LBS - love them or hate them?

[jaydee]

Not too sure what bacon means - so I haven't voted. I definitely don't love the LBS's that are around. We are spoilt here because we do have a lot of bike shops, but none of them have me as a loyal customer.

I wish I could go into one and feel that I was being treated honestly rather than simply as 'money'. I realize that this is partly my fault because I do not know a huge amount about bikes and probably ask some silly questions. But I would like to be told an honest answer rather than being sold something that isn't quite right.

I took my lovely Giant back to the shop I bought it from for it's first service and really doubt that any work at all was done as the brakes nor gears were adjusted. But I have no proof of that. Similarly, I have bought gear from one shop after being told that this is the latest/best/most suitable etc etc to find that another shop tells me I should have something different.

So I am still looking, and hoping that one day I will find a shop that I can walk into and not be made to feel an idiot.

[Irulan]

The Bacon thing is a joke. "Always vote for Bacon". It has no relevance to the rest of the poll, unless you love bacon.

[crazycanuck]

Hey Jaydee, you can always ask on the BNA forum about reputable bike shops in Canberra!

[SadieKate]

Bacon, bacon, bacon.

The shops here like everywhere are all over the spectrum and each have their specialty. Very, very happy with the new LBS we use for mtb stuff. Not so happy with the LBS we thought would be best for road bikes. It seems that if you aren't Chris Horner, you fall through the cracks.

Still try to do most of our own wrenching but we like to know if there is a good mechanic for when we're just overwhelmed with projects or just feeling too lazy to figure out how to bleed a 3rd brand of hydraulic brakes. I think my newest mtb is smarter than I am . . . but it shore works good.

[Miranda]

The Bacon thing is a joke. "Always vote for Bacon". It has no relevance to the rest of the poll, unless you love bacon.

Thx Irulan for the clarification.

Every forum I think has it's own term for this choice in polls. But, I REALLY thought on this it meant a couple things (considering my earlier post, and hate the lbs, if we use the title as a yes or no poll question)...

"Bacon" comes from the pig animal. Umm, couple ways to spin that in my lbs view...

Option #1
LBS = Pigs

Old saying... "If you can get the milk for free, why buy the cow?" (normally a man saying about a woman in terms of sex and marriage, or not). Or fair turn about of the sexes I've heard...
A woman may realize... "to get a little sauage, you don't need to buy a whole pig"... (care for the pigs filthy ways, feed it, listen to it groan, etc.... nope, just the meat benefit)

which "bacon" comes from a pig... so does sauage... and ummm, "sauage" refers to male genitalia... so THAT could define lbs too...

Option #2
LBS = ****s (I think you get the idea)

[Serendipity]

Love my LBS!

When I first walked in around 10 years ago, they were very patient with me - answered all my questions every time I went there, and fit me with a bike that I still love all these years later.
Learned SSSSOOO much about bikes and cycling from them - actually from one of the guys in particular.
Over the ensuing years, have purchased four bikes, had many tuneups done and bought innumerable accessories. Probably could find any of those at a lower price somewhere but I learn something every time I go there.

[7rider]

With thanks (or blame) to the folks at MORE:

BACON!

BTW...I voted "love my shop"

[Zen]

I love my LBS more than bacon.
But bacon is tasty...hmmm...

[Mr. Bloom]

SilverMom is coming next week...that means loads of Bacon every morning!

The only time we have Bacon is when she's around.

SilverSon and I bloat up like Augustus Gloop in Willy Wonka!


Oh yeah! Thumbs up to LBS!