[BurlyShirley]

What a great thing, eh?

I just got all new SRAM stuff (shifters, ders) and a new seat and other misc. crap for so cheap I cant even stand it. OE stuff is awesome.
It all came in little plastic baggies with the paperwork inside, and it all works just the same, only much much cheaper.

Screw the lbs.

 

[JRB]

I don't say screw the LBS, since I got my Reign frame for $900 and he is taking my Jamis and a Skareb on trade. That said, Yay for pricepoint and Juicy 5s for under $200 for the set in December.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Thats a good price for the frame. For sure. Good lbs.

 

[sanjuro]

Well, if everything is $ and ¢ to you, mail-order is the way to go.

When you have a mechanical issue which requires a special tool or a few years experience, or when you order part X and you actually needed part Y; don't complain when the shop charges you full retail or puts you on the repair queue behind the Huffy tune-up because you are a mail-order whore...

 

[BurlyShirley]

Well, if everything is $ and ¢ to you, mail-order is the way to go.

When you have a mechanical issue which requires a special tool or a few years experience, or when you order part X and you actually needed part Y; don't complain when the shop charges you full retail or puts you on the repair queue behind the Huffy tune-up because you are a mail-order whore...

LMAO,
You're my favorite kind of LBS lover. Exactly what procedure on a BICYCLE requires a "few years experience"? And for what an LBS charges for "labor" you can buy all the tools you need. Which any cyclist whose been riding more than a year should've already done. Im sure next you'll say "my lbs doesnt charge me labor, I get them beer, etc."
Why the hell should I buy someone beer for fair service? Just do your job and keep your stupid, roadie assed advice to yourself.
I am a consumer, so yes, it is ALL ABOUT MONEY to me. You do your wallet a disservice to let this ludicrous LBS take your cash.

 

[sanjuro]

LMAO,
You're my favorite kind of LBS lover. Exactly what procedure on a BICYCLE requires a "few years experience"? And for what an LBS charges for "labor" you can buy all the tools you need. Which any cyclist whose been riding more than a year should've already done. Im sure next you'll say "my lbs doesnt charge me labor, I get them beer, etc."
Why the hell should I buy someone beer for fair service? Just do your job and keep your stupid, roadie assed advice to yourself.
I am a consumer, so yes, it is ALL ABOUT MONEY to me. You do your wallet a disservice to let this ludicrous LBS take your cash.

1. Do you have a BB facing tool?
2. How many times have you faced a BB shell?
3. Can you order a BB facing tool from Jenson?

If I needed a X.9 rear derailleur and cassette, would I want to trek down to the bike shop, see if they have it available ("no we are out of stock, but I can order it for you and have here in a week"), then pay 30% more? Or go to my computer and order it from 10 different online shops?

Funny enough, I have the United Bicycle Supply (a wholesale tool distributor) catalog right in front of me, and I am chuckling at the semi-obscure tools which I have used or wish I had at the time.

I'm saying that as a shop employee, I understand why many cyclists buy all their stuff from mail-order. But occasionally that person trolls into the shop with a complex and/or difficult task or order, and if I never seen him before, should I bend over backwards to accomodate him, or put him behind the regular customers which support our shop?

 

[ummbikes]

I'm saying that as a shop employee, I understand why many cyclists buy all their stuff from mail-order. But occasionally that person trolls into the shop with a complex and/or difficult task or order, and if I never seen him before, should I bend over backwards to accomodate him, or put him behind the regular customers which support our shop?

That is the whole issue right there. Why should a customer HAVE to build this relationship with the retailer. The tail doesn't wag the dog Sanjuro. You should bend over backwards, sideways, or what ever direction is needed to make some sales. I understand that bike shop wrenches don't get paid well, but sheesh man this whole 'core, bro, in the know b.s. sucks for people who want to buy stuff without all the pre-tense and elitism.

 

[BurlyShirley]

1. Do you have a BB facing tool?
2. How many times have you faced a BB shell?
3. Can you order a BB facing tool from Jenson?

If I needed a X.9 rear derailleur and cassette, would I want to trek down to the bike shop, see if they have it available ("no we are out of stock, but I can order it for you and have here in a week"), then pay 30% more? Or go to my computer and order it from 10 different online shops?

Funny enough, I have the United Bicycle Supply (a wholesale tool distributor) catalog right in front of me, and I am chuckling at the semi-obscure tools which I have used or wish I had at the time.

