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Whats the problem with bike shops!

brokeONE

Monkey
Feb 2, 2002
123
0
asheville,NC
I have started building a new bike and I tried to use the local bike shops around asheville , but they was charging at least 25% over retail for parts .Carolina Fatz was the only shop that had fair prices and I did get some parts from them .I have never used mail order much , but I am now. I saved about 1,000 bucks so far building my bike by doing it.
All the magazines say you should support your local shops. I used to do that till Fred sold his shop . He was the only person I've ever trusted to work on my bikes or give advice. What advantages could possibly come from using your local shops when they bend you over and don't even lube. When they rip you off.
One last rant! If you work in a bikeshop. You should do only what the customer asks . If the customer asks you to put a 9 speed shifter on a 8 speed drive terrain you do it. You do not tune a customers fork if they don't ask you to. If a customer asks for full length cable housings ,you put full length cable housings on. Lastly If your putting a single ring set up on a bike for a customer put single ring chain bolts or spacers on it ,even if you have to get them from another shop. BUT DON'T PUT A OLD RING ON TO USE IT AS A SPACER!
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
brokeONE said:
I have started building a new bike and I tried to use the local bike shops around asheville , but they was charging at least 25% over retail for parts .Carolina Fatz was the only shop that had fair prices and I did get some parts from them .I have never used mail order much , but I am now. I saved about 1,000 bucks so far building my bike by doing it.
All the magazines say you should support your local shops. I used to do that till Fred sold his shop . He was the only person I've ever trusted to work on my bikes or give advice. What advantages could possibly come from using your local shops when they bend you over and don't even lube. When they rip you off.
One last rant! If you work in a bikeshop. You should do only what the customer asks . If the customer asks you to put a 9 speed shifter on a 8 speed drive terrain you do it. You do not tune a customers fork if they don't ask you to. If a customer asks for full length cable housings ,you put full length cable housings on. Lastly If your putting a single ring set up on a bike for a customer put single ring chain bolts or spacers on it ,even if you have to get them from another shop. BUT DON'T PUT A OLD RING ON TO USE IT AS A SPACER!
PM me and let me know who worked on it for you....or if it was Marshall...I know what you mean.

I can sympathize with the ghetto rig thing you're talking about. I dropped my bike off to have the brake bled. A certain dipwad decided to take my brake caliper off...machine it down so it wouldn't rub (had never, ever rubbed), gut my whole brake system and cahrged me for 2 hours of labor to do something I didn't ask for. Then he proceeded to charge me for installing and "tuning" a new derailleur...a derailleur I'd left as a favor to one of the other buddies b/c he wanted to ride my bike so bad that he was gonna stick it on himself. Needless to say, I walked away with a $110.00 labor bill...and was told I got a deal.
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Lastly, there is a lot to be desired in terms of tuning at shops here in Asheville. I only know a few mechanics worth their salt...and a few of those guys have ADD so bad they do just what you said...forget what you asked and wing it...then expect you to pay retail for rigging up something you never asked for.

Fred was the best...I'm glad to see him leave the bike shop business though. He was too nice to ever make money off his friends...and his friends were never nice enough to him to pay retail!

I'm happy for him that he got the heck out and is doing something just as involved with cycling, but way more rewarding.
 

motomike

Turbo Monkey
Jan 19, 2005
4,584
0
North Carolina
you need to have a sit-down with the owner of one of the shops you're talking about and just explain to him/her you're problems and be totally honest with how you feel you have been treated...open up their eyes to what is going on.
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Over the years I've had several problems like you have. So, I learned to do it all myself. Der. tuning, fork servicing, brake bleeding, and now wheel building. I'm no where as good as a real mechanic, but I can't wait around for them to fill a minimum order amount before they order a part and they never understand my time schedule.
 

frznnomad

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
2,226
0
a-town biatches
well broken one you just need to make a stop in at epic cycles. also about the full length cable housing some mechanics dont entirly understand why people want something done that way so they ignore the supposed ignorant person and do it the way they want to do (means this is a ****y mechanic who could care less). i agree with the shifter as well but he might have thought this was the best thing to do so he might have been thinking he was doing you a favor.

