I’d use my LBS more if they had the parts I wanted or could get them in as quickly as I can mail order them. For me, this is the big issue rather than a few quid more for a shifter or a couple of quid more for some pads.

I went to my LBS a few times looking for pretty basic parts (pads for Hope e4s, a bottle of Stans and a shimano 11 spd derailleur). On all occasions they didn’t hold what I was after in stock. Not ‘sold out’ – didn’t stock them.
Don’t stock Stans? The (I would wager) most popular sealant out there? In a bike shop in the High Peak? No, I dont want to buy Orange seal at £20 for a liter – I’ve not heard great things about it.

I can get that you can’t hold one of every type of Mech / shifter / crankset / etc. But pads take up hardly any room at all and it’s not like Hope E4s are rocking horse poop rare are they?

I now wont bother going down to check to see if they’ve got something I need, I’ll either order online or if I’m in a real hurry I’ll call Active Cycles in Buxton and head over to them if they have what I need (which they have done quite a lot).
Issue here is that they shut at 530 pm (10-4 Saturday) and closed Sunday (which I really support).
So getting there can be a problem, but that’s MY problem and if I need the part urgently I will find the time!

Neither of these shops will live or die on my custom – but I’d still rather be using them than online. Online is sometimes the only practical way to get what I want in a reasonable time scale though.

I’ll still pop in for a mooch if I’m passing (when life gets a bit more “mooch” friendly) but topping up on pads or consumables is what I would have done to chuck some money through the till – if they dont stock basic stuff then I can’t do that.

Si

Nope – worked on my own bikes for the last 30 years inc wheel building, so no need for workshop services. I proactively look at things like threaded BB etc when buying a bike, to ensure self sufficiency.

As others have said, I’ve also found that the delay to order things in is an inconvenience at best, especially if its what should be a distress part like a rotor or pads or chain (although TBH I keep spares on consumables on rotation). I actually needed a new shock pump last night (seems to be not engaging properly on fork) so ordered on Prime and it got half an hour ago. That convenience and speed, as well as guarantee of being able to get things is hard to match on the high street – in any sector.

That convenience and speed, as well as guarantee of being able to get things is hard to match on the high street – in any sector.

Which is exactly why a high street full of shops is/needs to die out. Offer something in a high street that fills a demand if you can think of stuff but shops that are just selling items slowly and at more expense are a thing of the past.
As I said above, there is a demand for fixing bicycles so that is a viable shop for one.

As I said above, there is a demand for fixing bicycles so that is a viable shop for one.

Agreed – I’m aware I’m an anomaly in terms self sufficiency, the only “assistance” I need is fork/shock damper servicing & tuning and I have a preferred person I send them off to, but can definitely see a real value for “kwik fit” style workshop facilities for bikes, especially post pandemic boom.

The “retail” part I think will have to radically change – as we know (asides from currently!), people are more time crunched than before, and speaking for mtse, definitely font have time to be ringing round a few local shops to ask if the have something specific in stock, get across town before closing time etc. I reckon we’ll see workshops carry midrange 9/10/11/12 speed chains, mechs and cassettes for SRAM and Shimano, same with all core pads for most popular brakes,plus a small tyre selection to cater for the distress purchase market.

I’ll sometimes use my not so local (1/2 ride away) shops – Sigma Sports and Pearson’s (now Balfes). Both of these are really good and I don’t mind paying a bit extra for stuff. I actually order a fair amount from Sigma on line. As SteveXTC said, they best use for me is as a workshop for tasks I don’t have the tools or in inclination to do.
My real LBS i use less, I’m just not a fan of them. I tried to use them last week to cut a steerer and install a star nut on a new set of forks. I appreciate it’s not a big job but when I called and asked about availability over the coming weekend was told it would be a two week wait. I know they are busy but I was hoping they could have dealt with that as a walk in (I would happily go and grab a coffee etc while I waited). Two weeks was too much though so ended up learning to do it myself,took me about an hour including YouTube and taking it slow. And for me, that’s part of the problem.

