bad experience with a bike shop

TJ Poseno said:

Has anyone had bad experiences with bike shops, theres this little biek shop down the road, its
been there for over 30 years, and a friend broke a axel on his bike, so we went in to get a new
one, the guy we talked to said it would be better to just buy a whole new rim. For $45, that didnt
sound right so we left. A little while before that I went in and asked what they had for low end
dual suspension mountain bikes. and the other guy there asked me in a WTF tone, "what do you want
a dual suspension bike for?"

I now deal with a different place that sold us a axel for $7.50 not a whole rim.

So have any of you have your LBS try and scred you over?

Nope -- guess that I'm just lucky 🙂. If they did, I'd do the same thing that you're doing 🙂.

David

TJ Poseno said:

Has anyone had bad experiences with bike shops, theres this little biek shop down the road, its
been there for over 30 years, and a friend broke a axel on his bike, so we went in to get a new
one, the guy we talked to said it would be better to just buy a whole new rim. For $45, that didnt
sound right so we left. A little while before that I went in and asked what they had for low end
dual suspension mountain bikes. and the other guy there asked me in a WTF tone, "what do you want
a dual suspension bike for?"

He could've simply been trying to narrow down the possibilities. Did you tell him you specifically
wanted a downhiller, cross-country, etc.? Dual-suspension bikes are not one-size fits all.

Quoted message said:

I now deal with a different place that sold us a axel for $7.50 not a whole rim.

Without seeing the rim myself, I'm in no position to judge whether the first store's employee was
right in recommending a new one. It's possible something caught his attention more than the size of
your friend's wallet.

Quoted message said:

So have any of you have your LBS try and scred you over?

Nope, every shop I've dealt with has been above-board.

(TJ Poseno) said:

So have any of you have your LBS try and scred you over?

Oh yeah. Big time.

Me: I want to buy a road bike.

Them: How much do you want to spend?

Me; Not more than $800 or so, I am a student.

Them: That's not very much. Take a look at this nice $1500 bike. It is the cheapest one that I think
is worth buying.

Mf: I'm not interested in that. Do you have anything under $800?

Them: You really can afford this. How about this $1200 bike? We have a nice plan -- you can pay for
it over the next year, for only a 25% fee. That means you will only pay about $100 a month!

Mg: You've got to be kidding. My credit card gives me a better rate!

Them: Oh. If that is too much per month, you can pay for it over two years, with only a 30% fee
(mumbles: per year).

Mh: [walks out the door, never to return... I wonder if they really like me telling all my friends
and colleagues to stay the hell away from that store^H^H^H^H^Hloansharking operation?]

Chris
--
Chris Colohan Email: [email hidden] PGP: finger [email hidden] Web: www.colohan.com Phone:
(412)268-4751

TJ Poseno said:

Has anyone had bad experiences with bike shops, theres this little biek shop down the road, its
been there for over 30 years, and a friend broke a axel on his bike, so we went in to get a new
one, the guy we talked to said it would be better to just buy a whole new rim.

Ya mean a whole new wheel? How would a new rim fix the broken axel problem?

Quoted message said:

I went in and asked what they had for low end dual suspension mountain bikes. and the other guy
there asked me in a WTF tone, "what do you want a dual suspension bike for?"

Dual suspension on a cheap MTB is often not a good idea.

Quoted message said:

So have any of you have your LBS try and scred you over?

No.

Art Harris

"cyclist101" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

TJ Poseno said:

Has anyone had bad experiences with bike shops, theres this little biek shop down the road, its
been there for over 30 years, and a friend broke a axel on his bike, so we went in to get a new
one, the guy we talked to said it would be better to just buy a whole new rim. For $45, that
didnt sound right so we left. A little while before that I went in and asked what they had for
low end dual suspension mountain bikes. and the other guy there asked me in a WTF tone, "what do
you want a dual suspension bike for?"

He could've simply been trying to narrow down the possibilities. Did you tell him you specifically
wanted a downhiller, cross-country, etc.? Dual-suspension bikes are not one-size fits all.

suspension bike for?" not "Oh, well there are several types of dual suspension; we carry a few;
which one are you leaning towards?"