if you do happen to go to epic they are really good with working with you on prices and wess and allan are deffinatly understanding mechanics who have a kid named ben working back behind the counter. all of them understand dh aspects of ridding and if you want it and it can be done then they will do what you ask them to do. no questions asked. tell them you were refered by eric and if you have a bad experiance come back to me and then i will tell you to go mail order, but just give epic a try and you wont be disapointed.:thumb:
 

dhbuilder

jingoistic xenophobe
Aug 10, 2005
3,040
0
pro; i agree with you 100%(ok i'll give you time to pull your jaw off the floor.)
any one who runs a d.h.(or any bike.) needs to learn how to work on them. ask your friends or trial and error it.you can't rely on bike shops, and we can't expect them to drop everything and fix our bike a.s.a.p. the main problem i have with shops is that their mark-up and labor rates are based on customers who are all thumbs. so when all i want is a part or two(which is never in stock) and install them my self, idon't want to pay for services i don't need. i can call go-ride.com and they know just what i want and have it at my door in three days. i would like to support a local shop instead. but when they don't support us, it's hard to spend $$$ in them. i don't feel any of us has to justify where or how we spend our $$$. the shop in town that i do deal with makes their $$$ on x-c and road bikes. so i can't expect them to be hip to d.h. bikes. that's just the way it is. they are in buisness to make a profit. and there isn't a lot to be made from a self sufficiant bike owner. we have to remember that also.
 

ztlh13

Monkey
May 9, 2003
276
0
East Tennessee
I feel for all of you! Yes I do most of the work myself, but Hampton Trails Bicycle Shop in Hampton, TN (between Elizabethton, TN and Boone, NC) rules on prices and service. I get a friend discount, but everyone (and I mean everyone) gets a kick deal from them. If you are ever in east tn or around Beech or Sugar mountain take the drive, it is worth it!
 

jmtf40

Chimp
May 30, 2005
41
0
Yeah I've had some problems in the past that drove me away from dealing with bike shops. It definately sucks that there are some shops out there that are greedy. Fortunately the shops around Knoxvegas who were shady were exposed. Unfortunately one of them changed there name and moved to the west side of town and somehow is still in business(this certain shop quit paying GT money owed, so they were dropped). But they lost my business before that with completely ruining a brand new dh bike I bought from them, by doing things like bleeding my hopedh4's with the wrong brake fluid basicly making them worthless, ruining the brake lines. And they did other s@#t that just pisses me off.

BUt on the flip side Harpers treats customers well and I haven't heard any complaints. They give fair prices from what I have seen, and are knowledgable in dh, road, xc, trials etc. And they support local racing. So if it wasn't for them I probably would be strictly mail order. THey can't compete with mailorder, but you figure, you don't have to pay shipping; and they have to pay taxes, utilities, and can't order in as large a quantity as say Supergo or whatever, so it makes sense they are a little higher priced.

I'm all for supporting small business so long as it is fair and honest. From now on once a shop is dishonest and f@#ks me over once, that the last time no second chances. I feel like I'm doing them a favor by not going to mail order, they should thank me.
 

dhbuilder

jingoistic xenophobe
Aug 10, 2005
3,040
0
there is so much you don't know. and i hope you don't ever find out. while they are the only shop that knows what to do on a d.h. bike, there's a major difference of opinion on the meaning of the word support. true financial,legal,moral support for d.h. riding the knoxville area comes from only one place. the windrock a.t.v. club and coal creek mining co. two groups that don't have anything to do with cycling. how wierd is that? we can't ever thank them enough for all they've done for us.
 

manimal

Ociffer Tackleberry
Feb 27, 2002
7,212
17
Blindly running into cactus
one of my goals in life is to open a bike shop so i'm always paying close attention to how shops run. my favorite to observe and shop at is pauls cycling and fitness in winston salem. uber proficient mech's that all ride, albeit one and the repair area is completely separate from the retail side....which is nice so you don't have to feel like an inconvenience when you're hanging out w/ the mechs. (unlike other shops in the area *cough...de oro**)
anyhoo....it's a professionaly run store that values repeat customers and will do what it can to retain loyalty.

that's how a shop should run.
 

jmtf40

Chimp
May 30, 2005
41
0
dhbuilder said:
there is so much you don't know. and i hope you don't ever find out. while they are the only shop that knows what to do on a d.h. bike, there's a major difference of opinion on the meaning of the word support. true financial,legal,moral support for d.h. riding the knoxville area comes from only one place. the windrock a.t.v. club and coal creek mining co. two groups that don't have anything to do with cycling. how wierd is that? we can't ever thank them enough for all they've done for us.
I think that Windrock and the Coal Creek Mining company are definately unmatched by a huge amount when looking at the support they have given to dh riding. As is the hard work and effort you have put into that dh mecca, and I know everyone is extremely grateful.
I have been in Harpers and seen those guys on the phone getting prizes and trying to organize the races in the past. I think it is still very commendable that 2 guys take time out of their livelihood and give back to the sport, even if it is not a huge financial boost.
 

