[Closed] Anyone not use LBSs at all, ever?

Only use mine for things where the postage would make it cheaper to buy local, so not much. But I know a fair few cyclists that struggle with choosing a new inner tube. Lots of people just don't even own a set of screwdrivers never mind Allen keys or crank extractors, and have no desire to.

In the long run the money for tools and pointless upgrades is probably equivalent to paying RRP and labour charges. The time I spend learning about & fitting they spend doing something they enjoy, probably riding 😕

Each to their own.

No, like the OP I do all my own work. I assume jobs will need doing more than once so I buy the tools first time round.
I do struggle to understand why people find bike mechanics so hard or time consuming.
It's generally a few nuts and bolts and a bit of hydraulics, not exactly rocket science.
As for time consuming? fix bike in garage, done. Or book in with shop, take to shop, leave bike at shop, go back to shop when it's ready pay a fair few bob and take bike home.
It does help that I keep some spares as I know some bits will wear out. And because I know the other bits wont last forever I get them before they break.
Example, my front mech smashed last week during a night ride. I finished the ride, put an old used one on, fitted a brand new cable and the bike was ready to roll the next morning.
Simple things like seating a tyre need to be sorted, if you can't do it in a garage then you won't manage it on the trail, and thus it's not fit for purpose.

Pretty much the same as everyone else here - home maintainance as it's cheaper, quicker, and the work end up being done much better than giving a bike to a shop to get it done. I've had brakes bled from the wrong end hence it took them 4 attempts to get them semi-OK (many moons ago, and that was from a bike shop in Taiwan - it's not just here!) and a bike returned (from Evans cycles) with only one wheel retensioned & trued when I asked for both, that required a 15 minute "discussion" with the manager before he finally conceded to check with the mechanic and found that they'd forgotten to true one wheel.

Another recent experience of trying to get a pair of Crest 29er rims finished off because I was too busy with work to spend the time on them - in the end it was quicker to JFDI...

As for parts, I've very rarely been into a bike shop and been able to buy the actual part I want - it ends up being the closest thing that they have in stock to that, and then to get charged full retail for the priveledge means I usually end up feeling a little short changed.

There can be some useful advice to be found in bike shops, but compared to the advice that can be found by talking to biking mates, and also from the STW forums it's generally rather lacking and biased towards whatever the shop happen to sell.

Sorry bike shop owners, but it's not all bad, there are some great ones out there - Rayment Cycles in Brighton being right at the top of the list, helpful, friendly and if only it was more convenient to actually get there I'd be in weekly (and significantly poorer) !

For fixing/building stuff, I'd rather do it myself. I like to learn to do it, how bikes work, and it makes me satisfied that I know how it was fitted. If it was done wrong it's also my fault 😀

Demos, I'm all for the LBS for that. Proper local independent shops near trails run by guys who love to ride. They may even get my business on buying the bike.

Buying components - I've generally bought online, but I'm getting incredibly frustrated by online shopping for bike stuff.

A mainstream warehouse shop like CRC is okay if they have what you want as at least what they quote in stock is actually in stock, though they're not speedy.

Generally I find online stuff for bike bits to be slow despite "same day shipping" and "next day delivery" for in stock stuff. I have to order Sunday/Monday to have a slight hope of getting the stuff by Friday to hope to ride by the weekend.

And then I've been getting problems with places that don't hold much stock, which is almost all the rest of the online shops other than the big mainstream ones. They just quote in-stock what they believe they can get from the supplier and I've been hit with loads of incidents where it turns out they don't have it after all (but have taken my money). They can be difficult to contact to find out what's going on, whereas an LBS can contact the supplier and let you know, and maybe get the stuff in quicker if the supplier has it. Anything actually in stock at the LBS can even be got same day.

Of course I'm still talking about the proper enthusiastic local independent LBS for parts though, not chains staffed by PCWorld rejects and brainless kids who don't know a wheel from a saddle. Those often will only do what their computer lets them do anyway and can't give practical advice.

What's needed is for online bike shops or suppliers to become as efficient as Amazon are with DVDs. Loads of stock, and if I order a DVD tonight it would probably arrive tomorrow!

I use my lbs all the time. Because well I need service, about what thing to buy for my riding. Because I like to try on clothes to see if they fit, because they taught me how to ride properly, because they organise rides, becasue they will do their best to help me when needed (last time I neede a service to my rear shock they lend me one so I could keep on riding) and so on and so on.

Going in to my LBS just for a look once in a while contributed to my willpower in getting over some serious health issues a couple of years back. Being treated like I was a fellow bicycle enthusiast instead of the increasingly fat, injured lump I was becoming, gave me the encouragement to get back on my bike and just start riding again.

