Viewing 30 posts - 1 through 30 (of 30 total)
  • online v LBS
  • drinkmoreport
    Free Member

    Never buy bikes, parts or accessories online. Going into your local shop, asking myriad inane questions, tying up the staff’s time, then going online to buy is akin to sleeping with your best friend’s wife, then having a beer with him after. You may as well go into your local shop and spit in the owners face. Online is evil and will be the death of the bike shop. If you enter a shop with parts you have bought online and expect them to fit them, be prepared to be told to see your online seller for fitting and warranty help.

    MikeT
    Free Member

    Thanks for trolling sharing.

    jimbothejetset
    Free Member

    I’d happily help anyone who steps through the door even if they have purchased stuff elsewhere, either online or another LBS, friendly and efficient service is more likely to lead to them spending with you and bulding up a relationship or another riding butty than being a complete c u next thursday just because they spent their money elsewhere. Which will lead to them going elsewhere. But hey that’s just me…

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    seosamh77
    Free Member

    Would it not be easier just to post the name address and phone number of your bike shop?

    ton
    Full Member

    CRC are my hero’s.

    Munqe-chick
    Free Member

    I buy parts from chain reaction, then walk into my LBS and spit in the owners face.

    What do I win?

    rideallday77
    Free Member

    Rule number 58.

    What do I win?

    neilsonwheels
    Free Member

    Whats a local bike shop.?

    ruscle
    Free Member

    Often find service is quicker through online shops, waited over 3 months once for a seat post which I could have got cheaper and next day at CRC! Also often find that unless you want to purchase a new bike costing loads their is really no service or interest from your LBS, some are good but the majority aren’t. My last bike was purchased online and on the phone from Free Flow bikes in Scotland and couldn’t rate the service more highly, shame that most of my LBS are more interested in their coffee machines!

    chojin
    Free Member

    I think you’ll find that online retailing in general is killing off the high street. Its not just a problem for bike shops.

    Jamie
    Free Member

    Whats a local bike shop.?

    Halfords?

    pastcaring
    Free Member

    Whats a local bike shop.?

    ime, somewhere that sells kids bikes, takes weeks to order anything in and has uninterested staff!

    ruscle
    Free Member

    and why not when you can get items near half the price at times.

    ruscle
    Free Member

    Well described pastcaring

    neilsonwheels
    Free Member

    There are 3 local bike shops in my town, 4 if you count Halfords but I will spare you that for another thread.

    Bike shop number 1. Phoned them up to see if they had any star fangled nut thingy for a 1 1/8 steer tube. The answer I got was “I don’t know, why not come down and have a look”…! Tell me over the phone FFS.

    Bike shop number 2. A new place selling a handful of mountain bikes and a lot of road bikes all of a good standard. Phoned up to see if he could true my rear wheel up. The answer I got was “not too sure if that make (hope proII on a mavic rim with DT swiss spokes) can be adjusted. Bring it in and I’ll have a go.!!! Erm no thanks.

    Bike shop number 3. I went in to purchase some V brake pads for the nippers bike. They had one pair in stock which wasn’t very helpful and when I handed over the money he had to go next door to the paper shop to get some change.

    There is a bike shop around 20 miles away which is a belter but when you factor in the cost of derv it is just worth it other than in an emergency.

    I would love to be in the financial position to support my LBS but the discounts that online retailers offer just can’t be turned down and with the recent cheapness of the .de sites my local and not so local bike shops have got very little chance of seeing my hard earned. I much prefer buying/ making the tools and doing the job myself.

    nickegg
    Free Member

    The best way to compete with the online shops is to price match. Thats what we do, and it’s something we do often. It’s not ideal for obvious reasons but at the end of the day i’d rather the money was in our tills than in the online shops! Sure, we can’t do next day delivery but if the item is in stock then it’s even quicker than the mail order!!!

    As for being asked lots of questions and then never seeing the customer again. Well, better to be nice and helpful and leave a good impression, they’re more likely to return one day, rather than be useless and definitely never seem them again.

    Teetosugars
    Free Member

    MikeT – Member
    Thanks for trolling sharing.

    Sums it up perfectly.

    mightymarmite
    Free Member

    My local bike shop, the Bike Tree in Sheffield are out and out legends. I certainly buy items online, and have even on occasion been told by them to do so as they were out of stock, and they knew they couldn’t get it in time for what I needed.

    As a result I know they have my best interest at heart and will always go to them for advice, and buy from them the majority of times as I know that the part will fit, shouldn’t break, and will be replaced if there is an issue without hesitation. Its not always about the £££’s

    Its good old service at its best. Guess its the difference between a true LOCAL bike shop and a larger franchise / chain version.

