Bikeshops that laugh at your bike

Man with no pigs. wrote in message
...
It's old, worn and unfashionable, but it is mine.
When I take it to a bike shop for service or parts, those shops whose
employees
s****** at it are put on my boycott list.
Does anyone else have these feelings to bike shops?

As someone that works with a lot of crusty old bikes, I do sometimes chuckle
at peoples old favourites. Part of it is that I admire when someone has
ridden their beast into the ground over many years. Means that it is being
used at least.

When it all comes down to it though, you can buy a pretty decent second hand
bike for only a couple hundred bucks, so the cost of maintaining an old
beast becomes prohibitive, especially when you start replacing clusters and
chains etc. And there is no substitute for something with gears and brakes
that work properly.

I have nothing but scorn for these dickhead yuppies that buy a new $1000+
bike and leave it out to die in the rain while they drive everywhere.
---
DFM

Suzy Jackson wrote in message
...

"Man with no pigs." wrote in message
...

It's old, worn and unfashionable, but it is mine.
When I take it to a bike shop for service or parts, those shops whose
employees
s****** at it are put on my boycott list.
Does anyone else have these feelings to bike shops?

I am sorry that you have no pigs. That is surely cause for great concern.

As far as bikeshops go, my pet peeve is when people at a bike shop (or car
dealer, or mechanics generally for that matter) treat you as an idiot
simply
because you're female. I race road bikes, and am fairly knowledgeable
about
my bikes. I do my own maintenance because I don't trust anyone else to do
it. I find it extremely frustrating when I go into a bike shop to buy
bits
for my bikes, having carefully researched (usually via the net) what I
need,
only to be treated like an idiot because I want a such and such, and to
have
to explain to some pimply teenager why I want it.

That's the same with anything though. Whenever you walk into a shop, you
should give some clues that you know what you're talking about, otherwise
they will assume you don't. Seeings as the field of bike maintenance is
vastly male dominated (like anything in the engineering vein), it is a fair
assumption that women are by default not mechanically minded. You are
obviously an exception to the rule, but this is the reason why you get some
condescending attitude.
---
DFM

Suzy Jackson wrote in message
...

"Man with no pigs." wrote in message
...

It's old, worn and unfashionable, but it is mine.
When I take it to a bike shop for service or parts, those shops whose
employees
s****** at it are put on my boycott list.
Does anyone else have these feelings to bike shops?

I am sorry that you have no pigs. That is surely cause for great concern.

As far as bikeshops go, my pet peeve is when people at a bike shop (or car
dealer, or mechanics generally for that matter) treat you as an idiot
simply
because you're female. I race road bikes, and am fairly knowledgeable
about
my bikes. I do my own maintenance because I don't trust anyone else to do
it. I find it extremely frustrating when I go into a bike shop to buy
bits
for my bikes, having carefully researched (usually via the net) what I
need,
only to be treated like an idiot because I want a such and such, and to
have
to explain to some pimply teenager why I want it.

That's the same with anything though. Whenever you walk into a shop, you
should give some clues that you know what you're talking about, otherwise
they will assume you don't. Seeings as the field of bike maintenance is
vastly male dominated (like anything in the engineering vein), it is a fair
assumption that women are by default not mechanically minded. You are
obviously an exception to the rule, but this is the reason why you get some
condescending attitude.
---
DFM

"Deep Flayed Mares" wrote in
message news:7nX_a.951
That's the same with anything though. Whenever you walk into a shop,
you
should give some clues that you know what you're talking about,
otherwise
they will assume you don't. Seeings as the field of bike maintenance
is
vastly male dominated (like anything in the engineering vein), it is a
fair
assumption that women are by default not mechanically minded. You are
obviously an exception to the rule, but this is the reason why you get
some
condescending attitude.

I actually find it useful to go into shops and NOT make it look
like I know anything (not that I'm claiming to know much!).
This way, you can get a feeling for whether or not they are
serving you or themselves. If they give you some big speil
which you know is total ********, then you can avoid the
shop. This applies to all shops, not just bikes shops.

hippy
(male, last time i checked)

"Deep Flayed Mares" wrote in
message news:7nX_a.951
That's the same with anything though. Whenever you walk into a shop,
you
should give some clues that you know what you're talking about,
otherwise
they will assume you don't. Seeings as the field of bike maintenance
is
vastly male dominated (like anything in the engineering vein), it is a
fair
assumption that women are by default not mechanically minded. You are
obviously an exception to the rule, but this is the reason why you get
some
condescending attitude.

