Why I love my LBS (or not): Jump In!

worst bike shop: You may have heard me complain about my soma? Worst bike shop likes to say "you'll get used to it" when I have a problem, rather than listen to me. They're ~experts~ you see. Even the compliments are back-handed, upon seeing me on a more aggressive road bike he says: "wow, I never expected you to become such a strong rider" Uhhh....thanks? They are also terrible at ordering in parts and keeping in contact.

Best bike shop: Has NEVER made me feel crappy for being a stupid newbie. They understood it, they lowered the seat & put in thumb shifters on my fist bike so I could ride it easier. I'm not a stupid newbie anymore, but it is where I started out and I was so impressed with this bike shop for helping me and not giving me attitude that I've since bought another bike there, and took my friend there when he needed a new bike. They're two cities away, but it's a really nice ride. When I got my first bike, I thought riding there was impossible. I now consider it to be a "short" bike ride, and usually do more riding afterwards to make up for it, haha.

I really like our new LBS. It's brother's who opened and run it. They are are great at making sure they ask the right questions to help determine what is best for you. They don't try to push anything on a person. The other LBS (actually their parents) I don't like as well because that LBS does try to push things on you. The other "LBS" I like is up in Raleigh (2 hrs away), well there's two. There is Preformance (I prefer the Raleigh location to the Cary location just due to the store being larger) and there's a Trek/Felt store right downtown Raleigh. Preformance just has great selection on everything, sales people are around, but not in your face. The Trek store is small, but very knowledgeable and wanting to help you find what is right for you. Also loved our old LBS in Charlotte (also a Trek dealer). They are great. They want to help you find what works for you as well and won't push anything. The reps are there if you need help, but won't bother you unless you ask for help.
What I HATE and I mean HATE is when sales people try to tell me I have to have women's anything just because I'm a woman. I really hate that. First of all most women's jerseys won't fit because I do have broader shoulders. I need an XL jersey at best because of my shoulders and then most of those are too tight. So I just buy men's jersey's. Yet some LBS's seem to have this problem of if you're a woman you have to wear women's clothing or ride a WSD bike or girly stuff. Um, NO, I HATE girly stuff, I hate flower prints and I despise the color pink. Oh and most of the time if I can find a men's/unisex bike small enough it will fit me better than a WSD bike. Why is that so hard to get through people's heads? Hence the reason I like our new LBS and Preformance and our old LBS in Charlotte. They leave me alone to find what I want that actually fits properly.

My shop can get me anything I want, usually at a discount. But that's not why I love them. The reason it's my shop is the guys. They're like family to me now, but even before I knew them so well, they were special.

It was the first place I went in when I was thinking of moving to that town. I still remember the conversation I had with Jon that day, how cool he thought the place was, how great the cycling was. He totally influenced my decision to move there.

All the guys are funny, smart, and deep. They are passionate about bikes. They love to talk. They love to ride.

When I had the bad mammo, this is where I went, who I needed to talk to. These are the people who convinced me to get the biopsy when I wanted to wait and see, because, no you can't just leave it in there! and the first ones I told when it turned out to be cancer, because I knew they would calm me down with logic and reason. These are the guys who convinced me to do group rides when I was down, and who took shortcuts back when I was fatigued. These are good friends.

Just today they lent me a brand new pump because mine died and I the one I want needs to be ordered. They always have my back. And even though I feel like family, I am one of many who feels that way. It's more like a club than a store.

I found out yesterday that my bike shop has been open for 37 years. :eek: AND, they have a beautiful Trek Lexa there I am thinking about making my entry level road bike. It's around $750.00 and is white and aqua.

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Originally Posted by lovelygamer

I found out yesterday that my bike shop has been open for 37 years. :eek: AND, they have a beautiful Trek Lexa there I am thinking about making my entry level road bike. It's around $750.00 and is white and aqua.

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Hey, that sounds like the bike I have! Mine is pearl white with seafoam bar tape. Nice entry level bike. I have put 1200 miles on her so far!