For that reason alone, I stopped worrying so much about price, and just started thinking about the real service I benefit from.

and also from the STW forums

ROFLMAO, you're joking right, most people on here cna't ride for a shitting monkey and can barely change a tube.

I love mine, so much I just give them money for existing. Whenever I walk past I'm happy to post a £10 note through the door.

and also from the STW forums

ROFLMAO, you're joking right, most people on here cna't ride for a shitting monkey and can barely change a tube.

I think you're doing a major disservice to the forum there. Sure there is some nonesense dispensed as well, but every time I've asked sensible questions, I've recieved a whole load a sensible replies, representing a range of opinions (it's quite easy to sort the wheat from the chaff etc etc). This ranges from everything to very location specific advice about where to get very specific rims tensioned to advice on puncture-proofing pram wheels!

I love mine, so much I just give them money for existing. Whenever I walk past I'm happy to post a £10 note through the door.

You might think this is mad, but several customers of mine have tabs - they bring in bikes for me to sell for them, and whatever it sells for goes on the tab and they decide how to spend the money later. One customer has got over £4700 on his tab, waiting for him to decide what he wants to spend it on.

Tell him I'll sell him this for £4700.

[img] [/img]

Any bike mechanic would have your children for that 🙂

No not really but I did get all my rental bikes from a LBS... I also bought my Remedy locally, but via a car dealership (Trek dealers in Spain for some reason are in car showrooms). I don't think I'd buy a bike online. I had them build a few wheels, until I learned how to do that

Reasons
Price - I go through loads of kit and running a business every sheckle counts. Tube latex, tubes and tubeless kit (my most frequent purchases) is double the price in the LBS

Supply - The LBS here in Spain mostly cater to XC. So difficult to find a Maxxis Minion or HRer when I need one, so I order 10 a time online. Ask about a 150mm fork and they think you're raving mad.

Time - I haven't got the time to go here and there to get stuff, better for me if I just collect it at the post office.

Alternatives - So I'm looking for a new set of pedals (for example) in the LBS I'm stuck with what they push at me. Online I can check out different products at different prices, usually with some kind of user review.

These days I think the LBS is a tricky business model, not sure how viable most of them are TBH because they don't add any value for the extra cost.

I used to buy everything online but now mostly buy stuff through my LBS The bike chain in Edinburgh or people like LoCo on here. Its much nicer to have a person to deal with than a website, and if anything ever goes wrong with my crazily expensive pile of alu tubes, I'll be able to go to them instead of posting chain reaction moan emails on here.

Do all my own maintenance/building except headset pressing and rear shock servicing though.

Maybe a way forward would be to have a co op type workshop, where communal knowledge comes together with a free cycle arrangement. A couple of mechanics could be employed out of subscriptions.

I fix friends and family bikes for some beers, I hate to see them ripped off.

If something needs repairing, I throw cable ties at it until it's fixed. I'm about 50/50 between LBS and internet.

If the bike shop that built my bike was on my doorstep I would use them. Anyone who lives nr Brighton should support Freedom Bikes. The guy who actually built it up was so enthusiastic, he offered advice(which I needed) he seemed genuinely happy to do the work and this sort of attitude is infectious.

I don't get that sort of feeling from my LBS so I am trying to learn how to do stuff myself. I agree with fizzicist, make an effort, do something different, go the extra mile and you will succeed in most things.

I try and shop locally.

Having had P***Poor experiences with Superstar - like having a shop but never opening it then blaming the customer for not coming when it's open.

CRC/Wiggle advertising what doesn't exist - discounting the 1 stupid size to get you in etc. There cheap prices are only that good if they have what you want on sale.

Rose etc. Slight objection to funneling cash/tax overseas these days (when I was in the UK)

LBS were not always the cheapest but would try. Generally get offered free fitting which was good as one was at a trail head so meant they would fit and fettle while I got changed.

Now in Oz stuff is more expensive but the LBS tries and asks what the internet price is (bare in mind CRC/Wiggle do free shipping and it's tax free) and will try and get close. The missus bought a complete bike from them at a VERY competitive price.

I wont press a headset into a Carbon frame and dont have facing tools so thats 2 jobs they always have. I do a lot myself and make no bones about buying fluids from the motorbike shop etc. However I still go back to the LBS.

My experience of bike hops is mostly the opposite of what comes out here. Helpful, friendly and reasonably priced. However I think I have chilled out in recent years and understand that these are small businesses that are trying to balance having staff vs costs. Some need a kick up the arse but the rest need supporting.

I really like bike shops, and deliberately seek them out to visit when we go places. They might not be paragons of customer service, they might be more expensive than the web, they may have a few grumps or less than knowledgable staff, but I like them.