I haven’t used one for a couple of years now, mostly because I can’t get to them.
We used to have a small LBS just under a mile away that was easy to take a bike down, have a chat then walk home, but they closed 3 years ago.
There was a big bike shop in Richmond which we tried once, when herself was after a new hardtail. The shop boys couldn’t have given any less interest so she bought it built up how she wanted at a shop in Leatherhead as they were interested and keen to build how she wanted.
If we go into a LBS it’s amazing how invisible she becomes, and we usually write them off from any future visit there and then.

Have only twice in the last decade used anyone to do work for me: a fork/shock service when I didn’t have the means or time to do it myself (which I now do), and reaming out a seat tube because I didn’t want to buy a reamer for a one-off job (and get didn’t do the job properly anyway). As an ex-maintenance technician for industrial equipment, I’d rather do all my own work.

An example of the current problem with bike shops – I wanted a couple of Specialized Zee cages, standard models, so I phoned the most local to me shop just in case they had any in stock. “No, but we can order them in for you, they’ll be in late next week.” Explain why that’s better than me just ordering them myself and having them delivered to my house for the same price, and not having to make a 10 mile round trip to pick them up?

Two weeks was too much though so ended up learning to do it myself,took me about an hour including YouTube and taking it slow. And for me, that’s part of the problem.

It’s both … but you can now do it yourself and have tools (although a hacksaw and file is all that is strictly needed) but regardless you now have the tools and it’s so much more convenient to do at home.

2 weeks ago I was out with my mate and his son, first ride in months for me… and his lads saddle was too high … back at the van for lunch and pulled out the saddle, cut seatpost with pipe cutter and filed and refitted 5 mins tops.

As it happens we were only a 5 min walk from a bike shop but that would be 10 mins assuming they’d even work on a non Santa Cruz bike and did it immediately. No idea what they’d change either but I’d assume he could get a new seatpost cheaper???

I went to my LBS a few times looking for pretty basic parts (pads for Hope e4s, a bottle of Stans and a shimano 11 spd derailleur). On all occasions they didn’t hold what I was after in stock. Not ‘sold out’ – didn’t stock them.

You were “lucky” .. last time I asked brake pads were a mystery item… this being at a bike shop that only specialises in MTB. I actually know their head mechanic quite well so I’ll usually call him direct on his personal mobile but really… it get a bit tiresome “perhaps ask Chris if you have them”.

Explain why that’s better than me just ordering them myself and having them delivered to my house for the same price, and not having to make a 10 mile round trip to pick them up?

^^^ This exactly … not to mention where do you put the bike when you get there.
Imagine it was a chain … 5 mile push or forced to drive vs delivered to your door next day

I don’t have any favorites but initially go for UK based retailers for a number of reasons Economy & Environment, now we have Brexit will most probably always be UK or possibly the US for any Big Ticket Items ie XX1 AXS Upgrade.

Although since Covid the support my Wife’s business has got locally has been inspiring, I will always try local 1st even if slightly extra plus I hate waiting.

I will counter what I said previously by saying that both my road bike and my 6 year old daughters new bike came from local shops rather than ordering on line (Sigma and Balfes respectively) and the service was great

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Popped in to one of my many LBS yesterday and found these! £29.95 – the price they were when they were current apparently.

In the last week, I have purchased 8 Meters of SP41, 2 S/S inner gear cables, a 11 speed 11-46 cassette, 11 speed XT chain and Chainring, nowhere online had everything in stock. Next week I may purchase a 12 speed cassette, chain and chainring as they have them in stock.
I don’t need any of it just yet, but don’t want to get caught short later in the year.

I get local shop to order in parts – Prefer picking up things at my convenience as opposed to worrying about missing parcel deliveries. I’ll support local as much as possible. Nothing I buy tends to be available discounted elsewhere so cost wise it makes no odds. May as well give shops the trade.

Nothing I buy tends to be available discounted elsewhere so cost wise it makes no odds.

You don’t buy biker stuff at all ?

My LBS, as in the nearest two to my house are useless, the nearest decent one is 6 miles away so I call that my LBS.
When I was younger and had no tools I took my new back wheel and new cassette already on and hand tight just to get tightened up to 40nm, they broke their tool in my cassette and slightly marked my lockring, watching him shaking my wheel and trying to fish out the broken bits made me never return, another shop charged me a tenner for fixing a small buckle in my wheel about 20 years ago, when I looked at the hand written receipt he had added VAT to it, that same buckle would take me about 10 mins to fix now, somehow that little shop is still going probably because it sells scooters and other stuff but its never busy.

