Bad Bike Shop Manners??

On 21 Jan 2006 13:33:43 -0800, "Johnny Sunset" wrote:


Roger Zoul wrote:

That sounds perfect, really. I do see how anyone could ask for me. Now I
just need to get up to speed on 'bents. Isn't there a book that covers all
the different types. I know what swg, lwb, clwb, but don't quite know the
others you mentioned. Also, I worry about that really, really long chain.
I bet that get's you majorly dirty if you get caught out in a pour down.
heh, riding a 'bent in the rain as got to be a lot of fun. NOT.

Another recumbent "expert" who has (apparently) never ridden one.

Dude, that was ****y. He's clearly a newb asking advise and has, as many would,
a misperception. All the guy needed was disabused.

A lot of you 'bents are entirely too freeking sensitive and majorly insecure. I
think it's from your inferiority at cyclocross.

Ron

I got caught in a heavy rain shower on a group ride on a recumbent [1]
with the rest of the riders being on uprights. Since I was the only
rider on a bicycle with a front fairing and fenders, I only got wet
above the shoulders. The rest of the riders were soaked everywhere.

I did my first century on a rainy day on a bike like this [2], and did
not suffer anymore than the upright riders with fenders, and less than
those without fenders.

A recumbent with properly fitted fenders

[1] This bike: http://www.ransbikes.com/Gallery/Archive/Sherman.htm.
[2] http://www.ransbikes.com/Rocket.htm.

On 2006-01-21, Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
Your shop *sells* valve caps? I knew it's tough to make a living with a
bike shop but damn! g

Regards,
Bob Hunt

Bob: One of those projects to get around to is my "Valve cap conspiracy"
page. I don't know if I can do it over-the-top enough to make sure everyone
realizes it's meant as a joke though. I've already taken the photos (clear
jars of valve caps, priced exhorbitantly).

But before somebody here still isn't in on the joke, no, we don't sell valve
caps. They're too valuable. The only way you can get one is with a big
purchase. Over $100, we'll give you a valve cap. Otherwise no way. Not even
for $5. That's why they mysteriously disappear from your bike when you leave
it in for repair... that's how we make sure people buy more stuff.

Just kidding!!!

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

"Bob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
Now I ask you all; does that sound crazy or what?

These dealers you've been dealing with are all recumbent people?

I was thinking that myself. Peter Stull is definitely into recumbents, as
well as the other shop he mentioned (with recumbent in their name). The
place he got the Trek 1000 sounded pretty normal; there really aren't
such
things as "floor models" in bike shops... because you can't properly
build a
bike on the spot, you need to have your inventory built up ahead of time.
And the guy "stealing" valve caps? A common inside-joke at shops is the
way
customers believe there's some big black market for valve caps, and the
reason we leave them off (which happens accidentally more often than it
should) is so we can score big bucks selling them.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


Your shop *sells* valve caps? I knew it's tough to make a living with a
bike shop but damn! g

Regards,
Bob Hunt



Now my riding friends all tell me that the only one that rides with
valve caps anyway is some dude named FRED!!
so who cares what happens to the caps

RonSonic wrote:
On 21 Jan 2006 13:33:43 -0800, "Johnny Sunset" wrote:


Roger Zoul wrote:

That sounds perfect, really. I do see how anyone could ask for me. Now I
just need to get up to speed on 'bents. Isn't there a book that covers all
the different types. I know what swg, lwb, clwb, but don't quite know the
others you mentioned. Also, I worry about that really, really long chain.
I bet that get's you majorly dirty if you get caught out in a pour down.
heh, riding a 'bent in the rain as got to be a lot of fun. NOT.

Another recumbent "expert" who has (apparently) never ridden one.

Dude, that was ****y. He's clearly a newb asking advise and has, as many would,
a misperception. All the guy needed was disabused.

And writing "heh, riding a 'bent in the rain as got to be a lot of fun.
NOT." is not being ****y?

A lot of you 'bents are entirely too freeking sensitive and majorly insecure. I
think it's from your inferiority at cyclocross.

Why should people with no knowledge post misinformation as fact?

Mr. Zoul could have written, "Does the long chain on a recumbent fling
dirty water on the rider while riding in the rain?" or something
similar.

