LBS vs discount prices

[Tri Girl]

You're not crazy, Deb. My bike shop feeds a lot of employee's families, so I shop there most often. Plus- if he goes out of business- I'm screwed because it's the only shop in the city that I truly trust.
Now, I DID just buy a new cassette online because it was about $80 cheaper than the bike shop, and I bought tires online because my shop doesn't sell them and said he probably couldn't order them . Other than a few random things, I buy mostly from him.
Supporting our local shops not only helps small business owners, it helps your local economy. I'm all about that!!!

[Aggie_Ama]

I buy from the LBS and it has paid off. I hadn't bought a bike from them but this summer when I bought my mountain bike they ordered and expensive model they do not stock and required no deposit or obligation to buy. This gave me a lot of piece of mind and since I ride a small size it is not something they could sell easily. I also get a lot of small labor for free and discounted labor. I could get things cheaper online but having a good relationship with the LBS never hurts.

Now I don't go there for clothes but they don't stock a lot of women's clothing I like.

[MartianDestiny]

No you aren't crazy.

Occasionally I will buy something online on an impulse. Normally because it's severely discounted (over 50% off).

When I need something or am saving for something I go to my local shop. By the time I factor in the added shipping cost + some value for my time and headache to get it all working (assuming it's parts) + the 15% discount off everything in the shop (club discount) the shop isn't any more expensive. Plus they are awesome people and my bike always runs flawlessly (something I doubt I could achieve myself).

The last thing I bought online (and the only thing this year, excepting some shorts I got from REIoutlet at an absurd deal) was actually 2 TE jerseys, because I liked them and obviously I wasn't going to get them at the local shop. Everything else has been ordered through the local guys. I haven't felt like I've been had or could have gotten it ridiculously cheaper somewhere else yet.

[blackhillsbiker]

He did tweak my stem height, and give her a "mini tune-up" while he had her there to put the fenders on. I'm worried about all our local favorite shops. They can't deeply discount like the big box stores do, but they know their customers and merchandise. Their expertise can't be replaced. I'm afraid we're losing them to better prices and less service/knowledge.

Deb

[KnottedYet]

I love my LBS. I'll usually look for stuff online, window shopping. Then I go to the LBS to buy it. If they don't have it, I ask them to order it for me. A couple times they've said they couldn't get me something, but they've offered something else which made me just as happy.

I don't mind the wait for ordered things; since I'd be waiting if I ordered them myself anyway. I don't mind paying a bit more because their economic survival is important to me. They get to make a profit, I get my goodie, and if I have a problem with the item they help me.

And I give them beer...

Feel the love!

[redrhodie]

I love my LBS. I'll usually look for stuff online, window shopping. Then I go to the LBS to buy it. If they don't have it, I ask them to order it for me. A couple times they've said they couldn't get me something, but they've offered something else which made me just as happy.

I don't mind the wait for ordered things; since I'd be waiting if I ordered them myself anyway. I don't mind paying a bit more because their economic survival is important to me. They get to make a profit, I get my goodie, and if I have a problem with the item they help me.

And I give them beer...

Feel the love!

I could have written this post! I love my lbs.

[Crankin]

I guess I am the anomaly. I generally support local businesses and I did buy my bike at the local lbs (where I believe they scoped me out as someone who would pay the crazy amount of $ I spent on it). The shop caters mostly to racers, but they do carry a decent line of all type of Giant bikes, along with a lot of "boutique" brands. But, I buy everything else online. Well, I buy the clothes on line, since I won't spend $40.00 on a pair of gloves (the shop's price) or $150.00 for a jersey. I will spend good money, but pretty much, I started buying at Terry when I started cycling, because they carry my size (x small) and a lot of places don't. I also buy from TE.
DH buys all of his parts, our tubes, etc. on line. He is an expert mechanic and we don't have to go to the shop for usual and most complicated maintenance or repairs. We do go to the shop for emergency type supplies, a tube here and there, or when our disc brakes on the mountain bikes break, because we don't have tools for those. My DH had to learn the mechanics when our son was racing; it was getting financially prohibitive to bring the bike in every time he needed something, after crashes, etc.
Now, if I wasn't married to a mechanical genius, I would work really hard to develop a good relationship with a shop mechanic. I feel that i was not treated that well by 2 of the 4 other shops I have dealt with, and they mostly spoke only to DH. The place I bought my Jamis was really cool, but it is not close enough for me to go there on a regular basis. I do run in to another LBS for small stuff, which is just as close as the one where I bought my bike. They are more family oriented, carry a wide variety of brands, and my son used to work there, so they know me well. But, the clothes are expensive and so are the parts.
We have referred quite a few people to the shop where we bought our bikes to buy bikes, and he will thank us, but that's about it.