Shops of note:
MK Cycles in Bolton, been going there for 10 years or so, and think its one of the best shops ever. It's a 35 mile round trip, but I think its worth it.
DC cycles in Ulverston, another great shop, but more like a 150 mile round trip, I go when I visit my mum.
Surosa Cycles in Oldham, always been worth a trip.

Biggest and most wondrous shop is VanEyckSport in Aalst, Belgium, but that's getting on for 1000 mile round trip.

Bike shops rock.

I for my sins work at the most hated bike chain on this forum

Of the 3 local shops that sell mountain bike stuff I vary rarely even go in when I do it's just to browse
One is hopeless once tried to tell me they would struggle to press a Chris king headset into my frame 'as they are always troublesome' clearly had me down as an all the gear no idea kind of person that would pay over the odds for a simple task. I told them in no uncertain terms where to go went home and made myself a headset press for about £4
Same shop has a big sign (I mean bigger than the one that says open, it's quite imposing and off putting in its prominence) saying they won't let people use their tools (fair enough I wouldn't either but then in bigger letters 'this is due to health and safety reasons' (again maybe ok but no need to really emphasise it so much, they will however repair your punture etc, it says, for a 'minimum cost on application, and at your own risk' wtf does that mean?
The other two a large independent and a chain are both just bland full of red and white Specailised treks etc
wanted a tyre from one today 20 tyres on display 12 of them where various iterations of a High Roller, 4 other Maxxis and 4 Specialised, nothing else
Nope only one I use occasionally is actually much more road orientated but much friendlier and will always help you out with those odd size bolts or little problems you can't do at home
Having said that the smaller more specialist 'rider owned' ones like 18 are very helpful and I will end up buying on impulse from them if I call in after riding in the area, I wouldn't class them as my LBS though (sadly)

Emergency tubes or cables was all I used my LBS for when they were still going, once in a blue moon, then they went bust, now I have a stockpile of cheap tubes from Tesco of all places, and buy extra cables with my online orders now and then, CRC/ebay/classifieds get the majority of my money...

I can tackle any job I need to, I've built a fair few wheels, serviced forks and just about everything else, none of it is rocket science TBH...

Having said that I think there is and still should be a place for good small independent bicycle shops not everyone who is into cycling is into the mechanics of it all, and smaller shops have the ability to tailor themselves; their services and products better to suit the local market needs better then a major chain store might IMO...

But its not an easy business and I'm sure people get out of their depth and disenchanted with it all too easily... Hence some poor LBSes...

Haven't been in an LBS for at least 7 months.

Total disinterest from them when I asked about a bike (expensive) and possible test ride + £5 more for a couple of gear cables than I could have bought them for online, ensured I won't be going back in a hurry.

There's at least one person that brings their bikes to me regularly for servicing and repairs

I seem to have become the mechanic for our local triathlon club, and I dont even do triathlons 🙄 Other half is a member of the club, and most of them are new to bikes and dont know how to do basic stuff. I enjoy tinkering (to the point all our bikes are fettled) and at the risk of taking food from babies mouths wouldn't like to see them brutally overcharged for 20seconds cable tweaking to get gears set up.
Having been given bottles of wine I've had to expressly tell people I am happy to help that I would only do it if they [i]didnt[/i] turn up with something. If I do it whilst they wait I talk them through it.

Only time I've used mine is for stuff I wouldnt/couldnt wait for (I bought the fork oil they had assigned for their own workshop as I had 3 forks lined up to service pre-alps trip and nowhere else had the right weight).

I thought the "impulse buy" thread was enlightening as there are so many anti-LBS threads I was beginning to think no one used them, but obviously those that do keep them going by going in for a tube and coming out with a bike...

I hate to see them ripped off.

So someone aksing money for his labour is a ripp off for you... Hummm, do you work for free?

In the long run the money for tools and pointless upgrades is probably equivalent to paying RRP and labour charges. The time I spend learning about & fitting they spend doing something they enjoy, probably riding

Noopooo! No even close. My 'long run' is 20+ years. And a lot of bike tools are just general stuff I use time and time again elsewhere. Allen keys, cable cutters etc. I spent £70 on a wheel jig which has been used loads of times for truing and I've probably built 10 wheels on it. I reckon that's paid for itself 3 times over by now. HT2 BB tools, £15 worth, used dozens of times, that sort of stuff

Then there's the incidental costs in time and fuel to get to a shop, and the convenience of it. I once smashed a rear hub up on a Sunday, and I was riding Tuesday evening too. At home I had an old but usable hub, a selection of used spokes and a wheel jig........
There's no way I could have even got to a shop on the Monday to buy a new wheel, which would have cost a fortune. That lash up wheel of old parts lasted over a year, too!

