Love for the LBS

Anything that gets people on bikes sounds like a good thing. I walked into Halford's with my cycle-to-work scheme voucher (the only place I could spend it) and walked out with a £300 commuter for my daily 5 mile roundtrip. It was to replace a 25 year old MB that I used for the same journey, which I hated every second of, and which fell apart. I did not expect at that time that it would completely take over my life. I loved it and cut my commute in half I think just because of the slightly better position and slicker tyres plus shiny-new-thing effect. Over the next few months I shopped around for bits and pieces as I ventured out in the Surrey Hills at the weekends but found that I was buying the same things twice. My first helmet for example was ridiculous but it was my new-found LBS that set me straight. I spent an hour in there choosing the thing. Ditto with jersey (too loose), gloves (too tight), lights (too dim) and maintenance stand (cheap and nasty). All of these mistakes I now know I would have avoided if I'd known about my LBS. When I fell off and broke a clip on my shoes they took one right off a display model and got me straight back on the road. Six months later I was on first name terms with my LBS and ready to spend some money on a road bike. I spent 3 hours in there trying every bike and getting a basic fit. I ended up with a different brand that I went in for and a smaller frame size than internet guides would suggest. I couldn't be happier so I think it's all good, from Halfords to my wonderful LBS - East Street Cycles and Hoops Velo in Farnham. Well, ok, two LBS's, both owned by Gary Bird and situated a few hundred metres apart. It can't be bad if you have to open a second shop down the road from the first to cope with demand for your services!

Hi All,
I've set up a co-op for indie bike shops, with a plan to hook up with a 300+ bike shops' co-op in the US (and other plans too) to try and address some of these terms of trade problems identified by indie bike shops. (You can read more about it here http://s.coop/elooop)
I'm just a coop geek (do a lot of work with farmers coops etc, where the model works really well for them) who also happens to be a bit of a bike geek and likes indie bike shops and wants to help them out.
If you're interested, you can follow the story (21 bike shop business members as far afield as Aberdeen & Exeter already) by following the coop's Twitter feed @VeloShopsCoop
Thanks for being there (bike shops & Road.cc) and thanks for reading if you have
Jim

What about when something goes wrong?
I paid £470 for a set of wheels from a well known online presence. I saved roughly £50 by doing so. I have since had 2 separate incidences of cracked rims and now a dodgy hub. They've been very good in dealing with it but it's cost me approx £45 in postage.
It's taken a week or more each time to sort out each time.
Of course they've not been able to nip out back and get a spare set to borrow till it's sorted.
I've also had to bugger about packing em up and carting to the post office.
All interaction via phone calls and emails.
Has it been worth the £50 initial saving? Of course not.
Would I consider buying another set of wheels online. No.
I want a set of Zipp 303's. I can get them £300 cheaper online but I'm not going to.
Small stuff that can't break I tend to buy online. It's easier and slightly cheaper.
But I've found a shop In London that I have total trust in - Swift Cycles, as it goes. I'll buy my frames and wheels from there in the future.
Good bunch of guys, their workshop is very good and I know they'll do what they can to sort a problem out. That's enough for me...

I'd love to support my local bike shop but other than servicing and consumables like tires and tubes it's just too expensive. I can get clothing and parts delivered to Germany and it's considerably cheaper. The bloke that owns the shop is very knowledgeable and does a fantastic job on my bikes. But bikes and parts are just too expensive in Germany to buy in a LBS.

I'm involved in Ecommerce and honestly, independent bikes shops should have a good coffee machine, a big kettle of tea and a big supply of biscuits. And a big screen showing classic bike DVDs.

Not everyone wants to shop online, not everyone is 100% price driven. Most are, but if the average punter knew he could go in a nice shop, look at amazing bikes and have a free or cheap cuppa if he'd soon become a regular customer.

Make bike shops a destination or experience and you can compete against online.

I own an LBS in Bromley, and owned one for 6years in NZ. With both I open(ed) the doors each morning knowing that I will be sharing my love and knowledge of cycling with all manner of people, and possibly make Feck-all. The internet may have changed what I sell (zero clothing and next to no food) but every single one of the cyclists lucky to become 'a friend of the shop' are still what makes a great shop - and needs a great shop.
To paraphrase: 'No cyclist can shop in a vacuum.'

@glynr36

I apologise if my comment came across as snobbery. My experience at Evans was customers bringing in completely worn out, heavily corroded, crash damaged, broken bikes and expecting the mechanics in our workshops to wave a magic wand and make the bike as new but at 1/2 price.

I cannot speak for Evans management, but many mechanics suspected these campaigns were run to convert un salvageable bikes into new bike sales?

As a bike mechanic my primary task is to return a safe, working bike to a customer within a reasonable timeframe, at a price acceptable to them. If they do not want the work done but want a 'half job' done then I would not do the repair, and I would not expect any competent mechanic to do this either.

I will not repair a bike with a broken frame, ripped tire, split rim, bent handlebar - unless the damaged part is being replaced.

I'll put in a word for Hardy Cycles in Exeter. He's a mechanic but also sells some accessories and components. A really nice guy and very knowledgeable.

