Rant: why I have trouble supporting the LBS

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RustyGold said:
Wow...I wonder who those old bike guys are going to go to when they are in the market for a new bike. I wonder who they are going to recommend when people ask them, as the bike guy, who to buy a new bike from.

'Wasting time' on a difficult customer when bikeshops are mostly empty...that's called cultivating customer relationships...not snarky joke material when you are all sitting around twiddling your thumbs.
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Nailed it
 
Here’s the deal: unless I go to Mr Oldschool, I am on my own for parts on crazy builds. Heck, because of the supply chain problems, I am on my own.
It’s the every day sundries that I am after. Am I happy to be able to buy a tube without a six day wait? Why yes I am. But it seemed that the difference between the good guy and the rest is that he’s INTERESTED in my BMX and even my off the wall stuff; these others can’t get me out of the shoppe quickly enough with “they don’t make that anymore” and other “get away, I missed out on selling a $10K road bike thanks to you” vibes. And I don’t want to be waiting 45 minutes to be given the bum’s rush, either.
 
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If $10k plastic bikes are where all the money is (which, I'm sure it is, though I'm also sure "all the money" is relative as I don't think anybody running a bike shop is buying private islands) and they have no interest in serving anyone else, then they don't need me and they're not a valuable resource to me. They've essentially made themselves into a different kind of business than the traditional downtown service-anything bike shops I imagine most people usually think about when picturing an LBS (I'm sure because it wasn't profitable and, certainly, nobody would survive on me buying some brake pads and cables and such every so often no matter how much the markup). Basically, a lot of them are as useful to me as a Ferrari dealership when I need to get my Ford serviced. Beyond not being interested or familiar with the low grade vehicle I have, on the very rare occasion the car does need some kind of service, I just do the work myself, which is how I am with my bikes (except they need far more fiddling). I have nothing against them, it's just that me and your average LBS don't need each other. Of course, as I've mentioned in a previous response, there are good generalist bike shops that are in the business because they love all bicycles and those really are a valuable resource. Unfortunately, none of them are all that close in my case.
 
Checking in late on this thread to say that I am one of the lucky ones. The owner of my LBS knows that I come in trying to piece together old junk, and he has advised me on what works and what doesn't and let me pick through the junkyard in the back room for stuff. Most recently, he picked out a used 6-speed freewheel from one bin and a derailleur adapter hanger from another to help me get my daughter's Collegiate converted to index shifting. Between those two items, a new chain, and some advice as to which of the spare derailleurs and shifters I had in my stash would play nice together, I think I spent less than 20 bucks with him that day. I always try to be mindful of the fact that my nickel-and-dime stuff is not what's keeping his lights on, but rather selling and maintaining the shiny new units out in the showroom, and with that perspective I'm grateful that he's willing to spend any time at all on me. He also has an appreciation for older bikes and is willing to chat about the old stuff. The shop sits a few blocks from our downtown bike path, so whenever I have a new project out on a ride downtown and it happens to be during his business hours, I stop in to show it off.
 
ParkRNDL said:
Checking in late on this thread to say that I am one of the lucky ones. The owner of my LBS knows that I come in trying to piece together old junk, and he has advised me on what works and what doesn't and let me pick through the junkyard in the back room for stuff. Most recently, he picked out a used 6-speed freewheel from one bin and a derailleur adapter hanger from another to help me get my daughter's Collegiate converted to index shifting. Between those two items, a new chain, and some advice as to which of the spare derailleurs and shifters I had in my stash would play nice together, I think I spent less than 20 bucks with him that day. I always try to be mindful of the fact that my nickel-and-dime stuff is not what's keeping his lights on, but rather selling and maintaining the shiny new units out in the showroom, and with that perspective I'm grateful that he's willing to spend any time at all on me. He also has an appreciation for older bikes and is willing to chat about the old stuff. The shop sits a few blocks from our downtown bike path, so whenever I have a new project out on a ride downtown and it happens to be during his business hours, I stop in to show it off.
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I wish the funky bike shop was closer to me so I could sneak away. He loves the quirky, and would dig this website!
 
CycleTruck said:
Just had a LBS tell me "We don't handle Wald" :oops: ... but they'll gladly sell me a China made kick stand for $35.
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If they have a QBP and/or J&B account, they handle Wald.

It's this kind of laziness that appears to be the inspiration for the creation this thread. When I get told lies like that, I look them in the eye for just a moment, then turn and walk out without saying another word.
 
