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Why the LBS are dying out ...

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Why the LBS are dying out ...

Old 04-04-19, 02:04 PM
  #126  
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Originally Posted by burnthesheep
Golf clap.

Hipster stuff and steam punk ain't my scene. But, I'd wander into a coffee or brewpub that had bike repair and small parts sales on the SIDE. I probably wouldn't be as inclined to visit a bike shop with a brewpub or coffee shop as the SIDE part.

Then, have the brewpub run a weeknight group ride. Perfect model for some fun. Group ride, brewpub........and just a little bit of repair and sales on the side. Like a little 10' wide window and a door on a wall of the brewpub where you can drop a bike off for repairs or ask for some new cleats, pads, a tube, a tire, bar tape, etc.....

Yet another tangent, but I remember a place in New Orleans that was just so New Orleans it probably couldn't be not New Orleans--it was a combination bar/laundromat open to 4 a.m. "Get sloshed and do the wash".

OOps, just checked--it's still there and open 24 hours.
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Old 04-04-19, 06:16 PM
  #127  
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
OLCC found the 2 things incompatible for sanitary reasons, as the cleaning standards are different..
beer as food , is the higher cleaning status.. Liquor Control and health department standards apply..

Having bikes around the tavern as decor .. is another thing, that may pass, just not working on them there..




...
Thanks Bob for clarifying that.

Last edited by skookum; 04-04-19 at 06:19 PM. Reason: clarity
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Old 04-04-19, 06:16 PM
  #128  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Yet another tangent, but I remember a place in New Orleans that was just so New Orleans it probably couldn't be not New Orleans--it was a combination bar/laundromat open to 4 a.m. "Get sloshed and do the wash".

OOps, just checked--it's still there and open 24 hours.
We had one in Pascagoula when I lived there. A fantastic place for all your one stop needs. I think they the usual assortment of pi$$-water lagers & line dancing. They even had fried chicken, peanuts, and tables made from wire spools. That place was a hoot. TBH: I don't remember much else, but I did leave my laundry once & had to pay a "recovery" fee.

Solid business model. The only improvement I can think of would be a beauty salon next-door. So the lady customers could get gussied up while the wash is on.

I haven't thought about them in 15 years. Thanks!
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Old 04-05-19, 01:54 AM
  #129  
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You are right , the key to lbs is to know their strengths , some shops are better at certain things. Over all they really never have a thing you need , Walmart or rei has a better selection ..
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Old 04-05-19, 02:13 AM
  #130  
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Originally Posted by skookum
I thought the 21st century LBS was going to be like Velo Cult in Portland. Craft beer, coffees, repairs and sales and a cool place to hang out. They appeared to have it figured out. They closed last year. One of the staff told me that their major business was repairs. Bikes are getting more complex and trickier to fix, and we live in a society where people value their time and have the money to pay others to do stuff for them. E-bikes add a another layer of complexity, so more specialized skills needed. Mechanical work is one thing that you can't get on the internet.

I used to have 3 bike shops within a 10 minute walk, but they are all gone now. We have one pretty big mega shop that stocks hundreds of bikes, carries lots of parts and do so many repairs you have to book weeks in advance. They are also mega expensive. They appear to be thriving.

Another model is a one man shop that specializes in recumbent trikes and electrifying regular bikes. He runs it out of his garage. He has demo bikes and if you wantto buy one you have to order it. You need to make an appointment for a test ride or to drop off a repair, you can't just walk in.

Those are two extremes that seem to be doing well. I think it is tough for the shops in the middle.
It’s all good.
I have at least three solid LBS within 20 miles of my home. They are all pretty traditional and doing well but I only use one of them for all of my maintenance and repairs because I have enough common sense/retail smarts to know the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Shame on OP for not having the same and instead ranting about the entire industry in general.
Where my daughter goes to college there is a hip little bike shop that also has an açaí bowl counter.
It’s an interesting place with a bit of inventory but the average employee age is 21 and I don’t think it would be my first choice for any type of repair service.
But they do make a decent pineapple/Nutella bowl. Call me crazy.
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Old 04-05-19, 04:21 AM
  #131  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Yet another tangent, but I remember a place in New Orleans that was just so New Orleans it probably couldn't be not New Orleans--it was a combination bar/laundromat open to 4 a.m. "Get sloshed and do the wash".

OOps, just checked--it's still there and open 24 hours.

lolololol. I live in a Nola burb and work in the Nola CBD. I had never heard of it. Now I am curious.
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Old 04-05-19, 04:24 AM
  #132  
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Originally Posted by base2
We had one in Pascagoula when I lived there. A fantastic place for all your one stop needs. I think they the usual assortment of pi$$-water lagers & line dancing. They even had fried chicken, peanuts, and tables made from wire spools. That place was a hoot. TBH: I don't remember much else, but I did leave my laundry once & had to pay a "recovery" fee.

