My Thoughts On Local Bike Shops

January 12th, 2005 by Tim Grahl

R.L. posted a couple days ago with his thoughts on his Local Bike Shop over pricing stuff. The post recieved more comments than any other. One comment from Sov over at Evil Cycling said he was being a “tight-ass”. This is a weird position for us here at Blue Collar. While I believe the LBS is an important establishment that needs to be supported, my bank account speaks loudest when I need a part that I can get for fifty bucks cheaper online.

I’ve spent a good bit of time chatting with Jack, the owner of Bikes Unlimited here in Lynchburg, VA. He realizes that he can’t always compete with the prices of the online retailers, however he can compete on service and the LBS’s biggest service is their experience. They can take your uninformed ramblings and turn them into a good suggestion of what you need. If you work long hours and make a good living, your time is better spent on the trail rather than researching online what to buy and how cheap you can get it.

So if you can support the LBS, please do so. You will have a better experience and have a lot more fun making your purchase then you ever will online. However, more important than supporting the LBM is keeping people on two wheels. So, if your ride is sitting in the garage with a broken fork and the only set you can afford is online, buy it. Riding is why we are all here anyway.

7 Responses to “My Thoughts On Local Bike Shops”

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1 RL on Jan 12th, 2005 at 11:05 am

Well said.

Thank you.
2 quickKarl on Jan 12th, 2005 at 11:52 am

I went to a lbs for the fisrt time, for a chain pin, looked around the displays for awhile and could not find any. A tech asked if i needed help, i told him what i needed and he stated they kept them in the back for repairs. I told him i wanted 2 and he got them out of a drawer then gave them to me. i put them in my pocket and went to the reg. to pay. He told me a price and i said what? and he repeated the price. i paid it and left. I dont remember the price now, but i later found on the web that he charged me 3 times the cost over the web sites best quality. i not sure what brand he gave me.. anyway first impressions mean a lot and i dont think i’ll go back there.
i dont expect lbs to compete with the web, but try to be close.
karl
3 Guitar Ted on Jan 12th, 2005 at 5:33 pm

While I can see where quickKarl is coming from, I would like to point out that no one gained anything out of his experience. The question, “What?” that he asked the mechanic did not convey what quickKarl was trying to say. Namely, that he thought the price too high. Furthermore, quickKarl goes home to research his purchase to find out that he was right- he paid too much. Okay. He is justified, but the bikeshop has NO IDEA he is unhappy. So, if I go into the same bike shop, unaware of this transaction that quickKarl has gone through, I get hosed for the same price quickKarl did on the chainpins. Hmmmm……Thanks dude! Maybe, just maybe, if quicKarl had pointed out his feelings to said shop, they might change their pricing policy. Which would help EVERYONE ELSE that ever needed a chainpin from that shop. Then again- maybe not. But no one wins when we don’t communicate! Thanks! Rant Off!
4 big jonny on Jan 13th, 2005 at 2:13 am

Ha! Sov called you a tightass.
5 RL on Jan 13th, 2005 at 10:37 am

I guess he did eh? Well he’s right, I am a tight ass. I am very cheap and frugal.
Sov, you got me on that one! Lol.
6 quickKarl on Jan 13th, 2005 at 11:14 am

at the store i didnt know if the price was good or bad, it just seemed high for the item. i’m pretty new and did not want to seem stupid, but i guess i was anyway..
i do go to an other lbs, but i check prices first on web to at least know if the price at lbs is competitive or way out of line.
karl
7 RL on Jan 13th, 2005 at 6:10 pm

Being the tight ass that I am, I just purchased a Giant Warp today from an LBS.

My Thoughts On Local Bike Shops

7 Responses to “My Thoughts On Local Bike Shops”

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