Yes for clothes, shoes, bars, lights, grips, gloves, saddles, bags, helmets etc.
Stuff I like to see and touch before I buy.
And the things that should be simple but never are – racks, guards etc.

Very lucky because we have several fantastic shops in Hebden, Tod, Rawtenstall etc.

Always have done, always will do.

But no, because of ‘standards’. I buy tyres, wheels and transmission bits online from Spa/Hewitt because it’s in stock, they know what works and I trust them.

When I can, but we don’t really have an LBS that’s open at the moment

Ironically one of the shops here has shut for a bit partly due to being too busy.

As for tubeless, yes it shouldn’t go flat after 20 minutes but there are no ‘golden rules’ for how long the system should hold pressure. You are dealing with products from different companies which have different tolerances, and any minor issue results in potential for leaking. Tyres themselves can leak air through them (Continental ask that people scrub the insides of their tyres with sealant before installing them for this reason). There’s just too many variables. For this reason, the best set-up in terms of holding air were my old Mavic Crossmax XL wheels with Mavic tires. Bontrager wheels with Bontrager rim strips and Bontrager tyres have always been fine too. I wonder why? 😉

I always use my lbs or a bike shop wherever I go and want to buy bike stuff

I can do almost everything myself now. For whatever I can’t I go to Elevation in Linlithgow. Not my most local, but run by a good guy. My actual local is quite a good shop, but is staffed by an utterly obnoxious now-it-all git and there’s no way he’s getting my money.

Like many others, I used to buy components from the Germans, but now from UK stores like Tredz, Bike Tart, Sigma and the like.

A properly taped and jiggled tubeless wheel should hold air.

I must admit if I can’t ride em straightaway,I don’t mount them on the bike but leave them in the living room and give em a jiggle every so often, which would probably be an extra hours+ on the Bill so I get why they advise a ride.

Although I think tubeless is something you need to learn as it’s the same sort of minimal skill like being able to change a tube that you probably ought to know.

My (geographically closest) LBS are rip-off merchants, who will happily con people into doing work that isn’t necessary. Recently quoted a friend around £200 to service a bike, claiming it needs new wheels etc. All it needs is a new saddle and some grips, and a new brake cable. Everything else is fine. This same place has a reputation for ripping off women particularly, which is despicable. Dishonest. I would be happy to see them go bust.

Since CV really kicked in, there has been an explosion of little bike workshops popping up; places that only do servicing, and don’t sell stuff. Set up in sheds, garages etc. Some are doing pretty well; one local to me is making a reasonable amount, and is booked up at least 2 weeks ahead at any time. So perhaps this is the new model going forwards, for bike shops. Advise customers on what they need, customers buy parts online, shop fits and services everything. Seems to be working for some.

Although I think tubeless is something you need to learn as it’s the same sort of minimal skill like being able to change a tube that you probably ought to know.

I know how to do it. I just couldn’t be arsed with the mess and faff of removing the old tape, cleaning everything out, retaping and resealimg everything. That’s why I wanted to pay a shop to do it. If a freshly, properly, done setup has no pressure, 20 mins after leaving the shop (I assume it was pumped up in the back as I collected it, as it passed the finger squeeze test), something is wrong, and I’m in no mood to start trouble shooting what it might be/finishing off the job.

I used to favour my LBS (Sunset Cycles, Cardiff) most of the time as I lived round the corner from it, even when I moved a few miles away I still went there. Then they moved completely out of the City and my visits became markedly less. I only really used them for wheel builds, trues and to try stuff on in person (bought from them too, no ‘showrooming’) plus the odd ’emergency’ purchase. With the recent lockdowns though I haven’t been there for over 6 months as it’s too far away and I’ve hardly been using the bikes enough to wear anything out! Haven’t got a replacement LBS I use yet so will still use them for stuff but I’m pretty self-sufficient anyway so online is wining currently.

One is small but very good at customer service (Hamoons in Shaftesbury).

