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

Hello new friends. I was away this past weekend in a bigger city and I checked out their LBS. Holy cow, was it fantastic compared to mine. Now, I know LBS's all differ but I thought it could be a neat thread to discuss the differences.

I was wondering what is your favorite LBS feature(s) and what is not so good about the ones you have visited.

I don't have a ton of experience in my local LBS, but they are okay so far. There is another one about 20 minutes away I want to check out.

The shop I visited in the city was called Twenty20cycling in Baltimore. http://www.twenty20cycling.com/ A big plus was they had the TDF on a huge screen in the rear of the store. ;)

I don't frequent bike shops as much as I used to, but for me it all comes down to people. No one shop is going to carry every product or brand that I want, so while it is nice to walk into a shop that offers a lot of product, it's not going to make or break my experience if they're a small shop that offers a more limited selection (although it may mean that I don't buy anything because they don't have what I want). I want to walk into a shop where it's clear that the people working there are really bike people. They love to ride and they love bikes. They know bikes, as well as the ins and outs of the various ways in which people ride bikes, well enough that they aren't just parroting whatever a sales rep told them. And if they don't know something off the top of their head, they look it up rather than feed me some BS answer. Their natural enthusiam for the sport shows.

My least favorite store in town is also the biggest. They have a lot of product. When I go into the store, it's a highly impersonal experience. I struggle to even get waited on and when I do, it's usually by somebody who doesn't know what they're talking about and/or is just trying to sell me something; something that may not be the best choice for me.

I had a very frustrating experience last year trying to get a salewoman to understand that Trek's so-called WSD mountain bikes (or at least the particular ones that I was looking at) are no different geometry-wise from their unisex equivalents. Please know your product. The last time I visited, I tried on a couple of pairs of MTB shoes, one of which sort of fit but not as ideally as I wanted. When I told him that I was going to keep looking, he very arrogantly said that he doubted I'd find anything else at any of the other local shops. Really? Please. They carry Bontrager and SIDI; those are hardly the only two brands out there. At my favorite shop in town, they would have encouraged me to shop elsewhere because I think they really do look out for my best interests.

I am a floozy when it comes to the LBS scene. I flit from one to another. Never really happy with just one. They all bring something different to the scene, but not one is the ONE. And the not so local LBS's are always better. Sigh.
I do have a thing for the wrenches at one LBS... They always know what I need. BUt try to find the right BIKE at an LBS? Oh, that is true suffering.
S

I really don't buy much bike stuff in brick-and-mortar stores. I've been treated poorly too many times. There's a LBS nearby that's under new management, and I love the customer service there. The owner is just a really nice guy who's happy to discuss bike stuff with me, but without ramming his opinion down my throat. As a result, I try to buy stuff from him when he has something I need, even if I can get it cheaper elsewhere. In the end, it really is about the people, not the products.

My favorite LBS for repairs is in my basement :D

I've said my piece about my current LBS already in its own thread, but will reiterate here that IMO, Indysteel nailed it. It comes down to the people. I have been trying to give my LBS more chances because I don't want to dismiss it due to (mainly) a single salesperson. I try to just avoid her when I go in. I'm getting to know some of the others there, and having that more personal interaction helps. In fact, the last time I was in, I needed something that they didn't carry, but they were super helpful about ordering it for me and talking about it before the fact. Truth be told, I could have ordered it online more cheaply, but the effort they put into the transaction made me willing to pay the little extra. I'm trying to give them a second chance.

My old LBS, before I took a break from cycling, was awesome. They really treated their customers well and I felt a familiarity with them that I never will with my current LBS. Many people said that about them... from the novice to the serious rider. They treated everyone with respect and they knew their stuff inside and out. I also rode with them, though. Not all of them, as they had a some very serious racers. In fact, one of the guys, who was, I believe a Cat 2, taught me how to do a track stand in their parking lot. We were just chatting and I said something about not being able to. Since I had my gear, and it was slow at the shop, he came outside and taught me. And did so without making me feel foolish. What an amazing shop!! Amazing people, really. It is closed now. :( But it was things like that that made me LOVE my LBS.

My LBS is rated really highly by locals and in magazines and I do understand why. They are very knowledgable and have great stock and great policies about trying bikes and getting the fit right. But I do think there is a hole in their store for women. They don't have any women that work at my location (there is one at another store I believe) and you can tell they don't feel as knowledgable about the WSD bikes. They also carry almost no clothing or gear for women - especially compared to the men's selection.

I can understand all the reasons, I am in the retail business myself, but at the same time I have been in the stores dozens of times and have NEVER been the only female customer there. To me that says that the cycling community here has a lot of women. So having such a gap in your knowledge and selection in frustrating.

In the end I have gotten very good service there. I just have to work a little bit harder to get it (and be more prepared) than my husband does.

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Originally Posted by Anyabeth

My LBS is rated really highly by locals and in magazines and I do understand why. They are very knowledgable and have great stock and great policies about trying bikes and getting the fit right. But I do think there is a hole in their store for women. They don't have any women that work at my location (there is one at another store I believe) and you can tell they don't feel as knowledgable about the WSD bikes. They also carry almost no clothing or gear for women - especially compared to the men's selection.

