I don't how these LBS's expect to sell high end bikes
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#27
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Obviously bike shops come in many flavors and your story doesn't surprise me very much. In my limited experience shopping for higher end bikes, I've found that you need to be a little more discriminatory as a consumer. What I mean by this is that you need to be more selective about where you shop. You probably need to be looking for "boutique" type shops rather than the major brand retailers. If you are in a major metro area, there are probably a couple in town.
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he can take the 58, but when i win the tour of the valley p/1/2 race i expect to get my free venge that i was promised by greg and aussi.
#32
TFO
another option is to see when/if the demo truck for the brand you're interested in will be in town or nearby. I bought based on such a test when I wasn't really in the market when I went to the demo
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#37
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I think he is going to be hard to beat this season. He is going to be strong this season. Actually I am not sure of his roll on Panther but they are lucky to have him on board this season.
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Last edited by garysol1; 01-28-13 at 07:05 PM.
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Thing is, for the people who know exactly what they want, the LBS purchase doesn't exactly have much to offer. If they're just order-takers, they're overpaid.
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its not always about the test ride but about the wow factor. You walk into a bike shop and front and center is the 14 pound wonder bike. You can touch it and feel it and pick it up. Your hooked. So maybe you cant afford the 7k price tag but for 3k you can get close. You have now totally forgotten about your $2,000 budget and bumped yourself another thousand in order to get yourself closer to that wonder bike.
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My LBS has nothing BUT high-end bikes ($2500-$10,000). I can't afford a thing in there. Great shop, lots of gear and goodies...bikes are out of my price range.
#41
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I may not be the typical bike sales guy. I am a serious enthusiast who is retired and when I say I could not care less if you spend $800.00 or 8k I mean it. Not everything is about making the all mighty dollar. I want my bike buyers to be long term customers and friends of the shop.
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#42
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Can you imagine a pro rider asking to ride the bike first before he signs up to a pro team?
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#46
Throw the stick!!!!
Now, if you want to go with your "lure" idea, odds are that the lure makes him a lot more than one sale, otherwise he probably wouldn't be wasting his time. I doubt he has to be another lure every time he sales a bike. If so he isn't a very good fisherman.
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With shoes they usually just ride with team shoe covers.
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Despite knowing that it's hard for the LBS to allow rides on pricey $4k+ bikes, I find it unreasonable for LBSes to be that high and mighty that they can't offer test rides to people legitimately interested in purchasing one of these bikes.
If I can go to the local Honda dealer and test ride a stacked $45,000 Honda with no problems, I should have no problems with a $4k bike at the local LBS. There should be some sort of insurance or otherwise to help cover any accidents, similar to what car dealerships might have. I know you all will now say how impossible that is with the tiny margins LBSes are making, but I can say with certainty that I'd pay $100-$200 extra to buy a bike that I test rode than not. In fact, that's the sole reason I go to an LBS - otherwise, I'd just order online for pretty much that margin of discount.
My LBS snagged me good when I went in to check out Cervelos, and they not only got me on one, but without my asking/pushing, offered to set it up in my size while I was there. Hard to turn down a sale after that for an interested buyer.
If I can go to the local Honda dealer and test ride a stacked $45,000 Honda with no problems, I should have no problems with a $4k bike at the local LBS. There should be some sort of insurance or otherwise to help cover any accidents, similar to what car dealerships might have. I know you all will now say how impossible that is with the tiny margins LBSes are making, but I can say with certainty that I'd pay $100-$200 extra to buy a bike that I test rode than not. In fact, that's the sole reason I go to an LBS - otherwise, I'd just order online for pretty much that margin of discount.
My LBS snagged me good when I went in to check out Cervelos, and they not only got me on one, but without my asking/pushing, offered to set it up in my size while I was there. Hard to turn down a sale after that for an interested buyer.
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To call a kick ass bike that any bike geek wants to mess around with and maybe someday own a lure is silly. The bike is there to be purchased but until that happens if any buyer wants to see what a flagship bike is all about I will gladly show it to them. I personally do not care if you buy a $800.00 bike or a $8,000 dollar bike as long as you get the bike that you want but I am not doing my job if I do not show you what is available. I would personally hate to spend $800.00 on a bike only to find out a year later that I am spending $3,000 or more to upgrade because the salesman did not explain the benefits to me initially.
I may not be the typical bike sales guy. I am a serious enthusiast who is retired and when I say I could not care less if you spend $800.00 or 8k I mean it. Not everything is about making the all mighty dollar. I want my bike buyers to be long term customers and friends of the shop.
I may not be the typical bike sales guy. I am a serious enthusiast who is retired and when I say I could not care less if you spend $800.00 or 8k I mean it. Not everything is about making the all mighty dollar. I want my bike buyers to be long term customers and friends of the shop.