MoodDude

Chimp
Sep 20, 2005
11
0
Southern Hell
jmtf40 said:
Yeah I've had some problems in the past that drove me away from dealing with bike shops. It definately sucks that there are some shops out there that are greedy. Fortunately the shops around Knoxvegas who were shady were exposed. Unfortunately one of them changed there name and moved to the west side of town and somehow is still in business(this certain shop quit paying GT money owed, so they were dropped). But they lost my business before that with completely ruining a brand new dh bike I bought from them, by doing things like bleeding my hopedh4's with the wrong brake fluid basicly making them worthless, ruining the brake lines. And they did other s@#t that just pisses me off.

BUt on the flip side Harpers treats customers well and I haven't heard any complaints. They give fair prices from what I have seen, and are knowledgable in dh, road, xc, trials etc. And they support local racing. So if it wasn't for them I probably would be strictly mail order. THey can't compete with mailorder, but you figure, you don't have to pay shipping; and they have to pay taxes, utilities, and can't order in as large a quantity as say Supergo or whatever, so it makes sense they are a little higher priced.

I'm all for supporting small business so long as it is fair and honest. From now on once a shop is dishonest and f@#ks me over once, that the last time no second chances. I feel like I'm doing them a favor by not going to mail order, they should thank me.
I agree with you on Harper's. They actually got me a better deal on my new bike than mail order. I have tried 5 different bike shops in the south and Harper's is the only ones that know what they are doing. I also believe in supporting bike shops to help keep a mechanic handy when I really need them.

The only thing I disagree with you on is your choice in tires. You need to move over to Maxxis.
 

JeffD

Monkey
Mar 23, 2002
990
0
Macon, GA
MoodDude said:
I agree with you on Harper's. They actually got me a better deal on my new bike than mail order. I have tried 5 different bike shops in the south and Harper's is the only ones that know what they are doing. I also believe in supporting bike shops to help keep a mechanic handy when I really need them.

The only thing I disagree with you on is your choice in tires. You need to move over to Maxxis.
Mike - if you're ever passing through Macon, check out Bike Tech (www.biketechmacon.com). The guys there all ride and the owner has a DH bike and shuttles with us once in a blue moon. Very fair prices and they understand WTF you are talking about.
 

dhbuilder

jingoistic xenophobe
Aug 10, 2005
3,040
0
i'm glad that they are treating you guys ok. like i said they do know what to do with a d.h. bike. and loyal customers like ya'll are great word of mouth advertising. i am in no way trying to discourage anyone from spending $$$ in their shop. i am just saying we have differing opinions when it comes to the meaning of the word support and it has nothing to do with finances. i have my reasons for taking my buisness elsewhere. (they owe me nothing and visce-versa.) i will say though, that they won't "rip you off" or perform unwanted or half-assed repairs.
 

ZachTheMech

Monkey
Mar 17, 2004
295
0
Browns Summit, NC
brokeONE said:
I have started building a new bike and I tried to use the local bike shops around asheville , but they was charging at least 25% over retail for parts .Carolina Fatz was the only shop that had fair prices and I did get some parts from them .I have never used mail order much , but I am now. I saved about 1,000 bucks so far building my bike by doing it.
All the magazines say you should support your local shops. I used to do that till Fred sold his shop . He was the only person I've ever trusted to work on my bikes or give advice. What advantages could possibly come from using your local shops when they bend you over and don't even lube. When they rip you off.
One last rant! If you work in a bikeshop. You should do only what the customer asks . If the customer asks you to put a 9 speed shifter on a 8 speed drive terrain you do it. You do not tune a customers fork if they don't ask you to. If a customer asks for full length cable housings ,you put full length cable housings on. Lastly If your putting a single ring set up on a bike for a customer put single ring chain bolts or spacers on it ,even if you have to get them from another shop. BUT DON'T PUT A OLD RING ON TO USE IT AS A SPACER!
Before you generalize all bike shops you might want to check them all out. Find a shop that has a clue. I take offense to your whole post, we all dont bend you over , hell the shop im at beleive it or not gives people awsome deals considering what we do. I dont know any shop that will rip a fork apart change oil and seal for less then 20 bucks. Or labor rates arent as high either in general for anything else.

