LBS vs discount prices

[Cataboo]

oh yeah? What about the time you need a bolt for your crank and Brian knew exactly what it was and gave it to you for free? Huh? Huh?

That was after he sold me the wrong spoke wrench despite telling him which brand of wheels I have (there's a shimano specific tool)

But that's why I bought a $70 free hub from Brian instead of getting it online.

[ny biker]

I prefer to buy stuff at my LBS whenever I can. Their service is great so I want to support them. I'm pretty sure the owners are not rich. They're a married couple with 2 kids who are very active in the day-to-day management of the their 2 stores, and they opened them because they love cycling. They also are hugely supportive of cycling in the community, including sponsorship of Trips for Kids Metro DC as well as local races and charity rides.

There are plenty of bike shops that are closer to where I live, but they're worth a bit of a drive.

My second favorite place to shop is Team Estrogen, because they also have great service.

[Owlie]

The LBS at home is not somewhere I'd want to spend money, at least, not at the particular store I went to. I went when I was trying to decide between the road bike and a hybrid. The guy looked me up and down and dragged out the hybrid. Yeah.

[zia]

I want to like my LBS, but when their prices on accessories are !twice! what I'd pay online, it's difficult to justify shopping there. So I travel two towns over to a place with better prices. And less slimey salespeople. So I guess I'm still shopping "local." Somewhat.

Still, I'd rather have my LBS on the corner than another nail salon or Chinese take-out place. They sponsor many rides and provide support at races. I think our community is better with them here than with them gone.

[Zen]

That was after he sold me the wrong spoke wrench despite telling him which brand of wheels I have (there's a shimano specific tool)

But there's more than one Shimano specific tool. Ammi rite?
I remember talking to him about that

[Cataboo]

But there's more than one Shimano specific tool. Ammi rite?
I remember talking to him about that

Only one shimano spoke wrench pops up when I google it made by diff brands. Park makes one, it does 4.3 and 4.4 mm. Shimano makes 1 model spoke wrench for their wheel. Nashbar makes 1 model.

Either way, I told them the exact wheel make and model I needed it for. I'm assuming a bike shop somewhere has a handy dandy chart saying which tool to use.

and that's why I usually go to Bike doctor & not bicycle escape when I need something - he did give me a crank bolt. and the bike escape guy when I was asking about riding in the area was telling me to ride baker park. He'd been asking me how much I ride and the rest of that, but maybe I looked too chubby for the mileage I told him I was doing? And while Baker park is nice, it's not something that I'd ride regularly for a workout.

[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.