[Closed] What puts you off making a purchase from a bike shop?

Did you make this much sense in the shop?

I don't think you're supposed to question specialized products, the shop staff tell you which one is for you, you hand over some money and leave, then gush about how wonderful it was as a consumer experience to everyone...

Did you make this much sense in the shop?

Did you have anything useful to ad?

jam bo - Member
Did you make this much sense in the shop?

Poor stock levels, pushy/smart arse/clueless/superior staff and price. I'm sure I'll think of a few more shortly.

I've no idea what the difference is. But if i didn't know, i'd ask what the difference was. Have seen a few brands such as Santa Cruz having a different carbon option to save a few grams. Not my bag, i've enough weight to loose from pies.

For me, old stock ie 2010 kit at full RRP.
Messy premises.
Overly cluttered.

I'm lucky where I live, I have three really good local (and local ish near work) shops and they have never put me off, service, knowledge and stock is always good. Shropshire has a bit of a concentration of good shops.

There are another dozen or so shops that are either an unknown quantity or initial experiences have put me off, either they just don't stock brands that hold any appeal (ahem, Trek) or the service is lacking.

I've never owned a Specialized, but if you can fathom their vast range on your own best of luck! I've never bothered personally, although I'm sure they are excellent bikes.

Messy premises.
Overly cluttered.

Never, ever go to Wheelcraft near Glasgow.

The FACT 9 frame game is used in the stumpjumper is used in the catalogue pro whoops forgot some commas and stuff here they are ,,,.,

philxx1975 - Member

Did you have anything useful to ad?

You clearly don't because your question is shocking, I didn't understand it either.

'Ad' is spelt with two Ds.

No, I couldn't quite fathom what you were on about Phil, either. Thought Jam Bo's response was quite funny actually.

Anyhoo... You made the first mistake of going into a bike shop. Then attempting to buy a Specialized. Errr..

Anyone knows that Fact carbon is better than Fact carbon, anyway. It's a FACT.

The fact that the nearest "decent" one is 30 miles away.

frame my days

a FACT 9 frame used in a complete bike catalogue

days the same game

Sorry mate I'm a +1 on the no idea what any of this means.

Messy premises.
Overly cluttered.
Never, ever go to Wheelcraft near Glasgow.

[img] [/img]

I didn't think Al actually left that chair.

Thread title very simple question?

What puts you off making a purchase from a bike shop? Dead simple

Felatio second post obvious STW member trying to be smart arse.

*waves*

Customers.

nothing much. I try and avoid CRC/wiggle now as I don't like the business model and I like having bike shops around to mooch through.

so, as long as it only costs a reasonable amount more, it's worth it.

Thread title very simple question?

What puts you off making a purchase from a bike shop? Dead simple

Yes, you should have left it at the title as the rest of it reads like you are on something.

Anyway, reasons I don't buy from bike shop;

I know exactly what I want and I have more knowledge about my chosen niche that they do. So I research, look for cheapest price of item, buy item.
This is never going to be from a bike shop as they are never cheap and they never have what I want and can never offer any advice so nothing worth paying extra for even if they did have what I wanted.

No I didn't understand the second sentence either.

"We don't [i]deal with[/i] Hope"

For me, the biggest thing that puts me off is not being able to offer a proper test ride. If I'm going to spend big money on a bike then I want to be able to try more than a quick ride around a car park. Plus stock levels are always really poor round here so internet is just quicker to get hold of things.

Bobbins service. I wanted a 26.8mm seat post (odd size, they had to order one in) that took them three weeks to actually bother their arses to order. Shop in Houghton-Le-Spring. Meh. Cool story, etc...

I've only got one proper LBS near me, and the reason I don't shop there is simple, its just too cluttered.

Its a great new shop as they recently moved they have 3x the space they used to have yet its still full, you have to fight your way round the shop. I've given up going in there unless I'm passing and really need something like an inner tube the other week and then I just went to the till and asked if they had the size I was after let them fight there way round.

I genuinely worry about when my bb goes and I need to get it worked on how I will get my bike with its big 29er wheels round the shop to the workshop.

There is a nice specialized concept store not to far away, that's well spaced and nice to browse, never had to try there servicing but might when the bb goes.

Felatio?

Disinterested staff. Either they offer no help at all, or only try to sell you whatever they have on hand, no matter how inappropriate. Thankfully my LBS is not like this, but there are several in town who are.

Lack of stock
Obviously lack of or wrong knowledge of staff
Lack of stock
Enormous mark up
Lack of stock
Staff who try and try to sell you something which is totally wrong.
Did I forget stocking basic items reliably. Not glass cases with items they never sell

Price

Because I don't want to support the industry, and the people in it, that bring me great joy.

