Why I love my LBS (or not): Jump In!

[lovelygamer]

Oh yes, it's Pearl! That's right. I'm glad you like it. Sixteen Gears? I have seven now so I am pretty stoked.

Btw, does anyone know where the saddle posts all went? I was searching the thread this morning but I can't find the main threads we had up recently.

I know I am going to need a larger more comfortable seat so I may as well order one with the bike.

I think I remember the Bontrager Afinity being recommended?

[indysteel]

Larger does not necessarily equate to comfort when it comes to saddles. Have you ever measured your sit bones? Any saddle wider than that may cause chafing and soft tissue discomfort.

[lovelygamer]

Larger does not necessarily equate to comfort when it comes to saddles. Have you ever measured your sit bones? Any saddle wider than that may cause chafing and soft tissue discomfort.

Oh yes, I'll be having that done at the shop. I might not want to know how big my sit bones are.

Sky King-thanks for the tip. I will go to that forum and search.

[zoom-zoom]

Our "LBS" is not the most local one--there are at least 3 shops closer and ours is an hour away. But the owner is a close friend. He and my DH are JDRF Ride to Cure team coaches--our LBS owner is also a JDRF coach at the national level. His shop is not large, but he has a good selection and is always happy to special order anything they don't physically carry.

When we walk in the door it feels less like we're walking into a store than it does we're walking into a hangout that just happens to sell bikes and gear (and almost always has fresh cookies from a fellow cyclist friend's bakery). The wrenches at the shop are friends, too.

Eventually we want to sell our house. Our primary criteria are to move closer to DH's work AND closer to our LBS so that we can get in on more of their shop rides (there is a well-attended ride pretty much every day of the week, except for most Sundays, since that's JDRF team training day). Their Tues. night ride was ranked highly in Bicycling magazine maybe a year ago.

[nuliajuk]

The worst bike shops that I've visited over the years are mostly closed now, due to being in a city with a cyclical boom and bust economy. (Very Darwinian) There was the shop owner who insisted that the bike with the 56 cm top tube and 12cm stem that I bought years ago was a textbook perfect fit for me. I wanted a shorter stem because I was getting a very sore neck on this "textbook" bike. I bought it elsewhere. This same guy tried to sell me a road bike that he insisted had Columbus SL tubing. It had no sticker and was suspiciously heavy.
There were all the shops where the clerks assumed I was a newbie simply because I was female. There was the mechanic who nearly ruined a track hub that I brought in for maintenance because I couldn't convince him that the lock ring was a left hand thread.
The shops where I live now are all okay. Not outstanding, but okay. The one where I found my new road bike wouldn't normally be my first choice, as last year I went looking for replacement Look Keo cleats and one of the clerks didn't even know what they were. However, they have one mechanic who is their road bike specialist, and he's great. Knows his stuff and never patronizes.

[Sky King]

Oh yes, it's Pearl! That's right. I'm glad you like it. Sixteen Gears? I have seven now so I am pretty stoked.

Btw, does anyone know where the saddle posts all went? I was searching the thread this morning but I can't find the main threads we had up recently.

I know I am going to need a larger more comfortable seat so I may as well order one with the bike.

I think I remember the Bontrager Afinity being recommended?

go to gear and accessories and search about saddles

[Jo-n-NY]

I am biased as my favorite LBS is the one my dh works at. He was partners for 15yrs in another, sold his interest after getting sick in 1998 and moving on to where he works now was like a door closed and window opened. He brought a lot of his expertise to this shop and her road bike sales sky rocketed. Do not get me wrong this store has 75 successful yrs in existance. 2 men began the business and their niece purchased it 15 yrs ago so yes my husband has a female boss. She runs a tight well oiled business. She literally has eyes in back of her head, sees and hears everthing no matter where she is. This is exactly the type of business my husband wanted. Her nephew is a mgr., and also employs her niece part time, and now having my dh as a mgr besides about 12 other employees she can leave a little earlier in the day or go away and know with my dh there the business is being ran the to her expectations. Even though I don't work there she includes me in like I am part of their family and sends me with my dh on any retailer trips. In return I try to help in my own little ways. I lead 3 group rides B level a week and plan another more social type of ride. This shop is very well respected in the community so I give huge thumbs up to our LBS.