rydabent

I got back into cycling about 35 years ago when I started to ride with my 3 sons. I do most of my own work in the way of maintence. After all these years I know where to get what I want. I buy bike stuff at 3 different LBSs in town. However----------------as noted, some parts are just priced too high at all of them, so I do buy some things on line, mainly when they are on sale.

slorollin

I'll stop buying on-line when my LBS stops buying on-line. Seriously, I was just researching a set of handle bars. I went to a local bike store to see what they had. After going through the store's limited options the salesman produced a catalog showing what was available from one of his suppliers. The bars were the same ones that I had been looking at on-line. The wholesale prices listed were often more than my retail cost including shipping, through an internet vendor. When I pointed that out he told me that he often uses the catalog just to see what is available and then he'll buy them elsewhere, JUST LIKE I DO.

raqball

And when there are no more LBS because everyone buys online, then what?

wphamilton

Probably the local bike shop that survives is also an online source. Competition improves services and available products - churn in the market is not necessarily a bad thing.

slorollin

Then the market will have spoken. B+M shops will exist where they offer a value. If not, they will go the way of the buffalo. That's just the way it is.

raqball

Sadly, that's the attitude of many and not just in cycling...

I will support my LBS and I understand that I pay a bit more than what I can find online...

My local LBS employs people in my city, they pay local taxes and they support cycling in the community..

To each their own I guess....

Cyclosaurus

So...do you still buy airline tickets from a travel agent?

Technology, logistics, etc. change markets. Travel agents are all but extinct because their model depended upon having a proprietary ability to purchase and print airline tickets. They disappeared overnight when anyone could do it for themselves. An LBS whose business model depends upon being a low-value-add middleman for commodity parts is setting itself up for obsolescence. But there will always be a market for good service. The LBSs that don't find a way to make that work don't belong in the future.

raqball

Like I said to each their own..

I suppose if we follow the OP's line of logic and the line of logic that you just posted, then very few businesses will exist / survive in the future..

Why shop a Lowes when I can order for cheaper online? Why go to Sears when I get things cheaper online? Why on earth should I go to a clothing store when I can get it cheaper online?

Since most everyone will be out of work, no one will have a job to buy these discounted online items..

Rinse, lather, rinse.....

EthanYQX

It should be pretty clear that in order to survive a LBS has to go above and beyond in terms of service. I'll gladly spend an extra 10% or so for good service, and I don't think I'm alone.

raqball

Agree 110%

There are several LBS's here that I refuse to visit because the service is horrible!

The main one that I frequent, is further from my home and kind of out of my way to get there...

I go there and I spend the extra money there -v- online because they are awesome! Above and beyond service, they support cycling in my community, they employ and pay locals and they pay local taxes...

I honestly don't see what so hard to understand about that.. I get that some people are on a tight budget and I have no issue with them saving a few bucks when needed..

EthanYQX

I'm all for the local guy getting paid, but you do have to offer an advantage for the extra cost. I've decided the advantage is worth the cash to me, not everyone does.

Im looking at a carbon fiber full suspension bike next, which is a significant investment to me, and when I walked into a shop about 4 hours away from me, I talked to the owner for about ten minutes and he sent me out the door to test ride a brand new Intense Tracer. Provide that kind of service and I'll deal with the markup.

ttusomeone

There's three different LBS that I frequent and I haven't had to pay in advance for any part ordered (except for a deposit if ordering a bike). In most cases I call them up, tell them what I need, and they call me when it's in so I'm only making one trip. That being said I don't 100% buy from LBS, it really depends on the item. I am okay with paying a little more for some items, or when I get their opinion on something that I'm looking to order. If they give me advice on something, I'm not going to turn around and order it online. If I do all the research myself and know what I want and it is considerably cheaper online, then I'll get it there.

rydabent

raqball

You have to understand that most of us will pay a little extra to support a LBS. But OTOH how can a LBS expect us to pay a 100% mark up?

IMO successful LBSs are run by savvy owners that know how much customers are willing to stand. These days savvy LBS owners understand that almost all of us have the internet to refer to, and will only stand for a moderate markup for the convenience of getting our hands on a part locally.

raqball

I do indeed get that...

I guess the LBS that I frequent does this because I have never found their prices to be over the top and certainly nowhere even close to a 100% markup..

MRT2

I support my LBS as well, but not exclusively. I spend hundreds, some years thousands on cycling related stuff, probably 70 or 80% of it at the LBS. I pay them to do things I either can't, or don't want to do myself. And I pay for the convenience of not having to wait for the stuff to arrive in the mail. Or when I need the bike shop's help, it makes sense to give them the sale as to do otherwise is a serious moral hazard.

I recently bought a bike built up from a '94 Trek 930 frame and Marin fork from a LBS. Though I might have found a similar frame and fork, or complete bike cheaper on Craigslist, it was worth it to pay a few dollars more to know that they built it up and were willing to stand behind it. After a couple of rides, realized the handlebars were just a bit too aggressive for me. Took it back to the LBS where they tried out 2 or 3 different stems, then had to order a riser stem to get the bars where I wanted them. This was a case where I just paid them to order it. I had to pay full retail for the part, but since I bought the bike used from them, they didn't charge me for labor to install the new stem.

