LBS rant (SadieKate, please read)

[Mimosa]

Hi Indysteel,

I would also go by what the reviews say, not what the LBS says. It sounds to me like he doesn't know what he is talking about. I had the same situation over where I live. For my new bike I started looking for a good LBS around here. Some LBS stores just told me so much crap, it's like they were doing "let's tell this girl a whole bunch of crap because she can't tell the difference". Ha! With forums like this (love you girls) and those review sites I can get a prettuh good idea about what's crap and what's not. In the end I have 2 LBS stores, one local for the small stuff (bike gear) you occasionally need and one LBS further away for my bike. I gave the local guy the option to order me that bike but he wouldn't do that, his loss, I will spent my $3250 somewhere else where I can get what I want, even if I have to drive 45 minutes for it. The local guy wasn't pissed but he didn't really like it either because he thought I would never go to his shop anymore.

Can't you get you friend to go to another store (one you have super experiences with) for a second opinion??? Just to let her feel and see with her own eyes what the difference in LBS is?

[Bikingmomof3]

The bike store sounds a lot like my local one, which I refuse to spend money in. Their attitude is one of, "you did not buy your bike here, we will not help you, only tell you our beliefs". I found a lovely bike shop about 45 minuites away, not close, but wonderful.

Ignore what the owner says, he sounds like a jerk.

[btchance]

Belly buttons??? Ohoh, my potty mouth has gotten that part wrong all these years

me too!!

Also, go with your homework. You read up on the wheels, talked to people, so trust what you know, not what one guy at a LBS said (especially since he didn't treat you friend right either).

[indysteel]

After thinking about it more this weekend, I think I rubbed this guy the wrong way from the moment we met. After expressing some of my opinions about fit, I think he took the attitude that "this girl thinks she knows what she's talking about. Well, I'll show her...." What a little man to feel threatened by me.

I sometimes wonder whether I'm just "imagining things" when it comes to dealing with certain LBSs here in town, but your responses are consistent with my own experiences. I tend to think there are two basic mentalities among LBSs. There are those guys that think it's cool that you know something about bikes and that they want you to know more. They assume a positive role in your bike education. I can think of a couple of guys--the guy I bought my bike from and the guy that did my fitting--that fit into that category. They were great to work with, and I owe a lot of what I know to them.

Then there are those guys that think you have to know everything about bikes to know something. They further think that the average person is too dumb to figure it out without their help. That's a load of you-know-what. I appreciate their experience and acknowledge that they have a lot to teach me, but the truth is that bikes aren't rockets. They're actually fairly simple, mechanically speaking. That's why so many people successfully do their own wrenching. You don't need to work in a shop for 30 years to know a lot about bikes, especially with the wealth of internet resources that are out there.

My friend did buy the bike and rode it a couple of times this weekend. So far so good. I hope it fits her and serves her well. I'm not sure he spent enough time with her to make sure the bike is the right size, but she seems happy and comfortable on it. And unlike this guy, I'm not interested in spoiling her fun.

[Offthegrid]

There are shops that will treat you nice even though you didn't buy your bike there. AllezGirl's LBS double checked my fit, measured my bike, ordered me new parts and spent hours installing them for only $40 labor. But I also spent more than $400 on parts and accessories and would recommend them to anyone.

I was convinced my stem was too short, but it was actually the saddle that was bothering me. I was always trying to push myself farther back on the seat, and I equated that to the stem being too short. Shop could have profited by selling me a stem, but said it was the perfect size for me and didn't pressure me to buy a new saddle (although I did). With the new saddle, the top tube/stem feels dead on.

You'll have the last laugh by not going back there and not recommending the shop to others.

[IFjane]

Indy - Regarding the way the guy "fit" your friend to her bike - I had a similar experience with my own LBS when I bought my old road bike. Knowing little or nothing about fit, I trusted the guy at the shop. He checked my standover, eyeballed my knee/toe alignment & asked if, when in the drops, I could see the front hub. That's it. At first I loved the bike & it did take me many thousands of miles, but eventually I began to have chronic aches and pains that were later attributed to the too-long TOP TUBE. Eventually I found a bike shop I love - it is almost 60 miles from my house but I will not go anywhere else again! I now have a bike that fits, and the comfort that comes from knowing that the people I now work with know what they are talking about (the owner of my LBS also wrenches for the Ironman series).

[light_sabe_r]

The solution to this quandry is simple.

Scout your LBSs for women staff. (no I'm not being sexist, It's coming from experience here)

I seriously lucked out when purchasing my road bike, I got a guy first who was a bit OVER my desires in what I wanted in my road shoes... then the girl who'd finished with her customer interupted him and kicked him away! I was really lucky cause she was a triathlete who had the same tastes in shoes I did. (The shimano's weren't our first choice, but the pearl Izumis were digging into the top of my foot I was sure I was getting a BLISTER after only 2mins of wearing them!)

So what If I bought the socks and other things with my road bike and shoes... She gave me such good service I'd happily go back there.

And the guys aren't all that bad either. ^_^ I'll be going back






Just depends on who you get. The girls tend to be better salespeople and actual riders themselves. The guys are riders too but the girls know all the problems we seem to have.
You're more likely to buy more with a woman sales rep but I think it's worth it for the levels of service.

But yeah indysteel, Just because you're not a man doesn't mean you can't research. Just let all your riding friends know who he was and what shop he was at. Word of mouth is by FAR the best advertising. And if you let them know then then the chances of them shopping there drop considerably.

[spokewench]

The bike store sounds a lot like my local one, which I refuse to spend money in. Their attitude is one of, "you did not buy your bike here, we will not help you, only tell you our beliefs". I found a lovely bike shop about 45 minuites away, not close, but wonderful.

Ignore what the owner says, he sounds like a jerk.

I JUST dont understand why LBS take the attitude if you didn't buy your bike there, they won't help you???

They don't make that much money selling a bike - they do make a bunch of money doing repairs (MOST) and selling bike clothes, shoes, etc. They are just BAD Business People!

[stacie]

I can't begin to tell you how many people told me what an idiot I was for buying my custom bike. I'll admit to being really nervous and questioning my decision after I had made it. Then she arrived. The finest bike I've ever thrown my leg over. You did the research and you bought what was right for you. This guy is upset that you didn't buy from him. Some people will just try to spoil it. Haven't you ever been to a new hairdresser and they say, "My word, poor dear. Who has been doing this to you?" They just want you to feel like they can fix you and everyone else is the enemy. Ride those wheels girl. You're gonna sweat it until they arrive. But they'll be great. stacie