Patch kits obsolete?

[Mike Kruger]

Evidently there is at least one LBS that doesn't sell patch kits!

I was having lunch with a co-worker, and he narrated the following story:
Saturday he had a flat tire on his bike, and went into a bike shop to buy a
patch kit. The LBS explained that no bike shop carried patch kits any more,
and tried to sell him a tube.

My co-worker then went to a hardware store and bought a patch kit.

The co-worker was asking my assurance that patching tires wasn't a stupid
thing to do, and I said I hoped not, because there were a couple of patches
on the tires I rode in that morning.

I can see an individual rider choosing to replace a tube every time --
that's a personal decision. And I can understand bike shops not patching a
tube. With labor cost and the possibility of patch failure there's little
point to patching a customer's tube.

But anyone ever heard of a bike shop not selling patch kits? This sounds
like a lame excuse for being out of stock on a basic item.


--
Mike Kruger
If there's a shortage of inner tubes and a shortage of patch kits, what will
we do?

 

[Ken]

"Mike Kruger" <[email protected]> wrote in news:milJc.11363$Jk2.8247
@roc.nntpserver.com:
> But anyone ever heard of a bike shop not selling patch kits? This sounds
> like a lame excuse for being out of stock on a basic item.

The shops I use all have a stack of them sitting next to the cash register.

 

[Mike Beauchamp]

Same here..
sounds like a typical lame-ass LBS excuse.

Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com

"Ken" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Mike Kruger" <[email protected]> wrote in news:milJc.11363$Jk2.8247
> @roc.nntpserver.com:
> > But anyone ever heard of a bike shop not selling patch kits? This sounds
> > like a lame excuse for being out of stock on a basic item.
>
> The shops I use all have a stack of them sitting next to the cash
register.

 

[Luigi de Guzman]

On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 02:23:06 +0000, Ken <[email protected]> wrote:

>"Mike Kruger" <[email protected]> wrote in news:milJc.11363$Jk2.8247
>@roc.nntpserver.com:
>> But anyone ever heard of a bike shop not selling patch kits? This sounds
>> like a lame excuse for being out of stock on a basic item.
>
>The shops I use all have a stack of them sitting next to the cash register.

Yeah, really. Kind of like candy at the supermarket.

I wasn't aware of any hardware stores in my town that carried patch
kits though!

-Luigi

 

[Leo Lichtman]

"Mike Kruger" wrote: (clip) a lame excuse for being out of stock on a basic
item.(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^
It doesn't happen often, but when I am lied to like that, I leave, and don't
return. The only way that store could get my business back would be to fire
the guy.

 

[HardwareLust]

Luigi de Guzman wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 02:23:06 +0000, Ken <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> "Mike Kruger" <[email protected]> wrote in
>> news:milJc.11363$Jk2.8247 @roc.nntpserver.com:
>>> But anyone ever heard of a bike shop not selling patch kits? This
>>> sounds like a lame excuse for being out of stock on a basic item.
>>
>> The shops I use all have a stack of them sitting next to the cash
>> register.
>
> Yeah, really. Kind of like candy at the supermarket.
>
> I wasn't aware of any hardware stores in my town that carried patch
> kits though!
>

My home town's only "bike shop" was the Ace hardware store. Perfectly
normal to go there and buy tubes, parts, etc.

We had to (get our parents to) drive 6 miles down the road to go to a "real"
LBS.

Now, I got 3 LBS's in a 10 mile radius of my house, but they all suck so
bad, I wouldn't **** on them if they were on fire.

Regards,
H.

 

[Zoot Katz]

Wed, 14 Jul 2004 23:53:01 -0400,
<[email protected]>, Luigi de Guzman
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>I wasn't aware of any hardware stores in my town that carried patch
>kits though!
>
>-Luigi

I went to my local Canadian Tire Store for a new tube of glue.
Their blister-packed tube of glue, a dozen patches and the grater
thing was the same price as just the glue.
Same size tube of the same glue.
Free patches.
--
zk

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> Same here..
> sounds like a typical lame-ass LBS excuse.

