bruiser2

My LBS does free maintenance and tune-ups for a year if you buy something from them. I am not sure if they will do it on bikes that are modified though, hope so.

madbiker555

That's what happened to me when I had picked the tires I liked.

swifferman

10km isn't that far for an LBS. But yeah, they have some pretty shaft prices but I figure when I want to support them I'll just print out bikeroom's prices and ask them to match it.

Specifically, the egg beaters.

roadfix

OK.....before you walked out the store, did you ask them why the price discrepancy?

rpmk104

I just bought a 04 Iron Horse Warrior Sport from performancebike. I guess Fedex was a rough with the box cause when I got it...a few of the bolts needed to assemble the bike were missing. I needed to get the wheels trued so I thought I'll just let the LBS install everything.

Let me note...I've been to my LBS to look at the bikes for a few times in the last month. I guess they recognized me and gave me that look when I brought in the iron horse. They asked me where I got it from and how much...and then right away they mocked me/trash talked me to death. They were like "oh you coulda gotten this bike from us"...etc...

If it wasn't for the good price for the tune up/overhaul I would have just left.

Killer B

You Da Man !!!!

Brian

I'll point out that some people don't mind paying the extra money, others feel that the high price gives the place an "Air of exclusivity". My wife and I stayed in a $1500/night room in Vegas. The service was excellent, the view great, and because we knew someone there the actual rate was only a fraction of the posted rate. Hotels have an incentive to fill empty rooms. Room rates shouldn't be compared to shop rates, unless you're talking about a shop that has mechanics sitting idle for days at a time.

I just don't understand why you guys complain about bike shops so much. When you take your car in for a tune-up, do you complain because Pep Boys has spark plugs and filters on sale dirt cheap, so the dealer must be ripping you off? Do you complain at restaurants, because you can get a pound of beef, a sack of potatoes, and a dozen bread rolls for the same price as their measly burger and fries? Everyone has overhead - things like wages, rent, insurance, etc. And most people go into business intent on making a profit.

If they can charge an extra couple of bucks for a part, and people still buy it, they'll keep charging that amount. If people keep paying the labor rate, they'll keep charging it. My LBS has ODI lock-on grips in their display case for $49.95, and LIN socks for $25. They've been there for at least 2 years, as far as I can tell, and I don't think they'll sell any time soon. Even by Australian standards, their prices are probably high. But plenty of people are willing to drop cash there on all sorts of bikes and gear. Don't blame someone that wants to earn a decent living. What would you tell your boss when he realizes the place across the street pays someone 20% less to do the same job you do?

I think I've exceeded my 2 cents worth, but if you think LBS prices are high, either shop elsewhere or suck it up.

swifferman

touche...

pnj

exactly!

how come this kind of debate (for lack of another word) comes up so often with LBS's but not at say, the Ice cream store?

thrasher911

Ummm...this is just a guess(and I could be wrong, but I doubt it), but maybe because this is a mountain bike forum and NOT AN ICE CREAM STORE FORUM!

Geesh, I think some of you don't wear your helmets nearly enough.

C Law

There might be that debate going on right now in the ice cream forum. Although, most people will pay whatever it costs for food, despite the fact it costs nothing to make. (soda, pizza, water, chinese food, fast food).

thrasher 911 beat me too it

I agree with expatriate, LBS's (like other businesses) can charge whatever they would like to. You have the right to choose to shop wherever you want. Some bike shops, around here anyway, just don't care if they sell certain things, they are going to keep the prices sky high. It seems that they will eventually get someone in who doesn't realize that the parts or bike are 2 years old and will pay through the nose for it.

I try and 'Support my LBS', I just don't like getting ripped off, so like buzzbomb said earlier, I will make them an offer to sell me stuff at a fair price and pay them cash. LBS owners like cash. Especially for big ticket items. If they don't want to sell it, off to the internet. If that pisses them off, so be it. I don't consider it my job to subsidize LBS's.

dutret

Because noone would suggest you pay extra to an Icecream store for inferior service merely because they can't compete. Although I have yet to see the all the LBS's go out of business from mail-order/internet competition even though I have been hearing its imminent since the early 90's. LBS's are good for stuff you need NOW and stuff that is hard to order cable guides or tubes for example but little else. You should not be made to feel guilty because you are not giving a capitalist enterprise charity.

My advice:
If you learn to fix your own bike you'll save money very quickly and not have to be without a bike for the 3 weeks it takes the LBS to get around to doing a tuneup.
If you do have to go to one never trust the sales peoples advice they frequently have to no clue what they are talking about, if you have a question ask a mechanic.
If they try to lecture you about the need to support your LBS tell them off and go somewhere else if you can.

Psyko

LBS are good if ya go to the smaller ones, thats what ive found at least. I mean at my LBS i can just walk in the back where they are working and borrow a tool to fix my own stuff. I ask if i can use it first but the response is usually" Why did you ask?" you know what we are going to say..But i would usually confront them if something is heavily overpriced and i was looking to buy it. I have no prob as i said in the other thread supporing them with a little extra cash.

And yea, dealers are expensive, thats why i do as much work on my car, and bike as possible, I still need help though, at least with the bike. And i would have chewed them a new one for puttin that stuff on your bike without telling you..

jbonus

It seems like LBS's mark up their components. It's like computer stores. The pricing on the systems are fixed and the profit margins are low. So they fatten up on peripherals. In this case components aren't aggressively priced. They kinda take advantage that many riders will just buy their parts on the spot and have them installed out of convenience.