Bike shop etiquette

[Custom24]

You need to build a relationship with your LBS before you start taking food out of their mouths

That works both ways.

 

[cd365]

I could not imagine going into a shop and asking to borrow tools from them!

 

[22camels]

I wanted to either rent the tool or have them knock out the cups (10 second job), either way I was happy to pay for it. But probably I didn't communicate this very well to the shops by starting the conversation with the word "borrow", though I did add I could give a few quid. So that may explain their initial shirtiness. However, the main thing they were upset about is I had a spare replacement headset part in my hand that I had sourced elsewhere, an online retailer as I admitted. Maybe if I had gone in there with just a bare frame and asked if they could knock out the cups (10 second job) they would have done it there and then for a few quid without any issue.

 

[Jody]

Sheffield has a bike kitchen where you can borrow tools and workshop space to fix your own bike. I think you need to have a short induction course so they know you're going to use all the stuff properly.

http://sheffieldcycleboost.org/bike-kitchen/

Never knew this. Great idea and not too far from me.