    At the opposite end of the spectrum, on-line marketing hoo-hah has wasted more of my money (damn you Crank Bros) than I’d care to add up …

    LeeW
    Full Member

    I got a few local bike shops, ranging from an 80% BMX focused store to a Lesiure lakes. Years ago I bought a bike from my nearest, a Specialized dealer. Ok experience until I went back in a few weeks later after I trashed the front rim. He told me I needed to buy a whole new wheel! on a 3 week (200 mile) old bike. I haven’t been back since. I got a new rim and after several atempts re-built it myself.

    I use Fred Williams a lot in Wolverhampton and pretty much get better prices than I can get from CRC/Wiggle. Service is great, and I’ve even paid for jobs to be carried out with cakes. 🙂

    Olly
    Free Member

    Bike shops have their part to play too.

    I have been into MANY bike shops, and been treated like crap by the elitest scum bags who work their.

    i could name names, but they do tend to frequent these parts and i might get in trouble :$

    When asking for a part, ive been told “No no, you mean X” when i KNOW what i mean, and the pleb isnt keeping up.

    Ive been told ive set my bike up wrong, and had it “adjusted” for me without asking

    and ive had shops refuse to sell me parts because “its not right for you”

    I HATE bike shops who automatically look down on their customers, just because the customer isn’t paid to play bikes, despite the customer potentially having a much clearer and more experienced grasp of the game.

    C*ck Knockers.

    On the flip side: Hello to ALL THREE of Exeters city centre bike shops, in no order of preference (west to east actually), The Bike Shed, Sidwells and Richard’s.*

    Have shopped in all three and always actively make an effort to go and spend my money with them, as ive had nothing but excellent service, advice, and general chit chattery from all of them.

    [Edit]* make that 4, even Halfords down here is pretty good if you get the right guys

    getonyourbike
    Free Member

    For lots of my kit I tend to ask the Wolvo Leisure Lakes to price match the best price I can find on tinernet. I go to them because they’ve got such a good range of stock and can get more in. I also go to Race Co Cycles a lot, very good.

    LeeW– How are Fred Williams, I’ve been past a few times but never been in? Do they stock much mtb clobber?

    GW
    Free Member

    have done the best mates’ girlfriend/beer thing many times but it’s over an hours driving to visit my nearest bike shop and the owners wife’s not very pretty.

    jeffcapeshop
    Free Member

    i went to 6 LBS today (the others were shut, it is sunday..) looking for a 36.4 qr seatpost clamp, none had one, and ordering in would take longer than ordering online, as well as being more expensive. while i probably won’t need their assistance in fitting it when it comes, they would be pretty foolish to turn down that business as well..

    scaredypants
    Full Member

    I buy online – don’t commute or work within walking distance of any bike shop and not found a genuinely good one locally anyway

    I’d never go to a shop, try on and then buy online though – that’s shabby

    brakes
    Free Member

    akin to sleeping with your best friend’s wife, then having a beer with him after

    that’s why he’s my best friend 🙂

    MrSalmon
    Free Member

    I’d never go to a shop, try on and then buy online though – that’s shabby

    +1

    A lot of the time though you need to actively decide you’re going to do the LBS a favour to shop there (around here anyway). That’s not to dismiss the position they’re in, I’ve got a lot of sympathy in that respect, but they can’t hold the stock or get things in as quickly as you can get them online, and that’s before price and the special trip I’ve made to go there comes into it. Again I appreciate the reasons for that and sometimes it’s not really a problem, but a lot of the time it does effectively rule them out.

    On top of that a lot of them are actually a bit cr@p so I’m not that inclined to be looking out for them anyway.

    That said I bought my new wheel in an LBS the other week to be sure I’d have one for the weekend. But I had to try 3 to get what I wanted.

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    In Edinburgh we seem to be very well off for good bikes shops – and the prices come close to online for the stuff I tend to buy – drivetrain and other consumables. Its nice to get it that day as well.

    I think the competition keeps the standards high

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    merlin are my LBS
    Ribble or Paul hewitt my nearest roadie one.
    what do I win?

    LeeW
    Full Member

    Hey Pete (Getonyourbike) They do have some MTB clothing, it’s mainly road though.

    getonyourbike
    Free Member

    LeeW- Are you from Stourbridge CC or have I got my own stalker? I’m touched 😆

Viewing 30 posts - 1 through 30 (of 30 total)

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