In answer to your (appallingly badly asked) question, the frame only is the same frame as the one they use in the top model, rather than the cheaper ones. If you'd listened, with your ears, you might have understood.

"To me a carbon frame is a carbon frame. My days of world cup domination are behind me so it's just for fun now. So can anyone tell me the difference between a FACT 9 frame used in a stumpjumper and a FACT 9 frame used in a complete bike? Catalogue says the same frame used in our stump jumper pro or whatever it was."

I think this is what the OP was trying to say.

Say what?

When they don't seem like they want the money. Even if the margins 10%, this is still retail, show some interest.

"I'd like to give you £40.00 for these Poc gloves.... I know, I'm not sure why, I like to help out small local companies...."

"They're probably cheaper online, mate, or there's these Shit lizard skins ones in red."

"Um.... £15 for this Allen key? Deal."

"That's Shit mate, better off not bothering."

I don't know anymore, this seems to happen all the time.

*disclaimer used to work in lbs , was grim*

I don't know anymore, this seems to happen all the time.

If you pay peanuts you get monkeys.

Felatio second post obvious STW member trying to be smart arse

1ST rule of STW fight club: the second post will always be piss taking.

Not quite sure what felatio has to do with it... 😆

Anyway - hugs all round, kids.. 🙂

Mainly as I know what I want, can fit it myself and find it convenient to get it delivered to home or the office. However, I have started to use Evans collect in store as I can have a wander round a shop whilst also getting exactly what I need at a good price. They're also open late so I can go in after work.

However, I do use my LBS for some things, mainly mechanical stuff I can't or don't like doing. Recently this has been fitting a Hope press fit BB and for trying a carbon wheel. The former was a royal pain as it was badly fitted and not cheap so ended up being done again by another shop, the latter was a bargain and very well done.

Never, ever go to Wheelcraft near Glasgow.

Or me 😀

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Though at least you can see my floor. In places.

^ I've always thought of your operation as an engineering operation that has walk-ins.

For me, the biggest thing that puts me off is not being able to offer a proper test ride

I've got a few;

- Mis-information. (Being told something i know or suspect to be untrue)
- Being pushed to another product solely because its what they have, rather than for any reason that benefits me. I dont mind if they're on a par, but not if it doesnt work for me.
- Generally feeling like Im being treated like a mug.

Theres a couple of independents around here I use, but they've both had good days (where I've bought) and bad days (where they've done one of the above, so I've walked).

Loyalty is a two way street 🙂

Whereas if I buy off the internet...

Wasn't really thinking in that context for bike sales. Was more; if a shop can't offer a test ride then I'd go to a different shop. My last 2 bikes are from a shop 50 miles away which I'd rate above all my local shops.

Although to be honest Wiggle do a 30-day 'test-ride' scheme which is far better than I've seen offered by any LBS.

I went into local spesh dealer looking at either stumpjumper or camber evo. Shop guy tried to sell me an epic. No offence mate but if I was as specific as those two bikes it would probably tell me what sort of market I was interested in. Purchase not made in that shop. Otherwise I like more local bike shop. I get 10% discount which is often more than in CRC or some such.

This thread reminds me of my Nan watching snooker in black and white.
She didnt understand the game and had no idea what was happening but still kept on watching regardless.

having no money usually

Inconsistent sales. Sometimes I get good service, sometimes bad. I've been charged rrp some days and others I get 50% discount. I buy most of my stuff online now as I know what to expect.

Cheaper online
More choice online
Good returns policy online - easy and free
Poor sales service usually in shops, getting the usual "anything we don't stock is rubbish"

The major benefit of an LBS is the repairs and servicing aspect. Plus the emergency factor if they do have parts you actually need.
Oh and that you can sit on a bike to help get sized up easier, if they have what you want..

A couple of really good shops near me, however they are both really road focused, which I understand as that is where the market is at the moment, but isn't great for me as a mtb'er!

What does put me off, is when you say your budget for a bike / item and either they look at you with barely concealed contempt because you aren't spending at least 3k, or they change their sales tactic from helpful friendly to 'just get out you pauper'!

One shop I have been impressed with recently are the bike hub at Swinley!

^ I've always thought of your operation as an engineering operation that has walk-ins.

I like that 😉

Umm not much, there are some really great ones in Cardiff, truth is that the biggest barrier is time, I can either try to go when I'm in work, or carry in 2 kids with me who bring their mates chaos and mayhem with them wherever they go. Online is click, click, click and it turns up the next day, to my office.

