Rant: why I have trouble supporting the LBS

[RustyGold]

My last experience at an LBS...

Me: I'm looking for some 26" tires...a good knobby around 2.4" wide.

LBS: 26" tires aren't made anymore, just 27.5" and 29".

Me: uh... I'm pretty sure there are plenty of 26" tires being made.

LBS: Nope, obsolete man. Looks like it's time to upgrade.

Me: uh...no, I'm good. See 'ya.

 

[JA331]

If it wasn’t the owner you spoke with, speak with him and get the clown sorted.

 

[RustySprockets]

My last experience at an LBS...

Me: I'm looking for some 26" tires...a good knobby around 2.4" wide.

LBS: 26" tires aren't made anymore, just 27.5" and 29".

Me: uh... I'm pretty sure there are plenty of 26" tires being made.

LBS: Nope, obsolete man. Looks like it's time to upgrade.

Me: uh...no, I'm good. See 'ya.

Some people just don't like doing business.

 

[RustyGold]

That's the catch...this is the 'best' store in the area...it's gorgeous inside, great displays, wood paneling, no clutter. They believe that there are only three types of bikes out there...new road bikes, new mountain bikes, and everything else. I'm in that third category, they only deal in the first two. It's a college town, so they probably aren't even seeing the people whose names are on the credit card. Just their college kids.

 

[JA331]

That's the catch...this is the 'best' store in the area...it's gorgeous inside, great displays, wood paneling, no clutter. They believe that there are only three types of bikes out there...new road bikes, new mountain bikes, and everything else. I'm in that third category, they only deal in the first two. It's a college town, so they probably aren't even seeing the people whose names are on the credit card. Just their college kids.

BTW, I have bought a heap of new 26" tyres in the last year and would have to agree with you most stores don't stock them and are too lazy to help. I've had to buy most online.

 

[bunnyman666]

That's the catch...this is the 'best' store in the area...it's gorgeous inside, great displays, wood paneling, no clutter. They believe that there are only three types of bikes out there...new road bikes, new mountain bikes, and everything else. I'm in that third category, they only deal in the first two. It's a college town, so they probably aren't even seeing the people whose names are on the credit card. Just their college kids.

I had to check your location, as it sounds similar to mine LOL

 

[RustyGold]

I had to check your location, as it sounds similar to mine LOL

 

[Captain Awesome]

Me at my LBS

Me - "I need to grab 3 or 4 tubes for some 26x2.125 tires"

LBS - "Sorry all out. In fact we don't even stock those"

Me - <<looks disapprovingly at the 100 rental bikes in the parking lot shod with the same size tires>>

"So what do you use in those?"

LBS - "Oh, we can't sell you any of our spares. You know..........just in case"

Me -

 

[bunnyman666]

Me at my LBS

Me - "I need to grab 3 or 4 tubes for some 26x2.125 tires"

LBS - "Sorry all out. In fact we don't even stock those"

Me - <<looks disapprovingly at the 100 rental bikes in the parking lot shod with the same size tires>>

"So what do you use in those?"

LBS - "Oh, we can't sell you any of our spares. You know..........just in case"

Me -
View attachment 155617

*facepalm*

 

[Vroom]

I have about a dozen shops within a 15 minute drive and out of those there 4-5 that have a good supply of vintage parts . You cannot expect a young employee that has limited time in the field to know about vintage bikes when the industry is always updating and changing the parts that are on newer bikes.
One of the shops I dealt with has a great selection of vintage parts and if they are in good shape they save . I have also taken wheels I have built to them for the final tension with great results.
Times are changing and it is the same in the auto parts stores when you ask for something for an older vehicle.
For me ordering online would be a last resort....support local whenever possible.

 

[bunnyman666]

I have about a dozen shops within a 15 minute drive and out of those there 4-5 that have a good supply of vintage parts . You cannot expect a young employee that has limited time in the field to know about vintage bikes when the industry is always updating and changing the parts that are on newer bikes.
One of the shops I dealt with has a great selection of vintage parts and if they are in good shape they save . I have also taken wheels I have built to them for the final tension with great results.
Times are changing and it is the same in the auto parts stores when you ask for something for an older vehicle.
For me ordering online would be a last resort....support local whenever possible.

I rather would, myself. It is just becoming harder and harder, unfortunately.

 

[RustyGold]

I have about a dozen shops within a 15 minute drive and out of those there 4-5 that have a good supply of vintage parts .

Well, I have zero shops within a 25mile radius .

The day that I had the above exchange was a Friday before a bicycle show Saturday. One of the bikes I wanted to take to the show needed some tires, so I figured I would leave early and hit the bike shops in the town I work in. I went to five shops that day, with the following observations...

1) decent supply of new mountain and some road bikes. One sales guy...one maintenance guy...zero customers besides me. NO parts! Just a rack of park tools, and that was it.

2) advertised as vintage shop and repair. A few display bikes, the owners personal bikes I assume. A rack of bike information brochures. Owner/mechanic wrenching in the maintenance area. None of the bikes were for sale, no real parts for sale (a few cheap tools and doodads). Talked with the guy, it was pretty much just a service shop for those that didn't want to pay the big bucks at the other shops in town.

