You're kidding, right?:)

I mean, I own a shop and I would never advocate that line of thought.

I don't what the kid behind the counter was looking at, but I don't think it was a DA 8 piece group!

Don't haggle. That price was wrong, but seriously, don't try to haggle your LBS.

Anytime somebody brings in a price from the internet and tries to get a shoprat to come lower on their prices it immediately ends your chances of getting a discount.

You want to know how to get good deals from your LBS?

Trust them. Bring them beer, toss in a tip. Ask for their advice and take it. Buy stuff without haggling and they'll usually toss in discount because they like dealing with an easy-going customer for once.

Most of us aren't out to screw anybody. We are just trying to feed our families like the rest of you. The bike biz is still a business and we still need to make money. Don't be offended by that.

That price must have included the new carbon effect crank and the hubs or wheels and such like....

+1 to thefatguy,

When I bought my MTB bike from a LBS I bought a load of accessories / clothing etc too. I was able to try everything on and get good advice from them so I bought it from them. I got a fantastic deal on the bike (ex-dem). They threw in a shock pump for free and knocked 10% of all the accessories and clothing at the till without me asking. I shop there all the time now, they have done recabling, adjustments, fitted me on my road bike that I didn't buy from there, all for free.
Nice chaps.

Speak for yourself!

I dont really mean "haggle" like you're at a bazaar in Cairo. More like- tell him the price you can get it
for and ask if they can come close. I think that is pretty different.

Yeah, maybe wheels, because if you add up the Competitive Cyclist prices for DA brifters, brakes, FD, RD, crank, BB, chain, and cassette, it's still only $1875.

Again, this is a surefire way of not getting a discount. If you don't like the price, don't pursue it.

[quote=thefatguy;5662296]Don't haggle.
You want to know how to get good deals from your LBS?

Trust them. Bring them beer, toss in a tip. Ask for their advice and take it. Buy stuff without haggling and they'll usually toss in discount because they like dealing with an easy-going customer for once.

Most of us aren't out to screw anybody. We are just trying to feed our families like the rest of you. The bike biz is still a business and we still need to make money. Don't be offended by that.[/QUOTE]

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

I'll remember that technique next time I buy a car, too.

Question: For how long will I have to pay full MSRP (plus a beer) before you give me a 10% discount?

Nobody is against you feeding your family, and I support an LBS, but don't begrudge me trying to get the best deal I can so I can still feed my family.

I don't remember exactly, but I think the MSRP on an 8-piece Dura Ace group is about $1600, and most LBS's sell at MSRP. Don't know how it could be $3200 unless it includes the carbon crank, pedals, seatpost, hubs, computer (basically everything in the Dura Ace group).

I'm "into cycling bigtime" but for $3,200, I'd want the new Sram Red and have them install it for me....

$3,200 for a DA setup is way off the charts.

Maybe that was the always-bloated MSRP of each part individually added together?

Either way, I'm sure some yuppie will pay that price.

My local LBS is a couple towns over now, and there are actually a couple shops closer to me that are better in many ways, but the owner is a friend of mine, so I still do my shopping there. For small stuff, <$50 or so, I just pay whatever is marked. For higher stuff, I'll go online, find out what at typical (median/average) price looks like, add in shipping, and then go see what he's got the same stuff priced at. If he comes within, say, 10% of the online price, I'll buy, no haggle, and a lot of the time I'll get some kind of discount. Paying just that little bit more to support him is worth it to me. Not to mention, I get to carry whatever it is that captured my magpie eye out in my sweaty palms, not wait for the package on the doorstep. But he's a friend, so if his pricing is way out, I'll call BS and tell him what I want to pay. This has led to some interesting discussions about the bike business in general...

I just bought a bike on ebay because I'm a cheap *******. My son's getting a bike for Christmas and my dad's chipping in on the deal, so we'll pay retail at my buddy's shop. Online sales and LBS both have their places...

Maybe the price included a set of these:
http://bike.shimano.com/media/images...9830588319.jpg

care to elaborate on the intersting discussions? they sound interesting (no sarcasm, i'm serious)

[QUOTE=Gromit;5664946]So know you're comparing your LBS to a car dealership?

That's a stretch.

If the LBS doesn't want my business, oh well. If I present them with the PBK price but want to buy from the LBS, I'm still supporting the LBS, even if the shop doesn't reap as much a profit. Better a few more dollars than no dollars at all.

Right.

But you'll expect LBS service at PBK prices.

Don't haggle over price- see what they'll do for you service wise that PBK cannot.

When somebody buys a kit from us we always install it at no charge. Most of the time we'll do a free tune-up after things have broken in.

We can never price-match.

I think the proper question is "Will PBK service-match?"

So many people are concerned with the up-front price, but there is more to a purchase than product and that is the only place you LBS can truly compete.

*steps off of soap-box*

Fatguy, I wholeheartedly agree. The same is for a lot of consumer goods. I'm well into hi-fi and the same really does ring true there.

Performance Bike *IS* my lbs so I have it good.

It was probably a mistake. Even keystone, i dont think it would be $3000.

Oh FYI, the new Dura Ace carbon crank is supposed to MSRP for $1,300. Wholesale is off the chart too. Sorry Shimano, I'm sticking with my Campy Record.

I have a couple of friends that work at lbs's here in Oz, and whilst they always do their best to price match, and I try to buy from them whenever I can, aparrently the current PBK prices on many large items (eg. cranksets) are at or below what the local guys pay wholesale, so it's pretty much impossible to compete.

I'm starting to think that a large part of the problem with high prices at local bike shops is caused not by them trying to profiteer, but rather due to inflated prices from manufacturers and the "middle men" of wholesale.

It's sad really. I'm sure most people would like to support their local shop, but when the prices are sometime double what you pay online, it makes it very hard for the local guys to get the business.

No argument there.

This is what I've been trying to get people to understand! The playing field is not level. I can buy Garmin products cheaper from WalMart than I can from my "Garmin approved" distributor. Sucks, but what's a small shop to do?

That is why you won't see many shops with extra groups sitting around as eye candy anymore. We don't court the enthusiast market anymore. You may blow someone out of the water with great service, but the next time they see something they want and you're $5 more than (insert i-net discounter here), then suddenly you're a thief and they never come back...

Fortunately, busy non-enthusiasts still want good service and are willing to pay for it.

at my LBS full Dura ace is €950, and im from ireland which is like the most expensive country in Europe

You said you were new to that store and my guess is if one of their trusted long time customers came thru the door, the price would have been more realistic. Several other thoughts. Some shops are Campy or Shimano oriented. If this one is more Campy? You get the picture. Another is that some smaller shops have some high end stuff that they never seem to budge on the MSRP. Stuff is more like a display than actually for sale. I would not have been upset and would have let them know that the price was unrealistic, politely.

I have been disappointed more than once with service or attitude towards customers at some of the LBS's around me.