Grrrr, why do they always assume?

[boy in a kilt]

Dex, did you know you look a little like DJ Irene in your avatar?

[dex]

Dex, did you know you look a little like DJ Irene in your avatar?

Heh. I'd never noticed, but now that you've mentioned it, I see it. (That's awesome, because the only celeb-type comparison I've ever gotten in the past is Margaret Cho.)

[Kimmyt]

wait, dex, is that your real hair?

If so, AWESOME

[dex]

wait, dex, is that your real hair?

Real hair, yes. Natural color, no.

[Duck on Wheels]

I once got respect in a bike shop just for walking in with my spd shoes aaaaand ... Impeach Bush bike socks. Had a long conversation with them about where to get the socks and how many they should stock. Also a conversation about exchanging my comfort bike for a flatbar road bike, now that I'd outdone myself by doing 42 miles of the Cindy on the "old grey mare" and was ready to move up to something real. Maybe I'm thick-skinned, but I didn't feel like they dissed me, and I was not only middle-aged, female and overweight, but actually came in on a big clunky comfortbike. So I guess some shops treat people right. Which I guess is why we come back and actually shop there.

[sundial]

I once got respect in a bike shop just for walking in with my spd shoes aaaaand ... Impeach Bush bike socks.

Around here it would be I Miss Bill socks.

[Irulan]

I once got respect in a bike shop just for walking in with my spd shoes aaaaand ... Impeach Bush bike socks.

where did you get those?

It's much more productive to have a nice chat with the manager than to walk out annoyed and never go back. While the chances are 50-50 that the manager will "get it", IMNSHO it's worth it to try and do a little gentle education.

As a small business owner myself, I'd rather know where I've got room for improvement, or where my employees need to improve, than to have people go out and talk negatively about my business.

[onimity]

Wow, you ladies make me feel really lucky!

From the moment I walked into my LBS they listened to what *I* wanted and treated me with respect. They always encourage (and teach) me to fix things myself.

I first went in there a little over a year ago, my previous MTB had been stolen years before but it kind of turned me off on bikes, never fit well, heavy, chain always dropped. So I told the guy at the LBS that I wanted a hybrid (with the intent of taking it around town & on some easy trails). I was mostly looking to get used to riding a bike again before riding the "World's most dangerous road" in Bolivia. He told me that he would suggest a (similarly priced) MTB, because I could always put slicks on it if city riding was my thing, but it would increase the range of trails open to me. Then he went on: and you can always put racks and fenders on it if you want to start commuting on it...come in for our free maintenance class next week & learn to change a flat...they fit the bike to me really well & while I initially laughed at the commuting thing I was back there in a few months for the rack. And he was right about the versatility...I quickly became hooked on MTBing.

Now I am planning my first long solo touring trip and they are *so* helpful. The mechanic is helping me learn how to repair the most likely things to break and they are full of good advice even suggesting products they don't carry in some cases over products they do. They are going to let me bring an old bike in to work on it in their shop (myself) so I can ask questions when I have them. (they have a workstand and tools set up for the public) Of course I buy almost all of my bike gear from them because I really love their supportive attitude & respect.

So sorry that so many of you have been treated poorly by your LBSs, you'd think that they'd get out of the stone age sooner or later! I know the feeling though, I teach highly technical engineering courses & look a fair amount younger than I am; I get everything from skeptical looks to 'YOU are teaching THIS course?!?' Um, yea. Sometimes you just have to bite your tongue and show people that genitalia doesn't figure into intelligence or capability for abstract thought. But then again, those people are paying me! I'd have a hard time giving my LBS any business if they copped that sort of attitude.

Anne