I'm tired of crappy local bike shops

Please bear with me while I rant for a minute.

I have no fewer than 6 local shops within 10 miles of my house (there may be
more) and 3 more near where I work. I can't understand how 8 of those 9
shops are still in business. Here's my latest encounter:

I have posted here that I am in the market for a new road bike, preferably a
road bike with a flat bar and disc brakes. I stopped by the Kona dealer
about a month ago and asked about a Dr. Dew. He told me to come again in
mid-September because that's when they expected their Konas to arrive. So I
stopped by yesterday to see what they had. Their Kona order had not arrived
yet. He asked me what I was looking for and tried to steer me to a Redline
cyclocross bike. Nice enough bike, but not what I wanted. After a long chat,
he finally said that he had not ordered any Konas yet and probably wouldn't
order anything but a few mountain bikes. Kona road bikes just weren't
selling in their shop. He could special order one in, but would be upset if
I didn't like it.

I told him what I really wanted and he just couldn't believe that anyone
would make a road bike with disc brakes. He wished me luck in finding one.
He could always convert one of those cyclocross bikes if the price was
right....

Then I went home and got on the web. It turns out that Redline has a
cyclocross bike with discs for 2004.

So here's the gripe. If bike shops don't make a lot of money, then most
people are in the business because of a passion for cycling, right? Then why
are the owners of most of these shops not even aware of what bikes will be
coming in at least the lines they are carrying? Why are the owners of these
shops fat slobs while their employees are fit and trim?

Of all the shops, the one that makes the grade not only had replacement
hoods for my mid-eighties road levers, but also had catalogs from all the
different manufacturers, even lines they don't carry so they know how their
lines compare. When I asked about the bike I was looking for, they knew
exactly what models might fit my needs and even showed me comparable models
from other shops. I guess I'll have to forget finding and riding all of the
bikes I wanted to try out and just settle for the one good shop.

Let this be a lesson to all the shops out there. If a customer walks in and
knows more about your products than you do, they won't be a customer for
long.

-Buck

Let this be a lesson to all the shops out there. If a customer walks in
and
knows more about your products than you do, they won't be a customer for
long.

For more fringe-type items, there will often be times when the customer
knows more about something than the staff of a local bike shop. Think about
how many different things there are... for apparel, for example, you have
not only a variety of styles, but all manner of materials. For suspension
forks, it's whatever the popular fork of the month is, and forget about
trying to keep on top of the subtleties of each different version out there.
And for bikes? CycloCross, Touring, Mountain bikes of all varieties,
hybrids, kids, road, comfort, recumbent...

Most shops stay in business by concentrating on things they know how to do
very well, and run into problems when they spread themselves too thin. The
really successful shops understand this, and have staff that recognize (and
aren't annoyed by) that some customers are going to be more up-to-date on
some things than they are. This isn't a problem, it's an opportunity, and a
good staff person learns about something new from a customer and then
perhaps digs into it more on his/her own if it's something that might be of
interest to more of their customers.

Of all the shops, the one that makes the grade not only had replacement
hoods for my mid-eighties road levers, but also had catalogs from all the
different manufacturers, even lines they don't carry so they know how
their
lines compare. When I asked about the bike I was looking for, they knew
exactly what models might fit my needs and even showed me comparable
models
from other shops. I guess I'll have to forget finding and riding all of
the
bikes I wanted to try out and just settle for the one good shop.

Couldn't agree more. Sounds like you've found a great shop, doubt there's
much sense in continuing to look elsewhere.

But again, don't be put off when you know more about something than the
shop. That by itself isn't such a bad thing, provided we're not talking
about something the shop has a reputation for. It's how they handle such
situations that makes all the difference.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Buck" j u n k m a i l @ g a l a x y c o r p . c o m wrote in message
news
snip

I have no fewer than 6 local shops within 10 miles of my house (there
may be
more) and 3 more near where I work. I can't understand how 8 of those 9
shops are still in business. Here's my latest encounter:

I have posted here that I am in the market for a new road bike,
preferably a
road bike with a flat bar and disc brakes. I stopped by the Kona dealer
about a month ago and asked about a Dr. Dew.

Nice bike. Myself, I've had a bit of a thang for the Smoke since checking
out their website. Does it make me a Fred? Don't know, don't care. But we
likes it precious, yes we does and we wants it. B^)

I told him what I really wanted and he just couldn't believe that anyone
would make a road bike with disc brakes. He wished me luck in finding
one.

Hold on a minute; am I getting this right? A Kona dealer unaware that Kona
made a road bike with discs?

It would've been interesting to hear his reasons for being so clueless and
indifferent. But you're right; I can't understand how this guy stays in
business either. At least he's local to you. The two Kona dealers closest
to me are Century Cycles outlets, each one about an hour's drive away.

---Stash

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message newsY9ab.1581

Let this be a lesson to all the shops out there. If a customer walks in
and
knows more about your products than you do, they won't be a customer for
long.

For more fringe-type items, there will often be times when the customer
knows more about something than the staff of a local bike shop. Think
about
how many different things there are... for apparel, for example, you have
not only a variety of styles, but all manner of materials. For suspension
forks, it's whatever the popular fork of the month is, and forget about
trying to keep on top of the subtleties of each different version out
there.
And for bikes? CycloCross, Touring, Mountain bikes of all varieties,
hybrids, kids, road, comfort, recumbent...

