LBS anger

My LBS really ticked me off yesterday. Mostly it was one of the managers. The other manager has always been really great to work with.

I bought my first set of clipless pedals. I need comuter pedals (platform on one side). I get talked into Look Attacks. They set me up, took time with me etc. etc. Then I get the bike home and think "I wonder how these will feel without the bike shoes." It was not a good thing! I was very specific in telling them that I must be able to ride without my bike shoes becuase I grocery shop and run errands by bike and I want to do that in reg. shoes.

I take the bike back and this time the Mgr. helps me. He doesn't listen to the whole explanation, grabs a set of pedals and my shoes and whisks them to the back room. When he wheels the bike out, I notice that they are not the pedals I was asking for, so he wheels her back around and tells the mechanic to fix it again. Pretty grumpy the whole time. I didn't try them out in the shop. I get the bike home and look at the shoes. One of the cleats is on crooked! I mean enough that my knee would really feel it! I am getting tired of that LBS. They are more expensive than any other shop around and the service is becoming hit or miss. That manager has a holier than thou roadie attitude that I cannot stand. I am a roadie and would never treat another biker that way, regardless of equipment, talent or experience.

Thanks ladies, I just needed a good rant. I'm gonna go fix my cleats and try it out on the trainer.

It really amazes me how some LBS's go out of their way to be such jerks. It's like, do they WANT to go out of buisness??? :confused:

It took me a long time before I felt comfortable in a bike shop. I bet there are a lot of women (and perhaps even some men) who, if it weren't for the intimidation factor, would patronize LBSs more than they do.

When I first got into cycling I was completely infuriated by bike shops and their snotty attitudes! Crabby shop owners with dense, teenage salesguys trying to sell me bikes that were either way too big or completely not what I was asking for. I'm all of 5'1" and one guy tried to tell me I could ride a 52 bike....yeah, right. When I asked one shop owner about road bikes for someone my size he didn't even look at me before saying none existed and I would have to have one custom-made. When I finally found my bike shop it was like a breath of fresh air. No attitudes, all of my questions get answered no matter how dense they may be, and I get the same attention when I spend $10 as when I spend $100. When I switched to clipless pedals the guys spend all kinds of time discussing what kind of riding I do, any knee problems, etc. before making a recommendation. What's the result? I refer people to this bike shop all of the time and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I am never going to understand why this is not the norm. Why any shop owner thinks people are going to put up with being jerked around is beyond me. Maybe this is why so many of them go out of business!

So what's your shop's name?

V.

Isn't it great when you find a really good LBS. There's one near us in a small town called Leslie. They really are helpful. I took my road bike in to get the the fit checked as I was getting shoulder problems the guy spent ages checking me on the bike and fitted an adjustable headset and checked me outwith it. He was really helpful even though I didn't buy my bike there. Recently I took it in to have the gears checked out they adjusted them for me and wouldn't take a penny payment!! Now that's service. :)

A good LBS is worth its weight in gold!

[plug] My (not-so-L)BS is the Bicycle Outfitter in Los Altos; there are other shops much closer to me but the Outfitter can't be beat for helpfulness and service [/plug]

OK cruziegirl, I told you mine, now tell me yours? :D

- Jo.

So Margaret, how is the Claude Butler (or do you call him Jeeves?) working out for you?

Yeah, I've had bad LBS experiences, too. Being female, fat and 40 marks me as "not serious" and really not worth the time of the super-fit 20-something males. (None of those problems here...) Well, I've got news for them. Actually, in my poke-along-and-smell-the-roses way, I'm really quite serious.

Not only that, but I have a bike budget (really larger than income would indicate) and I will spend it somewhere. Luckily, there is a pretty good choice of shops here, so I just go elsewhere. Simple, really.

Still, it's annoying.

