My LBS rant

[Kevlarr]

There are two bike shops that are really close to me one of which I go to quite often and the other is a little too snooty for my taste. If you don't have a $1000+ bike forget about going into the second one because they will pretty much tell you you're SOL.

Now the first one I like quite a bit and always go there when I'm looking for a part. Ive met the owner, he and one of their mechanics were really interested in my bike but...

Like I said, I always go there first when I need a part, when I bought my horn I made the comment that they were cheaper then online and the clerk said "Oh don't buy parts online, come and buy from us." so I've tried.
I'm an impatient type, I'll pay more if I need something and can just go buy it instead of waiting for the mailman and here comes the gripe, every time my LBS doesn't have something in stock I get the "We can order it but it'll take a week." How is it that I can order something from the west coast and I get it in a couple of days but I have to wait a week to get an order in at my LBS?

Last trip I was looking for some brake arms, something cast and a little more beefy then the cheap ones that I've scavenged off of scrap bikes. The clerk tried to sell me V-brakes that looked like they were for a road bike, the arms were only about an inch long so the mechanic gets involved. He grabs a catalog and finds what I need then utters the dreaded words "It'll take about a week for them to come in" I replied "I've got an online source that can have them to me in a couple of days and they're only $12 a pair."

I can understand they can't stock everything, that costs too much money with stock sitting on the shelf but if a brick and mortar store wants to be competitive with the internet they have to bring something to the table that's better then week long waits for parts.

/rant off

 

[scotto-]

All I can say is I totally agree with you on this matter, it just doesn't make much sense at all.

Not too mention, I want it....... and I want it now.

Human greed........guilty!

 

[bairdco]

i finally found a great bike shop. i was looking for a shimano coaster hub, and i called a bunch of shops. got the same thing, "we can order one..." i called Bicycle Discovery in Fountain Valley, Ca, and talked to Maynard, the head mechanic. He said he has a drawer of them, brand new take-offs from bikes they upgraded. 20 bucks.

so i went down there, and he gives me a hub. it's already drilled for .105g (12g.) spokes, so i'm stoked. then he pulls out another one to steal the axle nuts off it, and it's a 120mm, heavy duty axle, pre-bent coaster arm drilled for .120g (11g.) spokes. i grab it and he says, "that won't work, it's wider and..." i cut him off and told him it was for a motored bike, and he tells me he gets those in all the time and he hates working on them. doesn't hate the bikes themselves, just hates working on 'em.

so i give him a card (which has a pic of my copper bike on it) and show him phone pics of my other bikes, and the guy's stoked. i gave him 10 more cards and he said he'll send me some business. might even display one of my bikes in the shop.

i've already had a few calls from people who want some work done, and i couldn't be happier.

i mean, i could be happier, as soon as i start making money from this...

 

[KCvale]

LBS, Local Bike Stores... took me a minute to get that, but it is late for me.

I have two local bike stores within 1/2 a mile as well.
I took my MB to one a few months ago and all I wanted was a master link for a chain.
It was a Sunday (the other shop is closed Sundays) The owner was working it. The really old hard core spandex type.

I had a piece of chain to match it to but he kept asking me kind of bike and I said like this one I have outside.

He took one look at that motor on it and not only was it instant disdain for me, he laid into me about it!
I was in a bind and took it, even the $10 he charged me for one master link, but I will certainly never go back there.

I found out a week later that even my 1/2 mile away Ace hardware has bicycle master links, 2 in a pack, for $3 and open Sunday's too.

Grandpa Spandex... Just one of those you remember I guess.

My other LBS on the other hand is awesome!
Everyone working in the place loves to see my MB's and already learning the special needs I have for them.

The real trick is...
Try to anticipate what you may need, what kind of bikes you use and why, and tell them.
I can't say enough good things about Gordy's, that would be the good bike store by me, they have started stocking things like the tetter-totter dual pull brake levers, good chains, 19 and 20 tooth rear coaster brake sprockets, and even got a couple of cool low cost bikes in stock perfect for motorizing with a derailer shifter.

When I built my first shifter bike it had 1 piece cranks and bearing but the kit needs a 3-piece setup and they swapped that out and got me set with the new bearings and crank shaft installed for FREE and just kept the replaced parts I would never use anyway.

A little beforehand communication can really help.