"Typical" LBS excuse? I dunno, I think this is one of the wilder ones. I
doubt that it's actually true (that they don't carry patch kits), but rather
a really really REALLY dreadful employee, who likes to make things up as
he/she goes along. If it's actually the shop's policy, I'd be thankful that
the only thing I might have needed there was a patch kit. If it's not, and
it's just a poor employee, I'd ask to speak with someone higher up the food
chain, perhaps the buyer, and ask if it's true that you'd have to special
order a patch kit. Maybe that will get the message through.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

 

[Ian G Batten]

In article <[email protected]>,
Mike Kruger <[email protected]> wrote:
> patch kit. The LBS explained that no bike shop carried patch kits any more,
> and tried to sell him a tube.

Vote with your feet.

ian

 

[Michael Miller]

Ian G Batten wrote:
I've never heard of a bike shop that doesn't sell patch kits. Kinda
sounds like a grocery store that doesn't sell milk.


> In article <[email protected]>,
> Mike Kruger <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>patch kit. The LBS explained that no bike shop carried patch kits any more,
>>and tried to sell him a tube.
>
>
> Vote with your feet.
>
> ian

 

[Pat Lamb]

Ian G Batten wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Mike Kruger <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>patch kit. The LBS explained that no bike shop carried patch kits any more,
>>and tried to sell him a tube.
>
>
> Vote with your feet.
>
> ian

And wallet.

Pat

 

[Ningi]

Michael Miller wrote:
> Ian G Batten wrote:
> I've never heard of a bike shop that doesn't sell patch kits. Kinda
> sounds like a grocery store that doesn't sell milk.
>

Is this a cheese shop?



Pete

 

[BillyBubba]

"Mike Kruger" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Evidently there is at least one LBS that doesn't sell patch kits!
>
> I was having lunch with a co-worker, and he narrated the following story:
> Saturday he had a flat tire on his bike, and went into a bike shop to buy a
> patch kit. The LBS explained that no bike shop carried patch kits any more,
> and tried to sell him a tube.
>
> My co-worker then went to a hardware store and bought a patch kit.
>
> The co-worker was asking my assurance that patching tires wasn't a stupid
> thing to do, and I said I hoped not, because there were a couple of patches
> on the tires I rode in that morning.
>
> I can see an individual rider choosing to replace a tube every time --
> that's a personal decision. And I can understand bike shops not patching a
> tube. With labor cost and the possibility of patch failure there's little
> point to patching a customer's tube.
>
> But anyone ever heard of a bike shop not selling patch kits? This sounds
> like a lame excuse for being out of stock on a basic item.

Hey them bike shop guys gotta eat! Yoor pal shooda bought a whole new
wheel and a tire to go with that tube. Besides, don'tcha know that
trying to "repair" broke stuff is un-American?

 

[di]

">
> Hey them bike shop guys gotta eat! Yoor pal shooda bought a whole new
> wheel and a tire to go with that tube. Besides, don'tcha know that
> trying to "repair" broke stuff is un-American?

Trying to buy something that you can repair is un-*mart, especially if it's
made in China

 

[The Real Bev]

HardwareLust wrote:
>
> Luigi de Guzman wrote:
> > On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 02:23:06 +0000, Ken <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> "Mike Kruger" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>> But anyone ever heard of a bike shop not selling patch kits? This
> >>> sounds like a lame excuse for being out of stock on a basic item.
> >>
> >> The shops I use all have a stack of them sitting next to the cash
> >> register.
> >
> > Yeah, really. Kind of like candy at the supermarket.
> >
> > I wasn't aware of any hardware stores in my town that carried patch
> > kits though!

Pep Boys has them, although they aren't the classy Rema-type. They also
have those monster hot-patch thingies, the ones you use the little vise
with and set on fire. Guess those are for tractors, although we don't
have all that many tractors around here.

> My home town's only "bike shop" was the Ace hardware store. Perfectly
> normal to go there and buy tubes, parts, etc.

Orchard Supply Hardware has a decent selection of bikely stuff, some
cheesy, some nice.

--
Cheers,
Bev
************************************************
Horn broken. Watch for finger.

 

[The Real Bev]

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>
> > Same here..
> > sounds like a typical lame-ass LBS excuse.
>
> "Typical" LBS excuse? I dunno, I think this is one of the wilder ones. I
> doubt that it's actually true (that they don't carry patch kits), but rather
> a really really REALLY dreadful employee, who likes to make things up as
> he/she goes along. If it's actually the shop's policy, I'd be thankful that
> the only thing I might have needed there was a patch kit. If it's not, and
> it's just a poor employee, I'd ask to speak with someone higher up the food
> chain, perhaps the buyer, and ask if it's true that you'd have to special
> order a patch kit. Maybe that will get the message through.