Solid business model. The only improvement I can think of would be a beauty salon next-door. So the lady customers could get gussied up while the wash is on.

I haven't thought about them in 15 years. Thanks!
I grew up in Pascagoula and lived there until 82. I have never heard of that one either. Were you Navy?
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Old 04-05-19, 05:18 AM
  #133  
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Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
I grew up in Pascagoula and lived there until 82. I have never heard of that one either. Were you Navy?
Indeed. 1996 to 2005..

Here in Seattle we have King Doughnuts. I used to drive by all the time on my commute home from work. I've actually been in a dozen times or so. It's about a block off the Lake Washington Loop bike path. Like the above posters were saying, you gotta play to your strengths & find what works. Undeniably Seattle. Doughnut shop laundromat teriyaki place.

Last edited by base2; 04-05-19 at 06:28 AM.
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Old 04-05-19, 06:46 AM
  #134  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
My only experience with such a place was that the coffee was expensive and worse than what I would get at a 7 11. Really, really bad. Nice bikes to look at while I took a few sips before dumping it, but out of my price range.

Gotta say for me, decent coffee beats "lifestyle hangout" every time.
The forbidden LBS.

Anyhow, you might prefer 7/11 or Dunkin' (nothing wrong with either), but the Sevens are drop dead gorgeous and they serve George Howell coffee and they serve it well.

For those who don't know, George Howell founded Coffee Connection in Harvard Square in the mid-70s. He didn't like dark roast (joked about Charbucks), and roasted his beans "cinnamon."

One of his two dozen Coffee Connections was across the street from the forbidden LBS. He literally sold out to Charbucks in the 90s, so it is now a Starbucks.

Plus with Pete's a few doors down from Starbucks, and Dunkin' behind them in parking lot, Lexington Center has a lot of coffee choices.

(But Arlington Center has Kickstand, Gail Anne, Mamadou's, Starbucks, and Cafe Nero, plus a little further east is Quebrada and Barismo, and to the west is Magic Bites, Classic Cafe, Roasted Granola, and Starbucks again, plus Dunkin', Dunkin', Dunkin', Dunkin' every which way. If you can't find a cup of joe you like here, I don't know what to say.)

(Still nothing like the peak coffee crazy a few years ago in Vancouver, BC, where you could find 3 Starbucks on the corners of one intersection.)

Sorry, to satisfy your 7/11 cravings the closest to the forbidden LBS are in Waltham or Woburn.

-mr. bill

Last edited by mr_bill; 04-05-19 at 06:52 AM.
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Old 04-05-19, 06:56 AM
  #135  
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Originally Posted by Paul Barnard
lolololol. I live in a Nola burb and work in the Nola CBD. I had never heard of it. Now I am curious.
Got to be either Lucky's or Igor's (a small chain).

-mr. bill
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Old 04-05-19, 07:13 AM
  #136  
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Originally Posted by base2
Like the above posters were saying, you gotta play to your strengths & find what works.
Some places are oriented towards the ATF crowd. Inside is a fancy decorative wooden bar that was previously used at the 1933 Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago.


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Old 04-05-19, 07:20 AM
  #137  
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Originally Posted by freegeek
I was wrong to assume that a shop that is selling shimano disc brake equipped bikes by the bucket loads to have a $20 bleeding kit as part of their normal bike maintenance inventory so they can actually service the bikes they sell. No wonder a lot of them go out of business blaming "online" shops. If that makes me "entitled", so be it, I just call it lousy service
I agree. That's one of the biggest problems in society today... no one wants to hold anyone accountable.
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Old 04-05-19, 07:25 AM
  #138  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
I actually like Starbucks and most gas station coffee. Gas station convenience stores have figured out that decent coffee is a point of competition.
Starbucks coffee is OK. It's just not $4 a cup ok. The $1 cup at the gas station is just as good and sometimes better.
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Old 04-05-19, 07:30 AM
  #139  
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Originally Posted by TiHabanero
Major conflict here. Please reassess reasoning.
Not really. Parts, clothing and miscellaneous other bike related items cost too much in the bike shop. I only purchase there if I need something now. Otherwise...online is cheaper. Not only is the price usually cheaper with shipping...I save on the wear and tear of my car and gas money since my 3 LBS are about a 40 mile round trip.

I don't mind going there and buying a bike...But when they never order bikes in for people to try it makes it hard to buy without trying.
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Old 04-05-19, 07:32 AM
  #140  
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Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
Some places are oriented towards the ATF crowd. Inside is a fancy decorative wooden bar that was previously used at the 1933 Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago.


OMG! That's fantastic! I could see stopping in for a pint of lager & a box of 30-aught on a Thursday afternoon.

