There's a shop here called Bike Fitters. I think their model, at least originally, was more trying to sell service rather than bikes.

I'd take it one step further, and really focus on the service, and set the pricing up, so you're paying for the service, and buying the bike from me would be secondary. i.e. we'll fit you on what you like, and what works for you, whether you buy it out of our inventory, we acquire it for you, or you buy it on line or otherwise.

please explain how you can spend all this time for a test ride (as some have suggested) and make money? after purchase, clearly a market to be had... multi-brand dealers that have say 3-4 brands you want to try, this is an all-day affair for a mechanic and a sales guy... for a "maybe" sale... i get the argument for both sides, I just wanna see some ideas about how to make it work for you instead of against you (as a dealer)

I've seen a van on the road that was a mobile bike maintenance service. That makes sense. My lbs always said he was more dependent on servicing bikes than selling them so why have the overheads of a shop? he went out of business.

Here in the MUP there is a guy with a mobile bike service and has a bike trailer that can transport a whole bike etc. Flat repairs are 25$ with a new tube I think 30 with a sealant. He is busy. Truing is 10$. He doesn't even use a car. I think he can gross 400 a day easy. I have his card somewhere, he even has website.

Say you charge $200. If the rep spends 4-6 hours average, you're getting $35-50 an hour, which I'm betting is above what an LBS mechanic generates in revenue per hour wrenching. Also, you'll still make money on sales.

Price it so you don't lose money on customers who end up buying nothing, and make money on the ones that value your sevice enough to buy from you at a bit higher than internet price.

An LBS can't compete with a frugal shopper that knows exactly what they want, but that isn't really their target demographic so there is no reason for them to worry about not capturing those few sales. And, while your point is valid that an online shopper is eating up valuable time at the store, I strongly suspect that most people don't so all their shopping online, so an LBS can still make money from those people with good service.

Like a lot of people, I buy things like tires and specific parts online, but for other things I often shop at my local LBS. I have bought bikes online in the past, which was a great deal, and recently I bought a bike at my LBS even though I probably could have hunted down another for slightly less (in fact, now that I think about it, my last 3 bikes came from an LBS). For me, the ability to do a test ride, get a decent fit and setup, and have a local LBS back up the bike were worth it. My guess is that there are many shoppers out there who shop in more than one way.

For the above model to work, it might make more sense to charge for a pre-purchase fit and then credit that fee towards a bike if they complete the sale. The place where I bought my mountain bike would do that with demo bikes - you paid for a 24hr rental and they would credit that fee to a new purchase of your choice.

You also have to remember that a pro fit would cost the same amount for a $1000 bike as a $6000 bike, so you have the problem of making the service seem appropriately valuable to the lower end bike buyer, particularly since those are going to be bigger sellers than the high end stuff.

Finally, my guess is that shops make a lot more money on service and accessories than on bikes.

I agree Merlin, and although I was initial turned off, I may give them another chance. Everyone has an off day, right.

Anyway, I realize that I will probably come out of the fit in better shape, I just don’t want to feel forced into it. I got the feeling it was either pay the $150 or hit the road.

Even I bought a bike online, I’d still probably take it to a shop for a “fitting”.

what a rip off. does the guy throw tacks on the road too?

OP seemingly getting forced into paying for a pro fit before being able to test a bike sounds extreme and a bad business model. If I am happy with doing my own fitting, why should I pay the shop? I understand that shops may not want to let expensive bikes out on test rides; it puts wear on the tires, components, frame (even if just dirt they have to clean) and risk of crash damage (not sure how insurance would cover that).

The pay for a fit, get a discount if you buy from the same store sounds fair to me as a customer.

Although I was only in the $1000 range, the last two times I went bike shopping (2003 & 2008) the shops all did a simple set up of the seat and bars. I put my own pedals on the bike (although I almost walked out on one shop before they let me take off their plastic platforms) and went riding with a multi-tool in my back pocket to tweak things half way through a ride.

For that reason, I think the model would only work as a high end niche business, catering to people who want high end bikes, and want a high level of service. And it may only be workable in large population centers where there are enough people willing to pay for that service to support a business.

I don't see your local full line bike shop making it work.

Signature cycles in New York would appear to be an example of a model focused more on selling services.

https://signaturecycles.com/document/111647

i think what you would see happening, particularly in the days of long term unemployment reaching toward 20%, that only a very small number of people are going to want to pay for a fit just to test ride a bicycle... when it comes to high end stuff (the $5k and up bike crowd) you will see a significant number take advantage of that, but that is such a small percentage of the market place... most people stick with the sub 1500 AL bikes and are trying to maximize their dollars spent, adding on $200 for a fit to that crowd is going to be akin to a kia buyer paying extra for someone to adjust the seat for em... they will see it as superfluous expense/luxury that they simply can't afford or see as marginally necessary...

now, if they pay for the fit to take the test ride and maybe you allow that to go toward the purchase of a bike at their shop, well, maybe that would work...

That is exactly what this shop does. But it just seemed like the fit was "required"? Why? This thread alone proves that some folks think it's a good thing and other think it's a waste of time. I don’t care if I’m spending $1000 or $5000, it’s my money and should be able to do it my way, no?

But, why not have the full line bike shop just offer a more sophisticated setup for riders who want them? Seems like I have seen this before where 'regular' setups are included with a bike and the high tech ones aren't free.