We have exactly the same issues here :confused:

We did have a brilliant little LBS run by a really nice guy, always helpful, always time for a chat, but the owner decided to move the little shop into the big shop (around 10 miles away), although the nice guy moved with the shop, he lost all 'say' about how a customer was treated, and no longer repaired bikes, so although he was great IF you could get him, the others were out and out pr@tts. It was as though you were walking into someones private lounge and interrupting a conversation! Not only did the personal service suffer, I guess we could have coped with that, but they took on some young guy as a bike mechanic who was worse than useless and cost us quite a lot of money when we had to take the repaired bike to another mechanic!! We don't go there any more :(

Then we have a very Roadie oriented shop, they look at you as though you just walked in from another planet... no smile, no greeting. So Weird! (it has to be said, the place is always empty!)

We now have to travel 30 miles to a half decent LBS (not so local :rolleyes: )

It's a strange world eh :o

I've been reading the forums for about a week, but hadn't posted before.

Anyway, I also really like Bicycle Outfitters. I haven't been biking in many many years, but my husband, about 6 or so months ago, got into it and picked up a Cervelo and has been riding. I've got a mtn bike, but since I was riding with him on the road, I wanted a road bike. (Besides, the mtn bike *really* needs to be cleaned).

So I budgeted for a new bike and I wanted something for under $1k, so probably $1200 all done (including tax and other things like new lights).

Well, 10 days ago, we took my truck in to find out what was going on with it. Turns out it's got severe compression issues, etc., so we don't want to drive it. Luckily, there's a shuttle from a local train station (about 2.5 miles away) to work. I decided that I'll bike in once I get the new bike.

I went to 5 different local shops. Out of all of them, Bicycle Outfitters didn't try to upsell me. Plus they really seemed to know what they were doing and just gave me the best "feel". Everyone was extremely helpful. They were also the busiest. Generally there were maybe 1-2 people in the other stores when we went there, but at BO, the store was packed.

So, I went back and got my Bianchi Imola there. :D I got a great deal on it since the bike is an '03. :) I've also put a bunch of miles on it, especially for being a biking semi-newbie who hasn't ridden in a long time. In fact, yesterday, my hubby and I decided we'd ride up to his work since he's now considering bike commuting. So we rode from Mtn View to his work in Redwood City. All in all, 26 miles, which is the longest and farthest I've ever ridden. The headwind on the way back really really really _sucked_. :P

Now, time to find a saddle that feels comfortable. :P

Mel

Okay, so in Santa Cruz my absolute favorite shop is The Spokesman on Cathcart Street. The staff is informed, very helpful no matter what I'm looking for, and all of them are so friendly and easy to deal with it's a pleasure to go in there. I love those guys!

My other favorite shop is in Los Altos, The Chain Reaction. There's a woman there, Amy, who has spent all kinds of time with me on getting my bike fit just right. But all of the staff there seems to be helpful. As an example, I'm switching to Speedplay pedals so I called them to ask some questions. The guy who answered spent about 10 minutes on the phone happily answering all of my questions (and I'm just sure some of them were quite dense) and acted like he would have spent another 10 if I had needed it.

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Originally Posted by jobob

A good LBS is worth its weight in gold!

[plug] My (not-so-L)BS is the Bicycle Outfitter in Los Altos; there are other shops much closer to me but the Outfitter can't be beat for helpfulness and service [/plug]

OK cruziegirl, I told you mine, now tell me yours? :D

- Jo.

So Margaret, how is the Claude Butler (or do you call him Jeeves?) working out for you?

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I grew up with the LBS that I continue to use. Sunrise Cyclery in Massapequa Park on Long Island, NY has been in business since 1954. It began with the father and now it is run by the son and law, son and the dad still continues to work a few days a week. Most customers are now third generations shopping at this store. They are known for the GREAT customer service as well as selling good quality bikes and other cycling products which is quite hard to find in this day and age. There is always a family member in the store which means that they all put in a great amount of hours having to keep up with the retail competition. I remember when stores where not open on Sundays and closed by 6:00.

The store is run with deep passion, heart and soul so I thought I would add this as they have more than earned their due respect in the industry.

I'm with MomOnBike. Female, fat, forty and the guys at the LBS act like it's a bother to answer any questions and help with fit because what good could it possibly do?? They don't get snotty, but it's obvious that I am of very little interest to them. Just wait until I have cash to spend on a new bike! I bet I will be more interesting then!! They need to think about the fact that there are a lot more riders in our category than the century riders and we would all like to have a bike that works right and fits well too. Furthermore, our group probably isn't as into maintenance and adjustments and would be more likely to give them more repair business than the devoted, hard core roadies. They need to think about that!

