This is what's wrong with The Industry™
- Thread starter Electric_City
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Not everyone has large shops on the way or wants to waste time driving to the hills for that. I get the argument that the main benefits of stationary shops over online is stuff where fit matters more than anything else. Sure you can find a helmet pretty quickly but convenience is nice. You have to remember you are not the average bike industry customer so even if you don't need something doesn't mean this is the same for Joe average. Let alone kids. If you get a helmet that is uncomfortable you can forget a kid will wear it when you're not looking. I went through with my little sister since my mothers perenting style is no parenting... (look how well I turned out)
To add to what’s wrong in helmets. TLD designed their visor hardware to be breakaway plastic. You know so you don’t break the visor in a minor tumble. Well they sell replacement visors but I can’t find the screws online, so email to customer service it is.
Dammit meth heads! Didn't think of that. This is why I live out in the county.
how many branches does your shop have?
exactly.
I guess that's going to be an unpopular opinion, but maybe bike shops will eventually need to reconsider their place and what they need to offer to be profitable while still being interesting for customers to go in. With online stores often offering huge discounts, free shipping, cheap returns and having much bigger inventories, sometimes it's hard to justify going to a physical store to "support" the local bike shop. Maybe in some locations they help a lot the local trail crews, but here I don't see many shops doing huge things for the "mtb scene". I know I might be a minority since I do all my work myself, but I don't feel like I need to support them for anything (sorry). I support enough people that need it in the arts/music sectors, so I'll let others fill in for the biking scene.
Honestly, my recent in store experiences have always been pretty bad, for accessories and parts at least. Online stocks that really don't match up with in stock parts, sales "in store and online" but you go in store and they don't believe you until the check on the computer... Sales guy drops a helmet you're interested in on the ground and says it's no big deal. And they only have one...
By respect to the local bike shops, I will never go in store to try stuff that I will order online from elsewhere, but there are a few online stores who offer returns for like 7-10$, so I will order a few sizes from them and gladly pay the small fee to return things. It's often not much more expensive than driving to the local store anyway, and I actually know if a product is really in stock or not. And when I order parts online, I know full well that warranty might not be an option, but I have not had any problems dealing with companies or distributors when needed. Magura MT5 brakes for example are currently 215$cdn each, but getting them from Germany was like 90$ cdn. Not worth the hassle to go in a store to deal with this anyway, so I got an extra one as a spare. I know I'll use it at some point anyway, and if I need it in a hurry, it'll be there.
But since I basically never go in shops, I wouldn't be able to tell the actual customer behaviors. I know I'm an exception, but does the majority of customers buy full-price clothing, parts and accessories, or are they a minority ? I just feel like they are stuck with a lot of inventory and end up selling for non-profitable prices at the end of the season (we have snow for many months here), while having to amortize the costs of that inventory over the year (so probably losing money on those items).
@Gary and @sethimus must have better views on this than me though.
Honestly, my recent in store experiences have always been pretty bad, for accessories and parts at least. Online stocks that really don't match up with in stock parts, sales "in store and online" but you go in store and they don't believe you until the check on the computer... Sales guy drops a helmet you're interested in on the ground and says it's no big deal. And they only have one...
By respect to the local bike shops, I will never go in store to try stuff that I will order online from elsewhere, but there are a few online stores who offer returns for like 7-10$, so I will order a few sizes from them and gladly pay the small fee to return things. It's often not much more expensive than driving to the local store anyway, and I actually know if a product is really in stock or not. And when I order parts online, I know full well that warranty might not be an option, but I have not had any problems dealing with companies or distributors when needed. Magura MT5 brakes for example are currently 215$cdn each, but getting them from Germany was like 90$ cdn. Not worth the hassle to go in a store to deal with this anyway, so I got an extra one as a spare. I know I'll use it at some point anyway, and if I need it in a hurry, it'll be there.
But since I basically never go in shops, I wouldn't be able to tell the actual customer behaviors. I know I'm an exception, but does the majority of customers buy full-price clothing, parts and accessories, or are they a minority ? I just feel like they are stuck with a lot of inventory and end up selling for non-profitable prices at the end of the season (we have snow for many months here), while having to amortize the costs of that inventory over the year (so probably losing money on those items).
@Gary and @sethimus must have better views on this than me though.
Quality repair and maintenance.
Yep, clothing and stuff like pads I can actually try on is like the entire point of a physical shop.
Where the fuck did all this come from?
Hahha
Depends massively on location and demographic.
Bottom line is you don't actually -*need* any fancy overpriced cycle specific shite to ride a bicycle. So it's hardly a priority.
I don't have a shop bruv.
But if I did overstocking a physical UK shop with fancy fucking FF helmets would be financial suicide in the current economic climate.
The guy who doesn't wear helmets sees them as non-essential yet doesn't see how others think of them as essential? 
Having a bunch of size smalls would be 3-d chess.
I have two LBS close to me, and one has several million dollars in inventory, but the owner Is an ass. The other is a hole in the wall, and you have order almost everything, but the staff is an awesome group of hardcores.
I try to use the latter whenever I can
I try to use the latter whenever I can
[Heavy Sigh] Local shops [/Heavy Sigh]
[Heavy Sigh] Local trail club [/Heavy Sigh]
[Walter from Big Lebowski movie] Am I the only one that gives a shit about the rules here!?" [/Walter from Big Lebowski movie]
IDK, that last bit might be 'over the line'. But how do you move the needle? Am I pulling a Dean Lucas by just complaining?
It just seems so political around here, and I def don't have time to fight off the Karen's. Maybe I should....Hmmm....
[Heavy Sigh] Local trail club [/Heavy Sigh]
[Walter from Big Lebowski movie] Am I the only one that gives a shit about the rules here!?" [/Walter from Big Lebowski movie]
IDK, that last bit might be 'over the line'. But how do you move the needle? Am I pulling a Dean Lucas by just complaining?
It just seems so political around here, and I def don't have time to fight off the Karen's. Maybe I should....Hmmm....
2023 MADE Show – The Chris King Party | Peter Verdone Designs
www.peterverdone.com
oh Peter, your ideas on geometry may be modern, but what a troglodyte of a man you are.
I can smell those pictures
Not only that, but posting the pics for the world to see on top of it. Total douche move.
His handlebar design looks pretty sweet, carbon and glue.
If there's anything @kidwoo would like better than a carbon bar, it's a home made carbon bar by a guy who thinks stem length doesn't have an impact on handling.
Someone who plans on selling you replacement bushings, axles and pins in 3 months?which absolute penis designed this pedal platform?
GTFO
While we are at the flat pedal topic,
WHO THE FUCK NORMALIZED PAYING TWO HUNDRED BUCKS FOR A FUCKING PAIR OF FUCKING FLAT PEDALS???
Lauren the Funn accountant.which absolute penis designed this pedal platform?
GTFO
he's broken 2 iterations of his bar/stem thing. he's brave, if nothing else. that's one interface i'd never fuck about with.
The fucking bitcoin jersey is an incredible finishing touch on that second photo. I'm in awe.he's broken 2 iterations of his bar/stem thing. he's brave, if nothing else. that's one interface i'd never fuck about with.
turns out lightning will strike twice, when you make the lightening yourselfhe's broken 2 iterations of his bar/stem thing. he's brave, if nothing else. that's one interface i'd never fuck about with.
God damn it we were having fun here. Now I'm picturing that.
of course he has a button up bitcoin shirt.
Of course he does.
Probably stores all that bro wealth in dem titties.