Why I'll never buy from a local bike shop again

[kode54]

haha. yeah...maybe they were trying to put the plastic pie plate into the brake caliper. crazy.

[kode54]

Yes, I agree, YouTube is a great resource. So much in fact, alot of things I don't know...I first search on YouTube. Having moved onto hydraulic brakes and getting reaquainted with tubeless...YouTube has been great.

I do try to help out other cyclists that I ride with...but typically, I know how to wrench my bikes. So when someone has a completely different 'animal'...I again, check out if there's any fix it videos first.

There's a high-end bike shop pretty far from me and there's one that fairly close that's not that high-end, maybe on the medium spectrum. That said, if I had my way, I would take my bikes to the better place, but seeing that the lower end shop is close, I simply work on the bikes myself. For convenience and to make sure things are done right. Since the OP did take the time to go back to the shop and have them fix the issues, it become frustrating and time wasting. Like someone mentioned...there's YouTube videos for just about everything...and even for those that don't know what they're doing.

YouTube is a great source for knowledge, just last night I was trying to figure out what piece I was missing to install a chaincatcher on my wifes bike with etap and found the video showing the piece I needed. I knew I had it somewhere and then I realized it was on my backup road bike with the Red Mech fd. Swapped one for the other and its done. Having a laptop in the shop is almost a tool you cant be without.

[dj97223]

Guy walks into his LBS, after having spent several years buying his gear online rather than helping the LBS thrive, and is surprised to find the shop can only hire low-wage,inexperienced mechanics.

[2lo8]

Guy walks into his LBS, after having spent several years buying his gear online rather than helping the LBS thrive, and is surprised to find the shop can only hire low-wage,inexperienced mechanics.

Indeed, he's wondering why the service department is being subsidized by the retail side.

[2lo8]

To learn how to fix your bike yourself is an invaluable skill.
But a good relationship with top mechanic in your LBS can benefit you even more.
Spare parts inventory, specific tools even getting your bike the priority treatment can all be yours if you have a good relationship with your LBS, especially when you want to get back on your bike ASAP.
I've seen customers with spare bike stored at the LBS and just swap their regular bike out when the other is in need of service.
Life does get better if you buy yourself a spare bike to store at the LBS for emergency occasions.

But it's not just spending money at the LBS, it's also about building a relationship, getting to know your LBS staff, their names; able to carry a conversation with them outside of bikes, get them some nice coffee or doughnuts.
Sure they are just little things, but it makes the staff feel that they need to remember you and take care of your needs.
Same applies to just about any retail business or services.

Just remember, this is the type of problem that LBS mechanics deal with:
Customer dropped off bike complained rear brake is rubbing and would like chain installed

If I was a mech in a bike shop I would be happy if customers brought me coffee.
That picture is priceless though, cant believe ppl could actually get that so wrong.

It's not that awful. It's not like there was a chain and the customer wasn't complaining about problems related to the wheel being in the wrong way. I've put the front wheel on the wrong way before simply because it was cramped and I didn't have the room to turn the wheel around, and that bike still isn't ridable whether or not the wheel is on the right way. They could have just taken off the wheels to fit it in a car then quickly put them back on.

[Hellgate]

I always try my LBS first. My buddy Nelo is the best. Old school wise, new smart.

https://neloscycles.com/About-Us/

[2lo8]

I always try my LBS first. My buddy Nelo is the best. Old school wise, new smart.

https://neloscycles.com/About-Us/downloadfile.jpeg

Plus his selection and pricing is basically identical to eBay.

https://neloscycles.com/Cycling/

[bouds]

Frames these days can ship with special little fittings and grommets. They require a high level of detail to build correctly.

I have been wrenching and building my own bikes for about 10 years now. I love it. A little patience, a little youtube, and a little love and the bike is better tended than any mechanic save one or two in my hood (shout out to Gato) can do.

But the grommets. For the love of all things holy, the grommets! Don't even think about ever losing one. Ever. No amount of searching online has ever revealed where to buy some of these suckers, especially the grommet for the Di2 cable exiting the rear of the seatstay.