I am working on a similar deal for a used mountain bike for my son from a different LBS. It is a small bike shop, not a lot on inventory in either bikes or accessories. Their niche seems to be entry level new bikes and picking up and flipping used bikes quickly. My son is looking to join a mountain biking club and so will need a basic mountain bike soon if he wants to get started. Now, I am all for starting off on the right foot with this, but until I know this is a thing for my son (and that he has stopped growing), I cannot justify $700 or $800 my favorite LBS recommended I spend to buy something good (good new fork, hydraulic disc brakes, etc). So I checked with this other LBS. As it turns out, thought there was nothing used on the floor, they had a bike that just rolled in the door that they were in the process of building up, but hadn't yet put out on the floor for sale, an older mountain bike with Deore XT components, and suspension fork for about half, maybe less than what an entry level mountain bike would cost. We will see if we can come to an agreement on this bike, if it fits him.

When the price is right, I prefer to buy apparel locally. That said, I will not pay $100 or more for a windbreaker, $80 for a jersey, or $100 or more for shorts. Fortunately, most of that stuff eventually goes on sale for 40 to 50% off or more.

A third example where I used to buy from LBS but don't anymore are pedals. Hard to justify paying a 100% premium on Shimano clipless pedals for the LBS to install them. Especially since I know exactly what I want and don't need to pick the brains of the good folks at the shop. There was a time when I might have done so back when I knew nothing about pedals and didn't even own a pedal wrench, but not anymore. I am on the verge of coming to the same conclusion about tires, as I frequently see good deals on tires and think it really isn't a big deal to change a tire, but like apparel, as long as the LBS is in the ballpark price wise, probably still better to buy from them.

The point is, it isn't an either/or. LBS do need to find a way to offer value to the consumer, but it isn't one size fits all. Though I like looking around those gleaming bike palaces in the suburbs, I have a hard time justifying paying full price for components and accessories. That said, because of marketing, plenty of people do. And these places do sometimes have good sales, and then things are more interesting. I recently bought a bunch of apparel from a local Trek dealer for myself and my wife at very good prices. Leftover stuff from last season, no doubt.

cafzali

It's not that anything in particular is hard to understand about one's position on this. Rather, it has everything to do with the fact that different people have different values and will respond accordingly. Most people are sympathetic to the difficulties of an LBS and I think a great number are willing to support them, but they also want their experience to be a pleasant one.

I have a great shop near me that I travel 10 miles to and buy from when I can because I'm not a very good wrench on certain things. And the mechanics there are more than willing to do something simple for you for free if they've got the time. In return for that, I'll happily pay their markup on tires, lubricants, pumps and most everything I buy for my actual bikes. The only thing I buy exclusively online these days is clothing and, sometimes, shoes.

In my experience, if you live in an area where there's enough avid cyclists to support a high-end store or two, that makes the whole scene better for everybody because it forces everyone to "up" their service game.

Cyclosaurus

You contradict yourself. You first claim that expecting LBSs to actually provide good service will run them all out of business. Then you agree that the right thing to do is to support LBSs that provide good service. If you believed the first thing (i.e., you should support LBSs regardless of whether they know how to compete in new market conditions), then you wouldn't say the second.

raqball

Seriously??

I did not contradict myself I just chose to NOT write a book explaining every single circumstance that could / should be considered...

My apologies for quoting you, thus upsetting you.. I won't make that mistake again.

Have a good day

treadtread

Except for the bike and the shoes, I've bought everything online, and will most likely continue to do so. My LBS doesn't stock a lot of commuter-specific gear - REI and Performance Bike are the only ones who do. There are two LBSes in my area that do have a good stock of gear, but I don't like shopping there - they were not very friendly or helpful when I went to buy a new bike, so hard to imagine things would be better now. REI - I like REI, in principle - but I found that the Topeak bag I bought cost $60 online and $120 in REI. I bought my shoes at Performance Bike.

Dudelsack 

I think the government should run B&M bike shops because the government is so darned efficient, provides a high level of service, and is indifferent at worst to the concept of profits.

slorollin

"The Affordable Bike Care Act" just like they have in Pyonyang

Solid_Spoke

One of the local LBS here is a successful online shop (Universal Cycles).

mapeiboy

My last Colnago bike brought online from a UK shop which cost $1500 less than LBS . A cont GP4000s is $38.0 from PKB , whereas my LBS ask for $70.0 . I will support my LBS when I have a lot of extra cash in the bank .

no1mad 

Had to do a bit of clean up.
@roadandmountain, please leave this thread.

loky1179

One of my local shops had an Amazon storefront. I always ordered from them, even if they weren't the cheapest. Being local, the shipping was amazingly fast.

Unfortunately, my meager purchases were not enough to keep them in business. I stopped by a couple weeks ago - the sign was still up, but the store was empty. The Amazon storefront is gone as well.

I talked to the owner a couple times. I'd ordered a set of planet bike fenders from them, from their Amazon storefront. When I went to order a second set, they no longer offered them. I asked the owner why, and he said that to be competitive on Amazon, they were actually losing money on the item, since it was a bulky item and shipping costs were considerable. He looked up the price on Amazon, matched the price, and ordered them for me. Picked them up at the shop.

Could not ask for better customer service, but it still was not enough.