Will’s a decent bloke and good on the spanners but managing his time effectively isn’t one of his strong points! My mate from round there uses him for some jobs and he always has to chase him up about it, from wheel trues to frame bearings. We’ve turned up at Okeford before for Will to say, before anyone can say Hi, “Ah, yes. Will try and get X done Monday morning!”. Usually triggered by Will seeing my mate on his DH bike when the trail bike is in his shop. Hopefully he can get Okeford running properly now too!

I’m moving to a town that has a LBS, and I’m quite excited as I’ve been nowhere near one for years. The shop is Giant/Liv affiliated.

I can do a lot of work on a bike, but having returned from abroad I don’t have the tools, space, or time to do some things, so I thought I’d take my bike in for a service. The prices were higher than I expected:

STANDARD SERVICE £70

Recommended every 12 months as a minimum. All bolts matched to a torque specification. Adjustments and lubrication to drivetrain components. Adjustments to braking components.

ADVANCED SERVICE £140

The enthusiast service. Recommended every 12-18 months. In addition to our standard service: Full strip down of drivetrain components, cleaned, reassembled, set-up and lubricated. Braking systems removed, cleaned, reassembled and set-up. Wheels checked for alignment and trued if needed

ULTIMATE SERVICE £200

When perfection is the only option. Recommended every 24 months. Your pride and joy is carefully stripped down to its bare frame and meticulously cleaned. Any moving parts that can be extracted will be removed, cleaned and reinstalled, including bottom brackets, headsets and wheel bearings. your bike will be reassembled and set up to perform at its highest level. Your bike is essentially returned to brand-new condition; so much so, that we’ll give it a free six-week check after everything has bedded in again.

As I said I’m returning from abroad, so this might be reasonable prices. Any opinions?

LeeW
Full Member

Popped in to one of my many LBS yesterday and found these! £29.95 – the price they were when they were current apparently.

I suspect those are worth more to the right retro builder tbh, with the box and all. And they were shit when new so it’s not like they’ve dated. I wonder how the elastomer lasts in storage though.

Don’t use my LBS much but they seem to be busy with service and repairs.

Happy enough when I do need anything done to just drop the bike off and know the job will be done properly at a good price . Last time was a Cane Creek headset supplied and fitted for little more than I could have bought the part for. Turned round in 3 days which given the number of bikes with job tickets scattered about was pretty prompt..

Solid Rock Cycles Balmore.

In Stafford we’re spoiled for them.

Henry Burton, which has been here since the 1950s but doesn’t seem to have clocked that there are new-fangled things like hydraulic discs, mountain bike wheels bigger than 26″ and stems (quill, naturally) shorter than 120mm. Still useful for bits for my 27″ wheeled pub bike.
Mammoth, (which used to be a Specialized concept store), which is great but pricey, but never mind.
Run and Ride (which used to be Mammoth) don’t really know it
Swinnertons on Cannock Chase – full of stock, related to but rivals to
Swinnertons Stoke – everything you might ever need
Brian Rourke, Stoke – everything you might ever need plus they’ll make you a truly lustworthy frame

And a bunch of others including Sideways Cycles a bit farther away.

But I still order some stuff from Wiggle, mainly because I like seeing the Black Country New Road address on the box and wondering if the band of the same name knows about it.

As far as service prices go: I charge my time at £200 a day. It takes me more than a day to do what’s in that premium service up there.

I dont really buy from an lbs, in fact half of them i dont trust to sell me what i need, and usually I have to tell them. Not an agest thing, but most here have a huge amount of riding and building/servicing experience and many of the employees dont appear to know what theyre talking about.

for actual work when it needs to go in I only use the one guy, who has a bunch of actual cytech qualifications and is well respected for what he does – Willy Bain down in Eglington toll in Glasgow. He’s the only mechanic I’ll trust with my bikes or take advice from.

Yep, I would say pretty much everything apart from clothing I get from my local bike shop even my last bike came from my local. Can I find parts cheaper online most likely but my local are good people and these days I feel like I would much rather give my money to them than CRC or similar online shop.

I just couldn’t be arsed with the mess and faff

This is pretty much the number one reason I use my lbs. I don’t enjoy working on my bike i want to spend my time riding it. Im lucky to have a few so never miss a weekend riding if there is a wait on parts.

I wouldn’t ever make a large purchase in mine but if I do nip in I always try and buy something even if it’s just some gels. Bought some bar tape last week when I went in.

