samburger

To be fair, a good online store will help you out as much as they can. Chain Reaction offered to pay for return shipping when I accidentally ordered two sets of pedals when I only meant to order one, even when I was honest that it was my mistake (& that was shipping from GA, USA to the UK!). I was so impressed with the quality of their service that I decided to hold onto the pedals & gave them to my stepdad for Christmas--I didn't want to abuse good customer service.

But if I needed help installing/troubleshooting a functional item, I'd be SOL. In comes the trusty LBS.

mroll

Alas...

Competition is an interesting thing, and it's tricky when you have online vendors 'competing' with bike shops. That said, it's always nice to see a bike shop with a strong online presence.

Online stores can have some incredible deals for parts. But I usually buy some things at the bike shop such as tools & consumables (lubricant and degreaser), tubes, tires, chain. Anything I have to try on, I'm likely to buy at a bike store.

I think it's incorrect to suggest buying from the LBS is the ONLY 'right' option. Price is important for most customers- that's almost a truism. Then again, locally available support & advice and that sense of community are also important to some customers. If you have a healthy budget for biking, then by all means support a local business.

Also, I'd like to observe that the original post is hilarious and very true.

As far as I am concerned, this applies for any local business (bookshops, bakeries, local produce) likely to be undercut by online or big box competitors. Do what you can to support them without breaking the bank

dirtclod

Get some tires at the shop, or get them on line, then take my daughter to breakfast and the movies. Sometimes it's a no brainer. But a good shop is rare, and if you have one then you know they are a goldmine. I have one good shop, and treat it like a customer in line at the soup Nazi on seinfeld.

Mexican Street Dog

I'll tell you what, I don't care if your shop is right next door and you've got college loans etc. etc. etc. If you're a nasty, snobby, snotty little know it all ******bag you're not going to get my money.

I shop at a one man shop on my commute, I get about half my stuff from him and half online. I pay him to do the work that I can't do and when I'm working on someone else's bike I get the parts there.

I'm a meatcutter at the local store, I know how some customers can be rotten sh*ts. I also know that I have to treat them well anyway, if they can get better service at a store in another town I've got no one to blame but myself. The big box store is the indy local groceries "online", some of my co-workers shop at the big box place, I don't get it.

So really, you do have to fight for your business, that's the way it is. Suck it up and make the sh*theads come back because you're THE BEST!!!

Darth_Firebolt

i work at a specialized dealership and the first thing in my head was "body geometry panties? specialized makes those? i'll have to get a pair for my girlfriend!" then i realized he meant big girl. my girlfriend is not a big girl. she would be verrrrrrry upset if i got her big girl panties. : /

cryptid01

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...stomer-service

samburger

^That one was fun. Zeph always disproves of my senseless antics though.

KBentley57

His "rant" is completely true in my book. If I can get something for half price somwhere else, guess what? I'll probably buy it somewhere else. I suppose that makes me a jackass, greedy bastard. If I cared what other people thought, I'd probably have ~ half as much stuff.

samburger

True & relevant are not always the same.

009jim

I'm and old guy and most shops I go into they ignore me. I can dawdle around for an hour in some places and touch everything. However, bike shops seem to treat me with respect. When I tell them I'm a commuter they try to help me a lot. Like with tires and tubes and consumables.

Zephyr11

samburger

^ I would've gone with "responsible moderator", but I guess there's not a huge difference

Wooden Tiger

Just saw this thread and read about how people try stuff on and then go elsewhere and buy, plus ask a lot of questions about bikes, then not buy anything.

I prefer to do the majority of business with my LBS. They've always done good work with fixing my bikes and spent a lot of time with me when I've tested them. They've also answered a lot of questions I've had. There have been issues where I've bought elsewhere. They sell Specialized, Cannondale, and Fuji, but if I find I like a Giant the best, I'm forced to go elsewhere, time spent with helping me or otherwise. I'm not going to spend a ton of money on a bike just for the sake of being a nice guy, but I will put forth the effort to find a very comparable product to what I like so I can give them my business. Just three months ago I went into the shop with the specs of a Scott Scale and told the owner, "I need you to find me something comparable to this in terms of geometry and components, I'd really like to give you the sale." He found both, my wife and I bicycles that were close to those specs, spent some time making additional adjustments prior to our test rides, and wound up closing the deal on two bikes.

For some items I shop at the big box retailers (Performance Bicycles, REI) because sometimes they either have better selections, better prices, or both. I can usually find a better price on clothing elsewhere than the LBS.

