Do you have a cheap local bike shop?

[Accy cyclist]

I took my rear wheel in for a puncture repair today. Some might say why not do it yourself, but the lad who runs the shop will fit a new tube for a fiver, and for me to do it would take about half an hour so it's definately worth it. I think 5 pounds is very reasonable, in fact up to last year he was only charging £3.50!
He also has some decent road tyres in, including Schwalbe Luganos for 11 quid each or a pair for 20 quid. Now i know for a fact that a "posher", more specialised shop a few miles away sells them at 28 quid each! I asked him if he made a decent living, he replied "No in fact if things don't pick up in the next three months i'll be shutting down". I suggested that he puts his prices up but he said that he caters mainly for local children who use him for cheap repairs on their bikes, and that if he put his prices up they wouldn't be able to afford so they'd have no bike, or go elsewhere. I know that adults use his shop because i've seen them paying for repairs, so i'm sure if he put his prices up by about 30 percent he might be able to survive, and that most would be willing to pay the increases so that they don't lose their local bike shop, then have to travel out of town to a much more expensive repair shops.
Do you have a reliable, cheap bike shop near you, and do you use it?

 

[Peteaud]

Mines ok, although i have 1 small repair shop and a few larger ones.

 

[biggs682]

i do and they do all my work , and where poss try and get all my bits from them

 

[Pauluk]

We have 4 or 5 bike shops around the our city, one of which is about 300 metres from my house, plus 2 Halfords outlets.

I am learning to do my own maintenance and repairs because I get the satisfaction of knowing its been done with a bit more care.

Doing my own puncture repairs is much quicker than taking the bike in to the shop and gives me more practice each time I do it. Now when I get a flat its just a minor inconvenience and sometimes takes me less than 15 minutes to fix when I swap out the tube. On a long ride I no longer have to dread a flat.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I try to use my LBS as much as I can. Trouble is his opening times and my shifts not always match, so I can't get to the shop. But at times I intentionally buy more expensive from him than cheaper from, say, Amazon, to give him custom.
I also know there is some jobs he is not willing to do, because the time he needs for doing them costs more than the price he could reasonably charge, so I have learned to do them myself. Buy the tool from him, ask him how to do it, then do the job myself. They (it's 3 of them) like to work it this way for small jobs.

 

[yello]

I do my own repairs etc and I usually buy any bits needed on the web.... but I do buy oil, grease, etc from Decathlon! My nearest LBS is 60km away, has very limited stocks and is expensive - shoot me but I don't bother with them.

 

[boybiker]

I will be buying my new bike from my LBS need I say more!You cant beat face to face customer service/advice.

 

[boybiker]

I will be buying my new bike from my LBS need I say more!You cant beat face to face customer service/advice.

 

[derrick]

We have a very good shop, i often pop in after a ride for a coffee, mind you i do spend a few bob in there.

 

[defy-one]

Mine isn't cheap,but they are good with me the customer. I'll use them from now on.
Today they offered me coffee and i even helped fix my bike with them.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Always got the feeling I was being jerked around by local bike shops until I found http://www.bicycledoctor.gbr.fm/

The prices are pretty much the same as tinterweb and the poor bugger is very tolerant of my incessant questions!