Does anyone else get nervous when they go into bike shops?

[F70100]

As an aside, I went into Evans recently to look at getting some new mtb-style spd shoes. They had a large display of men's shoes of all kinds, which included just two women's shoes, one of which was a road shoe. So that left me with just the one choice, which was covered in pink flashes so not my style at all. Apparently I have to buy shoes online, and if I don't like them I can take them into the shop and get a refund .

If men had the same experiences as women often do in bike shops there would be uproar.

The proprietor of my LBS lamented on the difficulty of finding the right balance when stocking male/female clothing items. He said that stocking for men was easy; 75% of the stock he sold was mens, men wanted to choose either the blue one, the red one or the black one of any particular item and the sizing spread needed for stock was easily predictable. The low volume of sales of womens items and the larger range of styles, colours and sizes needed made getting it right very difficult.

I guess the important thing is that he did appear (to me at least) to want to get it right.. His wife is also a cyclist and she works in the shop also.

Name of shop (in Suffolk) available by PM to any interested party.

 

[swansonj]

I might add: one of those little moments that makes you realise how sexist a world you live in and how hard it is to escape your immersion in that culture is walking into an outdoor shop looking for a pair of walking shoes, and catching yourself feeling momentarily irritated that your choice as a male is constricted by the shop choosing to use a mere half its space to stock women's items....

 

[Ganymede]

The proprietor of my LBS lamented on the difficulty of finding the right balance when stocking male/female clothing items. He said that stocking for men was easy; 75% of the stock he sold was mens, men wanted to choose either the blue one, the red one or the black one of any particular item and the sizing spread needed for stock was easily predictable. The low volume of sales of womens items and the larger range of styles, colours and sizes needed made getting it right very difficult.

I guess the important thing is that he did appear (to me at least) to want to get it right.. His wife is also a cyclist and she works in the shop also.

Name of shop (in Suffolk) available by PM to any interested party.

My experience is that most of the stuff stocked for women in outdoor shops is in awful girly colours and that the "range" available is not that wide. I suspect the size range might need to be wider but I always see a lot of pink, mint and light purple stuff in outdoor sales - I keep looking for navy and red and it's never there. It used to be, I have proof in the form of old fleeces and base layers, but I think buyers are getting it really wrong. Like in ski gear - women's stuff is mostly black, pink, purple, a horrible coffee colour or... gag... WHITE. I generally go for the most stylish purple/violet colour I can find.

 

[Dave the Smeghead]

Guitar shops are worse than any LBS

I hear that one!
Bought youngest daughter a 3/4 for Christmas and it seems to have rekindled a desire in me to go back to playing; something I last did when I was 18. Visited a guitar shop and apart from having to have a sit down and a bout of cold sweats over the price of "entry level" guitars, being referred to throughout a conversation as "dude" was quite unnerving. I am 45 for crying out loud and don't think I have ever been a "dude"!

 

[galaxy]

I go into a LBS, were quite lucky, theres few good local ones.March time last year, almost 18 stone and very unfit . Only looking for some tyres to start cycling again. The young sales man goes onto say how much cycling he does and how fast he is. I start to show a intrest in his cycling and he tells me how fast he is at time triling. His face was a picture when the wife says my fat husband used to do 20 minute 10`s and 50 minute 25s over 20 years ago.

 

[raleighnut]

My experience is that most of the stuff stocked for women in outdoor shops is in awful girly colours and that the "range" available is not that wide. I suspect the size range might need to be wider but I always see a lot of pink, mint and light purple stuff in outdoor sales - I keep looking for navy and red and it's never there. It used to be, I have proof in the form of old fleeces and base layers, but I think buyers are getting it really wrong. Like in ski gear - women's stuff is mostly black, pink, purple, a horrible coffee colour or... gag... WHITE. I generally go for the most stylish purple/violet colour I can find.

I may be a bloke but I like purple. just try finding anything in that for guys (child in the sixties/youth in the seventies and bought my first house in 1980)

 

[Hyslop]

[QUOTE 3454069, member: 45"]"Morning! Feel free to have a wander. Give me a shout if you'd like any help" would be a good start.[/QUOTE]Hope you find your dream,theyre worth their weight in gold.As an example though,Palace Cycles,here in Carlisle take such an approach.Should you want help,advice,experienced opinion theyre avaliable also.Goodness knows,they have me to deal with,daft questions,occasional needless retail therapy,bewildered mumbling etc! Seriously though, I value the balanced guidance and advice I have had and the time taken,none of which is available on the net(Prendas excepted).Consequently, if I use online,Im quite mercenary,price is all!Good luck,theyre out there.

 

[andyfraser]

Guitar shops are worse than any LBS

So true! I've been playing for nearly 30 years. I know far more about guitars, strings, amps and effects and how to fix stuff than I know about bikes yet I still feel intimidated when going in to a music shop.

It helps that I was telling the guy in my LBS about mudguards because he didn't seem to know anything about them. I'm confident enough to just go into my LMS (local music shop) and just ask for what I need and get out. One guy there is still adamant that metal slides are for electric guitars and glass slides for acoustic when it really only matters what they sound like.

 

[Drago]

Are you a 6ft 9inch Icelander?

Alas, a puny 6'4" English powerlifter.

 

[JoeyB]

Alas, a puny 6'4" English powerlifter.

Ah, more a bald Terry Hollands then? He's moving into power lifting for 2015.

I have a strong man gym right near me (owned and run by Rob Frampton), really wish I had the Jacobs to join!

 

[Drago]

I met Josh Thigpen a couple of years ago and he was a really nice bloke. He gave me his contact details to pass some training tips my way, and he's become a pen friend, albeit via email.

By todays standards I'm puny at 6-4 and 260, but like most brothers of iron and sisters of steel, the great Jon Pall sigmarsson is my hero. What is the point of living if you can't do deadlift?

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

If men had the same experiences as women often do in bike shops there would be uproar.

You have obviously never tried to buy a pair of size 11 cycling shoes with diamante insets

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Do these insets massage your instep.

They serve the sole (groan) purpose of making me look even more fabulous

 

[Dan B]

Do these insets massage your instep.

Try everything once, except for Morris dancing and insets

 

[gavgav]

No, but my Bank Manager does!!