I can understand all the reasons, I am in the retail business myself, but at the same time I have been in the stores dozens of times and have NEVER been the only female customer there. To me that says that the cycling community here has a lot of women. So having such a gap in your knowledge and selection in frustrating.

In the end I have gotten very good service there. I just have to work a little bit harder to get it (and be more prepared) than my husband does.

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I don't disagree that a lot of shops don't understand the WSD product they carry and/or carry less of a selection for women, BUT some of the worst service I've gotten is from sales women who didn't understand what a particular manufacturer's "WSD" label means. It sometimes means very little, and yet they insist that it does.

This is my take after buying a number bikes: Somebody either understands bike fit or they don't. There are only a few fit issues that I see as being absolutely specific to women. We come in all shapes, sizes and proportions. WSD is just a starting point when it comes to fitting a bike to a woman. You don't have to be a woman to get that, nor does being a woman guarantee that you do. There are plenty of men who deviate from the norm enough that they could benefit from a fitting with someone who isn't going to make any fit assumptions based solely on gender. The same applies to women.

I'm not saying that your bike shop does or doesn't get bike fit, but I would suggest that it's not necessariliy a gender issue if they don't.

Having moved around a lot since I bought my bike, I have a string of LBSes:
LBS 1 (where I bought the bike): I really liked the owner. Excellent customer service, and he didn't treat me like I was an idiot. He probably should have caught that the bike was too big, but I take responsibility for that too.

LBS 2: I only had one thing done there (tune-up). Never went there again. Owner rubbed me the wrong way. Decent selection of clothing.

LBS 3: Local chain. I really don't know how to feel about these guys. I like the wrench/fitter at one location, and the manager and one of the wrenches at another. They've got good people and I trust them with my bike, and are the only store in the region that carries Specialized (one of my choices for the next bike), but overall they feel a little too slick and corporate until you really get to know them, then they're awesome. I haven't quite figured out how they're consistently highly rated, though.

LBS 4: Nice guys, not terribly busy, but they really cater more to BMX and mountain bikers.

"L"BS 5: I work here. I really like the people I work with. I've never asked them to fix my bike, but they're knowledgeable and awesome.
Indy, sometimes I think they just get stuck in some rut, in regard to the WSD bikes. I did yesterday. It was slightly embarrassing, because I should know better. :o

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Originally Posted by indysteel

I don't disagree that a lot of shops don't understand the WSD product they carry and/or carry less of a selection for women, BUT some of the worst service I've gotten is from sales women who didn't understand what a particular manufacturer's "WSD" label means. It sometimes means very little, and yet they insist that it does.

This is my take after buying a number bikes: Somebody either understands bike fit or they don't. There are only a few fit issues that I see as being absolutely specific to women. We come in all shapes, sizes and proportions. WSD is just a starting point when it comes to fitting a bike to a woman. You don't have to be a woman to get that, nor does being a woman guarantee that you do. There are plenty of men who deviate from the norm enough that they could benefit from a fitting with someone who isn't going to make any fit assumptions based solely on gender. The same applies to women.

I'm not saying that your bike shop does or doesn't get bike fit, but I would suggest that it's not necessariliy a gender issue if they don't.

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My issue wasn't actually with fit. I bought a WSD because of how tiny my hands are - I just didn't feel safe breaking on the unisex styles - but I certainly tried them. But it was annoying to me that once it became obvious the WSD was right for me (and the shop agreed) they seemed a little lost. They didn't really know the differences between models or really have an opinion. I get why, the other bikes they have ridden and tested, but it was still annoying.

Perhaps female sales people wouldn't solve this problem. But it seems natural to me that a woman would be more inclined to have knowledge about WSD. It is unfortunate that some one would push you into a WSD if that isn't right for you though.

This is interesting, not least because my incoming bike is from a bike shop that I'd never used before (well not for bikes).

LBS1 - very local, my first bike came from there, but I never really felt much of a connection with the staff. I think their main target market is youth and mens road bikes.

LBS2 - rather less local, but hugely female and family-friendly. Go out of their way to help, and won't sell us something that isn't right. We've spent a lot of money there. On the negative side, it's too far/hilly to ride a bike there, and I can't always fit a bike into my car. They help us with that though by offering a collect/deliver service which is great for getting all the bikes serviced at the same time.

LBS3 - actually a hardware store with a bike shed out the back, within easy walking/riding/pushing distance. I knew they were a Dawes dealer so went to see if they had the mixte I wanted. They did. I had a test ride of a similar model (the mixte had cream tyres, it was raining...). They remembered the bike I liked when I went back in to put the deposit down 3 weeks later, and I get to pick it up on Friday (their wrench is part-time with another store). And their price was better than anywhere online, even with the various online sales. So we'll see, so far so good. I think there's a lot to be said for a good bike shop within walking distance.

