Bike shops discouraging new cyclists ?

[ebikeerwidnes]

Our LBS is great - but then he knows me and welcomes me by name when I go in
OK - it is normally "Hello Mike - what have you broken this time?" - but you see the point

he also seems to have lower prices for regulars on simple spares and stuff - his inner tubes are cheaper - for me - then Halford etc and when I asked about tyre leaver he just gave me some nice metals ones

BUT - most of the bikes on show are ebikes and the modern equivalent of mine is generally the cheapest on view
He does have lots of kids helmets and stuff around - and he used to have a showroom upstairs with a section of kids bike - but they were all far more expensive than cheap ones from Halfords - and who wants to spend a few hundred for a bike for a kid who will grow out of it in a year!

In my opinion they can't sell basic bike because Halfords will always have something similar for less money
they can only compete on high quality and the service and knowledge that requires

Personally I do find that the LBS is great for information - but you have to be prepared to spend a little bit more than something similar online
I know that people ask in the LBS and "go off to think about it" - AKA buy it from Amazon - and you can;t really blame them
but if we do this then the LBS will go bust and we loose it

 

[icowden]

It is sad yes. I've encountered similar in many other types of shops. Sadly it's all about profit margin and it seems they are only interested in big sales which is very short sighted. They're not all like it, but it's certainly a lot worse than it used to be

I'm not sure it is.

Certainly at my local bike shop the problem is often that the staff are neurodiverse bike enthusiasts rather than salesmen. You can literally stand around for hours and be ignored if the one or two staff (men) are engaged in telling someone in far too much depth about a particular bike. They mean well, and some of them are better than others (I had a really good bike fit with them included with the sale of the bike which I really like), but they definitely really cater for the semi-elite level male cyclist where grams matter and are terrible at managing the shop floor.

 

[fossyant]

There are a few boutique shops in Manchester - never been in them. Pinarello only seem to have bikes costing many £'000s and it's just a display. Worse still, is LAP bikes on Oxford Road. Bang in the middle of student area, and the bikes are all on clinical looking shelves (like IKEA) and nothing in an affordable range, all top end BMC etc. Completely devoid of accessories. You couldn't go in and get a tube !

 

[Big John]

The times they are a changing, as Bob Dylan used to say. The old school, quarry tiled floor, bike shops that have been around for years and are well known in town can still be found and are still there for good reason. They provide good service and show respect for their customers. Once they're gone, though, they'll be replaced by the modern here-today-gone-tomorrow emporiums. Sadly, they don't all have family waiting to take over the reins when they retire. Enjoy the good old fashioned lbs while we still have them.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Sadly the treatment of women leaves a lot to be desired, in bike shops

 

[ianrauk]

Completely devoid of accessories.

Exactly the same as the Ribble store in Bluewater shopping centre.
Just very clinical and clean.
The store manager introduced himself to us as I was looking at the Ti bikes.
I think he only started talking to me as I was wearing a cycling T-shirt. Maybe, maybe not.

 

[a.twiddler]

Nothing new I'm afraid. When I was a newbie I got far more information from books than I got from the local bike shops in my area. Living in rural Wales, wanting something general purpose and adaptable for cycle touring there was Halfords, which were pretty useless back then, and independent shops that sold toys and prams with bikes as a sideline. The worst thing was the fear of appearing foolish, which was available in spades. Either they would appear not to understand, and not be able to direct you to somewhere that could help, or they would condescendingly try to sell you something unsuitable that they had in stock. I haven't grown any taller, but it's surprising how hard it was in Wales, a land of short and stocky people, to find bikes with a suitably low frame. This was before the mountain bike boom and cycling really seemed to be in the doldrums.

It was only after going to the Big City ie Swansea that there was a bigger, although limited choice and at least some recognition of what I wanted. I at least managed to find something reasonably sized and lightweight and that I could adapt to my needs.
I was pretty determined and at least had an idea of what I wanted in the limited choices available then.

How intimidating it must be, to be in that situation nowadays with the bewildering choice available, with all the jargon and techspeak, trying to find a decent, inexpensive bike for leisure riding, going to the shops, and doing ordinary things, not going racing or specced for trekking across the Gobi Desert.

