Those bastards. The nerve.

I think you should forget this incident ever happened, and not hold anything against the store. The whole thing sounds like a lot of misunderstanding and wrong assumptions, about 80% yours and 20% the LBS.

It's a bike shop. They're used to it.


I would attribute the whole thing to miscommunication on both sides.

in a similar situation REI was happy to help me. if it was busy and they said it would have to wait for an opening I would have done it myself. REI gets top praise from me for so many reasons. what happens when you get the opposite of top service? less than a positive review, that's what. bear in mind that if they see the review and they recognize you, you are likely to get the same service next time ... :)

I'm lost. the OP wasn't sure it was OK to just walk in with the bike -- follow it so far.

The owner said he couldn't leave the store unmanned --- seems reasonable.

So to the OP, don't you have a mouth, couldn't you say "my bike's right outside in the rack, should I bring it in?"

I just can't connect the dots on the initial story.

I think the miscommunication didn't end with the incident.

haahh I'm a very new rider and I ruined a tube at the stem when trying to put air in the tire. I took the bike to the shop to get a new tube and was hoping they would change the tube for me. Well they said for sure we can do it right this second, but the cost would be $20.00. I went to the parts isle picked up a $4 tire tool and went home and took the tire on and off about 5 times before I felt comfortable doing it myself. Now I carry a spare tube and the tool and don't have to worry about ever getting a flat on the road again.

They'd have to charge something like that ^^^ or else consider it a service and make little or no money on it. I can't blame the shop for being reluctant especially if OP seemed like he could handle it. Not disrespectful, but just not worthwhile.

It's a bike shop, it's probably full of bikes. Bike shops expect you to bring your bike in if you want repairs. Now, about the flat. You bought a tube and told him you'd change it yourself. Which you then did. Your other option would have been to leave it for a day or two. I don't see a problem.

Gotcha! You really live in Farmington, NM, and trade at Haven's Bike Shop. We should do lunch some time.

^^ Not from around here, are you?

By the way, I've never taken them a flat tire, but for a quick fix they will almost always drop what they are doing. Your shop must be a sad little affair.

[QUOTE=Nermal;17052387]^^ Not from around here, are you?

By the way, I've never taken them a flat tire, but for a quick fix they will almost always drop what they are doing. Your shop must be a sad little affair.[/QU Well that depends on where here is Vermal ! caint rightly say,,,and I do all my flats

Same here and this is a perfect example of why I personally think Yelp reviews are less than worthless.

I look at some of the reviews (although not on Yelp ... I don't think I've ever used Yelp) for accommodations, restaurants, and various businesses once in a while ... and can usually weed out ones like this review might have been. Often, there will be a number of informative and generally good reviews, and then one whine-y negative one.

By a truly remarkable coincidence, Fastfingaz, "here" is exactly the same as the place listed as Location under the avatar pic.

No reply expected.

REI charged me $10 plus the tube

Bikes aren't Mercedes Benz automobiles and bike shops do not dispatch a mechanic (without charge) to fix your flat or give you some gas and besides everyone knows Chowhound has much more reliable restaurant reviews. They did not diss you, they just decided helping you was not worth their time. Don't get your feelings hurt, it just was a (bad) business decision. They could have charged you what their time was worth and taught you to fix a flat tire and just maybe earn a new customer. Instead, they instigated a hissy fit.

How to fix a flat.....watch the video. I put talc on the spare tube before storing in a baggie in my seatbag is soemthing I do.

How to repair fix a flat bicycle tyre puncture in 3 minutes. - YouTube

I put talc on the tube before storing in an old (clean) sock. This way I have something to wipe my hands with after the job is done.

Isn't that why shorts are black? Do you touch the chain? Is that why your hands get dirty? I don't think I have ever needed to clean my hands after a flat but then again I have not had one in a long time (knock on wood or be thankful not to live where the roads are littered with garbage). The sock is a good idea but does it keep the talc off the other stuff in your bag? I am thinking of doing both a ziplock and sock. The sock can serve other duties.

It sounds like a pretty ****ty episode to me, and yes, I'd have taken it as a diss. I mean, "I can't leave the front of the store" is a pretty lame excuse; I can fix a flat in the freezing rain in a dirt ditch at night, but he can't fix one at the front desk of a dead bike shop in a pissy little town? Owners are lamers, shop probably sucks anyway, and Matchbook City? Where the heck is that? Don't go back. Don't give people like that your money.

I usually end up with hands dirty enough that I want to wipe them on something, more so with a rear flat than a front flat. And I've never noticed talc in my bag, although if a little talc got on my multi tool or tire changing tool I might not notice.

There's rarely a need to touch the chain, but my hands get dirty from the aluminum dust on the rims.

What's the reason for putting talc on your spare tube?