I actually find it useful to go into shops and NOT make it look
like I know anything (not that I'm claiming to know much!).
This way, you can get a feeling for whether or not they are
serving you or themselves. If they give you some big speil
which you know is total ********, then you can avoid the
shop. This applies to all shops, not just bikes shops.

hippy
(male, last time i checked)

Yes, I'm being over-sensitive. At least parts get replaced when they're worn out
and not rusted out or supeceded.
Some places get touchy when my bike soils the floor of their uber-yuppie cycle
emporium and I only spend $7 on brake rubbers.
I can name many great shops in Melbourne though.



On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 06:30:35 GMT, "hippy"
wrote:

"Man with no pigs." wrote in message
...
It's old, worn and unfashionable, but it is mine.
When I take it to a bike shop for service or parts, those shops whose
employees
s****** at it are put on my boycott list.
Does anyone else have these feelings to bike shops?

I have total sh*tters and if anyone laughs at them, more
often than not it's me!
Maybe you should not take it so personally and be
happy with the knowledge that your old, unfashionable
bike is still going strong and you are still happy with it.
You get the last laugh anyway when those evil "upgraders"
have to rush out and buy 10 speed Dura-Ace or
something... bye bye cash!! ;-)

hippy

Yes, I'm being over-sensitive. At least parts get replaced when they're worn out
and not rusted out or supeceded.
Some places get touchy when my bike soils the floor of their uber-yuppie cycle
emporium and I only spend $7 on brake rubbers.
I can name many great shops in Melbourne though.



On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 06:30:35 GMT, "hippy"
wrote:

"Man with no pigs." wrote in message
...
It's old, worn and unfashionable, but it is mine.
When I take it to a bike shop for service or parts, those shops whose
employees
s****** at it are put on my boycott list.
Does anyone else have these feelings to bike shops?

I have total sh*tters and if anyone laughs at them, more
often than not it's me!
Maybe you should not take it so personally and be
happy with the knowledge that your old, unfashionable
bike is still going strong and you are still happy with it.
You get the last laugh anyway when those evil "upgraders"
have to rush out and buy 10 speed Dura-Ace or
something... bye bye cash!! ;-)

hippy

Suzy Jackson wrote:

As far as bikeshops go, my pet peeve is when people at a bike shop (or car
dealer, or mechanics generally for that matter) treat you as an idiot simply
because you're female. I race road bikes, and am fairly knowledgeable about
my bikes. I do my own maintenance because I don't trust anyone else to do
it. I find it extremely frustrating when I go into a bike shop to buy bits
for my bikes, having carefully researched (usually via the net) what I need,
only to be treated like an idiot because I want a such and such, and to have
to explain to some pimply teenager why I want it.

Like most people, I've found a couple of local shops (or more accurately a
couple of individual people in local shops) that know me and my bikes, and
actually offer useful advice when I ask for it, rather than patronising
crap. As a result of this, these shops get pretty much all my money, which
is not negligible, as I have a fairly serious biking addiction.

Regards,

Suzy


That's a good post for a little girl - did your Daddy help you with the
big words? :-)

&roo

"Patronising - that's when you talk down to someone."

Suzy Jackson wrote:

As far as bikeshops go, my pet peeve is when people at a bike shop (or car
dealer, or mechanics generally for that matter) treat you as an idiot simply
because you're female. I race road bikes, and am fairly knowledgeable about
my bikes. I do my own maintenance because I don't trust anyone else to do
it. I find it extremely frustrating when I go into a bike shop to buy bits
for my bikes, having carefully researched (usually via the net) what I need,
only to be treated like an idiot because I want a such and such, and to have
to explain to some pimply teenager why I want it.

Like most people, I've found a couple of local shops (or more accurately a
couple of individual people in local shops) that know me and my bikes, and
actually offer useful advice when I ask for it, rather than patronising
crap. As a result of this, these shops get pretty much all my money, which
is not negligible, as I have a fairly serious biking addiction.

Regards,

Suzy


That's a good post for a little girl - did your Daddy help you with the
big words? :-)

&roo

"Patronising - that's when you talk down to someone."

Deep Flayed Mares wrote:
I have nothing but scorn for these dickhead yuppies that buy a new $1000+
bike and leave it out to die in the rain while they drive everywhere.
---
DFM


Why do you care? Did you mean scorn or envy? :-)

&roo