Even back in 2007-ish when I bought my last new bike, the type of fully equipped steel tourer that I'd aspired to since my early days, from a local independent, it still had to be ordered in, as a small frame size, and not what they usually sold. No real "try before you buy" apart from a twirl round the block. It took some persistence to manage even that, and only because the bike shop owner knew me. That shop still exists today but several others in that town have now gone.

Bikes bought since have been used from such as ebay, and I've had some bargains, because I knew what I was looking for, also some lucky buys once I got into recumbent bikes and initially didn't have a clue.

So are bike shops intimidating and discouraging to new riders? Yes they are. Best thing is to take a friend with you who has some knowledge. At best, you will get a chance to sit on some bikes and see what suits you. For many new riders, the first bike you buy will allow you to find out what you like and don't like about it, and what to look for in your next one, or maybe can change in the one you have. Sometimes a used bike might be the way to go to help you decide what you want in a new bike, and to be able to cut through the sales talk.

 

[cyberknight]

A certain well known cycling mag reinforces this stereotype, unless you're into racing,grand condos , power meters and expensive stuff there's nothing in it .

 

[Sallar55]

A certain well known cycling mag reinforces this stereotype, unless you're into racing,grand condos , power meters and expensive stuff there's nothing in it .

If I bts the one i am thinking of it at least does a write up of places to cycle. Down side its also a plug for cycling holiday outfits. You can always do the DIY version as part of a tour.

 

[mustang1]

I would say the staff need training but I guess this is something that comes from the top. Maybe it's the top management that needs training.

But a short version of the above 2 statements could easily be simply:
"What a bunch of ass holes".

 

[wafter]

Unfortunate experiences but sadly not surprising for many reasons. Personally I gave up on bike shops a long time ago as just about every one in the city managed to cause offence somehow.

While I have had the occasional fortune of finding some decent staff it seems that trustworthy shop employees (i.e. those who can be expected to both know what they're talking about not screw you to suit their own agenda over theirs) are few and far between.

Unfortunately for these places such behaviour makes online shopping an easy sell. I do a lot of research so that I'm sufficiently informed to make my own choices without needing to put my faith on the hands of someone with an agenda that's potentially counter to my own. I buy my own tools and do my own work. The last time I actually spent money at an LBS was because I needed some grease urgently a year or so ago;
and before that an indicator chain for the Brompton.. small purchases driven by necessity and convenience.

The last relatively big-ticket item I bought from a local shop was my old Giant road bike in 2004; stopped going back to that shop after they damaged the frame when it went back for its annual service. In 2020 I wanted to source my Genesis from another local shop, but after seeing a staff member ham-fistedly damaging the test bike, then the owner later getting snotty with me when I reluctantly mentioned it, I went elsewhere (proper shop but mail order).

It is sad yes. I've encountered similar in many other types of shops. Sadly it's all about profit margin and it seems they are only interested in big sales which is very short sighted. They're not all like it, but it's certainly a lot worse than it used to be

Indeed; I suspect in the post-covid vacuum low-end sales have properly dried up, so the obvious target is those who are detached from the current economic crisis / with more money than sense who can be easily up-sold items with massive margins...

 

[Chislenko]

Is it any different to picking your clothes off a rack in Matalan or going to an up market boutique?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I have to say that my LBS is pretty good and will happily tell you to look on Amazon for basic stuff as they know they cannot compete for price

They will also give yo a cut price whatsit that they happen to have lying around - clearly somethign that has come off anoth bike but has loads of wear left in it

although - as said above - they know me and know I will be back for a new thingy at some point

shows that it can be worth getting into the "known person" bracket by buying a few things - if the LBS is run by someone nice

might help that my wife gets her hair "done" next door and the shop is owned by the LBS manager's wife!

 

[matticus]

grand condos

Sportives that are open to raptors.

 

[fossyant]

I've only been in one bike shop in as long as I can remember. That was for bar tape whilst I was away. Cost a flipping fortune though.