Choosing an bike shop

[momtohanna]

There are a few bike shops in my town, I'm wondering what I should be looking for in choosing a good bike shop.

[Kris]

I'm interested too, when you only have two shops to choose from, I think you may have to settle. One here has a large selection of expensive fast bikes and several college student salespeople (some female) who tell me things that people on this board say are not true. The other shop has recently been purchased by the guy who used to be employed there as the mechanic. He doesn't have a lot of bikes, and many of them are for those who are just getting back into biking, or for doing tricks (little bitty bikes for teenagers). There are more mountain bikes there, and there's not a bike in the shop over $1000. If I can go when the owner is minding the store, I get what sounds like good advice. But he doesn't even have a bike my size that I want to try.
I've promised myself a new faster bike when I reach my goal weight, so I can keep up with DH. I don't know what I want, so it's hard to know if he has it or not. We would also like to upgrade our junky tandem, and he doesn't carry anything we want. The other place will only order one for us; we can't try it first. I'd prefer to buy from him, and I'd prefer to buy in town because both shops offer free tuneups for as long as I own the bike, but they're not making it easy.

[Geonz]

I go to the one with the more skilled mechanics, because I ride a lot a lot and am a truly, truly crappy mechanic myself. I've gotten to know them. The "entry level" bike shop that caters more to students does fine on most (but not all) basic stuff and everything's cheaper, and they do fix up used bikes and are supportive of the cycling community, so that makes sense for some folks... and then we've got our Bianchi guy at BikeWorks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L1m1QIFTtg ... but he takes a while to get things done and despairs over people who are, sometimes, neglectful.

I'd not be hasty abotu first impressions since good wrenches are often not good sales people...

[Biciclista]

We go to a lot of different bike shops, some are better for some things, like Sammamish Bike is better on electric stuff, so when i need a new lamp for my generator hub set up, I go there.
For easy stuff, I go to BikeWorks, which is very close to home and they have one excellent mechanic.
For bike maintenance, i go to the bike shop where my bike was made; Elliott Bay Bikes.

And if i'm near ANY bike shop, i will visit, and maybe buy something, because you never know, you might find the best bike in the world or the best bike mechanic in the world, or THAT jersey on clearance in your size, or... I'm just saying...

[redrhodie]

If you have several to choose from, go to the one with the nicest staff. If everyone who works there seems happy, it's probably a good shop.

[momtohanna]

Stopped by a couple bike shops today and there is some difference. Who knew!! I also realized that I have like 10 to choose from around here, so I'll be checking them all out. :) Thanks for all the advice.

[Kelly728]

For me it was the one that didn't blow me off. There are quite a few shops in my area but I actually go to one way out of the area. I was a complete beginner when I first stepped foot in a bike shop and I had two shops say something along the lines of "Well you can get this bike...its all we have since you are a woman and need a women's bike...ok I need to help another customer". Good times.

Looking back I wish I had been a bit more educated about what I really wanted in a bike, but you can only know so much having never sat on a road bike! There are a few shops that were much much better in my area but just didn't have a large selection of bikes. I am quite happy with what I chose, I just wish it was closer. Now I moved and it is even further away.