This is cool. I wonder what other bussiness mash-ups BF members come up with. This could be a whole new thread!

Last edited by base2; 04-05-19 at 07:39 AM.
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Old 04-05-19, 07:36 AM
  #141  
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Originally Posted by Troul
The lbs suffer from multitude of issues. What I've recently found is that the ones nearby will only do as the instructions support from the OEM & will not research comparable parts that (will) fit with some thinking outta the box logic.
Boy is that ever the truth.
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Old 04-05-19, 07:38 AM
  #142  
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I will say that the bike shops in my area that are still making it are multi sport dealers. I think that's what keeps them in business more than anything. In addition to bikes....they sell snowshoes, ski equipment, some decent non-bike apparel etc.
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Old 04-05-19, 07:38 AM
  #143  
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Originally Posted by mr_bill
The forbidden LBS.

Anyhow, you might prefer 7/11 or Dunkin' (nothing wrong with either), but the Sevens are drop dead gorgeous and they serve George Howell coffee and they serve it well.

For those who don't know, George Howell founded Coffee Connection in Harvard Square in the mid-70s. He didn't like dark roast (joked about Charbucks), and roasted his beans "cinnamon."

One of his two dozen Coffee Connections was across the street from the forbidden LBS. He literally sold out to Charbucks in the 90s, so it is now a Starbucks.

Plus with Pete's a few doors down from Starbucks, and Dunkin' behind them in parking lot, Lexington Center has a lot of coffee choices.

(But Arlington Center has Kickstand, Gail Anne, Mamadou's, Starbucks, and Cafe Nero, plus a little further east is Quebrada and Barismo, and to the west is Magic Bites, Classic Cafe, Roasted Granola, and Starbucks again, plus Dunkin', Dunkin', Dunkin', Dunkin' every which way. If you can't find a cup of joe you like here, I don't know what to say.)

(Still nothing like the peak coffee crazy a few years ago in Vancouver, BC, where you could find 3 Starbucks on the corners of one intersection.)

Sorry, to satisfy your 7/11 cravings the closest to the forbidden LBS are in Waltham or Woburn.

-mr. bill

Yeah the stuff I had at the forbidden LBS was distinctly misbrewed--it had that horrible tannin taste when the water is too hot. Basically, it tasted like the crap they serve at McDs..

I was kicking myself for not having gone to Peets. I love Peets. Problem with Arlington on a stop for almost anything is there are too many good options.
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Old 04-05-19, 07:42 AM
  #144  
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Originally Posted by prj71
Starbucks coffee is OK. It's just not $4 a cup ok. The $1 cup at the gas station is just as good and sometimes better.
The large regular coffee at SB is $2.45. Depending on the alternatives in the immediate area, it can be a good enough deal.
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Old 04-05-19, 07:44 AM
  #145  
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Originally Posted by prj71
I will say that the bike shops in my area that are still making it are multi sport dealers. I think that's what keeps them in business more than anything. In addition to bikes....they sell snowshoes, ski equipment, some decent non-bike apparel etc.

The really good LBS in Watertown MA has one floor of bikes and another of small engines, which includes things like lawn mowers and chainsaws. They do repairs on both categories, so it's a really great use of their overhead of maintaining a shop area.
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Old 04-05-19, 09:16 AM
  #146  
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Originally Posted by base2
OMG! That's fantastic! I could see stopping in for a pint of lager & a box of 30-aught on a Thursday afternoon.

This is cool. I wonder what other bussiness mash-ups BF members come up with. This could be a whole new thread!

I expect its all packaged takeaway no in house service and taps all packaged cans & bottles ,

but is 1 stop shopping on your way for the good ole boy's trip the 'old quarry'..
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Old 04-05-19, 11:23 AM
  #147  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
The large regular coffee at SB is $2.45. Depending on the alternatives in the immediate area, it can be a good enough deal.
For the price of three cups I can buy a bag of beans and brew a whole pot at home---several times.
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Old 04-05-19, 11:27 AM
  #148  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
For the price of three cups I can buy a bag of beans and brew a whole pot at home---several times.
I'm sure you could, but then where are all the people going to come from to provide your home with a relaxed and sociable atmosphere?

...And if one of them asked you to install a cassette in exchange for money; Then where would you be?
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Old 04-05-19, 11:47 AM
  #149  
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
For the price of three cups I can buy a bag of beans and brew a whole pot at home---several times.

I brew myself a pot of coffee first thing every morning, but it's a little difficult to brew it when I'm 45 miles into a 110 mile ride, or driving a couple hundred miles and I want a coffee break. And it's worth the couple bucks not to carry a thermos.
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Old 04-05-19, 12:01 PM
  #150  
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The end is nigh.
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