bicycle shops hate us !!!

[robin]

Why is it that every time I go to one of our 2 and only bicycle repair shops iam greeted with disdain and negativety. Like today i was getting a new front axel, new fenders,gel in tire tubes, wheel truing and guess what --very sarcastically - you should get rid of that thing its not safe (it is a brand new Santa Cruz Scooter Works Boxter bikes) and i spent $100-i spend far more on my motor bike --cant they see the business potential??
Then the guy shows me a picture of a Honda 125 street bike that you apparently dont need a motorcycle license for.
I was going to buy one and a half years ago a Kawasaki 650 all terrain bike and drive to Costa Rica in the winter with my friend--but my wife said no motorcycle--so this is the next best thing and i told the guy-he shrugged his shoulders and said i should spend the winter convicing her.
But they do push the electric bikes.
We REALLY NEED a professional motorized bike builder here!!

[BarelyAWake]

Well - they're just plain stupid then, a MB owner is likely to buy far more and higher quality parts than your average weekend pedaler. A weekend warrior buying his way into the scene will shell out gobs of cash to trick out his bike... once. A person using his bike like we do (or downhillers etc.) will be a constant source of income for a bike shop (even if just tires and rims), most know and respect this.

We don't have any bicycle shops close to where I live, but the two that are around are always very excited when I come vrooming up on my bike to look for widgets. I just bought a Dtube fender and a mirror from one of them yesterday and the shop owner talked my ear off about the potential for profit and what's entailed with building the kits.

The other place isn't quite as friendly - but they still all trooped out to check out my bike and comment on it the first time I showed up there. They're frendly and more than happy to sell me bits, they're just kinda indifferent. They're like that with ALL their customers though lol

The only "anti-MB" bias I've seen are full-gear spandex pedalers and they just tend to give me "the eye" and say nuthin'

I guess that's cause I'm kinda scary

BOO!!!

[bairdco]

all the bike shops around here cater to people who ride bikes. by "bikes," i mean, straight outta the chinese box, crap bikes. if you know what you want (which i do) they have no idea how to sell it to you.

my advice, is know what you need, what you want, before going to your local bike store. then they'll look like the idiot.

[deacon]

My bike shop sells me things like bearings and chain rings now and then. When the old man who owns the place is replaced by his kids, I'll have to carry the old part in so they know what it is.

[Bikeguy Joe]

The answer is simple, don't give them your money.

Find a bike shop that is O.K. with motorized bikes or do your own work, save money and buy parts elsewhere.

[Kevlarr]

Biggest thing is they treat any bike not professionally fitted, assembled and sold by a bike shop as junk. Both shops that advertise on TV here pretty much come right out and say that you don't care about your kid's safety if you buy a $100 department store bike instead of a $500 bike from them.

My only saving grace is the owner of the bike shop that I deal with seems genuinely interested in my bike.

[FileStyle]

Iam in pretty good terms with my LBS, when I go there its not parts for the motor, it's parts for the bike! they all seem interested in it as other MBer's have brought in for service. (mostly truing up rims) or selling rims and HD parts for bicycles, to upgrade.

[robin]

Thanks Guys Iam starting to feel wanted already.

[the_edge150]

out of the 4 bike shops in my area, one being down a BMX shop, two road bike shops, and one vintage shop. the BMX shop even stocks the master links i use for the drive chain, the vintage shop guy wanted to have one of these bikes in his shop to sell, but from there on, the road bike guys hate these. the mechanic in the one in the same city as me tried to tell me that disc brakes wouldn't go onto my triple tree's, that the tabs were for a drum brake (wtf?) and every time i go in, they are very rude to me and my fellow riders. the other shop is decent to our bikes, and have even mounted a couple of sprockets for me for 20 bucks each. my 2 cents in this is that it all depends how deep into their customer base the store is will change how they treat someone on a motorized bike.

[BarelyAWake]

It all comes down to customer service (or lack thereof). TBH - anyplace that would sneer at any bike isn't a place I'd wanna give my business to anyway.

Think of it as a litmus test heh



ooh - I said "any" a LOT