OuterMarker

I've got 3 bikes. Two were purchased at local shops, and one was purchased online from Canyon. I recently posted a picture of my Canyon and mentioned that I had to adjust the brakes. I got into a heated discussion with someone who claimed I got what I deserved since I bought from a company that is "destroying bike culture." Aside from the facts that my Canyon is 2 years old so well outside of any bike store warranty and that re-aligning brakes is something that someone should be capable of doing mid-ride without going to a shop, it got me thinking. How much are we supposed to support local shops?

For that Canyon, I recently spent $400 for a local shop to do a complete tear down and reassembly. I personally don't like the 2 brands that this bike shop has, so I would have never bought my bike from them. But because I purchased a Canyon, they were able to get some business from me. Since then, I have gone back to that shop to buy additional accessories.

And what about building a bike? I'm in the process of building a winter bike and lots of people in the bike community seem to think building your own bike is acceptable. Doesn't that also hurt local bike shops? Do those that hate the direct to consumer sales model of Canyon and similar manufactures also look down on people who build their own bike or buy used ones on Craigslist/eBay?

Russ Roth

Really good questions. In the last 3 years I've (family included) bought my c-dale trail 2, a c-dale CAAD-X tiagra, 2 c-dale trail 24s, a C-dale women's dual suspension, and a NOS 24" schwinn girls road bike. From a second shop I bought a 12" giant and a 20" giant. From online I've bought 2 Blue touring bikes, a raleigh track bike, a 24" Hoy track bike, a raleigh rx-24, a dback 24" road bike, a 16" park, a redline mini, and a redline conquest 20.
I'm currently trying to convince my wife to buy a road bike from a local shop but I think tuition and vacation plans are going to squash that.
I do like supporting some of the local shops and even prefer buying from them but with 3 fast growing kids who have wide interests and shops that obviously can't carry everything I shop where I need to. Some of the shop bought bikes were on clearance with the brand, so the shop had to order them and didn't take a hit since they bought them at the reduced price as well. The others were full price. All of them got some accessories though not all the accessories. But the online items were real closeouts that a shop couldn't touch. The Blues for instance were down to 500 each for full tiagra, couldn't have gotten the parts for the price. The Raleigh rx24 was an old model that could be converted for my daughter to a 20" wheel so she could fit a road bike and do duathlons at 7. While the Dback is a 16sp full claris equipped bike that was an amazon warehouse deal for 150. The kids' track bikes were things that no shop around stocked and in respect to the Hoy after 20+ calls to all the shops in the area didn't seem like a local possibility no matter what.
At the end of the day when the bike is what I want and the price is reasonable I've got no problem shopping local but when the deal is too outrageously good to pass up or isn't available locally no matter what then online is an obvious choice.
I just won't bother asking a shop to price match, if its close enough I'll buy local if it isn't then online; I know from working in several shops that can't buy some items for the same price as what is online. Local shop through their online site had the rims I wanted, could have gotten them for 2 dollars less each plus about 14 less in tax but I like the local shop and on a nearly 200.00 purchase that wasn't enough to deter me. But the spokes were through ebay so 70.00 for the spokes with enough to build 3/4 of another set of wheels left over and that saved 30.00 for what would have been the exact number of spokes needed; a big difference in savings both now and in the future.
I realize this rambling doesn't really answer the question but you need to judge what is right for yourself. Realize that the lack of business might mean there isn't a shop to rely on when you actually need it but supporting a shop that doesn't really offer you what you want/need/can afford doesn't benefit you either. Either way my list helps me realize I just spend too much on bikes in general.

mstateglfr 

- you should support your LBS as much as you want/need.
- how someone else wants you to spend your hobby money should be of no consequence to you.
- building a bike might 'hurt' local shops. Or it might benefit local shops. Who knows- it kinda depends on where you buy the components for that bike.
- I dont know if people who dont support consumer direct brands also dont like craigslist. You should ask them.

If any questions werent answered, here is a generic answer that I'm pretty sure will apply- dont worry about what others think.

bruce19

You make your decisions based on your values. Don't buy into someone else's idea of what your values should be.

Ramshackle

Those of us on a tight budget or in retirement don't often have the liberty of conscience buying. While I buy certain stuff from my LBS, I can't afford to pay $80 for a tire that I can buy for half of that on Amazon or eBay. Nor can I afford to spend $2000 on a new bike instead of buying a used one for $400 from a private party. Plus, LBS's often don't have the parts I need.

livedarklions

This discussion just gets dumber and dumber. I'm either doing business with my LBS because they meet my needs or I'm not. I'm paying them for goods received and services rendered. I don't usually buy parts and accessories from them because the markup is too high.
If people really want to support them, they can donate money. Otherwise, it's none of their business how you or I choose to spend our money.

indyfabz

Subscribed.