Plus, I genuinely enjoy working on bikes at least as much as riding them. 🙂

That said I do TOTALLY understand why some people cannot or will not do it themselves. Something which is to me blindingly obvious and takes 20 seconds to do some people just cannot grasp. Try explaining to someone who has no idea how to adjust a rear mech. Just explaining the concept of what turning an adjuster actually does is tricky, never mind understanding it.
Some people have neither the time or the inclination to do it themselves. I one fitted a bathroom. I HATED it and swore that I'd never do it again. So the next time we paid someone to do it. Kitchens however, I don't mind!

But if someone wants me to fix their bike I'll do so gladly and show them how to do it as well 🙂

Can't see anyone who actually does use them for all their servicing and repairs posting up a big 'Yes' on this thread to be fair! 😀

Oops didn't mean to send that, hadn't finished!

As per a lot of other people, I use them for Fox Forx servicing really. And sometimes wheel truing if my home efforts just aren't working.

I do still love visiting them though, Leisure Lakes Cheltenham mainly if I'm over that way. I still get that warm fuzzy feeling when I walk in and see so many shiny new bikes lined up. Plus its very rare that I walk out empty handed, even if its just some chain oil or tubes.

Hang on, going back to my first reply on this thread, what I mean is 'Cant see anyone who actually does use them for all their servicing and repairs joining in this thread and extolling the virtues of firing indiscriminate amounts of cash for minor jobs etc'

Fail. I'll get my coat

Beleive it or not I do a lot of my own maintenace, ohhh yes I do, I've just built up a new bike and happy that it's all still in one piece but needed wheels truing etc.

So happy to do maintenane and builds when I have the time.

Also happy to pay for LBS to do stuff when I don't have time to do it.

So I'd say 70/30 (where 30 is LBS related)

Hang on, going back to my first reply on this thread, what I mean is 'Cant see anyone who actually does use them for all their servicing and repairs joining in this thread and extolling the virtues of firing indiscriminate amounts of cash for minor jobs etc'

Didn't you know, everyone on STW is an expert IT consultant, hardcore mountain bike rider, averages over 25mph on the road, climbs E5 on sight, is a professional level chef, bike and car mechanic, and does all their own plumbing, electrics, joinery and building work.

😆 I read a lot more than I post on here, but that certainly would appear to be the case!

E5 think I'm lucky to get vs these days and only with bolts

Also have a fully equipped workshop, including fork servicing and wheel building.

What is even better is that I do my mate's bikes.

I just couldn't get the service with my LBS. Had numerous problems with hand built wheels costing £100s over the years, BB and headsets and then I though *uck it, buy the kit, do your own. Guess what? No more problems.

I only use them for truing/building wheels as I'm crap at doing that myself.

Didn't you know, everyone on STW is an expert IT consultant, hardcore mountain bike rider, averages over 25mph on the road, climbs E5 on sight, is a professional level chef, bike and car mechanic, and does all their own plumbing, electrics, joinery and building work.

Avoid. As much as I can.

Didn't you know, everyone on STW is an expert IT consultant, hardcore mountain bike rider, averages over 25mph on the road, climbs E5 on sight, is a professional level chef, bike and car mechanic, and does all their own plumbing, electrics, joinery and building work.

Too true - I never let anyone else fiddle with my plumbing.

Since I've discovered that headsets go in fine with a mallet and a chopping board I've used them less and less!

I have a good LBS nearby - Dales Cycles in Glasgow.

Staff are pretty knowledgable and friendly. I try and use them as often as I can for bits and pieces - cables, lube, tyres.

Its also good to fall back on their workshop when I get stuck with something like stuck pivot axles when I was doing the bearings on my Blur frame. However I genuinely enjoy fixing stuff myself so I would only ever use their workshop for these types of jobs.

If you have a good LBS then support them you never know when you might need them.

I do all my own building/servicing so I never use my LBS for that. Not one for all the latest kit/clothes etc either so I tend to make do with whatever i've already got.

But, I do like having a decent LBS to go and have a browse/chat. And as a lot of my rides start from the shop I do tend to buy stuff that i might need that day from them; food, patches etc.

Oh, and if you get to know your shop staff they will likely discount stuff to make it cheaper than CRC anyway. Which is nice.

Didn't you know, everyone on STW is an expert IT consultant, hardcore mountain bike rider, averages over 25mph on the road, climbs E5 on sight, is a professional level chef, bike and car mechanic, and does all their own plumbing, electrics, joinery and building work.

Rubbish. I can't cook and can't be bothered with servicing cars so they go back to the dealer. All the rest is easy stuff.... what's E5?