I'm committed to shopping locally whenever I can, I really don't want to see bike shops disappearing from our High Streets. In return for that I expect good levels of service, stock and friendliness and I don't mind travelling a short distance (probably up to 45minutes).

Walked into one LBS and asked if they had any FSA Chainrings in stock.......the worker had no clue what chainrings were....doh


Fraser Bicycle ROCKS!!!! Drive 30 minutes out of my way even when their is a shop 1/2 mile from me. Melissa has been working with their Specialized dealer on locating me a 2012 Amira from possibly another bike shop since Specialized is sold out waiting on 2013s. She spent an hour with me last Friday on getting me sized and letting me test ride bikes. Answered my 1000 questions. She even calls me to give me updates on the search. Awesome bike shop. They have a training coach and performance lab etc. Great shop.

I've never really liked any LBS I've gone to. They've all been patronizing in some way. Even the women wrenches, managers, etc.
That said, I've bought all 5 of my various bikes at 4 different stores and each one had its own "style." I don't buy clothing at LBSs because none carry my size. I do pay full price for some of my cycling clothes, but I know, for example, Terry or TE will always have my size in pretty much anything I am looking for. I have bought 5 pairs of cycling shoes, the last 2 in the LBS.
As far wrenching, my DH does all of the work and he buys the parts wherever he can get what he needs, cheaply, which means on line. Occasionally, he'll run up to one of the 2 very local shops to buy a tube or something, but generally we have an inventory of things, like cleat covers to always be prepared when we need something. I also buy my gloves at one of the local shops, as there is price fixing on that brand/style and you can't get them on sale anywhere...

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Originally Posted by Anyabeth

My issue wasn't actually with fit. I bought a WSD because of how tiny my hands are - I just didn't feel safe breaking on the unisex styles - but I certainly tried them. But it was annoying to me that once it became obvious the WSD was right for me (and the shop agreed) they seemed a little lost. They didn't really know the differences between models or really have an opinion. I get why, the other bikes they have ridden and tested, but it was still annoying.

Perhaps female sales people wouldn't solve this problem. But it seems natural to me that a woman would be more inclined to have knowledge about WSD. It is unfortunate that some one would push you into a WSD if that isn't right for you though.

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I'm not sure what bike you have, but most brake levers--on "WSD" bikes and unisex bikes--can be adjusted to fit small hands. If a particular model can't be so adjusted, a good shop will offer to swap out the part for something that works. IMO, the reach to the brake levers, in and of itself, shouldn't have dictated a WSD bike for you. And if that's the only issue your shop considered in fitting you, then it would make me wonder about them. And if they also don't know that brake levers can often be adjusted, I would further wonder about them. That's pretty basic stuff.

I'll be honest that I often cringe when I hear the term WSD. I'm glad manufacturers are making bikes that address certain issues a lot of women have (for instance many need narrower bars than what you'll find on a unisex bike) and that they're making smaller sizes. But in so doing, they and the shops that carry them sometimes obscure the bigger fit issues that need to be addressed when someone is choosing a bike. Bars can be swapped, but if a frame is too small for somebody, it's too small.

I'm sorry; I'm coming off as combative here, and I'm not trying to direct that at you. Some shops and their limited understanding of what the term WSD means and doesn't mean really irk me. It all comes down to training--of both men and women salespeople, the patience to educate their customers and a willingness to offer some parts swaps if it would help a woman (or a man for that matter) buy the best fitting bike they can and not just the one with the right "label." I'd love to see more women working in bike shopes, but they do me little good if they're not adequately trained or vested enough in what they do to learn more about bikes than their own personal experience with them dictates.

I'd add that all but two of my bikes are labeled WSD. Two of them have somewhat different geometry from their unisex counterparts; most notably a lower standover for my short legs. The other is just a prettier color IMO; I could have gone either way. Ironically, one of the non WSD bikes that I own was sold to me by a woman. It doesn't fit as well as the WSD would have, but she never mentioned it to me as an option (and it was my first bike). When I called to ask her about it after the sale she said--and I quote--"it sounds like you know more about the bike than I do." Sigh....

I have noticed a lot of people are reactive to the term WSD. Honestly, I think this shop would have preferred I buy a unisex bike so they weren't marketing it. I could have swapped out the bars and had everything reconfigured and if I had found the bike to be SO different and obviously more comfortable than I probably would have. But honestly they felt very similar and the WSD felt more comfortable so I went there. Maybe when I am more experienced I will understand better WHY that was and find better fits but . . .I do have a body type that fits bikes well and I am 5'7" and short legged for a woman with long arms. So a lot of bikes fit me well. Not having to swap out the bars and the saddle and reconfigure everything before I could even really ride the bike was easier for me.

I should be clear that I really wouldn't want a female bike shop employee just so that they could hire a woman. I would hope that she would be just as knowledgable and informed as her co-workers. A BIKE person. But one with a different perspective than the men - like we find here on TE. It doesn't sound like that is others' experiences though.

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

I'm a hybrid between mens and womens 'specific' styles!

Must be a mutant...:)

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I won't tell anyone.... :p

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.

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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.