For those of you who race for a local shop. When it comes to your equipment and theirs; what's your take...

You ride what your shop carries? If so do they usually provide all your equipment?

You ride what you ride, hopefully it was the shop carries but if not, no worries? Same follow up as above.

You don't get that much support from them so you buy from them when it's convenient.


I have two takes on it. If I really believe they are a good shop I should naturally buy from them. Or, if they really want me to ride their stuff they'd help me get on it.

There was one agreement when I started racing for the shop, wear their uniform. I had my own bike when I joined up with them and actually bought a frame to race their equipment and raced it for a year but didn't really like it and so am back on my old bike that they don't sell.

They do sell bikes I would like to ride, but I can not afford them. Now I have a shot at a nice frame, Javelin, or one my shop is offering that is in no way better than what I currently ride. Third option, a frame my shop does sell but I can get it elsewhere for about half price of what my shop sells it at, though still inferior to the Javelin.

depends how much support they provide, remember both parties need to put as much in. I would talk to your shop about getting something more suitable in, at the end of the day if they cant give you a good price on a decent frameset then i'd question their worth...
personally i ride on bikes which my team sponsors don't sell but i had them before i joined and they never offered and don't provide fantastic support.

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"You are only limited by fear and even that can be overcome..." Seth Morrison