Quote:

Until they realise that the world DOESN'T owe them a living then they're going to end up just like the green grocer, fishmonger, baker etc.

'Cos Tesco turned out proper good, dinnit?

@bishop

When brands leak or actively sell OE stock from their factories into the aftermarket, why would any LBS bother stocking that brand?

Why would we hold stock that we can buy cheaper (as a 'customer') from on-line retailers than we can buy at trade prices from official UK distributors?

There is a cost attached to stocking brands, and if lbs lose money by selling those brands, expect the lbs to disappear from the high street, along with the distributors.

Selling a bike brand like Trek or Specialised who do not want their bikes sold on-line or shipped unbuilt in boxes makes sense to a lbs.

@bishop

Our shop (lbs) in the docklands has been doing 50% off servicing all January, plus 10% off everything in stock.

Servicing has been popular when a customer can get a 'premium' service worth £120 for £60.

Thankfully we've had reasonable quality bikes coming in; when I worked for Evans and we did 1/2 price servicing campaigns we'd just get all the cr*p people dragged out of their sheds or found in the Thames!

Wheelcraft, Clachan of Campsie, can find (well you find, they even send you up in loft yourself) almost any part dating back to the 1950's.

Excellent wheel builds, free coffee and an amazing place, it piled from floor to ceiling in parts and wheels.

http://www.wheelcraft.net

And it's never that tidy!

Builds wheels for world champions and even me.

'Sadly I am now unable to ride so I have no need for a LBS, but after several changes of address into ever larger and larger "superstore" premises, some of my club-mates inform me that Harry Halls does not seem to have the personal touch it once had, which is a great pity.'

Precisely that. Has never been the same in many ways, and helpfulness/customer care plummeted at the time of the move to Oldham Street and thence to Whitworth St.

My LBS was set up by someone who lives and breathes cycling - club committee member, coach, race series & event organiser and an enthusiastic 'yes we can' kind of chap. I shop there when I can and always recommend them - at least 4 people I know have bought new bikes etc as a result. They will fit in small jobs without notice and charge what I consider a particularly modest hourly rate.

While washing my my daily commuter bike last Saturday I found that a 6 month old BBB jockey wheel on had seized (grrr!). I rang the shop, yes they had a Shimano set in stock. With club 10% discount it cost the same as the crap ones I had bought online. Lesson learnt.

There have been many discussions and debates over the future of the LBS both here in the UK and globally, as the growth of the internet has disrupted conventional supply chains by removing middlemen to some degree.

Many shops have experienced the difficulties associated with price matching, show rooming, price gouging especially when selling 'branded' goods specifically group set components, tires, clothing and finishing kit.

Yesterday a customer wanted a popular saddle from our shop. Retail price was £79.99, we are doing a January price promotion with 20% discount for existing customers. He found this saddle on-line, for £10 less than our cost price. We declined the sale, he bought it on-line.

the future of the LBS?

-Selling quality bike brands, and quality component / clothing brands, that will not allow dealers to sell on-line or ship mail order (discounting quality brands becomes a race to the bottom, with smaller retailers bleeding to death over time).

-Bike fitting with experienced bike fitters using recognized systems like Retul, BG Fit, Guru, etc. (internet cannot fit you to a bike).

-Workshop services from experienced, Cytech or C&G certified mechanics (internet cannot fix your bike). Small stock holdings of common service parts and use of next day delivery from suppliers.

If the LBS can adapt to a service-based model partnered with quality brands that control their supply, it can find a bright future.

For the customer wanting the saddle, we'd have been happy to add some value to the transaction even with the 20% discount, by enabling a 30-day trial and swap out at no cost, and even offered a quick setup with the bike fitter to establish a base fit. Shopping on price rather than value, does not build relationships, and for something critical like a saddle it can be the difference between enjoyment of riding and constant pain.

Some LBS have adapted successfully, some are going through the pain, some are completely clueless and still trading in the past.

A good LBS is gold, and building a relationship with a good LBS can make for a happy cyclist!

Jakes Bikes, in central Bristol. More for your commuter/'practical cyclist' than your roadies, but a great little shop, with great staff.

Wheels Cycles in Gillingham Dorset. Great knowledgeable bunch. Awesome service and a great Craic to ride with.What more do you need? A cafe? ?Well that's next door!

Encouragingly for a city of it's size, Leicester has at least seven independents. I'd say each caters to a subtlety different market which is probably why they are able to co-exist:
Julies Cycles
Websters
Fix My Bike
Future Cycles
Bob Warner
City Cycles
Billy's Bespoke Bikes

There's also two branches of Halfords, so it's not as if there's no competition from the chains.

Used to absolutely love Harry Halls in its old downstairs location in the Corn Exchange. It was like going into a magic cave full of wonder. 20 mins every night whilst waiting for my train. Beautiful. Never found anywhere to match that

While I used to have an excellent LBS in Spain, we'd chat about all sorts, he'd let me play in the workshop and go on rides together and I got decent discount. I have gone the complete opposite way in the UK.
I love having a few excellent bike shops that I enjoy visiting without feeling guilty for buying elsewhere.
I like The Edge Chester.
Stans
Jack Parker in Burscough, but spent too much time talking and way too much money.