Bad Bike Shop Experience - Long

[alpinerabbit]

the skill level obviously sucks but +1 to smilingcat on the porn. Let them. You can be strong enough a woman not to be affected by this and with wrenches, I guess it's kind of the culture.

[lauraelmore1033]

It's good to know about the change in quality of service. I had a really good experience with them 3 years ago after an emergency on the trail. I had been referring others to them (since I am not in the area), but maybe I won't any more.

I don't consider myself a prude by any means, but I tend to feel explicity unwelcome when displays of gratuitous female nudity are made in a business. I don't need to drop any dollars in a place where I am not welcome...

Of course, now that we have the pasty clad stripper-in-a-box esspresso stands on every corner, I can feel unwelcome in my own neighborhood

[lunacycles]

welcome to the dark underbelly of the bike industry. so sorry it was in such plain view.

[sgtiger]

Kfergos, sorry you had such a miserable experience. I was never really impressed with their service and selection, and that was for the little things.

Mimi, the ski and bike thing is not that unusual. I think there's at least a couple more in the Seattle area. Business slows down in the colder rainier months for bike shops, so it's a way for them to have a steadier income stream. They tend to focus more on sales than servicing equipment though.

[malaholic]

Sorry to hear you had such a horrible (and offensive!) experience. I'm more familiar with shops on the Eastside which may be a little out of the way for you, but +1 on Sammamish Cycle in Redmond; they've always been really good to work with. Gerks Alpine Hut, also in Redmond, has also had really helpful & friendly mechanics every time I've been in; they're a smaller shop but they've given me quick brake or derailleur adjustments no charge, so I try to buy stuff from them whenever they carry whatever it is I'm looking for.