I'm saying that as a shop employee, I understand why many cyclists buy all their stuff from mail-order. But occasionally that person trolls into the shop with a complex and/or difficult task or order, and if I never seen him before, should I bend over backwards to accomodate him, or put him behind the regular customers which support our shop?

This argument has been hashed over a thousand times before, and before Ive conceded that there are some things (like facing a BB) that a shop IS good for. Also things like buying cable/housing, etc., that you may need immediately. Sure. Im not saying bike shops shouldnt exist, Im just saying screw them. Your post makes my point for me when you say, " But occasionally that person trolls into the shop with a complex and/or difficult task or order, and if I never seen him before, should I bend over backwards to accomodate him, or put him behind the regular customers which support our shop?"
Why dont you just do your job and fix the bikes that come in? Its a business, not a charity case. This line of thinking is PRECISELY why I dont "support" my lbs. The money I save buying online and doing things on my own far outweighs the meager savings of free labor (unluss you grossly overcharge) and I dont want to kiss anyone's ass to be put in the front of the line. I just want my bike worked on in a fair and timely manner.

 

[sanjuro]

That is the whole issue right there. Why should a customer HAVE to build this relationship with the retailer. The tail doesn't wag the dog Sanjuro. You should bend over backwards, sideways, or what ever direction is needed to make some sales. I understand that bike shop wrenches don't get paid well, but sheesh man this whole 'core, bro, in the know b.s. sucks for people who want to buy stuff without all the pre-tense and elitism.

Then, no complaints if your bike is repaired after the 10 comfort bike tune-ups before you on the queue, or when I charge you $20 for that replacement bolt which costs us $1.25. This is Standard Operating Procedure at a bike shop, keep in mind.

Normally, if you are a serious rider, I will take care of your bike before I work on a POS, and I will charge you a great rate on parts. But if you come in with stuff right from UPS, should I be jumping for joy you threw us a crumb, or charge you the standard rates and assign you normal priority?

 

[sanjuro]

This argument has been hashed over a thousand times before, and before Ive conceded that there are some things (like facing a BB) that a shop IS good for. Also things like buying cable/housing, etc., that you may need immediately. Sure. Im not saying bike shops shouldnt exist, Im just saying screw them. Your post makes my point for me when you say, " But occasionally that person trolls into the shop with a complex and/or difficult task or order, and if I never seen him before, should I bend over backwards to accomodate him, or put him behind the regular customers which support our shop?"
Why dont you just do your job and fix the bikes that come in? Its a business, not a charity case. This line of thinking is PRECISELY why I dont "support" my lbs. The money I save buying online and doing things on my own far outweighs the meager savings of free labor (unluss you grossly overcharge) and I dont want to kiss anyone's ass to be put in the front of the line. I just want my bike worked on in a fair and timely manner.

You have to keep in mind one other thing: the people who you ride with should be the ones working on your bike. I know many shops are owned by some fat old dude who thinks mountain bikes for children.

I try to work at a shop where people ride and care about bikes. I had worked at a shop where the owners could have sold washing machines with the same passion they had for cyclists and it sucked. Never again.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Then, no complaints if your bike is repaired after the 10 comfort bike tune-ups before you on the queue, or when I charge you $20 for that replacement bolt which costs us $1.25. This is Standard Operating Procedure at a bike shop, keep in mind.

EXACTLY MY POINT! Screw the LBS! Im not kissing anyone's ass for a better deal. Ill go online and buy it and wait 3 days before I do that.

Normally, if you are a serious rider, I will take care of your bike before I work on a POS, and I will charge you a great rate on parts. But if you come in with stuff right from UPS, should I be jumping for joy you threw us a crumb, or charge you the standard rates and assign you normal priority?

No. You should do your job and work on the bikes in the order they arrive. Thats it. Thats all I want, but since LBS's cant comprehend that, I have no issue in going elsewhere. See the problem?

 

[BurlyShirley]

You have to keep in mind one other thing: the people who you ride with should be the ones working on your bike. I know many shops are owned by some fat old dude who thinks mountain bikes for children.

I try to work at a shop where people ride and care about bikes. I had worked at a shop where the owners could have sold washing machines with the same passion they had for cyclists and it sucked. Never again.

Im sorry dude, but I just dont care about how the owner feels about bikes. If some percentage of his profits go back into the cycling community, sure, thats a plus, but Im always going to look at my bottom line first. Its my only responsibility as a consumer.

 

[ummbikes]

Then, no complaints if your bike is repaired after the 10 comfort bike tune-ups before you on the queue, or when I charge you $20 for that replacement bolt which costs us $1.25. This is Standard Operating Procedure at a bike shop, keep in mind.

