Hi there,
Perhaps you guys can give me your points of view on what you expect from your local bike shop . Please state your age group , discipline and where ride.

What would require in terms of servicing?
What jobs would you consider taking your bike in for ?
How many of you regulary service your bikes a:yourself or b: at an lbs?
Name the brands do you like to see ? bikes or components?
Name the brands DON’T you want to see ? bikes or components?
Do you prefer a Custom build or “off the peg” bike ?
Do you prefer to buy online or instore?
Any other views on what you DO or Don’t like to see in a bike shop.

thanks in advance
Andrew

What would require in terms of servicing?
What jobs would you consider taking your bike in for ?
How many of you regulary service your bikes a:yourself or b: at an lbs?
What brands do you like to see ? bikes or components?
What brands DON’T you want to see ? bikes or components?
Do you prefer a Custom build or “off the peg” bike ?
Do you prefer to buy online or instore?

none
always service the bike myself
a veriaty of mainstream brands and a smaller selection of high end frames and parts
rubish ones
both
online (or instore for low cost consumables eg tubes, energy gels, cables etc)

What do I expect? Well for the prices they seem to charge (RRP +10%ish), a reach around whilst i’m being bumf*cked wouldn’t go amiss.

What hes says expect for the last one. Now that I am back in France I almost never buy on-line.

Coffee, biscuits (maybe),good product/market knowledge and advice along with a decent mechanic.

yeah that too 😀

Plus a passion for motorcycle and a SRX 600 parked in front of the shop

a decent mechanic.

This ^

I can do the research myself.

A similar question – with lots of feedback – was asked some months ago on here. Have a search and you’ll find some useful comments I’m sure.

For me, the one thing that I want from a LBS is demo bikes that I can actually ride outside. I’m sure this is a pain for smaller shops, but when I am in the market for a new bike I want to know I can go to a shop and physically ride 2 or 3 models. I’d love to buy a bike from my LBS but I’m loathe to spend four figures without a proper test ride.

Shoes and helmets are in short supply in my LBS too, which is a shame cos that’s the stuff I wouldn’t buy online. More and more I’m coming to the conclusion that a (smallish) LBS is never going to make much money out of me and no doubt most of the STWers.

None, DIY (apart from suspension which goes to TF/mojo/loco etc)
Not fussed, there’s not much crap these days, and I’d buy anything planned online, LBS for those emergencies where you’ve trashed a mech, need a tube etc for that day so if all they had was SLX I’d not not buy it becasue it’s not XT (double neggative of a negative, get in!).
Custom build, but I’d DIY it anyway. If an LBS could match online prices then build for a nominal fee I’d be interested, but usualy I’d build arround some existing bits so it’s easier to do at home and order addapters as nececary. Most LBS’s don’t seem to like custom builds as it’s the most mechanic time for the least return (unlike changing innnertubes at £10 a time for commuters!).

So really just innertubes, the usuall spares like mechs (and would it be too much to ask for a set of mech hangers covering 90% of bikes to be kepts in stock?), well priced brake pads would be nice old LBS charged £17 per brake for pads. Basicly if I have to order it then I’ll order online and get it delivered to my house. It kinda grates me when I have to go to an LBS to order something from an importer as you can’t go direct, the shop is taking a margin for doing little/no work and I’d get it quicker if the importer dealed direct so I’m paying for worse service!

Basicly if my LBS was the size of a tobaco kiosk I’d probably use it just as much.

Tea.

What would require in terms of servicing?
Someone far more skilled than me, and with a much better equipped workshop than my own toolkit.

What jobs would you consider taking your bike in for ?
Not a lot! 🙂

How many of you regulary service your bikes a:yourself or b: at an lbs?
Do it all myself. Occasionally using the workshop in the LBS. I pay a beer tax to use it.

Name the brands do you like to see ? bikes or components?
Stuff that sells. They’re not there to cater to me specifically. That said, my two LBSs both sell the sort of stuff that I like to buy.

Name the brands DON’T you want to see ? bikes or components?
None, well apart from the “exclusive” pap that Evans sell.

Do you prefer a Custom build or “off the peg” bike ?
Both.

Do you prefer to buy online or instore?
Instore

Any other views on what you DO or Don’t like to see in a bike shop.
Cake, banter, friendly faces, a nice dog called Doodle and the odd cup of coffee.

A good mechanic. A ‘reasonably’ priced stock list and most of all a bit of rapport.

Spent serious cash over about 8 lbs and the only two I’ve found any real rapport/bike mechanics would be sherwood cycles and bunnies bikes …. The rest have something missing 

thisisnotaspoon – Member
(and would it be too much to ask for a set of mech hangers covering 90% of bikes to be kepts in stock?)

Have you any idea how many that would be?

LoCo – Member
Coffee, biscuits (maybe)

Does your local cafe stock bike parts too?

a phone call when they promise would be enough. 🙄

EDIT: actually thats unfair the other LBS is much better now.

what do I expect from my LBS?

I expect everything that I want or need to be behind a small hatch
I expect to be ignored when I go to the hatch while staff hang around behind the hatch with their mates or eat chips
I expect phone calls to be answered with a surly huff that implies I am a total t*** and I shouldn’t be calling
I expect to be told things I have ordered are in the shop to find that no one knows who I am or what I am talking about when I arrive

but that is because my LBS is JE James

Half of what onions says… 90% of the bike market mech hanger is moassive. HAve a look at how big the pilo brochure is.