--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley (For a bit)


--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley (For a bit)

"Johnny Sunset" wrote in message
oups.com...

RonSonic wrote:
On 21 Jan 2006 13:33:43 -0800, "Johnny Sunset"
wrote:


Roger Zoul wrote:

That sounds perfect, really. I do see how anyone could ask for me.
Now I
just need to get up to speed on 'bents. Isn't there a book that
covers all
the different types. I know what swg, lwb, clwb, but don't quite know
the
others you mentioned. Also, I worry about that really, really long
chain.
I bet that get's you majorly dirty if you get caught out in a pour
down.
heh, riding a 'bent in the rain as got to be a lot of fun. NOT.

Another recumbent "expert" who has (apparently) never ridden one.

Dude, that was ****y. He's clearly a newb asking advise and has, as many
would,
a misperception. All the guy needed was disabused.

And writing "heh, riding a 'bent in the rain as got to be a lot of fun.
NOT." is not being ****y?

A lot of you 'bents are entirely too freeking sensitive and majorly
insecure. I
think it's from your inferiority at cyclocross.

Why should people with no knowledge post misinformation as fact?

If you re-read Roger's post, he's clearly not posting this as fact. He says,
in the snipped you quoted above, "I need to get up to speed on bents". "I
don't know the others you mentioned", "I worry about", "I bet...". These
aren't phrases used by those who are trying to sound like they know
something they don't know.

Johnny Sunset wrote:
: RonSonic wrote:
: On 21 Jan 2006 13:33:43 -0800, "Johnny Sunset"
: wrote:
:
:
: Roger Zoul wrote:
:
: That sounds perfect, really. I do see how anyone could ask for
: me. Now I just need to get up to speed on 'bents. Isn't there
: a book that covers all the different types. I know what swg,
: lwb, clwb, but don't quite know the others you mentioned. Also,
: I worry about that really, really long chain. I bet that get's
: you majorly dirty if you get caught out in a pour down. heh,
: riding a 'bent in the rain as got to be a lot of fun. NOT.
:
: Another recumbent "expert" who has (apparently) never ridden one.
:
: Dude, that was ****y. He's clearly a newb asking advise and has, as
: many would, a misperception. All the guy needed was disabused.
:
: And writing "heh, riding a 'bent in the rain as got to be a lot of
: fun.
: NOT." is not being ****y?
:
: A lot of you 'bents are entirely too freeking sensitive and majorly
: insecure. I think it's from your inferiority at cyclocross.
:
: Why should people with no knowledge post misinformation as fact?

Do you really think anyone in their right mind would have took my comment -
in context, mind you - as that from someone who knew something about 'bent?
Obviously, I was expressing in opinion as someone who is clueless about
'bents.

:
: Mr. Zoul could have written, "Does the long chain on a recumbent
: fling
: dirty water on the rider while riding in the rain?" or something
: similar.

I could have written a lot of things. However, at the moment, I'm not
searching out info. I'll do that later.

:
: --
: Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley (For a bit)
:
:
: --
: Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley (For a bit)

Let me tell you a little about bad bicycle shop manners.

1) Someone who calls on the telephone and wants a dozen questions answered
most of which have to do with what parts cost. Well, to anyone that has had
experience in a small shop they'd know that they can't tell you what most
parts cost because they try to buy them from the cheapest source at the time
they;re ordered and sometimes the difference in price can be 100%.

2) Someone who calls on the telephone and wants a dozen questions answered
and apparently doesn't know that small shops only have one or two people in
them and walk-in money-in-hand customers have priority over time wasting
phone callers.

3) Someone who calls on the telephone and wants a dozen questions answered
and doesn't know that small shops make most of their money off of labor from
repairing bicycles and time spent on the phone answering questions for
someone they're in all likelihood never to see is taking money directly out
of the till.

4) Someone who calls on the telephone and wants a dozen questions answered
and whines to everyone else that the bicycle shop was rude to them without
mentioning how rude they were to take up valuable time and then complain
that they weren't satisfied with the answers they got or that paying
customers should have been made to wait by someone who will never enter
their shop but loves to take up their time.

"Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" wrote in
message oups.com...

