll never go away. Many more people ride bikes than just a few millennials who think they know everything. lol
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Old 02-17-19, 07:42 PM
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Originally Posted by GrizzlyPeaks


lmaooooo man. As a young person/
(22) the cycling community which is older seems to have the biggest ego I have ever witnessed. Bikes are bikes man. There’s NOTHING to complicated. Literally everything on a bike is simple and do able with common sense/YouTube/and google. The last point is valid, if it was so hard and required “years” of experience why are ppl getting paid min wage. Nothing on a bike is not do able by a semi competent person.

People get paid minimum wage because people still believe bikes are toys and many still treat them as such. Minimum wage is not a signifier that something is easy, sure the easy stuff is easy but there is a lot to learn young padawan. It seems there is a big ego here of people who think everything is just so easy that you just watch youtube and magically you are an experienced bike mechanic who can fix any bike quickly and efficiently. Trust me to get far in this industry you have to know your stuff and that doesn't come from watching some videos it comes from experience and working on a wide variety of bikes with a wide variety of problems in short amounts of time. Also there are a lot of specialized tools that aren't practical for the home mechanic to have and while some stuff you can bodge together to make something close it may not do the job properly or it won't last long.

You realize a lot of folks are getting underpaid for what they do, it is a common problem amongst a lot of people. People with money don't like to give it up even if it means they could make more money. Sure I don't work in a cubicle checking emails, playing Minesweeper and filing TPS reports and that must be a signifier for difficulty because some seem to get paid decently. However that is not the case. Obviously though you are still young and figuring these things out and maybe one day you will work some jobs and get paid very little and work really hard and use a lot of skill and maybe just maybe realize what you are saying is wrong.
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Old 02-17-19, 08:32 PM
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Originally Posted by veganbikes
People get paid minimum wage because people still believe bikes are toys and many still treat them as such. Minimum wage is not a signifier that something is easy, sure the easy stuff is easy but there is a lot to learn young padawan. It seems there is a big ego here of people who think everything is just so easy that you just watch youtube and magically you are an experienced bike mechanic who can fix any bike quickly and efficiently. Trust me to get far in this industry you have to know your stuff and that doesn't come from watching some videos it comes from experience and working on a wide variety of bikes with a wide variety of problems in short amounts of time. Also there are a lot of specialized tools that aren't practical for the home mechanic to have and while some stuff you can bodge together to make something close it may not do the job properly or it won't last long.

You realize a lot of folks are getting underpaid for what they do, it is a common problem amongst a lot of people. People with money don't like to give it up even if it means they could make more money. Sure I don't work in a cubicle checking emails, playing Minesweeper and filing TPS reports and that must be a signifier for difficulty because some seem to get paid decently. However that is not the case. Obviously though you are still young and figuring these things out and maybe one day you will work some jobs and get paid very little and work really hard and use a lot of skill and maybe just maybe realize what you are saying is wrong.
Lol man you have heart. But you need to just realize it isn’t that serious. There’s a reason ppl don’t get paid good for what you do. Nothing wrong with it just the facts. There’s a reason you get paid way more to clean teeth, be a doctor, lawyer, electrician, construction worker, social worker, accountant, medical assistant, you name it. There all jobs requiring actual skill that is in DEMAND and isn’t easily learned. Tell me how did you learn to do what you do ? By just going out and doing it. The bike was invented WAAAY long ago and remains in principle the same. And you are wrong. Anything that could go wrong with a bike is learnable through forums/internet. For Christ sake my dad and I restored a whole ass 70 Chevy pick up from frame up, in our garage. We learned how to swap the ENGINE in our 99 power stroke diesel, and We learned how to install fuel injectors, oil pump, and fuel system OURSELVES through YouTube and diesel truck forums. Bikes ARENT that serious man for real give it rest. People self teach computer engineering/coding completely online redd!t/YouTube. And you think a silly bike is more complicated than coding and engine rebuilds/modifications? Man you need to wake up smell the coffee.
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Old 02-17-19, 08:39 PM
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Originally Posted by GrizzlyPeaks


Lol man you have heart. But you need to just realize it isn’t that serious. There’s a reason ppl don’t get paid good for what you do. Nothing wrong with it just the facts. There’s a reason you get paid way more to clean teeth, be a doctor, lawyer, electrician, construction worker, social worker, accountant, medical assistant, you name it. There all jobs requiring actual skill that is in DEMAND and isn’t easily learned. Tell me how did you learn to do what you do ? By just going out and doing it. The bike was invented WAAAY long ago and remains in principle the same. And you are wrong. Anything that could go wrong with a bike is learnable through forums/internet. For Christ sake my dad and I restored a whole ass 70 Chevy pick up from frame up, in our garage. We learned how to swap the ENGINE in our 99 power stroke diesel, and We learned how to install fuel injectors, oil pump, and fuel system OURSELVES through YouTube and diesel truck forums. Bikes ARENT that serious man for real give it rest. People self teach computer engineering/coding completely online redd!t/YouTube. And you think a silly bike is more complicated than coding and engine rebuilds/modifications? Man you need to wake up smell the coffee.
Natural aptitude matters. Some people make miserable mechanics even after spending 4 years in trade school and passing ASE certification tests. Others can do award-winning, frame-off restorations with nothing but an Internet education. Each person has different abilities and talents.

I will say one thing, the Internet has made all things DIY extremely friendly and easy to get into. It really has changed the world.
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Old 02-17-19, 10:55 PM
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It’s not that one can’t figure many things out via YouTube or Google Fu but to say that everyone is equipped or desires to do everything themselves is disingenuous. But hey, ignore everyone else’s needs to form your opinion.
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Old 02-18-19, 12:03 PM
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Originally Posted by luevelvet
It’s not that one can’t figure many things out via YouTube or Google Fu but to say that everyone is equipped or desires to do everything themselves is disingenuous. But hey, ignore everyone else’s needs to form your opinion.
NPR seems to support your assessment
Check NPR's broadcast:There's A Gap Between Perception And Reality When It Comes To Learning

LISTEN·6:396:39QUEUE
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February 18, 20195:10 AM ET
"Increasingly, people feel they can master tasks simply by watching instructional videos like the kind you find on YouTube. But sometimes the gap between perception and reality can be deep and wide."
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