Please state your age group – 30
discipline – xc
where i ride – north wales

What would require in terms of servicing? – Usually a cup of tea provided when i get there.

What jobs would you consider taking your bike in for? – Depends on the job

How many of you regulary service your bikes a:yourself or b: at an lbs? – Again both, sometimes because they are so nice for the cost its not worth me making the mess

Name the brands do you like to see ? bikes or components? – all the big ones are they with a vast range of bike genres

Name the brands DON’T you want to see ? bikes or components?

Do you prefer a Custom build or “off the peg” bike ? – They have the option for both

Do you prefer to buy online or instore? – i like to feel it before i buy it

Any other views on what you DO or Don’t like to see in a bike shop. – Some sexy lady mechanics, (purely from an equal rights point of view), because though my LBS mechanics are amazing they are not the prettiest.

What would require in terms of servicing?

Reactive only usually, just do it well and don’t take the piss.

What jobs would you consider taking your bike in for ?

If I can’t bleed a brake myself, hub bearings, fork and shock service.

How many of you regulary service your bikes a:yourself or b: at an lbs?

Mainly a

Name the brands do you like to see ? bikes or components?

Dakine, Fox, Chromag, some porny bikes (Intense, Turner etc) Conti tyres

Name the brands DON’T you want to see ? bikes or components?

Generic stuff that everywhere has; Endura, Royal, Giant etc etc. Offer me something different; give me a reason to spend my money at your shop.

Do you prefer a Custom build or “off the peg” bike ?

Custom so far but open minded

Do you prefer to buy online or instore?

I’d rather buy instore but sometimes prices prohibit(reverb; £200 or £300?) but I’ll generally pay a bit more to shop at my LBS (RRP aint going to cut it)

Any other views on what you DO or Don’t like to see in a bike shop.

Make me welcome, don’t patronise me, don’t offer to “order one in”; have it in stock or concede the sale. Do a good job!

oh and another thing. No point naming names because this has happened too many times in too many shops, but please look and act like you want to sell me something. If I come in half interested in making a purchase it’s up to you to make me spend my money. You don’t need to be pushy, but I want to be sold to. This is perhaps a general problem in retail, but too many shop staff are employed because they have an interest in the product they’re selling, not because they have an interest in selling a product. It’s a fine line between pushy and uninterested, and most can’t walk that line.

Coffee, advice, club rides and a good mechanic.
Prefer to buy instore but do buy bargains online.
Just got back from mine, picked up a tshirt and a mech hanger.
The only thing I don’t like about my lbs is when I want work done, they want you to leave the bike with them. Eg bring it in Tuesday and it’ll be ready for you Thursday.
I’d rather be told come back Wednesday or Thursday and we’ll do it there and then. Meaning I can ride Tuesday night if I get the chance.

I’d rather be told come back Wednesday or Thursday and we’ll do it there and then

If the job is that quick that I can hang around and wait I’d be pretty annoyed to pay more than a few quid for it, but I like your thinking

Please state your age group

old

discipline

mtb, and ride to work

where ride

locally, peak, wales and alps. oh, and to work

What would require in terms of servicing?

nothing – is there anything really that cannot be done at home? maybe bb facing, but if i needed it i would just buy the tool and do it myself.

What jobs would you consider taking your bike in for ?

nothing, unless i was away and didn’t have access to/could not buy the correct tool

How many of you regulary service your bikes

a:yourself

Name the brands do you like to see ?

online is easier usually and cheaper almost always, so makes no odds.

Name the brands DON’T you want to see ?

?

Do you prefer a Custom build or “off the peg” bike ?

either

Do you prefer to buy online or instore?

very much online

Any other views on what you DO or Don’t like to see in a bike shop.

the thing that puts me off most lbs is some have staff with a very bad attitude. to be fair, some have amazing staff, but all the ones that do have great staff are not local to me.

This is perhaps a general problem in retail, but too many shop staff are employed because they have an interest in the product they’re selling, not because they have an interest in selling a product

Known as the Tiso syndrome in our house.

What would require in terms of servicing?Tune up twice a year
What jobs would you consider taking your bike in for ?As above or if I crashed/damaged it etc…
How many of you regulary service your bikes a:yourself or b: at an lbs?Part myself tune up twice a year
Name the brands do you like to see ? bikes or components?Hope, Cotic, Endura, DMR
Do you prefer a Custom build or “off the peg” bike: Custom
Do you prefer to buy online or prefer instore but price dependent
Any other views on what you DO or Don’t like to see in a bike shop.
I like 69 cycles in Hoole Cheshire, good mechanic, never tried to rip me off, very friendly, never patronising, I like the window so you can see into the workshop bit too (although I think it was added so they can see if customers pop in) I don’t like the specialised shop as it’s very sterile.

I expect staff to have a wide knowledge and be well read on all things cycling .Not just the latest stuff and not to use the words rad,sick, or dude .Hopefully they would have knowledge of all aspects of racing not just downhill and associated kit ,but also touring and TTs etc and stock kit to go with this knowledge