It's easy to spot contempt.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Absolutely, I bring in a brand new bike pump that was broken. The LBS salesman purposely gives me a
smaller frame pump than what I need and says that'll work. He refuses me the correct one and says
they are all out of stock and won't be in til the next Friday (it was Saturday). I say I'll try it.
I bring it back the next day and explain to a good salesman what went on...He looked disgusted at
the other salesman...Goes and gets the proper pump and hands it to me.It was hanging on the same
rack the smaller one was. The guy wanted me to take the pump that had no packaging. I believe it is
more of a personal issue than a store issue. I do believe though, that it is easy to clump them
together as a group which reflects badly on the LBS in general.

NS

I think this is an overly general question. There are thousands of LBS, and most are owned by an
individual, so of course there are going to be different levels of quality. Each owner sets the tone
for what level of customer interaction is expected. I find that the bad stores always gripe about
how the mail order/internet stores are killing their business. The good store always seem to be
crowded with happy bikers spending money on upgrades and service.

"TJ Poseno" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone had bad experiences with bike shops, theres this little biek shop down the road, its
been there for over 30 years, and a friend broke a axel on his bike, so we went in to get a new
one, the guy we talked to said it would be better to just buy a whole new rim. For $45, that didnt
sound right so we left. A little while before that I went in and asked what they had for low end
dual suspension mountain bikes. and the other guy there asked me in a WTF tone, "what do you want
a dual suspension bike for?"

I now deal with a different place that sold us a axel for $7.50 not a whole rim.

So have any of you have your LBS try and scred you over?

Phil said:

"cyclist101" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

TJ Poseno said:

Has anyone had bad experiences with bike shops, theres this little biek shop down the road, its
been there for over 30 years, and a friend broke a axel on his bike, so we went in to get a new
one, the guy we talked to said it would be better to just buy a whole new rim. For $45, that
didnt sound right so we left. A little while before that I went in and asked what they had for
low end dual suspension mountain bikes. and the other guy there asked me in a WTF tone, "what do
you want a dual suspension bike for?"

He could've simply been trying to narrow down the possibilities. Did you tell him you specifically
wanted a downhiller, cross-country, etc.? Dual-suspension bikes are not one-size fits all.

Quoted message said:

suspension bike for?" not "Oh, well there are several types of dual suspension; we carry a few;
which one are you leaning towards?"

Such tones can be interpreted very subjectively, which is why I *asked*. All the buyer had to do was
explain what kind of riding does.

Quoted message said:

It's easy to spot contempt.

Yeah, especially when you're prescient enough to not ask questions. It's a shame more salesmen don't
come with complete foreknowledge of what customers ask; it would save them time having to help
narrow down the selections.

"TJ Poseno" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Has anyone had bad experiences with bike shops, theres this little biek shop down the road, its
been there for over 30 years, and a friend broke a axel on his bike, so we went in to get a new
one, the guy we talked to said it would be better to just buy a whole new rim. For $45, that didnt
sound right so we left. A little while before that I went in and asked what they had for low end
dual suspension mountain bikes. and the other guy there asked me in a WTF tone, "what do you want
a dual suspension bike for?"

I now deal with a different place that sold us a axel for $7.50 not a whole rim.

So have any of you have your LBS try and scred you over?

I haven't had any really bad experiences. In fact, the LBS that I visit now is so good to me, they
have not charged me for labor before, or reduced the price of something, or found me a deal. In
fact, they are always trying to get my bike finished quickly when I bring it in, because they know
that I try to ride every day. They are actually nothing short of amazing, and I try to spend as much
money with them as possible(as opposed to internet). I have had lesser degrees of positive
experiences with other shops, but nothing horrible, or even bad really. I've never felt like I was
being lied to, and I've had some damn helpful people to deal with. As someone already mentioned
above, maybe I'm just lucky. I'll say one thing, when I move in about a year up to Boulder, CO for
graduate school, I'll actually miss this shop. I'm sure there are shops up there that are equally as
good, but I wish I could take this one with me.

Alan

TJ Poseno said:

Has anyone had bad experiences with bike shops, theres this little biek shop down the road, its
been there for over 30 years, and a friend broke a axel on his bike, so we went in to get a new
one, the guy we talked to said it would be better to just buy a whole new rim. For $45, that didnt
sound right so we left.

If the rim was bent, it might be needed. But if the axle is the only problem? Maybe you meant, since
you said "whole new" that they wanted to sell him a wheel for $45. That is a bargain. If your
friend's wheel is the old freewheel type, then it is actually good advice. I had one year when I
broke 4 axles. Since switching to cassette hubs 4 years ago, I have had zero break.