Would you happen to have any recommendations for mechanics in NYC? Took my bike to NYC Velo (LES) last time I needed some work and I’m never going back again, so I’m looking for a new shop. Went to Conrad’s and they fixed NYC Velo’s work, they seem like nice folks, I’m trying to learn as much as I can on my own, but if you, or someone else, can give me a few recommendations I’d greatly appreciate it.

[Seedster]

I have good experiences at R&A Cycles (Edwardo) and Maglia Rosa. Both shops work on all three major groupsets.

[nycebo]

Tom at Maglia Rosa is solid, and they have the added advantage of exception coffee there.

Also, Gato is spectacular. A friendly guy, willing to do anything for his clients, and he'll even come to you. Best is that while he doesn't love if you hover, he's never shooed me away either! https://www.instagram.com/bikebygato/

[Hellgate]

I always try my LBS first. My buddy Nelo is the best. Old school wise, new smart.

https://neloscycles.com/About-Us/downloadfile.jpeg

Plus his selection and pricing is basically identical to eBay.

https://neloscycles.com/Cycling/

Yeah, his domain was hijacked. He gave up on getting it fixed. The ISP was useless.

[mattr]

Guy walks into his LBS, after having spent several years buying his gear online rather than helping the LBS thrive, and is surprised to find the shop can only hire low-wage,inexperienced mechanics.

Or in the real world, guy spends multiple thousands in his LBS, gives them several chances to do it properly. Gives up. Starts accumulating the tools the LBS either doesn't seem to have, or don't know how to use.

[dcorn]

Guy walks into his LBS, after having spent several years buying his gear online rather than helping the LBS thrive, and is surprised to find the shop can only hire low-wage,inexperienced mechanics.

Or in the real world, guy spends multiple thousands in his LBS, gives them several chances to do it properly. Gives up. Starts accumulating the tools the LBS either doesn't seem to have, or don't know how to use.

Yup, and guess where said guy doesn't buy those tools haha.

I try to be very fair with shops when working on my bike. I'll never pressure them about the time something takes and I don't balk at the price because I know they have to make money. But damn, when I bring in a very expensive bike, at least have one of your better techs doing the work. I'm sure that top mechanic is busy, but again, I'm not hassling you about having the work done quickly, I just want it done correctly. And if it's an easy job where someone is learning, at least have the top guy check over his work or take a test ride before giving the bike back.

Like my previous story, I bring the bike in to get looked at and the shop finds a broken part. I have the common courtesy to order the part through the shop, wait a week for them to order it and receive it, and pay to have the shop install it. Then I get the bike back and it's not installed properly! To top it off, it takes 20 minutes to fix it myself with simple allen keys and a youtube video. Next time, I'll be sure to save myself a lot of money, buy the part online for cheaper, and put it on myself in the first place. That's how not doing a quick test ride loses you a customer and pushes people to buy online.

[asiantrick]

If I order the parts from the shop (which slightly higher than what I can find online), my shop will always install it for free.

[gurk700]

Guy walks into his LBS, after having spent several years buying his gear online rather than helping the LBS thrive, and is surprised to find the shop can only hire low-wage,inexperienced mechanics.

Or in the real world, guy spends multiple thousands in his LBS, gives them several chances to do it properly. Gives up. Starts accumulating the tools the LBS either doesn't seem to have, or don't know how to use.

Yup, and guess where said guy doesn't buy those tools haha.

Last time I tried to buy a bottom bracket extraction tool in a local shop I double checked to make sure they have it in stock (they have a website that said it's in stock) and he confirmed.
I went there and he tried to sell me another tool that doesn't do the job. They didn't have the one I needed. Then proceeded to tell me I should just hammer it out with a screw driver and buy a new bottom bracket.

So yeah I would love to go buy tools immediately and locally instead of sitting home not able to work on the bike when I need it. But they either never carry the stuff or lie about it so I have to drive 30 miles total and waste time / gas.

I understand it's a chicken and egg problem but I can't keep wasting money locally to help save local shops. They need to start the process by winning me over first don't you think?