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Nowadays there’s a fair chance the lbs won’t have the part you want fitted.
Only for the top end enthusiast market which is a tiny part of the market. Most folk ride bikes on the old standards and most lbs will have those.
ie 7/8/9 speed, non boost hubs etc etc
I was going to take a guess at which one this is but to be honest all the shops are the same.
Not true, always had good service from Leisure Lakes at Preston (well, Tarleton) and always had my old parts put in a bag and ziptied to the handlebars e.g. recently had a caliper swap from x2 to E4, all the old parts included with the new box that the new caliper came in.
Only for the top end enthusiast market which is a tiny part of the market
Thought it went without saying that we're talking about nice bikes? The OP is about some exotic titanium contraption and Hope headsets.
Even my warehouse-based LBS - which shifts a [i]lot[/i] of stuff online - struggles to keep stuff to cover all the "standards" now in use from stock.
Stop buying weird bikes and expecting everyone to know what they are.
Some pretty poor experiences with LBS workshops led me to buy the tools and learn how to fettle bikes myself.
As I only had to learn what's relevant to my bikes I would never say that I have the breadth of skills and expertise as a professional bike mechanic who (in theory) should be able to handle most maintenance/repair jobs for most bikes.
However, I would not want to impugn all bike mechanics working in LBSs as I am sure there are many good ones out there. Perhaps I was choosing the wrong shops.
I try to avoid my main LBS - not out of spite, but they have just been a bit naff in the past.
They liked to over-promise on when things could be done by and I have made at least two trips there to pick up my bike as arranged only to find lots of apologies, muffled shouting from the back of the workshop and "if you just want to walk into town and get a coffee I'm sure we can have it ready for when you get back" type comments.
They also installed a Hope Headset for me, used a star nut then put the expander plug in their spares drawer (might have been incompetence, might have been nefarious) - I had to ask for it back in any case.
They're not a bad bunch, but they're not brilliant either and getting a few tools together and doing it myself has been far easier (in most cases) than taking it to the 'professionals'. And it has helped me to understand how things work etc.
should Leisure Lakes be considered a LBS?
given that they have a few branches around the place now and they have an online presence too, albeit completely shit.
they are my nearest shop anyway, but i dont feel like they need my support.
i never use them other than for real emergency purchases (they charged me £9 for a tiny little bottle of 0wt30 suspension oil the other day)
i generally prefer to travel a little bit further to a genuine local bike shop if my bike needs some cash investment...
yes there are some that are a cut above, but many are just filled with grumpy ****ers with zero people skills
Are they mutually exclusive? I'm paying them to fix my bike, not deliver an engaging and witty TED talk.
And can’t return it.
I’m currently about £800 in credit with Madison because I returned a pile of Alfine stuff it turned out I didn’t need. Most suppliers are fine with returns.
If I did need to use an LBS workshop for anything, e.g. where the tools for the job are uneconomic for me to buy or my skills are't up to it (e.g frame preparation, wheel repair/build etc), I'd do plenty of research beforehand to try and avoid disappointment. I'd also be prepared to travel a reasonable amount outside my local area. Having more than one bike means nothing is likely to be an emergency.
Been there with the overpromising and bike not being ready when it's supposed to be...again. I'd initially phone ahead to avoid a wasted trip. If things have gone on beyond what's reasonable then going in person to try to sort things out is, I find, the best option.
I don't expect to be entertained by the people who work there. Civil and businesslike is good enough for me.
bet you're fun at parties
Are they mutually exclusive? I'm paying them to fix my bike, not deliver an engaging and witty TED talk.
Oh I don’t know, maybe because I’m a paying customer and I like not to be treated like an inconvenience. If it’s not too much to ask
I'm paying them to fix my bike, not deliver an engaging and witty TED talk.
I did a TED talk once.
Okay, I watched a TED talk.
Alright, I used to watch Superted.
Well they were my LBS before they had other outlets and mainly sold windsurfing equipment.should Leisure Lakes be considered a LBS?
I didn't know there was criteria involved in being an LBS?
Not sure if joking or not here.i generally prefer to travel a little bit further to a [b]genuine[/b] local bike shop if my bike needs some cash investment...
If I needed an expensive tool for a one off job, I'd still rather purchase it, do the job myself, then sell the tool on again, than take a punt going to a bike shop.