Quoted message said:

A little while before that I went in and asked what they had for low end dual suspension
mountain bikes. and the other guy there asked me in a WTF tone, "what do you want a dual
suspension bike for?"

Sorry, I'd have to ask the same question. A real dual suspension bike is a very specialized, exotic
machine, with specific uses. A cheap dual suspension bike is worse than a rigid one.

Quoted message said:

I now deal with a different place that sold us a axel for $7.50 not a whole rim.

And your friend will soon break that as well. Such a savings.

Quoted message said:

So have any of you have your LBS try and scred you over?

You can choose not to listen to their advice, but don't jump to the conclusion that you know more
about it than they do.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored _`\(,_ | by little statesmen
and philosophers and divines. --Ralph Waldo (_)/ (_) | Emerson

Quoted message said:

Such tones can be interpreted very subjectively, which is why I *asked*. All the buyer had to do
was explain what kind of riding does.

Quoted message said:

It's easy to spot contempt.

Yeah, especially when you're prescient enough to not ask questions. It's a shame more salesmen
don't come with complete foreknowledge of what customers ask; it would save them time having to
help narrow down the selections.

Ahem. I'm better than you! 😉

j/k I see your point - sorry bout that.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training "cyclist101" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Phil said:

"cyclist101" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

TJ Poseno wrote:

>Has anyone had bad experiences with bike shops, theres this little biek shop down the road, its
>been there for over 30 years, and a friend broke a axel on his bike, so we went in to get a new
>one, the guy we talked to said it would be better to just buy a whole new rim. For $45, that
>didnt sound right so we left. A little while before that I went in and asked what they had for
>low end dual suspension mountain bikes. and the other guy there asked me in a WTF tone, "what
>do you want a dual suspension bike for?"

He could've simply been trying to narrow down the possibilities. Did you tell him you
specifically wanted a downhiller, cross-country, etc.? Dual-suspension bikes are not one-size
fits all.

dual

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

suspension bike for?" not "Oh, well there are several types of dual suspension; we carry a few;
which one are you leaning towards?"

dual

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

suspension bike for?" not "Oh, well there are several types of dual suspension; we carry a few;
which one are you leaning towards?"

Such tones can be interpreted very subjectively, which is why I *asked*. All the buyer had to do
was explain what kind of riding does.

Quoted message said:

It's easy to spot contempt.

Yeah, especially when you're prescient enough to not ask questions. It's a shame more salesmen
don't come with complete foreknowledge of what customers ask; it would save them time having to
help narrow down the selections.

Ahem. I'm better than you!

j/k, I see your point. Sorry bout that.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

I'll say one thing, when I move in

Quoted message said:

about a year up to Boulder, CO for graduate school, I'll actually miss

this

Quoted message said:

shop. I'm sure there are shops up there that are equally as good, but I wish I could take this one
with me.

When you get to Boulder, you'll have Peter at Vecchio's (one of the best contributors to this
group). I wish he was about 800 miles closer to me.

TJ Poseno said:

Has anyone had bad experiences with bike shops, theres this little biek shop down the road, its
been there for over 30 years, and a friend broke a axel on his bike, so we went in to get a new
one, the guy we talked to said it would be better to just buy a whole new rim. For $45, that didnt
sound right so we left. A little while before that I went in and asked what they had for low end
dual suspension mountain bikes. and the other guy there asked me in a WTF tone, "what do you want
a dual suspension bike for?"

I now deal with a different place that sold us a axel for $7.50 not a whole rim.

So have any of you have your LBS try and scred you over?

I think I can beat that one. This is a tale of two bike stores.

I first took my wife's bike (Trek 820) to Orlando's best bike shop for a tune up. It was expensive,
but the bike came home in perfect shape. They had it a week, but gave it back on the day they
promised. We had bought the bike there back in 1996.

My bike had sat for 5 years till I aired it up and started ridding. I had to exercise under Doc's
orders. The damn thing (Trek 720)rode like a dream and everything was perfect --- except that I had
to air up the back tire every third day.

I picked a firm for my bike that had been here over 25 years and was closer to me than the one I
took my wife's bike in to --- and family run. Well, I took it in for a tune-up and they had it a
week --- but they had promised a shorter time. A few days later I took it in to have the back tube
replaced so that it would not need to be aired up all the time; then my real troubles began.

The new tube got me about 5 blocks from the house before it blew out. I took it back and a young
employee found the trouble --- the old, old rim tape was in terrible shape. So, he fixed my tire and
off I went.