Oh yes, it's Pearl! That's right. I'm glad you like it. Sixteen Gears? I have seven now so I am pretty stoked.

Btw, does anyone know where the saddle posts all went? I was searching the thread this morning but I can't find the main threads we had up recently.

I know I am going to need a larger more comfortable seat so I may as well order one with the bike.

I think I remember the Bontrager Afinity being recommended?

Larger does not necessarily equate to comfort when it comes to saddles. Have you ever measured your sit bones? Any saddle wider than that may cause chafing and soft tissue discomfort.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lovelygamer

Oh yes, it's Pearl! That's right. I'm glad you like it. Sixteen Gears? I have seven now so I am pretty stoked.

Btw, does anyone know where the saddle posts all went? I was searching the thread this morning but I can't find the main threads we had up recently.

I know I am going to need a larger more comfortable seat so I may as well order one with the bike.

I think I remember the Bontrager Afinity being recommended?

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go to gear and accessories and search about saddles

I am biased as my favorite LBS is the one my dh works at. He was partners for 15yrs in another, sold his interest after getting sick in 1998 and moving on to where he works now was like a door closed and window opened. He brought a lot of his expertise to this shop and her road bike sales sky rocketed. Do not get me wrong this store has 75 successful yrs in existance. 2 men began the business and their niece purchased it 15 yrs ago so yes my husband has a female boss. She runs a tight well oiled business. She literally has eyes in back of her head, sees and hears everthing no matter where she is. This is exactly the type of business my husband wanted. Her nephew is a mgr., and also employs her niece part time, and now having my dh as a mgr besides about 12 other employees she can leave a little earlier in the day or go away and know with my dh there the business is being ran the to her expectations. Even though I don't work there she includes me in like I am part of their family and sends me with my dh on any retailer trips. In return I try to help in my own little ways. I lead 3 group rides B level a week and plan another more social type of ride. This shop is very well respected in the community so I give huge thumbs up to our LBS.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Larger does not necessarily equate to comfort when it comes to saddles. Have you ever measured your sit bones? Any saddle wider than that may cause chafing and soft tissue discomfort.

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Oh yes, I'll be having that done at the shop. :) I might not want to know how big my sit bones are. :eek:

Sky King-thanks for the tip. I will go to that forum and search.:)

Our "LBS" is not the most local one--there are at least 3 shops closer and ours is an hour away. But the owner is a close friend. He and my DH are JDRF Ride to Cure team coaches--our LBS owner is also a JDRF coach at the national level. His shop is not large, but he has a good selection and is always happy to special order anything they don't physically carry.

When we walk in the door it feels less like we're walking into a store than it does we're walking into a hangout that just happens to sell bikes and gear (and almost always has fresh cookies from a fellow cyclist friend's bakery). The wrenches at the shop are friends, too.

Eventually we want to sell our house. Our primary criteria are to move closer to DH's work AND closer to our LBS so that we can get in on more of their shop rides (there is a well-attended ride pretty much every day of the week, except for most Sundays, since that's JDRF team training day). Their Tues. night ride was ranked highly in Bicycling magazine maybe a year ago.

The worst bike shops that I've visited over the years are mostly closed now, due to being in a city with a cyclical boom and bust economy. (Very Darwinian) There was the shop owner who insisted that the bike with the 56 cm top tube and 12cm stem that I bought years ago was a textbook perfect fit for me. I wanted a shorter stem because I was getting a very sore neck on this "textbook" bike. I bought it elsewhere. This same guy tried to sell me a road bike that he insisted had Columbus SL tubing. It had no sticker and was suspiciously heavy.
There were all the shops where the clerks assumed I was a newbie simply because I was female. There was the mechanic who nearly ruined a track hub that I brought in for maintenance because I couldn't convince him that the lock ring was a left hand thread.
The shops where I live now are all okay. Not outstanding, but okay. The one where I found my new road bike wouldn't normally be my first choice, as last year I went looking for replacement Look Keo cleats and one of the clerks didn't even know what they were. However, they have one mechanic who is their road bike specialist, and he's great. Knows his stuff and never patronizes.