Ok. I'm done ranting now.......

Once again, just for the sake of argument, I'll present a bit of a view from the other side (bike shop employee). :)

Never go to a LBS for service on the weekend. I'm serious. Our little (understaffed) shop even has a policy of NO "while-you-wait" service on Saturday. Saturdays are the busiest day in the retail world and you are bound to receive slap-dash service on that day. Even if yours shop *does* service bikes on the weekend, trust me, your "baby" will get much much more TLC on a slow weekday.

Cleat placement: I'll go out on a limb here. When I set cleats, and don't have the customer on a trainer (to watch her pedal) I'll set them "loose" (just snug enough to test out) and warn her to tighten those puppies down as soon as she determines the setting is correct for her riding style. I'll play devil's advocate here and say that perhaps the mgr./mechanic just forgot to tell you to tighten the bolts. :rolleyes: Perhaps he/she *likes* his/her cleats set at some funky angle and rides with them that way (BTW when I set cleats to "neutral" I line them up with the shoe-last, so the cleats would look "crooked" on a very curved last).

Attitude: There is no excuse for the cruddy attitude. My motto? If an establishment (bike shop, coffee shop, whatever...) acts like they don't want my money I don't give them my money. Vote with your pocketbook. If you are getting consistantly bad sevice, look for another shop.

And now for a Public Service Announcement (sort of related)from yours truly, CBSG(cranky bike shop girl) :D :

To those of you complaining about the snow/cold/dark/lack of riding time--

Go get those bikes and get them into the LBS pronto for your Spring tune-up.
The *best* way to get a sub-standard tune-up(or any other service) is to wait until the 1) first warm weekend 2) first big local charity ride 3) first race of the season. Take your bike in now while there is still frost on the ground and the mechanic will have all day to work on your steed. Wait until Spring and your bike is just another number in the que.

:) :) :)

p.s. I'm a 40-year-old mom who takes any woman who wants to ride bikes seriously. In fact if you don't want me to set you up to win races you gotta speak up! ;)

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Originally Posted by Melody

I've been reading the forums for about a week, but hadn't posted before.

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Hi Mel, and welcome!

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So, I went back and got my Bianchi Imola there. :D I got a great deal on it since the bike is an '03. :) I've also put a bunch of miles on it, especially for being a biking semi-newbie who hasn't ridden in a long time.

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Congrats on the new bike ! May you have many long and happy miles together.

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In fact, yesterday, my hubby and I decided we'd ride up to his work since he's now considering bike commuting. So we rode from Mtn View to his work in Redwood City. All in all, 26 miles, which is the longest and farthest I've ever ridden. The headwind on the way back really really really _sucked_. :P

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LOL, headwinds :p Just remember, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger :rolleyes:

Where in RWC does your husband work? I work in RWC off of Seaport Drive (which is Woodside Road until you cross under 101, on the bay side of 101 the name changes to Seaport). I've resolved to start commuting from my home in Union City across the Dumbarton, 15 miles each way, starting March 1. I'm aiming for 2x a week for starters. We'll see if I can manage that :o

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Now, time to find a saddle that feels comfortable. :P

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Oy, good luck - that's a road most of us have gone down !

- Jo.

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Originally Posted by jobob

Hi Mel, and welcome!

Congrats on the new bike ! May you have many long and happy miles together.

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Thanks Jobob :)

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LOL, headwinds :p Just remember, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger :rolleyes:

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Yeah. But I still don't have to like 'em :D

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Where in RWC does your husband work? I work in RWC off of Seaport Drive (which is Woodside Road until you cross under 101, on the bay side of 101 the name changes to Seaport). I've resolved to start commuting from my home in Union City across the Dumbarton, 15 miles each way, starting March 1. I'm aiming for 2x a week for starters. We'll see if I can manage that :o

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He works over at Pacific Shores over at the of Seaport Dr. in the big business center. He works for a company called e2open. :)

Goodluck on the commuting. :) My commute is pretty short, just to the Mtn View downtown Caltrain station. From there I can take a shuttle directly to my building. :) But, eventually I'll be riding directly to work. I'm just not up to that yet. :rolleyes:

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Oy, good luck - that's a road most of us have gone down !

