LBS vs discount prices

[tulip]

I think there's a misconception about LBS. "Your LBS" does not have to the the closest bike shop to you. I consider any independent bike shop to be an LBS. I go to the ones that I like, not the ones that are closest to me. My favorite is Proteus in College Park, Maryland, but I don't get there much because I live 125 miles away. But if I were in the market for a new bike, I'd go there to get it. Unless I wanted a Surly, then I'd go to the shop nearest my house because they are a Surly dealer. I go there for tubes for my Luna. And I'm going to get my roof rack at another independent shop in town because they stock Thule racks.

The point is that small, independent shops cannot exist without customers.

[Cataboo]

I think there's a misconception about LBS. "Your LBS" does not have to the the closest bike shop to you. I consider any independent bike shop to be an LBS. I go to the ones that I like, not the ones that are closest to me. My favorite is Proteus in College Park, Maryland, but I don't get there much because I live 125 miles away. But if I were in the market for a new bike, I'd go there to get it. Unless I wanted a Surly, then I'd go to the shop nearest my house because they are a Surly dealer. I go there for tubes for my Luna. And I'm going to get my roof rack at another independent shop in town because they stock Thule racks.

The point is that small, independent shops cannot exist without customers.

If I'm in that area, I do grab odds and ends at Proteus.

[Trek420]

The point is that small, independent shops cannot exist without customers.

And our sport can't exist without them, their advice, support and help.

[Becky]

I'm assuming a bike shop somewhere has a handy dandy chart saying which tool to use.

If there's one out there, no one's showed it to me. Most of the time, we Google it or go to the manufacturer's webpage... The QBP catalog has some good advice on parts and tools as well.

[Cataboo]

If there's one out there, no one's showed it to me. Most of the time, we Google it or go to the manufacturer's webpage... The QBP catalog has some good advice on parts and tools as well.

Oh, I ended up googling it - I was just by the bike shop and figured that since none of the 6 spoke wrenches I had fit these wheels, I'd pop in to see if they had what fit. I figured shimano wheels weren't exactly a rarity or an unsual item. So they sold me some spoke wrench after I'd told them I needed the shimano one and none of mine fit - it didn't fit either, so I ended up buying one from nashbar or something like that.

[OakLeaf]

Most of the time, we Google it or go to the manufacturer's webpage...

Just put a caliper on the nipple. You're not always going to know what brand of spokes they used.