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Why the LBS are dying out ...

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Why the LBS are dying out ...

Old 04-02-19, 11:21 AM
  #76  
Maelochs
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Okay, I confess, Local bike shops are dying because I poisoned them. I cannot hide my guilt any longer.

It's all me.
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Old 04-02-19, 12:58 PM
  #77  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
There is no way they can compete with the big box stores at that price range unless they're doing huge volume. The LBS' overhead per bike is just going to be higher, and the margin on those bikes is tiny. They could try to sell decent $200 hybrids, but the likelihood is that they'd lose money doing so.

The idea that the future of small retail is to "cater to everyone" is ludicrous. They need to focus on things that the big box and internet vendors don't do well, like personalized service, repair and fitting a bike. A lot of them are also keeping their customer base by basically becoming social clubs as well as retail establishments.

You see this with comic book stores as well--a lot of them make it by also being places for game tournaments.

The really small shops I see surviving are the ones that emphasize repair and service, and they might not even sell bikes. Medium sized ones generally have little to nothing available sub-$400, and also emphasize service. Only the biggest ones will have a few bikes in the $200-300 range, way more in higher price ranges, probably as much floor space dedicated to selling gloves as cheap bikes, and a good size service department.
Yes - the new bike shop is basically like Apple's Genius Bar.

I imagine a lot of small shops will specialize in socializing and custom builds.
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Old 04-02-19, 01:37 PM
  #78  
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OK OK OK....It's spring time people! These kind of in depth conversations should be done with like Winter! You all need to be out riding rather than sitting in front of the computer!!!!!





But it has been amusing!
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Old 04-02-19, 01:51 PM
  #79  
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Originally Posted by Koyote
The problem with these threads is that the OP usually has a sample size of one, or occasionally two or three. Trying to generalize from these small samples is never useful.

FWIW, I have had some bad experiences with shops, and many good-to-great experiences. It just really depends on the shop.

Agree here...

Mine, which has been in the 'hood for at least 20 yrs is a mixed bag. Prices are 20-30% higher than anything I can pick up from eBay/Amazon, which is a shame that they can't be a bit more competitive. If they were, they would have much more of my business. But I get that brick-and-mortar has a cost tied to it...

The flip side is the service - I guess that's the difference; if you have a place that gives good service, why go anywhere else? A perfect example - I once went in, when I picked up my first "good bike" (LiteSpeed Arenberg titanium - a nice ride back then), and was chatting with the manager about figuring out what kind of fork I should get in order to save some weight. His reply "If I were you, I would lose 10 lbs off that fat arse first..." LOL... yeah, a bit of a smack in the face (and he wasn't totally wrong), but the moral of the story was that he wasn't trying to always sell me. He - and he's still there - is interested in doing what's right, so I would come back.

And I do
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Old 04-02-19, 04:31 PM
  #80  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
I cannot speak for every shop, but most shops do a weekly--or less frequent--order, I assume to lower shipping and delivery costs...
That makes sense to me and sounds like business as usual. I don't order things often from the internet or catalog companies but I know many people do and I wondered if that's how businesses do it now also. I'm speaking not of the method of ordering but the frequency and quantity - one thing today and two things tomorrow vs. a whole bunch of stuff twice per month, for example.

Originally Posted by freegeek
I was interested in buying Garmin Vector power pedals at an LBS, delivery time was something like 4-6 weeks. I could go online and have them delivered next day. I don't know how it works for LBS but I guess they must be frustrated themselves if they have to give that kind of message to a potential customer knowing that you can go online and have it next day.
Just a guess: Maybe your LBS's distributor was out of stock and waiting for a container ship to cross the ocean with fresh supplies. Meanwhile, Amazon or some other website has that item in stock and ready to ship, but if your LBS ordered from them, they wouldn't get their usual wholesale pricing.
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Old 04-02-19, 08:49 PM
  #81  
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I order many parts online because I live in the boonies and I enjoy bicycle mechanics. The closest bike shop is in Kerrville Texas which is 50 miles away. Many times I have made the trek to the LBS for things I need now like a tool or a tube. I’m horrible at wheel truing so I will take it there and only 8 dollars to have a pro true a wheel with a professional grade truing stand is worth it. I also get my bikes cabled at the LBS Because of the different diameters and the special cable stretching tools I don’t have. Anyways I try to buy some stuff there to keep them in business especially when it is something I can order wrong like a bike helmet.
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Old 04-02-19, 09:54 PM
  #82  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
The shop didn't have a bleed kit ... and since, with four shops int he chain as the OP noted, there would be inter-shop swapping ... apparently they had never needed a bleed kit.