I may put a 9 spd shifter on a 8 spd if you told me to but you will be damn skippy im gonna tell you why it wont work so well, so when you bitch about it later i already told ya.

Ya its crappy your local shops treat you like ****, but dont tell me in a post how im going to treat you or how im suppose to treat you. If you want something done right then listen to the people who might have a clue how **** works. as much as you may think anything is compatible, its not, and if you still want it done then ill tell you why it wont work, and how to make it work so you can ride like you want to.

Or on the other hand go buy some tools, buy some bike mechanics books, Park tools makes a great one and learn how to do the stuff yourself. You would probably save yourself and me alot of headaches.


If you think im a asshole for this post then hey your entitled to your own opinion, but you can ask anyone who i have worked on there bikes im probably one of the most laid back and coolest wrenches in NC.
 

frznnomad

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
2,226
0
a-town biatches
yeh butch im sure they were sorry about the mix up they just dont ever build wheels there so there not the greatest at it. yeh so broken one if you want someone to build your wheels i would say look somewhere else or just order them from epic. they are awsome at ordering wheels just not awsome at building them its there only weakness.
 

motomike

Turbo Monkey
Jan 19, 2005
4,584
0
North Carolina
ZachTheMech said:
Before you generalize all bike shops you might want to check them all out. Find a shop that has a clue. I take offense to your whole post, we all dont bend you over , hell the shop im at beleive it or not gives people awsome deals considering what we do. I dont know any shop that will rip a fork apart change oil and seal for less then 20 bucks. Or labor rates arent as high either in general for anything else.

I may put a 9 spd shifter on a 8 spd if you told me to but you will be damn skippy im gonna tell you why it wont work so well, so when you bitch about it later i already told ya.

Ya its crappy your local shops treat you like ****, but dont tell me in a post how im going to treat you or how im suppose to treat you. If you want something done right then listen to the people who might have a clue how **** works. as much as you may think anything is compatible, its not, and if you still want it done then ill tell you why it wont work, and how to make it work so you can ride like you want to.

Or on the other hand go buy some tools, buy some bike mechanics books, Park tools makes a great one and learn how to do the stuff yourself. You would probably save yourself and me alot of headaches.


If you think im a asshole for this post then hey your entitled to your own opinion, but you can ask anyone who i have worked on there bikes im probably one of the most laid back and coolest wrenches in NC.
I agree with you 110% Zach. It feels like a kick in the gut when they say all this stuff and have never been into the shop you work at or talked to you in person...:mumble:
 

stubby

Turbo Monkey
Mar 5, 2005
1,473
0
Davidson, NC AKA DURTY THIRTY
hey i can play, i can qualify to get a big kids meal at burgerking. can uuuuuuuuuuuuu i worked at a bike shop and i no how it goes down. motodike i mean mike AHAHAHAHAH o gosh here comes the fat joeks
 

bigdrop05

Monkey
Mar 26, 2005
427
0
I have always,always done my own work & really don't like anyone working on my bike.I learned a great deal at Extreme sports in Halls,TN before they closed from "Doc".
I enjoy wrenching myself for sure !
Just invest in some tools...

If i need help on something,i go only to HARPERS bike shop in Knoxville & work things out..
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
As for prices on LBS vs. mailorder... the shop can't offer me much. I expect more than they are willing to give and thats okay. I go through lots of stuff in a race season and I need to get parts as cheap as I can when I'm shelling out cash to travel and pay entry fees. Plus when I break something and I need it replaced much sooner than shops order. Even my best friend in San Antonio who ran a shop ordered stuff much slower than I needed it. With mail order you get it as fast as your're willing to pay for the expidited shipping.

I suppose in a pefect world I'd love to race for a local shop. I'd blab from high atop Windrock and Bigfoot to everyone where to shop and get service. But shop teams and proper support just aren't happening right now, so I make do however I can.
 

