Sounds like a couple of crappy shops. Check the LBS/OBS sticky to find a better one in your area. If that doesn't work, go the shop with the nicest people, and ask if they can order you the parts. Personally, I've tried 5 different shops in my area, and right now I have two that I'll never go to unless I NEED a spare tube, one for quick stupid stuff, one for quick difficult stuff, and one for well done, not quick stuff. Good luck.

Yeah, admittedly I live in uptown manhattan, and most of the stores nearby leave a lot to be desired. I just don't understand it though.. i mean, you have a customer, who wants to buy something, and maybe if you treat them properly and answer a few questions, they'll buy more stuff in the future!

I guess nobody explained this to them :p

Then again, in a number of stores in Manhattan, i've observed people walk in, usually well dressed and 30-something, obviously clueless, and say "I want a racing bike, like for riding on the road. What's the best one?" and walk out with a $2,500 bike 15 minutes later.

I guess some stores just wait for those ones..


Blah.. sorry for the rant. It just seems like whenever i go to try to get something from an LBS around here, i come home empty handed and mad. :(

Hmm. maybe it's karma for me *****ing about my LBSes, but i called a whole bunch of them today and _nobody_ has any cheap cassette compatible BMX rear sprockets. Some stores had Chris King ones for $30, but that was it..

The good news is i found a SRAM alloy lockring on eBay for $4.85 shipped, so that's taken care of..

I wonder if i ask on some BMX message board with a classified section?