Astrozombie

I've bought stuff from like 5+ different stores just to "SYLBS" but ultimately i buy online, they either don't have what i'm looking for/attitude/put political statements around their shop I don't agree with.

But LOL @ using the bathroom, go to a park/gas station or at least buy something cheap if you're gonna do that man!

the sci guy 

I'm all about supporting my LBS, there are 3 of them close to my house that I love. I've bought things from each of them, equipment, etc, and my wife's bike got tuned up, new tires and a fly wheel installed.
But the majority of a lot of the other stuff (jersey's, tape, cage, trunk bag & rack) was all bought from nashbar or amazon. Sorry, I'm not paying $99 for a trunk bag at the LBS when I can get it from Amazon Prime 2-day free shipping for $65. That $35 I just saved just paid for my tail light - also from Amazon for $10 cheaper - which just paid for my handlebar tape from Nashbar, and so on.
I will definitely always go to my LBS for help, tune ups, parts, and things like tubes, or tools. But for a lot of the peripherals, sorry, we're a one income family and we need to save money wherever we can.
(It's no different that buying all my DVDs from Amazon, instead of from Best Buy.)

Wooden Tiger

Well said.

Papa Wheelie

I ride this fence a bit myself. I buy bigger items on-line, but also spend a fair amount of money in the LBS.

My difference? I NEVER shy away from contributing to the beer fund. Sometimes, when I just ask a question, and not buying anything, I make a contribution. They always seem ready and willing to help me out, and I don't feel like I am using them.

Kai Winters

With the growing popularity of online shopping...though it will be interesting to see how long it lasts if our government passes the online sales tax bill...brick and mortar shops have to be creative to get and keep customers.
I dislike rude customers and rudeness gets my standard respect unlike the extra help and advice I give not rude customers.
We not longer do "quick repairs/adjustments" for free as we once did except for our regular customers that actually buy stuff at the shop. We will not bump bikes in line to satisfy someone that comes in with an online purchased part and "needs it installed today". We put our regular customers first.

But I've also been treated rudely in mom and pop shops and never hesitate to give it to them both barrels and let them know rudeness is repaid with money spent at their competitors shops or online. If you want my money and business treat me with respect.

Zephyr11

Uh...are you comparing a locally-owned mom-and-pop bike shop with a nationwide corporation? Best Buy vs. REI or Performance would be a more accurate comparison. Plus no one said that there's anything wrong with saving money online...the problem comes when you waste the local shop's time and then buy online, or you try to rip the shop off. When you pay in the shop, you pay not only for the item itself but for the customer service too...and even if all you did was walk in and buy a tube, I'm assuming at one point you probably asked for the shop's expertise for some reason or another. You may also be paying for store-run bike rides, store-offered clinics/classes, a store farm team, volunteers at races or store-sponsored races...or maybe just a place to stand around and shoot the **** with other people who like bikes. Which Pablo would have clarified for you if he were still here...left the forums a while ago though, too bad.

Wooden Tiger

"Shopping" at the LBS and then buying elsewhere is basically called "showrooming." I prefer not to do stuff like that, but I will do it at a big box store. I really don't have many cares when it comes to box stores.

I'm on a first-name basis with the owners of the LBS. I'm on a first-name basis with them and they're just really good people. When I go in there, I wind up in there for at least 30-40 minutes and most of the time spent in there is just BSing with the owner or some of the employees. It's just a more personal experience, which I like.

SnowJob

I love my LBSes. Not only are they fun to shop in, but you can hang out and shoot the **** as well. What loser wants to hang out with people on the internet?

Aw fffffff-

likebike23

I always ask for a price match on parts from a LBS. I don't ask for ridiculous online sale price, just match the regular prices. I add the ~$10 for shipping and pay the tax. I do all of my own research and wrenching, so all they need to do is input it into their regular order, it takes 5 minutes. I'll tell them if they can't do it, that's fine, I'll get it online. The way I see it, I'm giving them an opportunity to make a couple of bucks for minimal effort. If they don't want to take the money, I'll give it to the shop that will.

mtnbiker66

Screw bike shops. I but my own stuff and do my own work. Bike shops are lame.

Ridefreemc

scyclops I think you nailed it, but I'm sure glad that I made it under (over?) the hard and fast, well-established 1960 mark (1961 for me)!

dreamer0891

I've never been in a bike shop yet. I'll try my hardest to be a jackass though... Does looking mistyceyed, saying I love every bike, and smiling way too much count?