Normally, if you are a serious rider, I will take care of your bike before I work on a POS, and I will charge you a great rate on parts. But if you come in with stuff right from UPS, should I be jumping for joy you threw us a crumb, or charge you the standard rates and assign you normal priority?

I understand your plight. I wouldn't go into a bike shop with mail order parts, if I did, charge me your normal rate. But really, why should anyone be getting a better rate? If I need something reamed, or faced I'll gladly wait my turn behind any old Huffy, Pacific, or Turner or Serota for that matter. The other 99.9999% of my repairs I'll do myself. Your bias is yours to have man, I like some of my clients more than others, but I love the fact they all spend their money with me.

 

[syadasti]

Don't you love it when they feed you the line, "I can't do that price, its below my cost"

Most of time it isn't and I've confirmed it when I went to college and made friends with the owner of another LBS and got access to his prices from the various distributors...

 

[syadasti]

I've also seen some LBS that charge OVER MSRP and won't even budge from that...

 

[BurlyShirley]

I've also seen some LBS that charge OVER MSRP and won't even budge from that...

As a rule, I dont mind paying MSRP if thats the cheapest I can find. Over MSRP, Ill go without a part for a while as a matter of principle. Why do they want to price gouge people who depend on them? Simply because theyre greedy bastards who can get away with selling a bolt for $20 that costs $1.25.
Pathetic.

 

[Transcend]

LMAO,
You're my favorite kind of LBS lover. Exactly what procedure on a BICYCLE requires a "few years experience"? And for what an LBS charges for "labor" you can buy all the tools you need. Which any cyclist whose been riding more than a year should've already done. Im sure next you'll say "my lbs doesnt charge me labor, I get them beer, etc."
Why the hell should I buy someone beer for fair service? Just do your job and keep your stupid, roadie assed advice to yourself.
I am a consumer, so yes, it is ALL ABOUT MONEY to me. You do your wallet a disservice to let this ludicrous LBS take your cash.

So you own a headset press, a facer, chaser and dropout straightener?

Also, can you rebuild a fox 40 cartridge? I mean I can, every idiot should be able to.

 

[ummbikes]

Also, can you rebuild a fox 40 cartridge? I mean I can, every idiot should be able to.

Oh ya, I forgot that is the requirment for making the call on having a bike worked on in a shop. "Lets see, I bought my new crankset from Ebay, but I can't rebuild a Fox 40 cartridge. I better take the bike to the shop, and wait a month, get charged $20 for a bolt and get looked down on by the uber-core shop dude."

You are funny.

 

[Transcend]

Oh ya, I forgot that is the requirment for making the call on having a bike worked on in a shop. "Lets see, I bought my new crankset from Ebay, but I can't rebuild a Fox 40 cartridge. I better take the bike to the shop, and wait a month, get charged $20 for a bolt and get looked down on by the uber-core shop dude."

You are funny.

My local shop can do fox rebuilds, i can do fox rebuilds. Can you or burley?

Also do YOU own the above mentioned tools?


I didn't think so.

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

Never owned a Fox fork. I don't think my LBS could rebuild a wheel. All the guys that were the best left for a new shop not in biking. No one where I live can, unless BCD is around.

 

[ummbikes]

My local shop can do fox rebuilds, i can do fox rebuilds. Can you or burley?

Also do YOU own the above mentioned tools?


I didn't think so.

heaset press, yes.

facing tools no. straightener no.

Trancend why do you insist on being such a grumpy dude? lighten up.

I don't DH sport, why do I give ripping flip about rebuilding a DH fork?

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

I have a drop out straightener, and I made my own headset press. I don't even know what a chaser is. Still can't rebuild a Fox though.

 

[ummbikes]

I have a drop out straightener, and I made my own headset press. I don't even know what a chaser is. Still can't rebuild a Fox though.

You can't rebuild a Fox???

OMG dude you suck.

 

[Transcend]

You can't rebuild a Fox???

OMG dude you suck.

This was exactly my point, thanks for proving it.

There is indeed some thing a home mechanic cannot do without plenty of experience, and/or some specialized tools.