This whole thread is basically one guy crying "I had to wait to get what I wanted." He got what he wanted, he just had to wait. I am sure there are plenty of organ transplant candidates who would love to be in his shoes.
I would agree with your position in this thread if the OP wanted some specific component and was annoyed it wasn't in stock. Crying about that is pretty unjustifiable.

a shimano bleed kit is an essential part of any bike shop and to argue otherwise is either ignorant or being contrarian for the hell of it.

the OP should have asked for a ready date. The shop would have then said a week, the OP would have questioned why, and then the bike wouldn't have been dropped off.

at the same time, there are basics that are assumed to exist in shop that handles maintenance and sales, and a shimano bleed kit is one such basic.

In 2019, it's ridiculous to claim the OP shouldnt expect a bleed kit to be at a service shop.

you mention in another long worded post that any shop thst makes money is 'doing it right' or something like that. Yes, that's true for the shop. But it isnt always true for the consumer.

in the end, this can help the OP find a shop that works for his riding. So i guess that's a silver lining.

chastising someone for expecting a bleed kit at a shop...come on now, don't be like that. Accept whats happening in realityville- shops shpuld have a bleed kit to service bikes.
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Old 04-02-19, 09:56 PM
  #83  
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Originally Posted by mtb_addict
LBS needs to cater to everyone, not just the high-income and not just serious cyclists. If they could stock some mid-range $200 hybrid bikes, for example, then they can be competitive with big box stores.
1- nothing to do with the thread.
2- shops could stock these if they thought they would make $. Perhaps, collectively, they have found its too slim a margin.
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Old 04-03-19, 10:29 AM
  #84  
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Everything depends on the individual LBS. I have access to a few, and one I simply avoid because I don't like their work. Some of the mechanics know what they are doing and some do not. It's hit or miss which one you will get Their prices are high, and they do not have a good stock of parts. I'd much rather work on my bikes myself, so the only time I use an LBS is if I don't have the proper tools to do what I need to do or I faced with a problem that I do not understand. Fortunately, most modern bikes are high quality and stay in adjustment for long periods of time. I rarely buy accessories from any LBS because I can get them much cheaper online. I would buy them locally if the price differential were not so great and if they had a decent selection. So everything depends on your own personal experience.
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Old 04-03-19, 10:48 AM
  #85  
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The OP has a point.

I would be very concerned if a shop didn't have a bleed kit to bleed common brake types. One would have to assume that a shop without a bleed kit has no experience bleeding brakes.

No different from bringing a wheel to be trued and being told that the shop has to order a truing stand or asking for a tire to be changed and the shop has no tire levers.

Definitely a red flag.



-Tim-
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Old 04-03-19, 11:54 AM
  #86  
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Originally Posted by freegeek
[RANT] ... [/END RANT]
Translation: I had a bad experience with one LBS, therefore I am categorically writing off tens of thousands of businesses around the country (or world) and ignoring their millions of customers. Similarly, I had a good experience with an internet vendor therefore all internet vendors are good and anyone who disagrees with me is just wrong.
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Old 04-03-19, 12:30 PM
  #87  
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Originally Posted by TimothyH
The OP has a point. -
But the point you made is different.
Originally Posted by TimothyH
I would be very concerned if a shop didn't have a bleed kit to bleed common brake types. One would have to assume that a shop without a bleed kit has no experience bleeding brakes.
Right? So ... you don't take your bike to that shop.

if you Do ... man up and accept the consequences.

Originally Posted by TimothyH
No different from bringing a wheel to be trued and being told that the shop has to order a truing stand or asking for a tire to be changed and the shop has no tire levers.

Definitely a red flag.
If a Bike Shop does not have the basics for bike repair ... it is not a Bike Repair Shop. or it is not Primarilly a bike repair shop. if shop does not have parts, it is not primarily a parts shop.

This is where i cannot see why some people cannot see their hypocrisy. if bike shop has a few high-end bikes and sells just a bunch of gloves and seat bags, plus has a micro-brewery, it is a cool new-style shop adapting to the new business landscape. If a shop only sells bikes and doesn't specialize in doing repairs, it is a bike shop adapting to the new business landscape---Unless I want a particular repair done there when and where it is convenient for Me, in which case Every bike shop has to be a repair shop too ... and fully equipped at that.