I also used to shop sometimes at a boutique shop like you are describing, but I didn't really like it because they had very limited selections. I only went there because it was very close to my house and I usually only bought gels and stuff like that. The one time I had my bike serviced there, they tried to sell me a whole new groupset, and when I objected, they just replaced the ferrel on my RD cable and it was magically OK. Not saying all boutique shops would operate that way, but this store had lots of high end customers who bought very expensive bikes on a whim, so the temptation to make a fast buck was alway there. I actually saw it go down once with some business woman buying a very sweet bike on her lunch hour - she was obviously more interested in the colors and how everything looked than anything else.

A pay-for-fit up front? That doesn't make sense no matter how you ride. The problem with evaluating fit value is that it is a moving target. It will change as a cyclist's needs change. My fit didn't matter as much on 40 mile flat group rides as much as it does on solo hilly centuries. For that reason I have simply fit myself over time - based on aches, pains, subtle component changes and information gained from websites and even BF. High dollar fit just seems like high dollar attention, it's a spa mentality. While certainly cool if you can afford it. It is no way necessary for a comfortable or competitive ride.

I don't "joy ride", and I know pretty much what I want. So if I asked you to do all that, it's because I was serious about buying a high-end bike. You're free to say no, and I'll go elsewhere. Of course, if we couldn't discuss this effectively beforehand, I wouldn't be your customer in the first place.

I'm curious: at what point does a new bike become used? After how many miles, how many hours ridden, how many test rides?

Don't forget that your body will adapt to the biking over the course of time and mileage. Factors like weight loss and changes in flexibility will change the way bike feels, and the way you feel on the bike. I made the mistake of buying a 300 dollar fit for my first real road bike, with only maybe 500 previous miles under my belt in the season before.

Fast forward to the end of my first season, and I'm now at over 3800 miles. My body has adapted to riding, and also become sensitive to 'improper positioning' on the bike. What felt fine 1000 miles ago, does not feel good currently. As such, changes are being constantly made to find the optimum level of comfort and performance. This would be the perfect time to get an in-depth fit versus the general 'this will be close' fit that you normally get for a a fraction of the price.

With the above scenario, I can see the argument both for and against for getting a custom tailored fit up front.

I almost guarantee you that 90% of cyclists on the MUP don't know how to change a flat. The guy sounds like a genius to me.

There are grades of buyers. For someone willing to spend upwards of several thousand dollars - the marketing and services should reflect what a upper-tier consumer wants. Autonomy, interest-specific range of gear, 3D FIT services etc. That being said a upper tier, interest-focused consumer would typically set out and find a dealer who best represents their interests vs. a shop which operates in a generalist mode. Much like the OP, I want the vendor to focus on my specific needs and do not care so much about the nickel and dime stuff. The 3D FIT for me is something I wanted as I have spent a few years doing things wrong in cycling and I am willing to learn from experts vs. experimentation on my own.

At that price point, the better shops have demo bikes they will let you take out for the day, or they just let you test ride the new one and deal with a mark down if it looks worn after too many test rides.

If you're spending that much, you are likely to know what you're after and the approximate locations you want for your saddle and bars. The last person I knew spending that much took a Moots and then a Serotta out for a 50 mile ride in the Santa Monica. Both shops were experienced in how to sell high end bikes.

I don't expect that treatment because I can only dream of that much, but a local shop was willing to let me swap stems and pedals to test ride a $1100 around the block for as long as I liked. I mostly took measurements and then found a clean shop window to check my side profile, and made sure it shifted correctly before buying it.

edit: That being said, it also helps to have an already established relationship with the shop. If not, they don't know if you're a lookey-loo or someone who is seriously going to buy a bike, and sometimes they don't want to take the risk.

Absolutely. When I did my first Ironman triathlon, on the morning of the race I was in the transition area getting my bike ready and the woman next to me asked me if I could pump up her tires because "my husband always does it for me." Just imagine the mentality of the people on a MUP.

Here's a crazy idea, how about a shop that caters to all?! If I want to come in and spend my money without a peep from your sales guy then let me. If I want his unending input, then give it to me.

This is all kinds of wrong:

(1) A $5 K bike comes with a free fit. It doesn't matter what bike shop you're at; if they don't agree, you're in the wrong shop.
(2) You probably aren't spending this kind of money on your first bike. And you must enjoy cycling to lay this kind of money down for a carbon bike. Your current bike probably fits you pretty well. They can "fit" a bike to you for a test ride by measuring a few things on your current bike and pushing the seat/bars around for a few minutes.
(3) Sometimes people get fit before they buy a new bike, but nobody gets fit at every bike shop they test drive something from.
(4) If you're really going to spend $5,000, the shop ought to let you take the bike for a long test ride, whether they "have faith in" in test rides or not.

Seriously, when I bought my Cervelo, the shop measured the bike I came in on, and set the RS up to match, for a test ride. They put the right pedals on, and told me I could have a 50+ mile test ride if I thought it would help me make up my mind.

I thought they were all like that? Although I gotta say, some of the least people-friendly folks I've ever met have been bike shop owners.

If they have one of those fit bike thingies then yeah, offering it is a good service otherwise it's just marketing.

What might be cool is a DIY fit machine/booth where you put the little reflective thingies on your joints, sit on the machine and pedal, the computer films you and measures power/angles/technique, makes automatic adjustments to fit, you hit some buttons on a touch screen to put in preferences and voila. When you're done a purchase list prints out based on what the LBS has in stock or can get. Would cost a fortune but would be cool as hell. Jeez, now I want one.

That's excellent service! I'd buy a higher-end bike from this place just because they took the time to care!

Cheers,

Essex