The converstion in a retail place should in ALL cases be ended by the
'customer', not the employee. A bike shop is supposed to be the expert,
the person that listens and then, perhaps, sells. Sometimes it IS a
chat room, and that's how you grow your biz. If a person is comfy just
talking, then he will be comfy later giving you money. Pretty simple.
NOTHING is so important in a toy store, that the employee shuts a
person down, in order to talk to another, even if they have a $20 bill
stuck in their nose, waiting to buy. The surly attitude displayed by
some in this thread is WHY many bike shops go under. They commit
suicide, they don't go outta biz.

Of course you're right but then it's a lot easier to make a living in
Boulder than in New York City.

When selling motorcycles I've spent two hours going over a dozen concerns of
a customer who would "be back in the morning" to find out that he bought the
same motorcycle down the street for $5 less (literally).

Eventually I started treating customers the way they should be treated -
with the same respect they gave me. And all of the horse's asses who wasted
my time stopped coming in. And man if the profit didn't go up!

No, only two out of the four.

The 'bent folks weren't exactly "rude" per se, but seemed much less
motivated for my business. Almost like when you go into the typical
hospital or health care clinic ("typical," not Park Ave. $$$$$)...I
swear, you get more enthusiasm at McDonald's sometimes!

And I must update on one of the two 'bent dealers, Northeast
Recumbents: the guy apologizes and says he's real busy, etc. -- as a
matter of fact, he's closing shop! So I caught him just in time, I
guess. Not that I haggled him at all; I insisted on paying "normal
prices," even when he threw in freebies like organic snack bars and
magazines. So that was real cool -- and very sad. Now there really is
only the one dealer in all of The Empire State!

He won't be closing right away, though, and he seems to have a healthy
stock left, so I recommend y'all to help spread the word and give him a
look yourself to see if there's anything you could use.



Tom Keats wrote:


These dealers you've been dealing with are all recumbent people?


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com wrote:


The converstion in a retail place should in ALL cases be ended by the
'customer', not the employee. A bike shop is supposed to be the expert,
the person that listens and then, perhaps, sells. Sometimes it IS a
chat room, and that's how you grow your biz. If a person is comfy just
talking, then he will be comfy later giving you money. Pretty simple.
NOTHING is so important in a toy store, that the employee shuts a
person down, in order to talk to another, even if they have a $20 bill
stuck in their nose, waiting to buy. The surly attitude displayed by
some in this thread is WHY many bike shops go under. They commit
suicide, they don't go outta biz.



WHEW!!

Thanks, I was actually starting to look in the mirror for moles,
checking my breath, considering speech therapy...! =)

Bike shops have always been kinda "gruff" ever since I can remember as
a kid -- a "are you gonna buy that or not?" attitude. But what amazed
me here is that I'm telling them I'm sold, already sold, on a $3K bike
and I can't get a response!

I must update: NorthEast Recumbents did finally return my call. Turns
out the guy's actually closing shop for good! So I "forgive" (or
whatever the right word is) the delayed response....

Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
Now I ask you all; does that sound crazy or what?

These dealers you've been dealing with are all recumbent people?


I was thinking that myself. Peter Stull is definitely into recumbents, as
well as the other shop he mentioned (with recumbent in their name). The
place he got the Trek 1000 sounded pretty normal; there really aren't such
things as "floor models" in bike shops... because you can't properly build a
bike on the spot, you need to have your inventory built up ahead of time.
And the guy "stealing" valve caps? A common inside-joke at shops is the way
customers believe there's some big black market for valve caps, and the
reason we leave them off (which happens accidentally more often than it
should) is so we can score big bucks selling them.


Maybe a bike shop, should take the ones they find in the shop, and put
them in a jar by the register, with a note that if you need one, help
yourself. Then the customer who has one forgotten, will just come back,
get one, and it saves the environment, from having all those millions of
valve caps going to land fill. And saves the shop, from the
embarrassment, of forgetting one.

Personally I never throw a nut, bolt or screw away, I toss them in a
small parts organizer (value caps go in there too), when I need a bolt,
nut screw or valve cap I go to my organizer first, 99% of the time, I
find what I need in there, which saves me a trip to the local hardware
store ( or the home depot, since the local hardware store is a block
away, I go there, it's shorter then the walk across the parking lot at
the home despot ) and of course saves wear and tear on the car.....

W