 

[DirtyMike]

KK let me say this simply. Bike shop charges cause they are tehre to make money also. Nooone works for charity in this line of work. I deal with people like this all teh time. Not only do i work on Bikes, But my main job is the automotive industry. let me tell you that fine touch, years of expierence makes a world of difference. Yes a bike shop is going to take Regular customers First. For the same reason your shopping at Jenson,s. They dont care if you never come back, They are going to take care of tehre Paying customers first. Even if you Mail order and Have teh LBS install it all, they are still losing out, Dont think the labor rate save tehre payroll. Money is made in retail not labor. If you want to argue that Open your own damn shop and send the guys to classes and get them good. See what the cost is. Youll Prolly Mess yourself. What about Setting up a chainguide??? What about that Strange clicking noise you hear and cant find??? what about Wondering why teh Dish on your wheelk keeps going off???What about When your brakes keep losing tehre Stiffness and power??? What about when you need to deal with warranty stuff???

There are a ton of benefits to Using a LBS. If they suck dont go there But Dude dont generalize them, if you have a good one dont put them out of Business by Automatically beliveing they are there only to rip you off. I stand behind my work 100% I Never "Throw parts at it and hope" to fix a problem. I find the problem through years of experience. Let me ask this..... Can you adjust teh front derailer on a Santa cruz VP free???.... Yeah if you dont already know how Good luck. And about Kissing ass for service??? Its not about kissing ass for service. Its about making money. I am not about to go three days of nothing But Bull crap no profit work without some money tickets. Man thats My paycheck. Thats how i keep a roof over my head. What do you do when your Car breaks down??? Go to ashop. what do you do witht eh cost... Your prolly one that says Het Ill go Get my own parts cause i can get them cheaper..... yeah i love guys like that. I hand them teh keys and tell them to find another shop. Wether or not there car can move or not... Why???.... The sign outside my shop reads GOODYEAR Not GOOD WILL. Transcend...I am with you on this one..... People have no idea how much these tools adn knowledge costs. there are Prolly hundreds of things that we could go on about that they havent a clue what were even talking about.......Ok rant done

 

[ummbikes]

This was exactly my point, thanks for proving it.

There is indeed some thing a home mechanic cannot do without plenty of experience, and/or some specialized tools.

I agree .0001 of bike repairs need a shop, the other 99.9999% of things a home mechanic can do fine. I'm glad you see it my way.

 

[ummbikes]

Guys, there are a ton of things I don't know about bikes and would gladly pay to not have to learn about. Rebuiding a fork, sure I'll pay you for that. Making wheelsets, I can do, but again wil gladly pay you do to for me. There are specific parts to your job that require high levels of skill and precision, but for me and my simple single pivot bike I can do what needs to be done, most the time that is. And I refuse to kiss anyones ass for the privilidge of spending my cash with them.

 

[syadasti]

Then on the other side of the coin there are LBS wrenches who do not know what they are doing or just don't care and figure they can get away with doing a half assed job cause most people won't know any better. Often they won't even bother to try to warranty something without being prodded cause its easier to sell new and they make more money that way.

Average shops make the most money from the low-end rigs and simple repairs. They don't have a ton of experience with high-end parts and/or new products or maybe you came in on the day the good mechanic was out. People don't want to pay to train some inexperience kid doing the work for the first time on their own rig. They don't always have the specialized tools/training you need and don't pay attention to detail the high-end parts/enthusiast biker demands.

Why would you want to pay full price for parts when that goes on? Thats not customer service and there is little value gained in their patronage especially when the customer is able to do most of their work at home.

Mail-order shops on the other hand can support and afford to focus on specialized high-end needs. Do you think most shops have as much experience in the enthusiast market as places like Go-ride or Speedgoat?

 

[Polandspring88]

So you own a headset press, a facer, chaser and dropout straightener?

Also, can you rebuild a fox 40 cartridge? I mean I can, every idiot should be able to.

Just because they have those tools doesn't mean they choose to use them. I have seen "mechanics" at the LBS using a screw driver flipped upside down to pound in a star nut.

 

[ummbikes]

Go-ride or Speedgoat?

I just ordered a new rotor and brake adapter from Go-Ride and Kris was super helpfull, explainig the difference in Hayes and Avid adapters and helping me pick the right stuff. Plus they gave me a sticker in my box when the parts showed up. I'll order more from them for sure. Great bike shop. Am I some core rider? Nope. But Kris, who I am sure was bred for his skills in biking, is and he had zero attitude with me and my silly questions.

 

[JRB]

I have a home made press. Yes I used the shops on my new frame, but I have one that works. I owner a hanger alignment tool, and the shop didn't have a facing tool, but I would have done the work myself. As a matter of fact, I build all of the high end bikes, rebuild some forks (as long as they don't need bushings, but the shop doesn't do any to speak of) and I do hydraulic brakes. In short, get off of your high horse, Sanjuro. You are no better than the rest of us. If I were near your shop, with your crappy attitude towards customers, you can bet your ass I wouldn't even buy tubes at the LBS. Good job pissing people off.