I can do a lot of work on a bike, but having returned from abroad I don’t have the tools, space, or time to do some things, so I thought I’d take my bike in for a service. The prices were higher than I expected:

Wow, my son must owe me thousands and thousands based upon this !

It’s interesting the number of folk who say they do everything themselves mechanically and therefore (along with using online readiness of parts) have no need for LBS service. I’m in the same camp myself mechanically, except in aforementioned emergencies where i’ve bodged something and need the experience of the shop to get me out of a pickle.

…however these days I’m more and more time-poor, so am increasingly considering the shop for servicing etc which i’d normally do myself. I used to find spannering quite cathartic, plus I have trust issues with others working on my bike (if I put it together I KNOW it’s been done right), but i’m beginning to think that a Saturday afternoon with the spanners an IPA would be better spent either riding or doing other non bike related things.

I guess I’ve always been happy to pay a bit more (and wait a little longer) for parts because ultimately I don’t like the idea of a country full of nothing but distribution warehouses and Hermes drivers making £0.67 per delivery, and have the power to play my (small) part in preventing that from happening. The workshop services are looking more and more tempting though. It’s only really the lead times that put me off.

…however these days I’m more and more time-poor, so am increasingly considering the shop for servicing etc which i’d normally do myself

ultimately I don’t like the idea of a country full of nothing but distribution warehouses and Hermes drivers making £0.67 per delivery

Just an observation but wouldn’t a mobile service be better?

I have two very good lbs, I use both regularly, I do buy stuff online sometimes but most big stuff I buy at LBS. One shop will give me a discount if the owner serves me and the other is owned by a mate, he’d happily sell me everything at trade if I let him, I don’t tend to buy much stuff though.

Having somewhere to take a wheel to be seated tubeless using an airline at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon in exchange for a beer is worth it to me.

I’m always a bit confused by the ‘buy local’ thing. I understand that not everyone wants to/can shop online, however if I am ‘meant’ to buy from my local bike shop, then surely I should also be buying from my butcher, Baker, fruit shop, fish shop, ironmonger, newsagent etc etc. I will have to take time off work each week to allow me thr time to get to these shops (they only generally open 9-5 at best), pay for parking and pay a lot more than I would online or from a supermarket.
Yes… a high street supports local jobs, however my DPD, Hermes and Royal mail drivers all live locally, not to mention the depot staff. Are their jobs not important? These guys also likely earn more than a ‘basic’ shop worker so why is buying online ‘bad’?
The world has changed and as has always been the case, some types of job disappear, whilst others thrive. The media are obsessed by retail job losses but never publish facts about how many new positions are created in IT/web design, warehouse, distribution, logistics etc, again most of which are going to earn more than a shop worker.
The media also like to publish stories about slave like conditions in online warehouses. I only know 2 people who work in that field. Both work for (different) large retailers, used to work in their high street shops and have moved to the online warehouses. Neither want to go back to the retail side and really enjoy the warehouse (especially as they don’t need to deal with angry members of the public).

Perhaps I am a bad/selfish person, but I just don’t get the fascination with the high street. Is it not time to move on and embrace ‘new’ jobs to replace retail.
(As for proper bike shops – I can see a good future for smaller workshops where you are encouraged to bring in your online sourced parts and they charge you to fit them – saves the shop owner as they need a much smaller premises and don’t need to hold loads of random stock)

Norwich here.
LBS in general are real poor here.
Supported 1 with about 10 grands of bikes total and then they went bust.
Next one Pedal Addiction, great guy and great knowledge but unfortunately he has now closed and is working from home I think so can’t browse and no real stock to spot buy.
Went exclusively to Wiggle but refuse to use now as delivery is so poor.
Now using independents away from Norfolk via online.
Evans, Bike hut etc are just so bad service wise, lack of knowledge, too expensive, poor clothing stock etc. And just no atmosphere.

…however these days I’m more and more time-poor, so am increasingly considering the shop for servicing etc which i’d normally do myself.

Could you do the servicing yourself in less than the time it would take you to do two return trips to the bike shop?

Stirling is lucky in that it has a couple of excellent cycle repair shops set away on industrial parks:  match internet prices, charge a reasonable hourly rate and work miracles.

There are shops on the street but I avoid them – because they don’t do the above.