GravityFreakTJ

leg shavin roadie
Jul 14, 2003
2,947
0
at a road race near you
profro said:
I suppose in a pefect world I'd love to race for a local shop. I'd blab from high atop Windrock and Bigfoot to everyone where to shop and get service. But shop teams and proper support just aren't happening right now, so I make do however I can.

I understand exactly what you are saying.I am lucky enough to race (road and xc)for a local shop.I have to say having the support is really nice,and the shop really goes all out for the team.Downhill 'round these parts will more than likely never get the kinda shop support road and xc gets.Sad but true
 

frznnomad

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
2,226
0
a-town biatches
dude stubby you should know better by now man. dont go yelling at someone for having an opinion that you dont like. man not all of us have our mom and dad to buy us new **** like you do man. some of us actually have to weigh the costs at hand and see what we got. i work at a shop man and truthfully there only human and can only do so much man. so lay off the guy for wanting to shop over the internet for some stuff man weve all done it. sometimes dealing with a shop just isnt worth it cause most of the time when you walk into a shop they start acting like you dont know **** (guilty as charged) and assume since your comming in there you cant do anything with your own bike. so we bitch and moan about you bringing your bike in that we can fix in no time just because were lazy and dont want to do so we do it as quickly as we can and dont care what the charge is. its mechanics and owners acting like knowitall's who keep buisness away. so broken one dont listen to the short fat man with a mom as a sponser. do what you gotta do and go see allan and wess at epic. if they work with ya and do what they can for ya great. if not plz go somewhere else and get the service that you demand and deserver man. mad respect for wanting to do your own **** and learning and acctually wanting to go through a shop to get what you need man :thumb:
 

jmtf40

Chimp
May 30, 2005
41
0
GravityFreakTJ said:
I understand exactly what you are saying.I am lucky enough to race (road and xc)for a local shop.I have to say having the support is really nice,and the shop really goes all out for the team.Downhill 'round these parts will more than likely never get the kinda shop support road and xc gets.Sad but true


No doubt; I talked to the guys at MOAB in Murfreesboro, and it is unreal how they support road racing. It makes sense to me that shops around here don't support dh racing to the same level as those guys.T here is alot of bad a@# road talent in tennessee. But a handful of dh racers and guys like Travis Bond who probably don't need much if any shop support.
 

stubby

Turbo Monkey
Mar 5, 2005
1,473
0
Davidson, NC AKA DURTY THIRTY
eh nomad, you yell at people on here about everything, and you are reallya anal on here too sometimes. and i have a job too, i dont work at a bike shop nemore, i take care of gardens for the elderly, and that sucks to do, but it pays well, my parents dont pay for much of my stuff, but they did get my p2 at my employee cost for xmas.
 

stubby

Turbo Monkey
Mar 5, 2005
1,473
0
Davidson, NC AKA DURTY THIRTY
oh and nomad, i only said that a nine speed shifter wouldnt bee good with a 8 speed. I DIDNT SAY ANYTHIng about what you just said, think before you preach a sermon about something someone didnt say before you take all your anger out of me and talk through your butt.
 

seabass

Chimp
Aug 30, 2002
80
0
knoxville, tn
dhbuilder said:
so when all i want is a part or two(which is never in stock) and install them my self, idon't want to pay for services i don't need.
No flame intended here, but that statement really got my attention. I notice you have no problem using their stand and tools on a regular basis.
 

manimal

Ociffer Tackleberry
Feb 27, 2002
7,212
17
Blindly running into cactus
motomike said:
I agree with you 110% Zach. It feels like a kick in the gut when they say all this stuff and have never been into the shop you work at or talked to you in person...:mumble:
mike....you and some of the other wrenches are the only people that will talk to customers at your shop :nuts: :D

i bet i could get some service if i wore spandex shorts and nothing else....or maybe a bib, i'd be the man! ;) :thumb:

tubby: "hello....i have $4,000 to spend at your store"

sale guy: ...."yawn"

tubby: "i'm lance armstrong's personal bodygaurd!"

sales guy: "how may i help you sir!"