That is BS. The shop has to be what it thinks it needs to be to make money./ You cannot get an entry-level bike at some shops ... so they are Evil? You cannot get jerseys ans shorts at some shops, so they should be forced out of business? The guy went to the wrong store.

if the shop didn't have a build kit, then obviously, they didn't need one often. So why should they have one? If No One brought bikes there to have their brakes bled, why should they have a bleed kit? it is no different than the shops which stock no parts, just gloves and socks and gourmet coffee. it is just like the craft-beer/bike shop that has no cheap bikes and only a few high-end bikes. Each shop has to stock what it finds sells. if you go to the wrong store, you don't get what you want ... because You went to the wrong store.

Everyone here responds by saying, "No, ALL bikes hops have to have X." Well, this store is apparently doing fine without "X," so you are wrong. And then, with ZERO information, people hypothesize that this four-store chain of large shops must be about to go broke because it doesn't have a bleed kit in stock. That is also BS. None of us know if the shops are grabbing up the big bucks or slowly dying or doing okay. That is just unfounded BS people are throwing out there ti win an internet argument.

Here are the facts: The shop is one of a four-store chain (as per the OP) and fairly large stores. They obviously do not get a lot of orders for parts or repairs. They seem to sell enough bikes to stay open, because the OP has done business with them over a span of time.

here are other facts: They don;'t have stuff they don;t generally need, because it is stupid to stock stuff you don't generally need. I don't care if it an entry-level bike, the latest Wavecell helmet, a 23-28 mm 700c tube, or what. if the shop doesn't sell the stuff, it shouldn't stock the stuff. that is called "efficient business," and might be why this chain of shops is still there.

In the same thread, the same posters praise the new-model shops which carry hardly and bikes or accessories, and also say that Every bike shop has to have "X." Facts seem to indicate that they don't.

Whatever. Y'all keep fighting. I need to finish up at work so I can go ride. And tomorrow i am going to take a wheel in to be re-dished ... and if they don't have the specific bladed spokes in stock, I am Not going to come here and rant. Sorry, no more drama from me here.
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Old 04-03-19, 03:09 PM
  #88  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
Right? So ... you don't take your bike to that shop.

if you Do ... man up and accept the consequences.

If a Bike Shop does not have the basics for bike repair ... it is not a Bike Repair Shop. or it is not Primarilly a bike repair shop. if shop does not have parts, it is not primarily a parts shop. Not going to come here and rant. Sorry, no more drama from me here.
You've made your point 4 different times now. Good luck to the non-shop. I hope they go out of bussiness soon, already. It'd save us all the heartache & disappointment of their misleading claims of actually being a place where bicycle parts & service could be exchanged for money.

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Old 04-03-19, 05:00 PM
  #89  
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I think the main point is that it is an expectation that a higher end retailer of bikes is supposed to be your first recourse (ask the manufacturers) for service on the bikes they sell. I somewhat can't believe that Spesh, Trek or the like would want an authorized retailer of their tell the customers that they're not equipped to service them after the sale.
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Old 04-03-19, 05:52 PM
  #90  
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The richest man on the planet has Amazon stocking everything ..
and getting states competing to bid higher tax payers giveaway to a company that pays none.

hard for a mom and pop shop to compete there, so they fix people's bikes and hope summer income
can stretch thru the other 3/4 of the year to be there in the spring.. to do it again..






....
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Old 04-03-19, 06:44 PM
  #91  
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Originally Posted by base2
You've made your point 4 different times now. Good luck to the non-shop. I hope they go out of bussiness soon, already. It'd save us all the heartache & disappointment of their misleading claims of actually being a place where bicycle parts & service could be exchanged for money.

You are missing my point every time.

Obviously, they have never made the claim that they are a "a place where bicycle parts & service could be exchanged for money." The OP learned this when they had to order a cassette he wanted.

This store (this chain) Sells Bikes. Any parts and service are (obviously) so unimportant to their core business that they hardly bother. Yet none of you geniuses can seem to grasp that.
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Old 04-04-19, 01:50 AM
  #92  
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
I would agree with your position in this thread if the OP wanted some specific component and was annoyed it wasn't in stock. Crying about that is pretty unjustifiable.

a shimano bleed kit is an essential part of any bike shop and to argue otherwise is either ignorant or being contrarian for the hell of it.

the OP should have asked for a ready date. The shop would have then said a week, the OP would have questioned why, and then the bike wouldn't have been dropped off.

at the same time, there are basics that are assumed to exist in shop that handles maintenance and sales, and a shimano bleed kit is one such basic.