3) The traditional cramped small shop with clutter everywhere... little organization and too many bodies. They cater mostly to road bike types...I got my tires here as they had ordered a set of Mountain Kings for somebody that never picked them up...also bought a cog and chain. Nice guys, decent shop...but, really focused on the roadies.

4) Bike co-op. Plenty to dig through, most of it 'junk' with a few gems here and there. My first friendly encounter with staff at a co-op. This place has been shuttered for about a year. I bought a couple bikes off them six-seven months ago through a CL ad. Said they were doing some upgrades and were staying closed for however long that the pandemic would take...they had plenty of money to cover rent for an extended shutdown. That all struck me as bizarre, hopefully it will open back up eventually.

5) The encounter detailed above at the most established go to shop in the area (has been there for well over twenty years...maybe thirty).

So...pickens are slim for LBS' in this area (this town/small city has been awarded top bicycling city in the USA on a couple lists...and top 10 on many others...as there is really no cycling lanes/infrastructure so I can only guess that these lists are bid/bribe based?). There is another co-op I like in a different city (50miles away)...but it is only allowing one customer at a time in the building ... I like to browse/dig, having a line waiting on me while doing it ain't never going to happen.

Would like to support my LBS...but, how far do I have to stretch the definition of local before I find one worth supporting?

Disclaimers...the above day was a couple years ago. I've gone to both co-ops several times since, but I don't consider them LBS'. I forgot a bike shop that I went to a few weeks ago. I had time to burn while waiting for a CL return call...did a search of bike shops and noted a BMX shop in that city (probably the only BMX specific shop within 90miles of me )...it was in a airport storage area turned strip mall. Very tightly focused on park/street. I tried really hard to buy something, but it was all way marked up and very little that I was in to.

 

[Duchess]

The only LBS left that's useful to me isn't so L, but the guy knows and loves old stuff. Helped me get the fork for my 1912 IJ repaired and was even willing to track down a replacement if it didn't work. The rest of them sell a very limited selection of standard stuff I don't need for newer bikes I don't want and overpriced new bikes with no knowledge or interest in anything old and employees are seemingly dazzled by anything non-standard, which I don't understand. Mechanical and transportation things, cars especially, were always my thing and I don't care if it's new computer controlled or prewar, pedestrian or exotic, I find them all interesting and am not intimidated by any of them—they all operate in the same physics universe. I would think a bike mechanic would have more interest in bikes than I seem to find as it's not exactly a lucrative field to pursue without that inner drive. Anyway, I hate building wheels (I can assemble or I can true, but I can't seem to do the whole thing well enough), but there's an LBS who does them reasonably well for a good price. I wouldn't use him if I had some kind of competition rig, but I certainly don't have those.

 

[Vroom]

Well, I have zero shops within a 25mile radius .

The day that I had the above exchange was a Friday before a bicycle show Saturday. One of the bikes I wanted to take to the show needed some tires, so I figured I would leave early and hit the bike shops in the town I work in. I went to five shops that day, with the following observations...

1) decent supply of new mountain and some road bikes. One sales guy...one maintenance guy...zero customers besides me. NO parts! Just a rack of park tools, and that was it.

2) advertised as vintage shop and repair. A few display bikes, the owners personal bikes I assume. A rack of bike information brochures. Owner/mechanic wrenching in the maintenance area. None of the bikes were for sale, no real parts for sale (a few cheap tools and doodads). Talked with the guy, it was pretty much just a service shop for those that didn't want to pay the big bucks at the other shops in town.

3) The traditional cramped small shop with clutter everywhere... little organization and too many bodies. They cater mostly to road bike types...I got my tires here as they had ordered a set of Mountain Kings for somebody that never picked them up...also bought a cog and chain. Nice guys, decent shop...but, really focused on the roadies.

4) Bike co-op. Plenty to dig through, most of it 'junk' with a few gems here and there. My first friendly encounter with staff at a co-op. This place has been shuttered for about a year. I bought a couple bikes off them six-seven months ago through a CL ad. Said they were doing some upgrades and were staying closed for however long that the pandemic would take...they had plenty of money to cover rent for an extended shutdown. That all struck me as bizarre, hopefully it will open back up eventually.

5) The encounter detailed above at the most established go to shop in the area (has been there for well over twenty years...maybe thirty).

So...pickens are slim for LBS' in this area (this town/small city has been awarded top bicycling city in the USA on a couple lists...and top 10 on many others...as there is really no cycling lanes/infrastructure so I can only guess that these lists are bid/bribe based?). There is another co-op I like in a different city (50miles away)...but it is only allowing one customer at a time in the building ... I like to browse/dig, having a line waiting on me while doing it ain't never going to happen.

Would like to support my LBS...but, how far do I have to stretch the definition of local before I find one worth supporting?

