LBS woes

[Thorn]

I feel for you. Really I do. Around me there was a lovely bike shop, but they really catered to the hybrid crowd although they carried low-end road bikes. When I outgrew them I was at a loss. Given my proportions I knew my upgrade bike needed to be custom. That meant one shop in town.

I went in on a weekday so that I knew they wouldn't be busy. There were 4 sales guys sitting behind the counter.

Me: "I'd like to talk to someone about a custom Seven."
Sales Guy: "Why a Seven?"
Me: "Because I'm looking for a high-end bike and I don't have standard proportions. Long legs, short arms, too big for WSD." (while thinking...Dude, can't you see that 36" inseam and these stumpy arms?)
Sales Guy: "Have you looked at the Trek Pilot? It comes in pink."
Me: (swallowing explicatives..I've got a bike with 105) I'm looking for better componentry than that. (also thinking...Pink?!?!? Do I look even the least bit like a Pink?!?!?)

I walked out shortly there after totally depressed. That was the best option and they treated me like a little girl. I wrote a letter to the owner and was told in summary, "My sales guys are wonderful. Perhaps you should have considered that Trek Pilot." While the letter writing was cathartic, the result was less than. Still, do it. It does you good.

Long story short, I eventually found a good shop a little out of the way that sold custom steel. Two bikes later, we're now building DH's bike. Best part? All the quote and build questions are sent to me, not DH because they know I'm the techie cyclist in the family.

Hang in there. You'll find a shop. It may be a little farther, but it is out there.

[PinkBike]

i nearly spewed my starbucks-iced-venti-decaf-skinny-caramel-latte all over my monitor when i read the owner's response!! unbelievable.

[Jiffer]

Oo that got my blood boiling when he assumed you were looking for a pair of spinning shoes!

I can relate to your big feet problems, but in a different way. I also have size 10 feet, but mine are very narrow and I ALWAYS have trouble shoe shopping, especially for a sport where you need "snug" shoes. Went through this with snowboarding boots and should have known better when shopping for my first pair of cycling shoes. I actually started with men's shoes (can't remember the brand), then switched to Sidi's, but still men's because for some reason my husband was convinced I was the same length shoe he was and they didn't make that length in women's. So I got the men's in narrow.

I eventually figured out I am a shorter length than he thought and Sidi does make that length in women's. My feet are so much happier now that I have the right fit. YAY!!!

So, I'm sure you are right that you would fit well into men's shoes. Like one of the other posts, I also wonder if your bad experience at this shop might be limited to this one dorky guy. You might want to go in again and see if someone else will give you better service, and if you feel you aren't being treated well again, speak up. Ask to speak to the manager or owner.

When my husband got into cycling, a few years before me, he went to our closest LBS several times until he got tired of feeling like they were "all that" and he was "not". He felt like he had to be a racer for them to take him seriously. Sad for them, because he ended up finding another shop where we have both developed great relationships with the owner and employees and have spent a ridiculous amount of money there. I call the owner the pizza delivery boy, only he delivers bikes and bike parts instead of pizzas.

Anyway, like I said, you might want to try the shop again, since you don't have any other options in your area. See if another sales person will treat you better and complain if they don't.

[sundial]

Me: "I'd like to talk to someone about a custom Seven."
Sales Guy: "Why a Seven?"

Are they still in business?? They could have made more $$$ on a sale of a Seven than the Pilot.

[Thorn]

Are they still in business?? They could have made more $$$ on a sale of a Seven than the Pilot.

Yep. They are a local chain. While the only Seven dealer in the area, they are really just a huge Trek dealer. They make up for lack service and repair by just the volume of bikes they sell. Around here, road riders are either mechanically astute enough not to buy from them or committed to the percieved deals and buy new every couple of years.

But, turning away a Seven deal is proabably the reason I didn't say anything to the sales guy--I was in such a state of shock. At the time the Pilot was about 1/4 to 1/5 of what I had committed to spend. I never had a store that was empty of customers turn away a sale.