This time I peddled over to a bike trail and got miles from home when this one blew out. I called
the wife to come get me like some 5th grader calling his mom.

So, I went over to the best shop and asked what could cause the trouble and they told me -- but they
could not work on it that late in the day. So, I got all I needed and decided to do it myself.

First I took out the one-piece rubber rim-tape made for some other kind of rims --- BMX perhaps. I
then took out the old, old bad rim-tape from the factory. I installed new good rim-tape and a new
tube --- and that was 300 miles ago.

A family owned bike show that can not fix a tire that is slowly leaking air when the customer says
"put new stuff in it"? At least I learned that I must be able to fix my own bike by myself --- I am
learning a bit here and there. I may be as good a tire man as Orlando has!

--
Regards, Joe

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

res-<< When you get to Boulder, you'll have Peter at Vecchio's (one of the

best

Quoted message said:

contributors to this group). I wish he was about 800 miles closer to me.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

Thanks for the pitch..look forward to meeting Alan...

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Chances are, I've been by the shop recently when I was there to visit. I look forward to coming in
next time I'm there.

Alan

What I've seen lately makes me believe that there is an epedemic of ignorant or thieving shops.

A gal on a club ride complained that her bike squeeked at the same place in the pedal stroke. The
bike shop put in a new bb, which didn't fix the problem but cost $85. They then claimed she needed a
new hub. She asked me what I thought. I nosed around and asked her to put my rear wheel into her
bike and see what happened. No noises. Her rear skewer was a lightweight job and was moving slightly
in the Ti frame. The AC-H bb was replaced with a Shimano of the wrong length. Another rider, who I
was unfamiliar with, was watching this whole thing. He was a mechanic at the local shop and told her
to come in for a refund. I told him I didn't mean to embarras him.

My son, who is in his 30s, went down at slow speed and put his foot into the front wheel. He needed
a rim. Local shop in Santa Cruz claims the cartridge bearings are shot and a new wheel is necessary.
Also, shows my son that the rear cassette is bad because it wiggles slightly when being pedaled.
Also needs a new hub and build. My son, knows a bit about wrenching the bike and phones me. I send
him a set of wheels to use and get the 'bad' set. Needed a new front rim and the bearings are
perfect. Rear wheel is fine. My son had words with the shop owner and the excuse was that the
mechanic was not that experienced.

Phil said:

Quoted message said:

Such tones can be interpreted very subjectively, which is why I *asked*. All the buyer had to do
was explain what kind of riding does.

Quoted message said:

It's easy to spot contempt.

Yeah, especially when you're prescient enough to not ask questions. It's a shame more salesmen
don't come with complete foreknowledge of what customers ask; it would save them time having to
help narrow down the selections.

Ahem. I'm better than you! 😉

j/k I see your point - sorry bout that.

No problemo.

[email hidden] (Qui si parla Campagnolo) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>... <snipped stuff>

Quoted message said:

Retail could fill volumes of a book..Vast majority of customers are wonderful, share the love of
this amazing machine, the bicycle...but some are looking for an argument, looking for somebody to
disagree with them..

One asked about Ksyriiums, we gave our standard response, which we believe and he left complaining
that we wouldn't 'sell him what he wanted', when what he asked for was advice...

How true! When I was younger, I got into a bit of a huff with a customer who wanted better wet
weather braking from his single-pivot 105's. I recommended for him to try swapping the pads to
Mathausers. A co-worker sold him a pair of dual-pivots making him very happy. This might be related
to something that people may have experienced with their S.O. [stereotyping on, flame retardant on]

"Dear, would you like a glass of water?" often should be translated as "I'm thirsty, please get me a
glass of water?"

S.O. walks by clothing store, a piece catches her attention, and she procedes to try on different
sizes for 30 minutes. "What do you think about this?" = "I really like this. I would like to
buy it." The preceding actions warn me not to respond with any negative responses regarding the
practicality of the piece. I can test my "interpretation" of her question by suggesting another
piece of clothing nearby.

To some people, Ksyriiums are like fashion. It may not be the most practical or necessary, but they
want them anyway. This is usually harmless.

Only once. I wanted to buy a new set of chainrings (BioPace) for my touring bike. and made the
mistake of asking in a shop filled with high end racing machines.

The teller upon hearing my choice probably never heard the words "TOURING bike" and went on into a
opinionated rattle which I didn't even bother to stay to hear.

Needless to say, they never got a penny (nor a recommendation) from me.

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