Hard to support local bike shops when...............



Mr. Beanz

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Aug 18, 2015
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Hard to support them when they don't have much and are overpriced. Been looking at Topeak saddle bags with straps (hate the hardware connect stuff) for my roadie. I have to have a medium as the large sits right on my tail light riding at night. So I went to 4 different bike shops and they really sucked. Most had nothing but small bags which don't carry much. I have about 3 of those I use on short night local rides where I don't need much other than a spare and keys.

One dude pulled out some crazy folding strap this and that model as his suggestion, no thanks! He had no medium zipper bags at all. Hmm!

Before I forget, the Topeak is pretty nice. Thick and well constructed. Nice light clip strap. Seems very secure. I have the same model in large for the tandem. Really like it. I don't think my light would have slipped off this bag like it did a few weeks ago on a broad daylight ride losing my red blinkie.

But going to 4 stores, wasting gas and time, nothing! I did a search and came with what I needed from Pro Bike Kit dot com. On sale for $13, $10 shipping, totaled about $23 something shipped. Ordered last night Tuesday, tracking says will be delivered on Friday. Not bad!

Not bad considering the shops want $25 plus for these bags and smaller models just as expensive. And I would have paid the $25 at a shop if they HAD ONE! The other stuff they had looked like junk!

Another shop had high end stuff but $40? :eek: It's a bag! o_O

So it gets harder and harder to support the local shops. Can't even get decent basic stuff anymore. Heck, seems like if I need anything other than tubes or tire levers, it doesn't work out going to local shops anymore.

Like the tires. Conti GP 5000, 3 delivered for $121 whereas if I go to a local bike shop, I'll get 1 for nearly $100 after tax. Might as well spend a few more and get 3.

Sad, but people like me, and there are plenty that do their own wrenching, don't need or see the value in local bike shops any longer. :(
 
I know where you are coming from. The stock issue with bikes right now we now is not their fault but has that fallen into the other items too as they may be coming from China??? Who knows. I understand a brick and mortar site; employees to pay, insurance, electric bill, those service fees to credit card companies and for using those little boxes to process card payments, but prices truly have sky rocketed.

I do all my buying of components online as they are cheaper and usually at my house quickly and I don’t have to deal with people!

I will readily admit, online shopping more than likely increased prices along with the points I made above. Things keep going up way more than a profit margin can be realized without raising prices.

I hate it for the LBS as I would love to own one and just hang out and mingle all day and talk bikes and sell some bikes and stuff to folks. But it is probably as a hard business life as that comparable to owning and running a restaurant!
 
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Yeah, my buddy owns his own shop and I try to help him but he doesn't have the things I want when I want. He can order them, add another 10 bucks for delivery and have them in 2 weeks. Or I can go on ebay, get free shipping and pay have the price. Tires, there is just no way he can compete with prices. A conti he can go as low as $62 but I can get them online for $36. I like the guy but as they say, I don't want to have to pay for his kid's college.
 
BTW, I ordered a saddle online, the Charge Spoon and some Park tire levers. I ordered on Friday afternoon, promised 7 calendar days later. But were delivered on the next MONDAY afternoon. 4 calendar days and 2 of them were the weekend.

I've ordered things from my buddy's shop before and had to wait 4 months with plenty of excused to go with the order. :(
 
Shop owners are at the mercy of their suppliers. Amazon has totally revolutionized shopping and while I hate to see one single entity corner the market and get too powerful, they deliver my items quickly and most often with free return and replacement or return for reimbursement easy and quick.

I recently bought a Vya front white blinking light for on-coming cars to see me from a distance in case they wanted to pass a slower car if you know what I mean. I used BTD (Bike Tires Direct) because they even beat Amazon and I had like $10 in unused monies from previous point purchases from a decade prior!

Got a $40 light for $15!
 
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I use an ebay store called trailthis. Good deals at times but very fast service.

Sometimes they offer the chamois butter, if you use it, 4 tubes for 44 bucks. That is $11 a tube and can't touch it anywhere else for less than $16. If you use that kind of thing. But always fast service from ebay. No risks really because ebay will refund your money if something goes wrong and most stores off free returns.

Though the China stores take a month to arrive. I only use them for spare connectors for the go pro type stuff when i can get if for $2 while others want $10. I stock up on little things when I get a chance.
 
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hard to support local bike shops when they behave rudely. I sometimes go to my nearest bike shop, the guy that runs the isn't that friendly. If I ask about a thing he won't talk about it. He's like take what you need and go away. but I have to figure it out first and sometime need someone's opinion on something, but... things are not easy with that guy to be honest.
 
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hard to support local bike shops when they behave rudely. I sometimes go to my nearest bike shop, the guy that runs the isn't that friendly. If I ask about a thing he won't talk about it. He's like take what you need and go away. but I have to figure it out first and sometime need someone's opinion on something, but... things are not easy with that guy to be honest.

Unfortunately those exist. I tried to meet at a LBS that has group rides. I was a tad late as well as a regular that rides with the people that show up and one of the employees. We caught up to the group at a coffee shop and the guy that was nice and we rode out together introduced me to the employee of the shop who was arrogant and acted as if I were a peasant on the kings land.

Needless to say, I never went back to ride nor spent one red cent at the shop.
 
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hard to support local bike shops when they behave rudely. I sometimes go to my nearest bike shop, the guy that runs the isn't that friendly. If I ask about a thing he won't talk about it. He's like take what you need and go away. but I have to figure it out first and sometime need someone's opinion on something, but... things are not easy with that guy to be honest.


Yup, once the manager's girlfriend told me I was lucky I was getting the $76 price on a $79 tire because they mislabeled it. Umm, I'm lucky?! I can get them for $36 on the net if I feel like waiting a few days. Got 3 online for $121 and a 5 day wait.

Who is lucky now you arrogant witch, ha ha ha! I don't buy from them any longer. Not a thing!
 
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