No Exit

I already dont have friends but Im gonna be hated for this one.

There seems to be a lot of people here that get down on others for not supporting their LBS. To you I ask, do you discourage those who frequent Starbucks or Blockbuster? I used to be able to go to my local coffee shop and sit comfortably on their nasty couch, chat and people watch. Along came Starbucks with their get in get out atmosphere and their coffee drones turning coffee into a McDonalds type transaction. And Blockbuster??? I know not everyones gonna understand this but they came along and what happened to your local video store that carried porn? Where do you guys get your porn now, order it online or go to a specialty store? Of course everyone has different needs and wants. You may say the consumers have spoken by taking their money elsewhere due to either lower prices or quality of service or just comfort in uniformity. I cant blame people for spending their money elsewhere and not supporting the places I thought were important. It's part of reality and the way things work.

Why chastise the consumer? Why not suggest that your LBS needs to change with the times and meet the peoples needs if they want to stay in business? I'm not saying they have to lower their prices, but people will go where they feel their money is best spent. The LBS will just have to make sure the difference in cost will have to be justified by the services they can provide.

Its not fair for anyone to get upset that Im not spending more to keep a business running just because THEY want it around.

dougpals

Feel better now? I hope so. For heaven's sake, it is your money and your life...spend both as you see fit.

DP

No Exit

yeah i do... it doesnt take much.

womble

So you are saying that all LBS's should get with the times and turn into big, cheap online stores?

Matt Gaunt

Interesting analogy of porn-needers/LBS-frequenters!

teamawe

LBS to have a pr0n section by the unicycles, problem solved!

No Exit

Im saying they cant complain about going down if people find other places to spend their money.

It wasnt an analogy. It was an example of businesses that gave way to newer things that had more of a demand.

I've never personally rented porn, didnt say I've never seen it, just never rented it. I used that as an example cuz my parents had a video store when I was a kid and when blockbuster came around things changed.

baj32161

well I have seen the term "Bike Porn" used many times in the forums....maybe there is a connection.

No Exit

and a coffee bar and couches.

wow, thats not a bad idea... the coffee and hang out area at the bike shop

timmhaan

i also rip on people who spend hundreds of dollars a year on hollywood movies and never see one independant film. i rip on people who read harry potter but completely ignore the thousands of other great books that came out this year. i rip on people who stuff their faces and get fat off cheap cheeseburgers when there is a small deli down the block selling fresh healthy food. i rip on people.... ah, forget it. my point is that the masses can destroy great things without even realizing it.

DXchulo

Your analogies are out of left field or somewhere, but I agree with your main point- what's the big deal about supporting the LBS, especially when almost all of the LBS's I've been to put the BS in LBS.

soni_guin

the bike industry got the internet right- build as much interest as you can in the product, but don't ***** out your stuff for the lowest price on it. Keep people going to brick and mortar stores for the stuff, and they'll be happier with the fit and the experience.

Electronics, on the other hand, suck. Every asswipe with an IP address sells plasma tv's for less than my wholesale cost, and I'm expectd to compete with that.

No Exit

I dont frequent movies, never read any harry potter, i dont eat fast food... I DO shop online. Anyways, my point is, you cant take away a free person's right to choose. I personally dont care for the things mentioned but that's great if other people enjoy them. I dont care for the faddish Livestrong merchandise announcing to the world that you are a philanthropist either.. but I think its great that other people like the stuff cuz it encourages those to chip in who wouldnt without getting something in return.

What you find great other people may not care for. It's called individualism

No Exit

Not analogies... EXAMPLES... LOL. I wouldnt equate a cyclist to a porn feind. Well, i guess its not too far off either. They are both very pationate about something and spend lots of money on it

144 BCD

They seem to get pretty bitter sometimes if the part didn't come from them. One time I couldn't find my chain tool so I asked LBS if they would do it.

They asked me where I got the chain from. After I told them they said they wouldn't work on my bike.

Sprocket Man

A teammate of mine had that happen to him at an LBS as well. We had a good laugh about it. Not only is he never going to go back to that store again, but neither am I. I don't see how any store employee or owner could think that anything positive can come out of having that kind of policy.

jayroc

You have to look at the whole picture. This is a little misguided. When you shop for a bike or bike parts elsewhere, like wal-mart, where is your money going? It's going into a select few billionaires projects, it goes into their crappy chinese manufacturing plants, so they can keep making junk to sell to the sleepy consumer. Do you think these people care if they made $300 sales from a bike, or from patio furniture, baby clothes, whatever else they sell? The sporting goods retailers are a little better, but they even are multinationals(mostly). at least they are remotely helpful. When you support an LBS, you support the owner of THAT store, his/her employees, and most of all your community. Make sure you watch every transaction you make. You can even buy the wrong bike, and support the wrong company I guess.

timmhaan

but i'm for the individual. i'm for the guy running his own business. there's more individuality in that then 10,000 credit card transactions clearing through a bank somewhere while a factory worker assembles your order from a giant warehouse.

i want people to be individuals, i want them to think for themselves. if they decide online is the best way to go, than that's fine. i shop online too, when it makes sense. but many people do exactly what everyone else does without even considering supporting a local business. i may be old fashion in my thinking, but i thoughly enjoy having small businesses around. everywhere you travel now looks exactly the same. i can't tell the difference between tacoma and tucson anymore. the same 10 business are on every corner. i just don't see what's so "individual" about that.

spackler

We have a bike shop that has that and it is nice!


Argh... who is John Galt?

shnapper

Lost me at block buster and where do you get your porn? HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAA!!!!

This is one of those threads that makes me feel like I'm on drugs because I don't understand it. When the truth is understanding and making sense of it requires drugs HEHEHHHEHEHEHEE!

I did get one thing out of it, this guy is really bummed about the porn availability in his area.

timmhaan

lol, good one.

No Exit

I agree that things all look the same but these are the businesses that seem to be more efficient or appealing to people in some way, otherwise they wouldnt be putting the small shops under.

Honestly, should I try to spend 50% more on the same product just because it keeps the LBS around? If I felt I was getting some sort of intrinsic value for the transaction, perhaps. BUT, when the bike shop owner/employee could care less for you as a person or your needs, and only looks at the dollars you can bring them, I dont think they're any better than the million dollar chain stores.

Ganesha

So is this an argument for or against Starbucks. Does your local coffee shop have some rule that all coffee must be consumed before you leave? Does your local starbucks have a no loitering policy?

No Exit

Neither for or against. I liked my old coffee shops. You CAN hang out at starbucks but its really not the same. The hard chairs and little tables. Its so cold and soulless... its like the difference between going to your local diner or eating at your moms house and going to McDonalds.

timmhaan

i think we can agree on that. i wouldn't support a business that didn't give me good service or value - regardless of whether it's online or down the block.