As for types of carbon frame... Spesh have been saying for as long as I remember their S Line alu frames are lighter, stronger etc than their complete bike frames, I assume they say the same about their carbon ones, frankly I don't believe them and unless I find the time to personally strip a Santa Cruz CC bike and weigh the frame along aside an otherwise identical C frame I'll never believe that they're different either. It makes no sense to have 2 production lines to make the same thing in a slightly different way, it's 2 different sales processes, not 2 different production processes.

One of the LBS in Cardiff told my mate they did just that and it's a pound lighter - about twice what SC claim the difference should be, but then they once told me they'd fit new springs to a DH bike I was buying so it was right for me, they didn't, they changed the oil in the forks instead (possibly) and my first go at DH was terrifying at best.

If you pay peanuts you get monkeys.

By the same token, if you pay peanuts you'll end up with a demotivated employee. Especially when the owner of the small business is obviously making a lot of money. Wich some bike shops still do.

Which ones?

Lack of stock

too cluttered with stock

🙄

Our latest incarnation of an lbs in belper is shocking, I went in once and asked for some chain ring bolts to fit this single ring to this crank, to be told we don't have anything gets that'll do that as they must be a specialist item 😯

My bike shop often try to get me to downgrade my bike parts. Yip I don't need an XX1 cassette but thats what the bike came with originally so I want to keep it that way.

they didn't, they changed the oil in the forks instead (possibly) and my first go at DH was terrifying at best.

slowoldman - Member
they didn't, they changed the oil in the forks instead (possibly) and my first go at DH was terrifying at best.

So your first go at DH was terrifying because they possibly just changed the oil?

Not as such, I bought a bike (Norco A-Line if anyone cares) and as part of 'the deal' they said they'd set it up for me, as I was 16st at the time and the bike came with a shock and fork spring set-up for a 12st rider it needed new springs, which they agreed to.

I picked it up a few days later as arranged and headed off straight to Cwmcarn for an uplift day, it felt soft but as I'd hardly ridden a DH bike before I assumed they were all like that, and headed off down the trail, it was okay on the first couple of slow runs, but it got a bit hairer as the speed came to the point where I bottomed the forks on brakes, when I asked them about the 'set up' they changed their mind about it and said I didn't need new bits, just some heavier oil in the forks and wound on a lot of preload on the rear - cheap and lazy job to say a few quid and don't worry about the novice DH rider, he'll be okay, probably.

I haven't spent a penny in that shop in the 9 years since.

Only twice have I been put off buying by an independent shop's staff.
Once someone swore blind you couldn't buy Gripshift length lock on grips, from any manufacturer even though the bike Id locked up outside the shop had ODI Ruffian ones fitted. He was adamant I must have cut them down.
The other was taking my wife (& a 3k budget) into a local shop to buy a bike and the owner patronising her & directing all remotely technical details at me to the point that she walked out.
Both situations more examples of bad sakes techniques than anything else really.

Ringing a LBS to ask if they had waterproof trousers, "Yes in the sale too , pop in" was the reply... Popped in to be told "Oh no none in stock, ha-ha what do you need them for it's May.." The owner I'd spoke to 20 mins before was apparently out for the day and unavailable for a chat... I was fuming! That will cost them in the long run as I won't bother in future, so support the one in our town who occasionally do take a while to get stuff in but I'm happy to support rather than CRC and they build superb wheels.

Got a lot fo sumpathy with shops on stock - simpel stuff like MTB chainrings - they were almost entirely 104 BCD a few years back - now it's 96, 95 or something else (XT and XTR are different), or direct mount, which is hope, SRAM, e13 or Cinch, and can I have that in an oval, thanks.

So much stuff, like BBs, bars, stems, wheels, hubs and more has gone that direction - you can't expect any smaller shop to keep up.

so can anyone tell me the difference between a FACT 9 frame used in a stumpjumper and a FACT 9 frame used in a complete bike catalogue days the same game used in our stump jumper pro or whatever it was

Sorry OP, I didn't understand this bit either.....

Having to converse with other cyclists.

I'm just going to drink a few beers and read the question again.

Sorry OP, I didn't understand this bit either.....

Both have FACT 9 frames, one is a frameset, one is built up into a complete bike, bike is 3k, frameset alone is 3k, frame supposedly the same.

Poor product knowledge, inept "mechanics", care less attitude once they've sold you a bike and arrogance due to being the biggest LBS in Rutland. Apart from one guy there (who's experienced and very helpful), it's grown too big for them to care.