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Yeah. I've got a friend who's an ex-racer. She has a Terry butterfly(?) saddle that she's going to let me try out. It's an old one but it'll tell me if the geometry of the saddle is any good for me. :)

Mel

Hey, Pedalfaster, can I bring my bike to your shop? :D

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Originally Posted by nuthatch

Hey, Pedalfaster, can I bring my bike to your shop? :D

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Me too! Me too! Maybe all of us from TE can bring out babies in for you to baby? Of course, we'll come on a weekday! :D

Just going to share this little experience. Yes, I took my bike down on a weekday because I know weekends are useless to talk about service on bike. Yes, I had my very specific list ready. This shop has really come through on some weird requests and they know I know my bike stuff so I figured I was safe on this one.

1) Please put new bars on and leave unwrapped until we can determine the best placement for the levers - Nope, he had to wrap them so we had to pull on my vintage gum rubber hoods an extra time and now they're splitting.
2) Hard to get the chain up onto the big ring, please adjust friction bar end shifter, derailleur or cable as necessary -- Nope, he just tightened the bar end shifter so tight I couldn't move it even when sitting on my trainer. If I'd been on the road, I would have ended up in the ditch. We loosened the shifter at home and lubed frt derailleur ourselves (gee, didn't I ask for a tune-up when they mounted the new bars?).
3) When the mechanic put the brake levers on the new bar, he attached the cables backward. That was fun because the shop owner and I discovered this together as he was mounting the bike on the shop trainer to adjust the levers on bars which should have been left unwrapped. Thanks goodness I didn't discover this out on the road.

I'm a pretty knowledge customer who can do a lot of her own work, I'm just tired of the 6 mos of non-stop bike projects we've had going in our kitchen so I figured this really easy list was manageable by the shop. It's kind of ridiculous when you and your hubby have to negotiate on who gets to use the bike stand. I know there are good mechanics out there but they are just too darn hard to find and I'm tired of letting them practice on my bikes! One of the other shops in town has cut a steerer tube too short and bashed up a very expensive headset race using a screw driver to take it off. A third installed the wrong bottom bracket and couldn't figure out why the bike was making such a bad sound. We finally showed the employee that the BB was too narrow and that the granny gear was cutting a groove in the chain stay.

Now that I've finished my rant, Pedalfaster, thank for keeping us up to date on the other side of the story. We just have to realize that, as in all areas of life, there is an equal opportunity for excellence.

It's a bit of a hike Sarah, but I've been pretty happy with Perfection Cyclery in Walnut Creek.

V.

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Originally Posted by Veronica

It's a bit of a hike Sarah, but I've been pretty happy with Perfection Cyclery in Walnut Creek.

V.

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Ooo, ooh, ooh! A bike shop I haven't heard of in a 100 mile radius? But does it have a bakery next door? That's the requirement for "perfection." One of these days, I think I'll write a guide to bikes shops with bakeries near by. I think there's some kind of corrolation.

They don't have much to sell you. I did get a chain there. There's a lot of good restaurants in WC and a nice jewelty store right around the corner. And a wonderful chocolate shop.

V.

Chocolate will do :D . We have a chocolate shop here in Davis that makes the most divine fudge. Hmm. Maybe I should bring a supply for the next ride on Diablo.

One thing about the LBS that just screwed things up. They try very hard to keep a lot of women's clothes in stock. So, I have to give them credit for that.

I'm not sure out little shop is worth a drive...
but if you're ever in the area stop by! :D

Actually, I was just thinking, the owner of the store is a pretty darn good mechanic (although even he occasionaly makes mistakes). When one of the less-experienced wrenches makes a repair, he always likes to check their work.

BUT, the downside, is that the owner is so into the mechanical side of things that he's not very concerned with the "fluff". Sadly, you'll find very few women's clothes in the shop and the way he orders accessories is kind of...spotty (actually it drives me crazy!).