 

[JRogers]

Just because they have those tools doesn't mean they choose to use them. I have seen "mechanics" at the LBS using a screw driver flipped upside down to pound in a star nut.

Exactly. I went to a shop near me once to get them to pound in a star nut because I wanted to make sure it got in straight. It took about 20 minutes to even find a star nut (1" steerer) and then the dude whips out a screwdriver! Dude, I could have done that!

I also knew a guy that was buying a high end road bike from a shop and decided not to when he saw the mechanic working on it...tightening the campy bb with a pipe wrench...

A lot of shops suck...I don't blame people for not buying from them.

 

[bballe336]

LMAO,
You're my favorite kind of LBS lover. Exactly what procedure on a BICYCLE requires a "few years experience"? And for what an LBS charges for "labor" you can buy all the tools you need. Which any cyclist whose been riding more than a year should've already done. Im sure next you'll say "my lbs doesnt charge me labor, I get them beer, etc."
Why the hell should I buy someone beer for fair service? Just do your job and keep your stupid, roadie assed advice to yourself.
I am a consumer, so yes, it is ALL ABOUT MONEY to me. You do your wallet a disservice to let this ludicrous LBS take your cash.

So you own every tool that your LBS does? That is doubtful. The LBS has thousands in tools. You probably can't press your own headsets, face your own BB or build your own wheels in your garage. The LBS is a great place to go and a good place to buy from. Don't bad mouth the bike shop because they try and make money.

 

[SK6]

***snip***...and I will charge you a great rate on parts. ***snip***

That's the real issue at hand. A local board where I live addressed this same argument, which included a few lbs's, and the bottom line for the lbs was "the bottom line." The mark up of part is ridiculous, and in many instances should be considered outright theft.

I do not mind going to an LBS and paying a fair price, but when I know I can get the same part of 10% of the cost, I have a huge issue. For example, If I need a part, and can get it online for 25.00, and the LBS has it for 35, even 40, I'm OK with it. But when most of the LBS's charge $100.00 for 25.00 part, and give me all kinds of excuses why, trust has been destroyed because the LBS wants to rape me. Now, the figures I quoted are not made up, it is from a personal experience, and the same situation has occurred to others.

Buyer beware.

 

[Polandspring88]

That's the real issue at hand. A local board where I live addressed this same argument, which included a few lbs's, and the bottom line for the lbs was "the bottom line." The mark up of part is ridiculous, and in many instances should be considered outright theft.

I do not mind going to an LBS and paying a fair price, but when I know I can get the same part of 10% of the cost, I have a huge issue. For example, If I need a part, and can get it online for 25.00, and the LBS has it for 35, even 40, I'm OK with it. But when most of the LBS's charge $100.00 for 25.00 part, and give me all kinds of excuses why, trust has been destroyed because the LBS wants to rape me. Now, the figures I quoted are not made up, it is from a personal experience, and the same situation has occurred to others.

Buyer beware.

Precisely. There was one case where I had to buy a bottom bracket for a Shimano LX crankset. Online they went for 20 dollars. The shop wanted 50 for it. That is just downright ridiculous. Another local shop charges 5 dollars per presta/schraeder adaptor whereas they can be bought for dimes elsewhere.

 

[DirtyMike]

Well let me just burst some Bubbles here about markup.... Standard retail market is 220%. that means if i Pay 10 dollars i am going ot sell it for 22 dollars. thats How Every Busines makes money. Not just bike shops.. Automotive, Stater bros, Vons, Anything... Markup is How money is made. Given some things are not exact to that rule... wanna talk about markup???.... Tubes are a scary Markup. You know that standard 26 inch tube you pay 4.99 for??? try 99 cent cost if they got a bad deal......While otehr things Suck as Car racks like thule and Yakima???? He lets say 25% total markup.....Any shop that you see a Mech use a screw driver for a Start nutt.... RUN....But dont let that ruin what a Good bike shop can do. As far as a 1 inch star nutt???.... getting more and more Rare without buying a headset. And saying that ... How many people at home do things with tools that are Not made for teh job... You would be suprised how many things your using the wrong tool for. As far as the guy installing a Campy BB with a Pip wrench??? Where and what shop so i can go Slap teh Sh t out of him for Helping to ruin peoples trust in Real Tech. Here is a good tip to find a Bike shop that is a good one.... Ask to be fitted for a road bike and see what they do. Do they grab a bike and ask if your comfy on iut???. Our do they Bust out the 2K dollar Measuring kit that Tells you everything youll need from Frame size to Stem size and zseat position and bar width and Bottom of seat to Pedal distance and Maximum seat to Bar Drop in height and so on.....i have three Bike shops within ten minutes of me...Closest i have Full faith in. Next closest i would not take a Walmart brand bike to. Just a slight contrast from shop to shop.




