why dont bike shops keep off the peg wheels, so you can just walk into the shop and buy one/a pair.
4 shops all with the same answer, no but we can order you some.

no wonder the internet shops do so well.

How many standards ????

What is a standard these days ?

The bike shop near my work has quite a selection. I suspect it’s down to having money tied up in stock that not that many people will be after and taking up space.

We email got loads, but they’re aimed at the bikes we deal with so mainly low end hybrid wheels. The highest I keep in stock is Shimano RX010 or Mavic Crosstrails.
It’s like suspension forks, most shops can’t even get close to internet prices and as a result they hardly ever sell them, so we can’t justify keeping them in stock.
If you came in to buy some, you’d say “no I’m not paying that I can get them £xx cheaper online” so we’re damned if we do and damnd if we don’t.

What’s the chances that people want the same spec wheel as you? They’ll need so many combos it’s probably not worth it.

Internet basically do the same thing, build on demand or sell to enough people to warrant a few popular combos pre built.

It’s like a lot of products with different standards, if you take something like narrow wide rings, imagine you want to keep stock of 30,32,34 and 36 tooth rings in standard five bolt, new Shimano four bolt, sram direct mount and race face direct mount in maybe a few colours. So let’s say 32 different rings at £20+ trade price, so over £600 of chainrings in stock. Unfortunately for many shops that’s just not viable.

I think there are probably about 40 or 50 wheels in the shop where I work but that’s nowhere near enough to cover everything asked for.

We keep loads of low end wheels because they turn over and the bso they fit down change fittings or standards.

As for nice wheels maybe 6 different road wheels between £150-850 a pair
But nothing nice mtb it’s just not worth the cost in stock for such a small return

Did you ask how long to get one in? Or just look around and when asked if you need any help mumble just looking and leave?

How many standards ????

What is a standard these days ?

This… A whole lot of this!

It’s like suspension forks, most shops can’t even get close to internet prices and as a result they hardly ever sell them, so we can’t justify keeping them in stock.
If you came in to buy some, you’d say “no I’m not paying that I can get them £xx cheaper online” so we’re damned if we do and damnd if we don’t.

With quite a bit of this…

We keep loads of low end wheels because they turn over and the bso they fit down change fittings or standards.

As for nice wheels maybe 6 different road wheels between £150-850 a pair
But nothing nice mtb it’s just not worth the cost in stock for such a small return

Plenty of this too… Margin percentage in a £40 wheel is a lot higher than in a £400 wheel, and there’s a lot less options for fitment at that end of the price scale too!

Did you ask how long to get one in? Or just look around and when asked if you need any help mumble just looking and leave?

And quite a bit of this too… As long as it’s in stock at the distributor, it’s usually 48hr max to get it in, 24hrs with some of them.

Many years ago I was hit by a car on the way to work and ended up with a buckled front wheel. Driver was really apologetic and offered to drive me to the local bike shop.

Luckily my LBS was about 2 miles away and she drove me there. I was sponsored by the shop and rode for their team so knew the owner, Jason, really well.

Somehow, Jason twigged the situation very quickly and we gave no impression that we knew each other. Driver was charged absolute full whack for a open pro on ultegra front wheel to replace my really worn out and cheap one. Didn’t want her to benefit from my discount.

Maybe I should have claimed extra but it was all done and dusted there and then.

So I was glad the LBS had wheels in stock 🙂

Did you ask how long to get one in? Or just look around and when asked if you need any help mumble just looking and leave?

no, I was muted. I shuffled around almost invisible to the staff, then kicked a few tyres, pressed a few handlebars down to see if the suspension was good, then asked if I could have some spares out of their spares bin.

no, I was muted. I shuffled around almost invisible to the staff, then kicked a few tyres, pressed a few handlebars down to see if the suspension was good, then asked if I could have some spares out of their spares bin.

There’s your problem, you didn’t squeeze the brake levers, or flick the top tubes to check the frame material.

Ton, I’ve got Hope Pro4 hubs on their 35w rims on my Max. Not cheap, but ace. You can fondle mine all you like and then get Cyclewise to get you your own (if up Keswick way soon)

Are you in need of a pair urgently ton or just wanting something new?

So many variables these days !

Even road wheels is getting more complicated with aero/non aero/tubeless/bolt through

How many standards ????

This – although some factory built wheels will have adaptors for some standards, it’s pretty unlikely that the customer will want any of the 72 combinations of standards you have in stock.

Are you in need of a pair urgently ton or just wanting something new?

just need something wider than the xc hopes on my solaris.

The last few events I went to had Hope, DT and Mavic in attendance. It is nice to actually feel the wheels, give them a spin and see a cross section while hearing stories of DH’ers completing runs on rims alone. Based on the number of options from these three co’s only you cannot hope to stock the right pre built combo’s as an LBS, I’d guess the online stores struggle too. Even if you stock the in demand pre built hub/rim combo you still have to contend with the 26/27.5/29/135/142/Boost/XD/Shimano/colour/spoketype matrix of pain.

Fair do – was going to suggest i can loan you a pair if it’s urgent!

flick the top tubes to check the frame material.

Guilty!

I flicked my old Overbury’s Pioneer top tube the other night – you should hear the sustain on that! They don’t make them like they used to 🙁

Fair do – was going to suggest i can loan you a pair if it’s urgent!

thanks for the offer mate, greatly appreciated.