No bakery, no chocolate...although we DO brew a pretty nice cup o' Chris King coffee on cold mornings. :cool:

Re Perfection Cyclery... I've had 2 tune-ups (paid using gift certificates) at Perfection, and each time they've created problems which weren't there to start with. And each time, I took the bike to another shop to get the problem fixed. Maybe since I'm not a double century or racer type George (the owner) can't be bothered to take my bike seriously :mad:.

How about a bike shop for the "enthusiast" cyclist? Riders somewhere between "riding the bike path twice a year" and Cat 1 racers. A shop which doesn't allow their clueless teenage interns to work on your $3k bike, at least not without guidance. A shop where the good mechanics don't all have attention deficit disorder. Ok, I'm dreaming.

I was hoping you'd chime in with your experiences there. I've only been in to talk and buy parts. What did they mess up?

Thom is taking my tire with the broken spoke there tomorrow.

V.

What did Perfection "mess up"? Both times the derailleurs had been working fine (or mostly fine) going in, yet upon return were slipping and noisy. And one time the bike was in for an overhaul, yet I really had to wonder if they'd done much of anything when I got it back.

George is a nice guy, though. And friendly. And does actually seem to engage with customers as fellow cyclists. And the mechanic, whose name I can't remember, seems knowledgeable. I think it's just that they don't "focus" on their tasks fully in meeting their 24 hour turnarounds, which is their own self-imposed schedule.

But all mechanics love wheel-building :). You should be fine getting the spoke replaced.

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Originally Posted by aka_kim

How about a bike shop for the "enthusiast" cyclist? Riders somewhere between "riding the bike path twice a year" and Cat 1 racers. A shop which doesn't allow their clueless teenage interns to work on your $3k bike, at least not without guidance. A shop where the good mechanics don't all have attention deficit disorder. Ok, I'm dreaming.

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Bicycle Outfitter in Los Altos. But no bakeshop nearby, that I know of ... :(

How about this? Happy Trails / Cool Beans. The old "two birds with one stone" trick :).

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Originally Posted by nuthatch

Hey, Pedalfaster, can I bring my bike to your shop? :D

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DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that shop in the first post is a perfect reason why people have turned to the internet! JERKS! (the shop, not the shoppers!)

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Originally Posted by aka_kim

How about this? Happy Trails / Cool Beans. The old "two birds with one stone" trick :).

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Perfect! :) Love the train car.

In Bend, one of the bike shops shares a parking lot with a fly shop and a yarn shop, and is a short walk from Ray's Market, where the pastry chef makes scrumptious deserts and is a fellow Litespeed owner. We're in heaven there.

We might need to start a thread of the shops that can offer double the value for a visit. Can I have a macaroon with that tune-up?

Hey... not far from Bicycle Outfitters (it may be in the same strip mall, but I'm not sure... it's on the northwest corner of Foothill and Magdalena) there's a shop that makes blintzes. I've never been to it, but they're supposed to be divine.

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Originally Posted by slinkedog

Hey... not far from Bicycle Outfitters (it may be in the same strip mall, but I'm not sure... it's on the northwest corner of Foothill and Magdalena) there's a shop that makes blintzes. I've never been to it, but they're supposed to be divine.

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Mmmm blintzes.. :rolleyes: Uh oh! I think I just gained a few pounds thinking of it. :P :)

Mel

THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!! You ladies rock!

Yesterday I walked into a one of last shops left in my area without driving 30 miles into the city. I started a conversation, not knowing it was the manager, because I've been researching and plan to purchase a bike in the coming months. He answered my questions, but when I'm having a conversation with someone I always look them straight in the eyes. This guy walked all over the store arranging items and got on store Mac. Was is that I wasn't spending money immediately? Maybe it was my weight ? Or was it my race/skin color? :confused:

I receive better customer service at my local library. I wish their competitor had not gone out of business last month.

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Originally Posted by JesTutripup

Was is that I wasn't spending money immediately? Maybe it was my weight ? Or was it my race/skin color?

