RH Clark

I have one shop here an hour away that sells Trek bikes. First time there it was great and I rode a couple different bikes. I had never been on a good bike before and got the sales pitch and 2 options to buy sheets with different accessories. Next time I went in with 2 used bikes for them to look over they didn't seem to have any time at all for me. I bought a riser stem but it took 2 hours even to get waited on,even though there were only 2 other people in the store and I didn't ask them to look over my used bikes as I had planned after I was quoted a price over $50 just to check safety.

I decided to give them one more chance today and took in my Marlin 5 in for brake pads. They basically told me that my mechanical disc brakes wouldn't get any better and didn't seem to want to fool with it though I was the only one in the shop.I needed a new bike with hydraulic brakes. It seemed like all interest was gone when I said I wanted out as cheap as possible.

I have had the bike up shift before on me during a hard climb and asked them to check the shifter for me. The guy checked my chain instead and claimed I needed a new chain and set of gears because both were worn out on the 2017 marlin that has not yet even been ridden enough to need new brake pads. I was told that a new chain would be worthless without new gears. I told the smug young little salesman type that I would ride that chain and gears for the next 10 years without any problems and just left disgusted.

trailangel

Yes and No
Now you know why a lot of bikers do their own work. Parts are cheaper online. No transport to shop.
No run around.

RH Clark

I'm educating myself to do my own but I've only been in this a few months. Won't ever go back to that particular shop.

asgelle

I should know better, but I have to ask. So exactly what are you saying? Were the salespeople occupied with the two other customers for two hours before they could get to you, or were there salespeople standing around not waiting on anyone? If the former, maybe there weren't enough staff, but the ones they had were busy. If the latter, why didn't you go up to someone and ask for help?

KraneXL

That's one solution. Another would be to continue to shop around until you find a shop that truly appreciates your business. First rules, look for recommendations. People love to share good experiences. I'm no mechanic and I don't want to be.

Vintage Schwinn

Not all are like that but sadly many of them are.
Many have an upscale clientele, and bicycling in some ways is the new golf.
That statement may not make sense until you look at it from the perspective of young to middle aged professionals have been Cycle Crazy for more than a decade.
These are the folks that are the top 1% that are getting significant raises and promotions. These are the same folks that attend The Masters in April and The Super Bowl in February. They largely take the view that they have achieved their stature through graduating top of their class, and then outperforming their colleagues in the workplace to earn their status and lifestyle perks, one of which is a large amount of disposable income. (There is no question that these folks are achievers and have earned their position and status among the corporate elite, and in their own practice (e.g. LAW, CPA-business consulting, MEDICAL, REAL ESTATE, etc).
They have no time for second best and desire only the "best" and are willing to pay for what they believe is the best, without too much regard for cost, as long as it puts them in the right light of being seen wearing/riding in/riding on the "best". Proper status is hugely important to them. These folks are the people who buy all the expensive "timepieces" and the "most-in, best brand's high line bicycle" much the same as their shirt's logo and tag must be among the best available today.
Golf was the sport that was attracting these "on the way to wealthy" newbies during the eighties, nineties, early 2000's before the GREAT RECESSION.
The older corporate titans near 50 and within ten years of retirement are still fixated on GOLF but those top-producers in the professional ranks in their early thirties and younger are Cycle-Nuts.
Some Bicycle shops have so much business today from these Cycle-Nuts who have more disposable money than sense. Typically, that city that the bicycle shop like that is located in, will have a huge Medical Community. Doctors don't have the time to do research, or compare Internet research. They could, I guess but that would take significantly from their leisure time and simply add stress to their lives.
Sometimes, these bicycle shops that get too snooty, with perhaps an over-confident, too big for their britches, and no time for the common-person Attitude, and it works great for them for a long time, UNTIL IT DOESN'T.
Like anything else, if you lose that core customer base and you don't cultivate a new customer stream or alternative revue stream, you're potentially looking at a shrinking bottom line, if not a going out of business soon outlook.
The Internet has made for comparative shopping and a better informed savvy customer in many cases, just ask anyone who owns multiple new-car auto dealerships. Too often the doo-fusses that are working in the bike shops are just as bad as your Herb Tarlek type car sales person. Herb was in radio but you probably remember that perfect characterization of such a fool.
Don't do business with any jack--- sales person or owner that does not treat you courteously, and with dignity and respect. I say this to you: IF YOU DON'T MATTER TO THEM, THEN DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS!! .
The problem sometimes is a result of the sales and shop personnel are hard-core serious roadies who are young and have a very narrow, tunnel visioned view of how the world should be, often having no clue what is appropriate for someone who may be a casual rider, older, or youthful and obese, or for a 36 year old mom with three children under 11 years of age. They often cannot comprehend because it is so night and day different from their hard-core view of what bicycle riding is and should be.
Many times, established bicycle shops with a significant amount of mountain bike customers and a more diverse clientele, than just the spandex speed freaks, will be better in customer relations, customer service, and stocking a greater amount of common parts and accessories. This type of shop tends to be more friendly to servicing common bicycles at a fair price. You don't get that example of Lt Columbo parking his '50 Peugeot gray junkmobile at the Beverly Hills Rolls-Royce Dealership while working on a case..................the RR dealership employees go nuts and demand that said "horrible rubbish" be immediately removed from the property. There are more than a few bicycle shops that will herd you back towards the door if they see you bring " certain common horrible rubbish" inside the store. They may just herd you towards the door with a comment like, Oh we don't do any work on those, or we think that is not a good-enough bike to warrant, make any adjustments, or repairs to.

DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER! You have to check out all your Local Bicycle Shops, in person.
Sometimes, if you meet and get to know the principal, managing owner of the shop, you can get really good service on your common machinery, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO BRING IT IN ON DAYS WHERE THEY ARE NOT SO BUSY WITH THE "we don't care what it Costs' Crowd. It is much like knowing the general manager or owner of a NEW CAR DEALERSHIP, you sometimes can bypass the obnoxious, a-hole, typical high-pressure jerks that make up the front line sales and sales mgt.
You must remember though that if the Shop is extremely busy with the "we don't care what it Costs' crowd", who appear to be serious buyers and prospects, that naturally their shop personnel will migrate like sharks towards them before you , because, well, as they say that is business, and it is sell, sell, sell, or risk having that ol' goin out of business-inventory liquidation sale.

FlMTNdude

They vary. We have two which are very friendly in regards to older/used bikes, even cool with selling a part if I need it today knowing I do my own work. Of course, both of these have a large used/refurbished inventory so they do not automatically think everyone should ride out on a new bike. Unfortunately our coop closed, which for service and parts would be my first recommendation if you have one. That all said and done, despite really liking the one shop, I still do most of my own work. Most of it is pretty simple (as in I don’t have di2) and you get a chance to experiment with what works and doesn’t for a lot less than paying labour costs.

shelbyfv

First visit you were a potential customer. Second visit, you chose to not be a customer after hearing the cost of service. Hanging around the shop for two hours seems kind of creepy. Third instance, they didn't sell you brake pads you don't need? No complaint there. Finally, measure the chain yourself, then decide whether the shop has given you good advice.

venturi95

you can get it if you really want ir

Metieval

'New cable' stretch, it's a 2 minute fix via the barrel adjuster.

but welcome to 2019 and modern ethics, which is selling people stuff they don't need.

mstateglfr 

Machka 

You've got tenacity to just stand there and wait 2 hours!

ironwood

Maybe if you told us your location, another member might be able to direct to someone in your area who could help you, such as a small shop or a co-op. Or there might be bike maintenance classes nearby..

Sadly, small local bike shops are disappearing, and the profit just isn't in repairing older bikes. There is a lot of information on the web, even on Bike Forums , now and then.

RH Clark

They were just talking about everything under the sun, not even having time to pull the $40 part off the wall and check me out, even though I told them what I needed before the other customers arrived.

No,I didn't stand there 2 hours. My boy and I went to the park and came back and still had to wait.