CoffeedrinkerNC

This is the same discussion about my other hobbies. I will support my LBS as long as they are not really over priced. I do check prices on line, and will bring it up with the store, if they are out of line. I'm willing to pay 10 to 15% more to support the local business (once you add tax and shipping the prices should be close). To me, it seems that most stores they have survived the 2000's, understand people check prices and will not be overcharged for items.

Cougrrcj

I quit supporting my local bike shops when they stopped carrying parts or even consumables for my bikes -- I got tired of the 'We'll have to order it" line. Well, I can order it too, and without the middleman markup.

Kedosto

Like deja vu all over again.

-Kedosto

Maelochs

Time for another one of these threads .... some people think .......

CAT7RDR

It depends. Is the LBS concerned with "The Voice of the Customer?" That is, are they most concerned about maximizing all profits or serving my needs and creating a long-term relationship? I'm going through this process right now with a fairly new owner of a long established bike shop. As long as his parts prices are within reasonable limits, I will continue to frequent this LBS. So far, so good for me. I like the concept about being able to sort out any issues directly with the owner rather than dealing with layers of managers.

livedarklions

Groundhog Day!

Welshboy

I'm using my LBS more than ever but only for consumables like pads and cables and occasionally parts like BB's and cassettes. He's very competitive on price and often does unexpected little discounts off the ticket price. Regarding bikes and/or frames he doesn't stock major brands like Cannondale, Giant, Specialized, Trek, etc. so I'm using whoever is cheapest (in the UK this is mostly Evans Cycles) but he does have some cool-looking bikes from minor brands.

livedarklions

And that's really the point, isn't it? We go to our LBS because they're good at what they do, not because it's the LBS. There are LBS I wouldn't set foot in again because they're not good at what I need.

Maelochs

I'llhave the courage to say what the rest of you are afraid to say:

If you don't sell your house, spouse, and children and give all proceeds to the local bike shop, if you don't enter into indentured servitude, a lifetime contract guaranteeing them all your time and energy for lodgings in a dog house out back and daily rations of a can of dog food, if you don't also convince your friends to do likewise ... then You and you alone are responsible for the death of "cycling culture."

Did you bother to ask that guy for a precise definition of "cycling culture"?

I have zero culture ... but I am getting ready to go cycling. What does it all mean?

biketampa

agree. LBS are clearly going through an adjustment period learning to make money while competing with online retailers. Some are being successful. Some are not. I don’t envy their situation but in the end that’s how business works.

livedarklions

I had my bike cultured, and it was negative for strep.

mstateglfr 

OP hasn't been back yet?
shocked!

alcjphil

Very good point. There is a shop I go to when I need things I can't do for myself. Most of the bikes that I own were built up from bare frames. I have worked as a bike mechanic many times over the years. This shop I go to is fantastic. The owner is well known all over the Montreal region. One purchase from him was a smart trainer, an Elite Drivo. I went in looking for the less expensive model being sold at that time, but he wasn't able to get one because it was so new on the market. He gave me such a good price on the Drivo that I actually asked him if he was going to be able to make a profit. He told me that he would. When I went in to pick up my trainer, I saw 4 other identical boxes that were there also already sold. It doesn't hurt him that there is a distributor for this item only about 6 km from his store so shipping is not an issue, he can get things with almost no waiting time. The last time I went there I was looking for a rebuild kit for a set of eggbeater pedals I have been using for 15 years. When I asked him, he looked around the shop and found me a rebuild kit that had been hanging around. $10. Nice for both of us. He sold some old stock that he needed to move and I had a cheap fix for my pedals, win win

wolfchild

I use "cycling culture" to ferment milk into yogurt...….Seriously why would anybody feel guilty if they don't spend $ 10 000 per year at their local LBS ??

unterhausen

My lbs saves me money.

It's weird that this is the OP's only post, but he's complaining about something that happened online.

wipekitty

This pretty much nails my response:

indyfabz

From a LBS. Try getting one of these on line. Yo!

OuterMarker

Everyone got to have a first post eventually.

The original comment was on a facebook group. No one I know in real life is going to tell me that my Canyon is killing local bike shops to my face, so I thought I'd cast a wider net.