kwrides

lol, +1,000

kwrides

OP, my strategy here would be to say, "thanks for your advice, now will you help me find some shoes?"

Everyone offers their 2 cents because they think they're being helpful, and most of the time that's about what it's worth...2 cents. That's just life. FWIW - you'll find lots of other posts here about people who were offended because the shop staff wouldn't talk to them.

john_h

You've already satisfied and validated yourself as a steadily improving beginner, and you've decided that you are gonna upgrade your pedals and shoes. If she has constructive criticism, then that's good information for you, but if it comes with attitude, i'd politely call her on it, then consider if you want to give her your business. Their loss, your gain, either way...

MCODave

Getting the right shoes is critical, and is something that must be done in person. So if she is not helping you with that, then she isn't helping you at all. If you are distracted by her chit-chat and end up buying the wrong shoes or not trying on enough pairs then it WILL affect your cycling.

And a little advice - spend more on shoes than you planned if that's what it takes to get the right fit. You can always save money on the pedals. Simple $30 2-sided SPD's work fine even though they are looked down upon by some people (like probably this woman).

Buffybike

Okay. So it's been a couple of weeks since my run in with the lady at the LBS and I have to say...the advice she gave me (though unsolicited) was pretty on-target. She probably didn't know that I'd only been riding for a few weeks when she made her "suggestions", but now that I've been riding for a little over a month, I no longer need the granny gear on those same hills! She was also right in telling me to "use my glutes"...what a difference!! So...even though she still kinda freaks me out...I'm ready to admit that I was a tad defensive. Just give me a few more months in the saddle--I'm going to find out which group ride she's on just so me and my glutes can pass her on a hill. BIKE LEFT!!!!!!

DrPete 

Rock on. It's easy to feel like an outsider when you're new/learning, so I'd try not to let the unsolicited advice get to you. Some of it will be useful, and some of it won't.

And then, once you're strong enough, find her on a climb while she's visibly in pain and give her advice on shifting.

banerjek

Just wondering -- how old is this she since she refers to you as a youngster? I've never heard anyone who wasn't at least well into their 50's use that term.

Keep riding, and don't let it get you down if you're the one that gets dropped when you meet on the ride even if she is significantly older. You'll improve dramatically in a few months, but years of conditioning and experience is definitely an advantage.

Flash

This is all that matters. Any salesperson who truly cares about promoting the sport would know this. Bizzare behavior on her part. Find another LBS or steer clear of this creature. cheers

guadzilla

Yeah.. a salesperson who goes out of her way to give what turned out to be useful advice - what a dreadful thing indeed. Avoid at all costs.

V

skol

when I go into my LBS looking for shoes I would expect the sales person to question my shoe size, road or mnt bike, price range etc. Trying to educate me on how I ride would want me to order the same shoes online for $50 less.

grwoolf

I guess I'm the opposite. If those are the only questions the LBS employee has, just buy online or just tell the worker to pull the right size from the back. I guess it really depends on how experienced a shop's customers are, but I'd think the biggest thing a LBS has to offer over the internet is education, experience, advice, etc.

For example, I am thinking about trying out a new saddle. Stopped by my LBS and discussed. They could have just given me a saddle to try and taken my $, but asked that I come back with my bike, shoes, etc. and take a look at my fit to make sure everything looks good. If I really knew what I wanted, I would have just bought a saddle on line cheaper, but I don't mind paying for a little advice.

Most of the people that work at my LBS have many more miles under their butt than I do, so I value their advice. I know a lot of people on BF are very experienced and don't feel they have much to learn from a LBS employee, so I get that too. A good salesperson should be able to evaluate the background/experience of the customer and tailor their approach accordingly. If sounds like the OP got some good advice, it just wasn't well delivered. The OP would not have been better off if the salesperson had kept her mouth shut and just sold the shoes.

skol

^^^
I agree on a saddle purchase for fit I would encourage as much input as possible from LBS. I am just not sure how the convo got diverted into talking about granny gear/cadence etc when OP needed some new shoes.