More and more I'm coming to believe that we should ALWAYS deal with
incompetent service by telling the manager/owner. There are too many
decent people struggling to get along to let jobs be held by hopeless
jerks.

Ultimate worst ever: My McD English muffin came with what looked for
all the world like a bite taken out of it. I could almost discern
toothmarks. I showed it to the counter person, who looked at it and
said "They come that way."

Nope, no slack at all. They blew their chance. Next?

--
Cheers,
Bev
************************************************
Horn broken. Watch for finger.

 

[the black rose]

The Real Bev wrote:
> More and more I'm coming to believe that we should ALWAYS deal with
> incompetent service by telling the manager/owner. There are too many
> decent people struggling to get along to let jobs be held by hopeless
> jerks.

I'm wondering how to respond to a more minor customer service
infraction: I wandered into the local Trek dealer and asked to look at
some bikes in my size range, just to get an idea of what I need for a
road bike. He blew me off. That got me to thinking I don't need to
look like a female Lance wannabe. I might take it up with the store
owner. Or make comments in his hearing about how I've got a $7k sewing
machine, think about how much I *might* be willing to spend on a bike
(actually, not as much as that would imply, hehe), but blow me off again
and I'll take my business elsewhere.

It didn't annoy me at first, until a few days later I wandered into a
nearby Cannondale dealer and the owner chatted me up, apologized for not
having women-specific bikes in frame sizes I'd like to try, encouraged
me to look forward to the 2005's that are coming in soon, discussed the
best frame pump for my current bike, nattered about the TdF with me,
sold me a heart monitor with *only* the features I wanted and none that
I didn't. Maybe he just smelled money, but he was certainly more
focused on customer service than the other store, that's for sure.

> Ultimate worst ever: My McD English muffin came with what looked for
> all the world like a bite taken out of it. I could almost discern
> toothmarks. I showed it to the counter person, who looked at it and
> said "They come that way."

Ew. That's truly wretched.

-km

--
the black rose
GO LANCE GO!!!
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

 

[Eric Ferguson]

'Bout 2 months ago, got two patch kits at ACE hardware. They were on the $1
table. Should've bought all four, but didn't want to be greedy, besides,
haven't had a flat (yet!!!!). Now, just because I wrote that, I'll get two,
right? Eric

 

[Frederic Briere]

Mike Kruger <[email protected]> wrote:
> I can see an individual rider choosing to replace a tube every time --
> that's a personal decision. And I can understand bike shops not patching a
> tube. With labor cost and the possibility of patch failure there's little
> point to patching a customer's tube.

Not necessarily. There's a comment about this in Barnett's:

Many bike shops do not do tube repair. The reason they give is that
it is more economical to just replace the tube. It is possible that
they reach this conclusion by taking shortcuts that should not be
taken when installing a new tube. The process of putting a patch on a
tube is not time consuming, in itself. It takes a mechanic that knows
what to do less than 1 minute to apply the glue and the patch, and
then inspect whether the patch is good. The real time that is
required comes from searching for the hole in the tube. When shops
don't patch tubes (citing the economy), it is a good bet that they
don't inspect the old tube. Inspecting the old tube should never be
skipped, because this is one of the best ways to determine the cause
of the flat (and prevent its reoccurrence). Regardless of whether
your shop does or doesn't patch tubes, don't skip inspecting the old
tube. (While we are on this subject, patching tubes is a highly
efficient form of recycling of a product made from a non-renewable
resource.)

Also:

Many bike shops do not patch tubes. The usual excuse is that it is
not financially sensible. Although this argument has some holes in
it, there is a more important issue at stake. The variety of tubes
out there in the real world usually exceeds the variety of stock of
tubes that a bike shop has on hand. Given the choice between
installing a tube that is not a good match, or patching a tube that
has a minor puncture, it is preferable to patch the tube.


Of course, no reputable shop would ever be opposed to *selling* patch
kits. (What do you do if you get two flats on a ride? Carry two
spares?)


--
Frederic Briere <*> [email protected]

=> <[email protected]> IS NO MORE: <http://www.abacomsucks.com> <=

 

[Fx199]

>ube. (While we are on this subject, patching tubes is a highly
> efficient form of recycling of a product made from a non-renewable
> resource.)
>

Since when is rubber non-renewable?