JA331 said:
I try to buy as much from my lbs as possible and have got to know one of the guys there really well. He’s a pro rider but appreciates the bikes i’m into. I also find
most people in bike stores helpful but not always willing to do certain repairs i think i can’t do. I had a stuck alloy seat post in the shogun mtb i restored a few years back. I ended up taking it to a frame specialist who broke the top off it and said the frame was a write off. Not willing to accept that i found a fix on the web using drain cleaner. Eventually after filling the seat tube a few times with a concoction of the stuff the post dissolved to the thickness of a coke can. I pulled the remnants out with a pair of long nose pliers. The steel frame isn’t affected by the stuff. Being the nice bloke I am, i proudly passed on the fix to the frame guy.
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I think I have the same problem with my Trek 800 Sport ST. I recall the paint had worn off the seat post, and stuck it is.
 
JaxRhapsody said:
I think I have the same problem with my Trek 800 Sport ST. I recall the paint had worn off the seat post, and stuck it is.
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Check out Youtube for removing stuck aluminum seatpost from steel frame using caustic soda/drain cleaner.
 
I like my club's bike shop. They are real. They'll get me anything I need if they can (high or low end), which lately, they, like other shops are having trouble doing. They've said "you'd be better getting it on Amazon" twice in the last year.

The one glaring fault about my shop is the frantic nature of everyone working there. It's VERY hard to get anyone's attention for more than a few seconds. They always have multiple things they are working on and are trying to get them all done at once. Maybe that's the nature of the business, but I have been in more relaxed shops. Even when no other customers are in the shop, I'll get bounced around between three employees.
 
ifitsfreeitsforme said:
I like my club's bike shop. They are real. They'll get me anything I need if they can (high or low end), which lately, they, like other shops are having trouble doing. They've said "you'd be better getting it on Amazon" twice in the last year.

The one glaring fault about my shop is the frantic nature of everyone working there. It's VERY hard to get anyone's attention for more than a few seconds. They always have multiple things they are working on and are trying to get them all done at once. Maybe that's the nature of the business, but I have been in more relaxed shops. Even when no other customers are in the shop, I'll get bounced around between three employees.
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That is how some shoppes operate.

When I was a wrench in the shoppe, essentially I NEVER saw a customer UNLESS I was explaining the work that I had to do or I was specifically being asked about a part for a special situation, as I tended to be that guy. I set up a bike with a two to one cable actuator who had nerve damage in right hand and couldn’t operate two levers. I also set him up with a Bartols chain ring auto shift system for same reason. I gave him a thumb shifter on the left for his rear mech shifting. But times are different now...
 
I recently stopped using my lbs after 10 years to go to one an hour away. 90% of the time I’d look up part numbers to know exactly what I want ahead of time and could get stuff. Owner is super nice, but the newer workers treat me like I don’t know a thing about the shop or bikes. For example I was going to buy one of the Electra (Schwinn) kickstand tools. The guy said you don’t have a reason to take it out. Then made me show him the type of kickstand and told me they haven’t made those since the 50s. (Showed pic of my 20 stingray lol) that coupled with the fact he wouldn’t even look to see if they could get it. Stuff like that. They can get Wald stuff tho

Now I take my business to my other bike shop of choice Angry Dave’s an hour away. His labor rates are better to but above all else he’s down with the old school and rat rod bike stuff.
Rant over:headbang:
 
Karate Chicken Industries said:
If they have a QBP and/or J&B account, they handle Wald.

It's this kind of laziness that appears to be the inspiration for the creation this thread. When I get told lies like that, I look them in the eye for just a moment, then turn and walk out without saying another word.
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Exactly it’s like going to oriellys auto parts.
 
Omigawd the internet is worse. I finally was able to order some Velo Orange Tourist bars from the company themselves. K, got the price, shipping is 14 bucks, not too bad, but there is still duty to get it across the border. Oh snap, an email from them today, with an additional invoice for $28 more, "due to box size and weight". YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SIZE BOX THE BAR YOU MANUFACTURE REQUIRES AND HOW MUCH IT WEIGHS?!!! Order cancelled.
I really want those friggin bars
 
MattiThundrrr said:
Omigawd the internet is worse. I finally was able to order some Velo Orange Tourist bars from the company themselves. K, got the price, shipping is 14 bucks, not too bad, but there is still duty to get it across the border. Oh snap, an email from them today, with an additional invoice for $28 more, "due to box size and weight". YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SIZE BOX THE BAR YOU MANUFACTURE REQUIRES AND HOW MUCH IT WEIGHS?!!! Order cancelled.
I really want those friggin bars
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Maybe there's some extra charge for the box size at the border that their calculator didn't pick up on?

I've got the pretty similar Nitto Albatross on USAAF and they're really nice.
 

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