FOOD FOR THOUGHT........

I see alot of.... Its five dollars on line and 50 at the LBS. Ever try to see if they would Price match???

Walk into Jensons retail shjop and Buy something. Dont tell them you saw it somewhere online or in a magazine and see what they charge... It will be full retail. You have to tell them what price you saw on ALOT of there goods for the lower price For instance Azonic Hot seat listed online for 34.99... In teh store tag read 49.99....


Last thought for this reply..... What are we going to do once we do so much mail order tehre are No longer Local bike shops around??? And mail order is now teh Only way to get stuff were your at...Thats when they will raise there prices and youll be paying more anyways




You would be suprized how much Just asking for a price match will help sometimes. Dont forget to factor in your shipping cost.... wanna see were Mail order gets tehre money??? Order a Bottom bracket from Pricepoint<For example> then once you get it take it tp UPS and ask for a quote on how much it will cost to ship it to a friend. Then be ready to Crap at how much you paid to have it shipped to you. Gotta always look at the whole piture

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

So you own every tool that your LBS does? That is doubtful. The LBS has thousands in tools. You probably can't press your own headsets, face your own BB or build your own wheels in your garage. The LBS is a great place to go and a good place to buy from. Don't bad mouth the bike shop because they try and make money.

My bike show rips me off all the time. When I left there race team for another team, everytime I needed something they would give me the cold shoulder, and if I needed a spare part in a rush, I would run to them, and would charge me an arm and a leg for something like a tube.

P.S. I can do all that you said in your posts. I can ever rebuild all my forks I own, and can even do the scary tunning of the derailure.

 

[ummbikes]

As far as the guy installing a Campy BB with a Pip wrench??? Where and what shop so i can go Slap teh Sh t out of him for Helping to ruin peoples trust in Real Tech.

Dude, both Burly and myself have stated we would take our bikes to shop for some things. There are awesome bike technicians out in world. You very well may be one of them. There are others like the owner of my LBS who is a great guy, but doesn't know the first thing about how to rebuild a Fox fork, heck, any fork. He can tune the hell out of a road bike, and can assemble bikes with the best, but he'll charge as much as he can get for tubes and stuff, which is fine. Bottom line is anything short of tubes or cables/housing that I may want he has to order, and I'll pay full retail for it, and have to explain to him what I'm ordering. Or I can call Go-Ride or Speedgoat and get a person on the phone who discuss the merits and weaknesses of what I'm buying and sell it to me for less than my LBS. Now there are local bikeshops that can also do this, just not in my town. So my point is this, you may be the very best at what you do, and your shop may have a great assortment of bike parts, and your service department may run like clockwork, but my LBS is none of these things and I can work on nearly everything I may need to in order to keep my bike running. I'm not hating on LBS in general, my buddy tried to get one started up and I gladly spent money there because he gets it. I would gladly spend money at my hometown LBS if he would stock parts I would want to buy.

Bike people get crazy about this issue. If it's a good shop with good products and good employees then this thread isn't about that bike shop. This is about the other ones.

 

[JRB]

I'll add - I like and frequent the bike shop, both here and in other towns. I most often have trouble with mechanics when I order parts because it pisses them off when you know what you need. They don't get to feel supreme. I asked for reducers for a fox shock one day and this is what I got. I said I need m6 x 22. He brought a bucket out and handed me something for a v10 or something. It had an m10 bolt hole (huge) and wad 24mm long. I explained I needed 2 pieces that were 11mm each, totalling the 22mm. He told me I didn't know what I was talking about, and I told him I would just call fox. He said I couldn't go to fox without a shop, and I didn't know what I was saying. I told him that I didn't feel like investing any more time. I ended up not needing them, but I will call fox when I do. I am great friends with my bike shop owner, and get great deals. I like the shop, but even with him being my good friend, I shop online. Why ask him to sell with zero margin so I get it cheap? I would rather someone I don't know make 2 points on the sale. Sometimes, online is the right thing to do for everyone.

 

[bballe336]

and can even do the scary tunning of the derailure.

But, you still can't spell derailleur