Disclaimers...the above day was a couple years ago. I've gone to both co-ops several times since, but I don't consider them LBS'. I forgot a bike shop that I went to a few weeks ago. I had time to burn while waiting for a CL return call...did a search of bike shops and noted a BMX shop in that city (probably the only BMX specific shop within 90miles of me )...it was in a airport storage area turned strip mall. Very tightly focused on park/street. I tried really hard to buy something, but it was all way marked up and very little that I was in to.

I consider myself lucky as the shops I go to have been in there a long time and still keep parts that they think will be of value to someone and some of the after school employees are now owners that will be retiring soon.Lol!
For me I like clutter...that's where you find the "rusty gold"!
As the demographic changes so does everything else.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

there was a shop near me that allowed me to go in the back and up into the attic through a wood panel that had to be pushed up and out of the way from a ladder for old cruiser parts. I heard they were recently acquired by a fancy shop that is acquiring all of the shops in central CT. I bet that attic is off limits now (sad face)

 

[hamqqea]

I worked for a LBS that closed. Two more are within 12 miles. Local shops rarely carry parts I use. Many of them can however order from their distributors that are accessible to everyone online. I can get for example a 13/16'', 5/8'' top seat post from a local shop by checking distributor availability on my own and provide a parts list. Younger employees are less familiar with dated components or know of how to locate stuff in a hurry. I've had success with parts lists. At times it's cheaper and faster than dealing with online sellers. Asking early in the day can result in same day shipping. I've gotten parts next day.

I help the local guys where I can. In the process we both learn from each other. People are more eager to work when you make their job easier. Near effortless on my end to form parts lists so why not?

Which reminds me, I need several official 21.1mm to 7/8 shims. I dare ask at the counter, they wont know and will almost certainly tell me they don't carry such items and be done with it. Having access to your shop's online distributors is helpful. I learned of many for the shops in my area by working in shops and asking. Currently searching the Jbi.bike site for availability in 11 states. I'd need a seller account for pricing.

 

[bunnyman666]

I worked for a LBS that closed. Two more are within 12 miles. Local shops rarely carry parts I use. Many of them can however order from their distributors that are accessible to everyone online. I can get for example a 13/16'', 5/8'' top seat post from a local shop by checking distributor availability on my own and provide a parts list. Younger employees are less familiar with dated components or know of how to locate stuff in a hurry. I've had success with parts lists. At times it's cheaper and faster than dealing with online sellers. Asking early in the day can result in same day shipping. I've gotten parts next day.

I help the local guys where I can. In the process we both learn from each other. People are more eager to work when you make their job easier. Near effortless on my end to form parts lists so why not?

Which reminds me, I need several official 21.1mm to 7/8 shims. I dare ask at the counter, they wont know and will almost certainly tell me they don't carry such items and be done with it. Having access to your shop's online distributors is helpful. I learned of many for the shops in my area by working in shops and asking. Currently searching the Jbi.bike site for availability in 11 states. I'd need a seller account for pricing.

That’s fair. The old schooler who loves the classics will hand you his book and says “go to town. Here’s a piece of paper so you can write it down”. In his case, he is open four days a week, all the times during when I work. That makes it tough for me.
The other, fancier shop that’s more convenient would not give such access. They seem to order a bunch of parts and sees what happens. But like I said before, there’s the one guy who is a genuine good guy. The others literally work there so they can get stuff cheap to feed their own hobbies. You just can tell, sadly. It was literally their turn to deal with “parts guy”.

 

[Bendix]

I always tried to be patient with old bike guys, rat rodders, etc, because of my interest in old bikes. It was also acknowledged I was the most time efficient because I was fluent in 'Old Bike Guy', a dialect not everybody cares to master...

But the facts are this is the smallest demographic, it takes a disproportionate amount of time, and typically spends very little. This isn't what keeps the lights on.

In the 21st century the (successful) bicycle business is usually a bike selling store that also does some repairs and sells some P&A. At the end of the day the bicycle business is just that- a business. A business that is treated like a hobby by too many vintage enthusiasts.

Are there clueless employees? Of course. Duh. When was the last time you observed anybody doing anything who you thought was truly good at their job? And I will all but guarantee that unlike LBS employees, they were in a profession that (on average) pays more than the Labor Department's statistical bike mechanic's $16/hr, often with zero benefits, after 20 years. Not many PhDs signin' up for that gig...

Are there customers who are 100% sure of something that just ain't so? You betcha.

It's fine to rant about retail and service employees, but believe me, when you're done shovelin' that sh*t they will be laughing and piling it on long after- more than matching you anecdote for anecdote.

There are legitimate grievances, but don't be the guy who is the butt of shop jokes for a week after he leaves...

 

[RustyGold]

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.

 

[bunnyman666]

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.

The saddest thing is that the one who spoke of “fodder to make fun of for a week” seems to be part of the problem and didn’t even bother to read everything in the original post. I am buying modern parts at this point.

I was full time in a customer service role in retail for over 30 years. I treat people as well as I am treated when I am the customer. Sure, you may not to get a commission from a bike sale immediately, but guys like me get the itch to buy a new bike and the one who treats me best WILL get the sale.