Well, add me to the list that thought the OP was gibberish.

In relation to LBS, price and product range.
When LBS can give me the exact product i want delivered to my door with 50% off RRP they can have all of my orders. In the meantime they'll have to make do with servicing/repairs.

Being pounced on as soon as you cross the threshold and then the eyes following you like you're about to make off with an item of stock! 🙄

[i]What puts you off making a purchase from a bike shop?[/i]

When there is some [s]halfwit[/s] [s]timewaster[/s] confused person in front of me that has no idea what they came in for.

Unfortunately I can't remember the last time I went into a bike shop. Learnt to do it all myself. So it's quicker & cheaper online!!!

I went in once and asked for some chain ring bolts to fit this single ring to this crank, to be told we don't have anything gets that'll do that as they must be a specialist item

Some similar howlers from Alpine Bikes in Inverness:

'Do you have any Hollowtech BBs?' 'The only one we have comes with an XT chainset at £150'

And

'I'm looking for a replacement spoke for a Mavic Crossride wheel' 'The only way to get them is to contact Mavic directly.'

And

'Do you have any track nuts?' 'What are track nuts?'

A good LBS is a pearl beyond price. Alpine Bikes is not such a place.

Passing off a 2015 model as a 2016 model, as I noticed today (not in my excellent LBS).

What's wrong with wheelcraft? Alistair(?) Told me what colour I'd be having. I said 'ok'! 😀

Alot of bike shops have staff targets and incentives do they push what stock that they have to make weekly turnover targets don't they? NOTHING wrong with that, it's a business with rates, overheads and a desire to profit. The only problem is a customer can sometimes be sold something that the staff member wouldn't personally think might be best. In Richersounds I have been told by techystaff 'yes it's good but X is better and sadly we don't carry that'.

I regularly shop in Evans. I don't see an issue with that. They don't expect me to buy solely from them, raise eyebrows if I turned up in their store on a bike that they didn't sell me, have a preferred customer walk in who gets attention etc. People only earn so much, you have to make your wage stretch, childcare costs etc then you can spend abit on a hobby.

Sadly the only 2 independent LBS round here are one BMX/Scooter focused shop or a much larger place that caters to families and very occasional riders only.
To be honest I use Halfords and Evans more than either of those as I can check what they have in stock and reserve it.

I'd love a LBS that I could use - but the problem for me would be getting there when it was open! If it stayed open until 6pm then I could get there one week in 3, for the other weeks it would need to be open until 7pm - which is a bit rubbish for the people than work there!
Weekends I'm often away so would really need to be able to get there during the week.

So in answer to the bit of the OP's question that we have moved on to...
What would put me off would be opening hours I can't make. Followed closely by poor stock levels (or not being able to check stock online accurately) followed by poor staff attitude.

Si

New bike: can't afford one, so not an option.
Parts: cheaper and wider selection online, gets delivered to my work so more convenient. If I absolutely need something last-minute - Evans usually as I can check and reserve online, plus the OH passes it en route to work, and they're open late.
Servicing: I'd rather buy the tools and do it myself. Having access to a full engineering workshop helps in that regard.

In short, unless it's an emergency (which it never really is), I don't need an LBS.

Careful...all bikeshops owners think we are minted.

Bike shops charge RRP, if i need something so bad that I have to pay it - I see that as a failing on my part either due to lack of prep or failure to have a spare.
I have used a very good shop to fix things previously, but I can do most stuff myself now. I have never had such brilliant service that I have felt compelled to buy a new bike from a shop. Skyline cycles are the only one's who have come close.

'Do you have any track nuts?' 'What are track nuts?'

Whilst I like to think I have a pretty good knowledge of bikes, I wouldn't know what track nuts are (although I could have a good guess). A lot of stuff people think is run of the mill often isn't, it's quite niche.

When I worked in my LBS i had someone ask for "tubbies", and get quite wound up I didn't know what he was on about. He wanted road tubulars. I've never heard them called tubbies before or since, tubs, yes! Last time I was there a bloke came in asking for "plates" (he meant flat pedals), again, never heard of that.

You could go into a really good road shop and ask about something comparatively common for MTBs and be met with a blank stare, doesn't really mean it's a bad shop.

Yet again, what this thread really shows is that STWers aren't really the target market for the LBS.

How so? 'LBS' is a misleading term. It should be 'preferred bike shop'.

Well, yes - but as this thread shows many people on here don't want/need a bike shop.

So what are Track Nuts then ?

Wheel nuts for a track bike / hipster bike.