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I just finished my new bike shopping and made my decision (picked it up last Friday!) Even with money to spend, I still did not get the attention I thought I deserved. Fortunately, the brand of bike I decided to buy happened to be sold by the bike shop that was the most supportive. They actually seemed to take a female,fat,forty-something seriously, if you can believe that! I figured out during the shopping process that I was going to just accept the bike shop if they had the particular bike I wanted. Bikes aren't like a gallon of milk; there isn't an infinite choice of locations to buy one. Keep your chin up and don't let them intimidate you. :)

I love my LBS. The guys are great and treated me courteously from the first day I walked in, even though I am pushing 50, had never been on a bike and had lots of questions. Turns out they were smart because I've spent a chunk of change with them! I think they think it's kind of neat and funny that I'm so into cycling now--not their typical customer by any means. They really look out for me, wave and call me by name when I walk in, etc. Could it just be a Southern thang? :)

P.S. And so far, no issues with service after the sale. Very concerned with getting the adjustments just right.

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Originally Posted by Veronica

It's a bit of a hike Sarah, but I've been pretty happy with Perfection Cyclery in Walnut Creek.

V.

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Isn't Concord near Walnut Creek?
I have family there in Concord. I have only visited the area once as a teen. It was really nice. I remember hearing of Walnut Creek while I was there. Also had my late Great Uncle up at Clear lake (at the point of the lake) Learned to waterski first time. Sorry...just brought back some fun memories. Maybe I can get out there again someday.

JesTutripup asks "Was is that I wasn't spending money immediately? Maybe it was my weight ? Or was it my race/skin color? :confused:"

maybe they are to dumb to figure out that your money is the same color as anyone else :cool:

Re my favorite bike shop- I got my Jamis Quest at Performance Bicycle in Walnut Creek. What I like about them is they give free tune-ups FOREVER to anyone who purchases a bike with them. Whenever I get ready to do a century I take it into them for a check up. Lots of times I have to go in before the shop opens and they have been quite accommodating on that score also.

Believe it or not, when I first got my bike in August 2003, although they gave me tons of attention( it took me 3 hours with my partner Dave from the time we walked in until the bike was sold) and were really helpful, they didn't think I was going to make it! (This I heard a year later from one of the guys!!). Yet it was their support that made a difference for me when I first started riding. Smart people- I've spent a lot since that 1st evening!

The other part of this story is the manager of the shop and I have been on several rides together and we are talking about more rides in the future.

Kimsky- If you want the best of the best in mechanical support go to REI in Concord when Mick Weninger is working in the shop. (Call first as he works there part time) He rides in our club and is fabulous with bikes. He's been riding for about 20 years and does Diablo once a week plus everything else we do as a club in Benicia. AND he's the oldest guy in our club! Guess who's going over to his garage (club favor) to get some adjustments done for one of my Cinderella pal's bike tonight?! :D :D :D

If anybody takes this advice, be sure to tell Mick I sent you. He'll love the compliment! :) :) :) :)
Nancy

You ladies, or as the locals would say 'Yunz great'. I'm still searching, but with this lovely weather I've learned to love riding my LLBean/Schwinn Cruiser for the mean time.

I guess I'll be in better shape using the wider tires. :)

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Originally Posted by JesTutripup

THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!! You ladies rock!

Yesterday I walked into a one of last shops left in my area without driving 30 miles into the city. I started a conversation, not knowing it was the manager, because I've been researching and plan to purchase a bike in the coming months. He answered my questions, but when I'm having a conversation with someone I always look them straight in the eyes. This guy walked all over the store arranging items and got on store Mac. Was is that I wasn't spending money immediately? Maybe it was my weight ? Or was it my race/skin color? :confused:

I receive better customer service at my local library. I wish their competitor had not gone out of business last month.

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You might write them a letter telling them exactly what you told us. A) no matter their personal opinion of you is, you deserve the basic consideration of being treated like a customer, not a bother and B) he may not be aware of how he was treating you. I believe in the power of the written over in a case like this. It meant you cared enough and were bothered enough to actually sit down and Write them. It's sad they're the only ones left and sadder that they treat people like that.
Corsair "thanks the Gods my LBS is AWESOME" Mac