Mike, I thought you might chime in on his side. What is ridiculous is that
he carries a grand total of four bike lines. Kona and Redline could be on
the "fringe," but his only other lines are Diamondback and Schwinn. Four
lines. No offense, but this isn't rocket science. But you are correct about
attitude. At least the guy who helped me in August knew what a Dr. Dew was,
called to check on availability, said he didn't know if they would order one
but that they could certainly special order one. Strange how the employee
knew more than the owner. From what I've seen around here, you KNOW what
your products are and regularly pull details about your product lines that I
have never seen another shop owner discuss. Heck, I'm surprised when a Trek
dealer even knows what a 520 is!

I have to say that 1 quality shop out of 9 is a terrible ratio. It's no
wonder bike shops seem to be going the way of the dodo.

-Buck

Buck wrote:

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message newsY9ab.1581


snip


From what I've seen around
here, you KNOW what your products are and regularly pull details about
your product lines that I have never seen another shop owner discuss.
Heck, I'm surprised when a Trek dealer even knows what a 520 is!

The Trek dealer in Orlando has 4 locations. When asked if one of the
locations would have a Trek 520 in stock that I could look at --- they did
not know what that was. "Perhaps an old discontinued model?" they offered.


Hmmm.

--
Regards, Joe

Sadly, there's often a malaise in independent small biz today. Of course
there's a malaise in big biz, too, but you notice it more in business that has
a public face and which creates most of the American public culture.

(Remember when Jimmy Carter mentioned that the US had a malaise? It's back in
spades---if it ever left.)

There's a bite the hand syndrome. Bike shops seem to resent bikes. Book stores
resent books. The product is what complicates our lives. Handling complex
modern product lines causes malaise. Goofy stuff just comes flooding at you, I
guess. I deal with both books and bikes in my dayjob so I tend to combine the
two. I see indy biz in both cases as having similar stresses today. Snottiness
and cynicism in the staff and fatigue in management is rampant. There's a weird
true-believerism going around---which has the cynical way seeming to be the
only way to these people---instead of openminded enjoyment of what they're
selling.

It's a big problem and one aspect of the death of American civic culture. Darn.

--

Jeff Potter
****
*Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com
publisher of outdoor/indoor do-it-yourself culture...
...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies...
...rare books on ski, bike, boat culture, plus a Gulf Coast thriller
about smalltown smuggling ... more radical novels coming up!
...original downloadable music ... and articles galore!
plus national "Off the Beaten Path" travel forums! HOLY SMOKES!

"Buck" j u n k m a i l @ g a l a x y c o r p . c o m wrote in message
.. .

I have to say that 1 quality shop out of 9 is a terrible ratio. It's no
wonder bike shops seem to be going the way of the dodo.

That's about the ratio in my old neighborhood in southern CA. Two of the best
"local" shops were Performance in Irvine (moved to Tustin) and Supergo in
Fountain Valley. Adult supervision makes all the difference -- bike shops tend
to be staffed by adolescents, of all ages...

Matt O.

In article , Matt O'Toole
wrote:



That's about the ratio in my old neighborhood in southern CA. Two of the best
"local" shops were Performance in Irvine (moved to Tustin) and Supergo in
Fountain Valley.


Oh Lordy!


You mean Supergo as in you can have any road tire you want as long as
it's a 23? I obeserved this on 3 seperate trips to the Santa Monica
store.

Supergo where the 25 year old 'manager' wouldn't make the command
decision to let a 45 year old white male with an 80k a year job test
ride a 1300 dollar bicycle because the drivers license was from out of
state even though said drivers license was in a wallet with 3 credit
cards and another form of ID? Even though said holder of said wallet
offered to leave the wallet and the keys to a 3 month old Toyota
Solara?

Adult supervision my ass...

wrote in message
...
In article , Matt O'Toole
wrote:

That's about the ratio in my old neighborhood in southern CA. Two of
the best
"local" shops were Performance in Irvine (moved to Tustin) and Supergo
in
Fountain Valley.

Oh Lordy!

You mean Supergo as in you can have any road tire you want as long as
it's a 23? I obeserved this on 3 seperate trips to the Santa Monica
store.

Supergo where the 25 year old 'manager' wouldn't make the command
decision to let a 45 year old white male with an 80k a year job test
ride a 1300 dollar bicycle because the drivers license was from out of
state even though said drivers license was in a wallet with 3 credit
cards and another form of ID? Even though said holder of said wallet
offered to leave the wallet and the keys to a 3 month old Toyota
Solara?

Adult supervision my ass...

I nominate this for Post of the Day!

Bill "admiring your style" S.

wrote in message
...
In article , Matt O'Toole
wrote:



That's about the ratio in my old neighborhood in southern CA. Two of the
best
"local" shops were Performance in Irvine (moved to Tustin) and Supergo in
Fountain Valley.


Oh Lordy!


You mean Supergo as in you can have any road tire you want as long as
it's a 23? I obeserved this on 3 seperate trips to the Santa Monica
store.

Supergo where the 25 year old 'manager' wouldn't make the command
decision to let a 45 year old white male with an 80k a year job test
ride a 1300 dollar bicycle because the drivers license was from out of
state even though said drivers license was in a wallet with 3 credit
cards and another form of ID? Even though said holder of said wallet
offered to leave the wallet and the keys to a 3 month old Toyota
Solara?

Adult supervision my ass...

First, did I say Santa Monica?

Second, as bad as that is, the alternatives can be even worse.

Matt O.