RH Clark

Second time I did spend $40,but I suppose that wasn't enough to be considered a customer.

Ok,I am a newby but you tell me, do gears wear out before a set of brake pads. The pads were the original set but apparently both my chain and gears needed replaced. I asked the guy why my gears would be worn out and his reply was because of all the hills we have here. I guess mountain bike gears only last on flat ground.

asgelle

By that logic, I waited in a shop for four days once. I went in after work on a Monday, but they were busy so I came back Friday.

Machka 

So ... you went to the shop and test rode some bicycles, got the information, expressed interest ... but didn't buy them. Bicycle shops love that!



Then you went back with a couple used bicycles ... what kind of bicycles? Where did you get them?

And good to hear that you didn't actually wait 2 hours. You waited a few minutes, left, then came back and were served. No, $40 isn't much.



Then you went back with another bicycle and asked about brake pads which were still fine ... and the shifting which YOU claim was bad.

Yes, it is possible your gears and chain could be worn out. Depends how you used them. And they're right that you need to replace both gears and chain together. No, chances are you won't be riding that chain and gears for the next 10 years without any problems.

Keep that in mind next time it shifts on its own while climbing.

RH Clark

The point is not how long I had to wait but that even though I told the guys what I needed before their friends arrived, they didn't have time enough to stop talking about the weather on their last ride and check me out for more than 20 minuets both before and after I went to the park, but keep defending them, even though you weren't there.

RH Clark

Man, those Trek gears must be made out of tin foil. I better go get a Walmart bike so it will last. LOL

As far as the shifting that "I " claim was bad, we won't know because the BS guy didn't bother to even check it.

sfh

So no . . . all shops aren't like this. Different shops are engrained into the local cycling community to different degrees, and that sure impacts the experience anyone has in a particular shop.

But if you said, "I want out as cheap as possible" that creates a barrier for just about any transaction.

RH Clark

I do understand that but I also know when I meet a used car salesman. On my first trip I tried a Marlin 5 and was told how great a bike it was. On my 3rd trip I brought in the used 2017 Marlin 5 I bought elsewhere and was told how crappy a bike the Marlin was. Excellent when I was about to buy a couple months before but now crappy enough that I needed a new one when I had a Marlin 5.

Digger Goreman

Op: you gotta be happy with the experience. I like the posted suggestion to tap the community for alternatives.... Put the experience behind you and roll on....

starchase

Post # 11 - Wall of text"

Way too funny!!

sfh

I get it. I just posted in another thread . . . I feel like I can quickly tell when I enter a shop if it's shaping up to be a good experience or a bad one.

I used to be in the golf equipment business. Started fitting and building clubs in very small numbers . . . some medium-pricey stuff too. I briefly tried expanding the product line to attract more customers, but I quickly learned that I don't have what it takes to deal in-person with retail customers. Since that experience, I'm much more understanding of how I get treated in a place like a bike shop. If I'm not comfortable with the people or the place, I politely take my business elsewhere.

RH Clark

It's sad to me because I had a good experience the first time when I actually did go in to buy a bike. I did buy a used bike cheap because I thought I needed to ride enough to know what I wanted before dropping $1000 or even $3000 on a new bike. That first time I was so green I didn't know one spec from another or what I wanted. They about sold me on the DS 2 for $700 or $1100 all decked out.

I picked up an 820 Trek off Marketplace for $100 and rode it a couple hundred miles getting in shape before I figured out it was too small. My wife wanted to ride and she liked that bike and wouldn't even consider trying anything else. She could stand over the bar and it seems to fit her well enough at this stage. At that point I bought the 2017 Marlin 5 for $200 locally.

Long story but the point I was getting to is that I do this with every major purchase. I will buy another bike eventually in the $3K range,or so it seems for what I want now,but in the beginning I would have wasted my money on that DS 2. I am much more fit now and ride a lot harder.

Those guys lost a good potential customer because the 20 something dude didn't even talk like a person, but like he was reading from the script he had been taught on how to sale something someone doesn't really need. LOl. I'm 51 and have dealt with this used car salesman type many times.