In 2019, it's ridiculous to claim the OP shouldnt expect a bleed kit to be at a service shop.

you mention in another long worded post that any shop thst makes money is 'doing it right' or something like that. Yes, that's true for the shop. But it isnt always true for the consumer.

in the end, this can help the OP find a shop that works for his riding. So i guess that's a silver lining.

chastising someone for expecting a bleed kit at a shop...come on now, don't be like that. Accept whats happening in realityville- shops shpuld have a bleed kit to service bikes.
Ding ding we have a winner. I guess both or expectations are too high when it comes to a professional bike mechanic shop. When I walked in I assumed that they have an essential tool like this, my mistake I guess. btw my bike is STILL in the shop. I'm going to pick it up and bleed it myself, Amazon can automagically deliver a shimano bleeding kit in 24 hours.
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Old 04-04-19, 01:57 AM
  #93  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
You are missing my point every time.

Obviously, they have never made the claim that they are a "a place where bicycle parts & service could be exchanged for money." The OP learned this when they had to order a cassette he wanted.

This store (this chain) Sells Bikes. Any parts and service are (obviously) so unimportant to their core business that they hardly bother. Yet none of you geniuses can seem to grasp that.
On their site they clearly state that they do ALL repairs. They even do custom builds. Why would I bring my bike to a place that does not do repairs? Its really simple but you don't grasp it, any bike mechanic shop in 2019 that claims to repair and service bikes but does not have a simple tool like a bleeding kit for the most sold hydraulic discs in the world are simply amateurs, plain and simple

Last edited by freegeek; 04-04-19 at 02:03 AM.
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Old 04-04-19, 01:59 AM
  #94  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
You are missing my point every time.

Obviously, they have never made the claim that they are a "a place where bicycle parts & service could be exchanged for money." The OP learned this when they had to order a cassette he wanted.

This store (this chain) Sells Bikes. Any parts and service are (obviously) so unimportant to their core business that they hardly bother. Yet none of you geniuses can seem to grasp that.
People like me expect a bike mechanic shop to have the essential tools so they can actually work on the bikes they sell, that indeed makes us geniuses
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Old 04-04-19, 02:51 AM
  #95  
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Originally Posted by freegeek
On their site they clearly state that they do ALL repairs. They even do custom builds. Why would I bring my bike to a place that does not do repairs? Its really simple but you don't grasp it, any bike mechanic shop in 2019 that claims to repair and service bikes but does not have a simple tool like a bleeding kit for the most sold hydraulic discs in the world are simply amateurs, plain and simple
And they do all repairs ... just not in a Time Frame You found acceptable.

But hey ... whine on. if this thread represents how you see life, i can see why this is so upsetting.

Hope you have finally learned ... about the bike shop if nothing else.
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Old 04-04-19, 03:47 AM
  #96  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
And they do all repairs ... just not in a Time Frame You found acceptable.

But hey ... whine on. if this thread represents how you see life, i can see why this is so upsetting.

Hope you have finally learned ... about the bike shop if nothing else.
I simply find the different opinions refreshing, for me a bike shop is a place to get maintenance and repairs for a bike, for others its a place where you go, hope to have basic stuff done within a month while sipping lattes and munching on vegan cookies.
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Old 04-04-19, 04:24 AM
  #97  
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The LBS I us the most provides me with parts good service in a short time frame and coffee and cookies. See how easy that is?
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Old 04-04-19, 04:33 AM
  #98  
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Originally Posted by freegeek
[RANT] Because I didn't have time myself over the weekend I decided to bring my bike to the LBS last week thinking that after the weekend I would have my bike back. [/END RANT]
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Old 04-04-19, 05:39 AM
  #99  
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Originally Posted by freegeek
I simply find the different opinions refreshing, for me a bike shop is a place to get maintenance and repairs for a bike, for others its a place where you go, hope to have basic stuff done within a month while sipping lattes and munching on vegan cookies.

I'm arguing with the title of this thread because you blew up this experience into a claim that lbs are dying.

I would probably find that lbs unacceptable as a repair shop and parts purchase place. It's the only point you have.

I don't buy most of my accessories or parts at stores, and most of them will candidly admit they can't compete with the online prices on those. I still use LBS for service because my patience with wrenching is really limited. When I bring my bikes in, the shops always seem to be working on plenty of jobs, and one of them appears to be selling tons of bikes (the other one is primarily a repair/restoration shop). Rumors of their imminent death would seem to be exaggerated.

​​​​​​
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Old 04-04-19, 05:43 AM
  #100  
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Food supply, people. Food supply.
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