;) ;)

all joking aside, i think Re-Cycles is a great idea for a bike ship. fix and sell used bikes along with some choice new stuff with a killer atmosphere. any bike shop that has a couch with video games is cool in my book :thumb: i wish i was closer so i could hang out more often.
 

dhbuilder

jingoistic xenophobe
Aug 10, 2005
3,040
0
seabass; this will not turn into an e-battle. but what you're saying isn't quite true. i used to work on my bike there with my own tools long ago in another "era". you and jimbo are in seriuos need of a history lesson. their salesmanship and mechanical abilities are on par with other shops in the area, and that's the subject of this thread. but when i hear spewing about "support", i won't sit quietly by while tainted info. is broadcasted on a public forum by people who are "minions"(and i'm not talking about the tires) of the shop. like i said they have their version of support some others see it differently. let's just leave it at that.
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Hey, Julian. Guys like Travis Bond have factory support. Its the top level expert and semi-pro guys who don't have factory support that can really benefit from local shop support. I think I know a few in this area that are good enough racers and are deserving of support in my eyes. But it is the shops that need to see it that way, not me.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Aaaaaahahaha!

I love to see the bike shop guys get all up in arms about someone bashing bike shops. First off, unless you're a suspension tech, working on bicycles is probably one of the most simple jobs out there. Thats why people at bike shops BARELY make over minimum wage. Its non-skilled labor. Anyone can be proficient at working on bicycles in about a month, with the right amount of practice. Give me a freaking break.
As for money. I as a consumer, owe it to myself to find the best deal possible. I work hard for my money. Im no more inclined to give it away to some goon who thinks of himself as a high tech mechanic in a shop than I am some bum on the street. Jenson and Pricepoint are the best bikeshops I know of. You get your stuff as fast as you are willing to pay for, and they carry the stuff in stock. AND its not marked up 150 percent. Bike shops should just go away.
 

def

Monkey
Feb 12, 2003
520
0
knoxville, tn
Half this thread seems to be about Knoxville and half about western NC. I'll throw in my .02 about knox, it might be a little long winded.

I've been both a customer and shop employee here for about 4 years now and I've picked up on a lot. This town is extremely polarized when it comes to shops. People love shop x and utterly despise shop y, and vice versa. That I can understand. But I've seen that transfer over to the ride. Story: I was having a converstaion this time last year w/ a guy wearing shop x jersey at a race. He was nice and talking about bikes and got onto the topic of shops. I mentioned I wrenched at shop y during college. It was then he looked down, turned around and walked away....just like that. I was shocked!

The service in shops tends to be hit or miss too. I've seen great mechanics and utterly sh_ty ones who all talk like they were former pro wrenches. Some can pull the most technical, mind blowing stuff off like nothing and I've also seen a guy try to cut brake housing w/ a pair of scissors. I've seen people bend over backwards to get obscure parts in and I've seen customers get lied to for months about 'backordered' and 'its on the way' when the parts were never ordered to begin with. Some shop employees will help you w/ every need and give you honest advice and others just can't be bothered to talk to you unless you drive up in a fancy car or your bike costs more than $1500. There are asshat customers who demand the moon and stars as well as the ones who will throw you $10 or a six pack just for helping them get back on the trail. And no one shop will ever be perfect. Mailorder is a very viable option...esp for reasons like profro mentioned.

I liked helping people and fixing bikes and seeing riders excited to ride....but I had to move on.

My advice to the original poster: Learn the basics yourself. Then find a shop w/ good wrenches and have them do the difficult or specaliity stuff - who actually ownes a headset press? Treat the guys well and they will treat you well. And if a shop sucks, then leave. There are many others who would be glad for your business!
 

def

Monkey
Feb 12, 2003
520
0
knoxville, tn
MoodDude said:
d.e.f. - Well said. Have you ever considered running for political office?
HELL NO! :D

I dated a 'political' chick for a while and got to meet some of those 'insider' cats. I don't want to associate with people like that!
 

motomike

Turbo Monkey
Jan 19, 2005
4,584
0
North Carolina
BurlyShirley said:
Aaaaaahahaha!

I love to see the bike shop guys get all up in arms about someone bashing bike shops. First off, unless you're a suspension tech, working on bicycles is probably one of the most simple jobs out there. Thats why people at bike shops BARELY make over minimum wage. Its non-skilled labor. Anyone can be proficient at working on bicycles in about a month, with the right amount of practice. Give me a freaking break.
You have no idea.