LBS prices..........an interesting slant on it.

[PhilDawson8270]

Just as well they operate on-line rather than telephone ordering then! I think (in my Scottish case anyway) that the language barrier could cause some problems. I can imagine it now ..... "No I will not calm down and go and have a nice kipper tie, thanks. Just get my order posted please!".

When I ran my photography business I banked with Santander, who had a call centre in Glasgow. As somebody whose only Scottish relatives had lived in England long enough to lose a lot of the accent (before beer), it was always quite tedious

In fact, I avoid all telephone stuff these days.

 

[vickster]

I prefer to use the phone if I'm looking for a benefit for me and a quick response...example, last week, two phone calls, one to Sky (well technically two as she had to call me back when I had a coughing fit and her calling me meant I didn't have to pay for the call) and one to Virgin (free) got me savings of around £26 a month off my TV & broadband for the next year (and Virgin got my upgrade to [approx] 50mb sorted on the same call). Doing that via email or live chat would have been a far bigger pita!

 

[biking_fox]

If I'm gong to fit it myself, I'll hunt about online and get it delivered, unless I need to NOW, when you can't beat a physical shop. (until the drone delivery gets sorted out anyway). But generally that's only the routine easy stuff. If I CBA then I'll give hte bike to my LBS, let them order in what parts they don't stock, fit it, and I'll happily pay. Generally the biggest issue is that their mechanics are backed up with two week+ delay before they can accept new jobs.

Always a balance between price and convenience. LBS is both more convenient and more expensive. That's fine with me.

 

[MontyVeda]

Putting it into perspective, when i had my Raleigh hybrid i took it to my local LBS for two new gear cables fitting, he charged me the princely sum of £35 for fitting two cables!!!
I have replaced the brake and gear cables on my project cycle for less than that!

it's just like getting a plumber to mend a leaky tap or an electrician to fit a new light fitting... if you can do it yourself it costs peanuts, if you get someone else to do it you usually have to pay.

 

[jonny jeez]

My LBS (Bromley bikes) seems to be shifting away from general stock, like the stuff we can all buy on line much cheaper than they can stockm

They seem to have dropped cervelo, are getting in less specialized and are focussing on exotic, independent type manufacturers like celio (spelling).

This may be the future, where your lbs trawls the market, with their knowledge and experience, and finds the best quality, low cost manufacturer and sells it to you...like some wine dealers that cannot competed with tescos.

The result is, if you want to buy a frame form an international brand, you go online, if you want bespoke or "different" you go to the high street.

What is tricky is understanding the truth. If you ask the guys in bbikes why they don't "push" cervelo, they say it because they aren't very good.

I struggle to believe that and suspect they simply cannot maintain the licencing commitment demanded by cervelo (£200 k a year in sales) to retain the right to stock them.

Chap in Hayes folded because of this. this.

 

[Hyslop]

Just as well they operate on-line rather than telephone ordering then! I think (in my Scottish case anyway) that the language barrier could cause some problems. I can imagine it now ..... "No I will not calm down and go and have a nice kipper tie, thanks. Just get my order posted please!".

Youve got no chance-Im only 8 miles south of the Border,and naturally,I didnt understand a word of that

 

[Justinslow]

An LBS needs to change; one of my local ones has just put in the cafe and I'd agree they need to become a workshop fitting key items. The good example I've seen is Green Jersey Cycles in Clitheroe - good cafe, workshop next to it and items. They can do the whole package.

We've got one near me, cycle shop, workshop, etc, lovely cafe good car park and bike park and a CX track in the field next to the premises which is a converted country pub!

 

[ayceejay]

I buy online from the UK, USA and Japan - the prices and service varies the big difference comes when things go wrong and then youare in the hands of the same troop of fairies as the one who sends punctures. The American ones are ace and take a complaint personally and fix it personally, the UK ones work on the basis that if we ignore it it will eventually go away, the exception being Planet X and perhaps PBK, all the others Merlin, Wiggle, Ribble and CRC assume that the customer is always wrong.

 

[bpsmith]

Never understand people saying they "avoid the hassle of buying online"!

I can order online with zero hassle, quickly and easily, from my phone anywhere I happen to be. Order at 2pm and get it delivered to my local Collect+ convenience store and collect the next day up until 11pm. Saves considerable cash and hardly a delay, or the need to wait in for delivery.

Hassle? I think not!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Never understand people saying they "avoid the hassle of buying online"!

I can order online with zero hassle, quickly and easily, from my phone anywhere I happen to be. Order at 2pm and get it delivered to my local Collect+ convenience store and collect the next day up until 11pm. Saves considerable cash and hardly a delay, or the need to wait in for delivery.

Hassle? I think not!

Agreed.

I tend to use Wiggle. Often the cheapest or thereabouts. Don't appear to advertise stock that they don't have (or maybe I have always been lucky). And the delivery is ridiculously fast.

About a month ago I bought a torque wrench from them. Ordered late Sunday pm and with free delivery (via SW Regional Distribution Centre and Preston!) it landed on my 'doorstep' 9.30am Tuesday morning. Not a one-off either. They always deliver real fast.

I don't even have to be in as where I live parcels just get left in a designated safe spot which is great.

 

[fabregas485]

I have always brought online as this is the age I was brought up in. Cheaper prices and I can easily check reviews for example. Last Friday however, I went to my LBS as I wanted to buy a new bike. I was fed up of buying from Halfords where I am given terrible advice (I was sold a 58cm bikes when I needed a 52cm) and build quality is terrible.

My LBS spent the time to talk though with me the many options, and when it came to choosing a bike, I was helped to pick a bike that was in my budget and something that best suit me. I expected to have the most expensive kit pushed towards me, but this did not happen. I could have brought a similar spec-ed bike for cheaper, but the service to me was worth the extra. I used to doubt LBS as all the ones I had been to previously were greatly more expensive, and seems to not worth if they got your service or not.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I buy online from the UK, USA and Japan - the prices and service varies the big difference comes when things go wrong and then youare in the hands of the same troop of fairies as the one who sends punctures. The American ones are ace and take a complaint personally and fix it personally, the UK ones work on the basis that if we ignore it it will eventually go away, the exception being Planet X and perhaps PBK, all the others Merlin, Wiggle, Ribble and CRC assume that the customer is always wrong.

Just to put a fair defence to CRC, I thought I saw a potential issue with a chain. So emailed their customer services, turns out there was no problem, but they still sent another one FoC, and told me to keep the other. "Just in case".

 

[Philh]

My LBS price matches to CRC so I get the best prices with great service.

 

[Bianchi boy]

my LBS was selling a bottle cage for £8.99, same thing in a sports shop in Calpe, Spain ......1 euro

 

[ayceejay]

Just to put a fair defence to CRC, I thought I saw a potential issue with a chain. So emailed their customer services, turns out there was no problem, but they still sent another one FoC, and told me to keep the other. "Just in case".

Good for you Phil I have an ongoer with them that is nothing short of Kafkaesque.