How about your good bike shop experiences?

[Erik Timmerman]

its so easy to be a victim and write about your crappy experiences, well I don’t want to hear it. Tell me something good.

Here’s mine. Hope Technology. Back in about 1998 I was doing every DH race I could while also working an office job. My bike was a Rotec and I was running Hope C2 disc brakes with Big’un hubs. Rotec released a floating caliper setup for the bike to reduce the influence of the brakes on the bike. They had a special DT hub with like a 120mm axle in order to make it fit. I didn’t want new hubs or brakes so from the office I called Hope. I talked to one of the owners Simon or Ian, I don’t remember which and then faxed a drawing (hand drawn) of what I woul need. Within a few days a package showed up free of charge with custom axles to make my hus work again. Customer for life right here.

 

[Wilhelmson]

We have a young guy in town who opened up a bike shop. He's starting off in a small maybe 30' x 20' garage bay in a re-purposed factory. He has a small inventory of new and used bikes. Only open on weekends. He doesn't mind helping to fix up my old pos and doesn't try to oversell, except for tuneups that I can do myself. I don't have a great selection of bike tools, and while I used to help out in a shop and can perform most tasks, it's easier to pay him a few bucks if I need a new part so I can focus on other things. Way easier than the shops in surrounding towns that take 20 minutes each way and you don't know who's doing the work on your bike. I don't mind paying between 10% and 20% more for parts. This year I bought a new rear wheel from him but other things like a new seatpost and saddle I bought online and of course can install that myself. Last year I showed him the drivetrain I was interested in and he couldn't touch the price (CRC), but was happy to install it.

 

[jmeb]

There isn't enough space on these forums to write about all my good bike shop experiences.

Let's see:

- Shop owner/lead hosting a guided 3 day bike tour for free.50 that got me into bike touring for the first time. No-bullshit it perhaps saved my life. I dropped out of phd program to work on my mental health and rode bikes all over the country thanks to the joy of that trip and the confidence it gave me.
- Oh yeah same fellow -- Jim at the now-defunct Hiawatha Cyclery -- taught me how to build wheels. Thanks Jim, I now have about 10k mi on that set.
- The community shops that have provided a workstand on tours or when I didn't have one, one of the hundreds of odd-ball parts that I've needed, or low costs components to help get friends riding regularly.
- A huge shop where their COO took time to order me a bike not in their normal retail stock (or even brands), hand pick out parts, and get it dialed. Despite the total cost being less than 1/2 their average bike sale.
- My neighborhood shop which always loves to talk about whatever old bike I rolled in on and has given me tons of mechanical help when I get myself in trouble. Usually for gratis (and by gratis I mean they know the brewery next door will have a beer with their name on it.)
- The shop on my most recent tour that told one of its employees to take a paid hour off to get me started up a hard to find trail system. After re-routing my days ride so it'd be more fun.

 

[Philpug]

Being in and out of the retail world in ski and some in bike, it seems whenever I go into a shop I am usually treated as such. But I have seen some of the horror stories both in bike, think tattoo and multiple piercings guy but as far as me...my good experiences are from the sales end in treating people at their needs verses either dumbing down (I will usually not start with a $5K+ bike) and let them tell me if they want more. On the top end, I will just not try to get in their way and helpt them find what they need. To @Tony S's point in the other thread that he doesn't feel that he wants to be interviewed before he buys...To me that is a salesman/clerk that is trying to help, not disuade...IMHO that is a salesperson who cares and is taking time to help.

 

[mdf]

its so easy to be a victim and write about your crappy experiences, well I don’t want to hear it. Tell me something good.

Here’s mine. Hope Technology. Back in about 1998 I was doing every DH race I could while also working an office job. My bike was a Rotec and I was running Hope C2 disc brakes with Big’un hubs. Rotec released a floating caliper setup for the bike to reduce the influence of the brakes on the bike. They had a special DT hub with like a 120mm axle in order to make it fit. I didn’t want new hubs or brakes so from the office I called Hope. I talked to one of the owners Simon or Ian, I don’t remember which and then faxed a drawing (hand drawn) of what I woul need. Within a few days a package showed up free of charge with custom axles to make my hus work again. Customer for life right here.

Except that's not really a shop experience....

 

[Tricia]

Being in and out of the retail world in ski and some in bike, it seems whenever I go into a shop I am usually treated as such. But I have seen some of the horror stories both in bike, think tattoo and multiple piercings guy but as far as me...my good experiences are from the sales end in treating people at their needs verses either dumbing down (I will usually not start with a $5K+ bike) and let them tell me if they want more. On the top end, I will just not try to get in their way and helpt them find what they need. To @Tony S's point in the other thread that he doesn't feel that he wants to be interviewed before he buys...To me that is a salesman/clerk that is trying to help, not disuade...IMHO that is a salesperson who cares and is taking time to help.

Didn't you write about Sparks Cyclery here last year? I can't find it.


Anyway @Erik Timmerman you're right. I had a good shop back in Michigan MCClain Cycle. They were super helpful when I was building my SS. @Mike Thomas was also helpful in getting some weight weenie parts I wanted for it.

Since getting back into biking out here I haven't really gotten a bike shop experience because I work a couple days a week at a shop. That being said, the manager we had at the shop last year was "that guy". Everyone who walked into the shop needed a super high end bike or they weren't worth his time. The new manager is very different and is building a culture around setting cyclists up for a fun experience, whatever that experience may be.

 

[scott43]

Except that's not really a shop experience....

Still, I like the spirit of his post.

 

[zircon]

• My LBS warrantied a 7 year old discontinued bike for me last year. Apparently there was a recall on the fork that I missed while living out of the country. They called the manufacturer for me, and congratulations, I'm getting a new bike. Initially frustrating experience. Sales guy trying to sell me on a popular gravel bike. Insisted this is the bike that everyone wants. Tried it, and did not get along with it. Went back a couple of days later, talked to a young woman who took the time to show me a bike I was curious about, and walked out the door with my current CX racer which was love at first ride and is my still favorite bike.

• I'm an idiot and decided to swap to a new tire the night before a race on account of weather. Couldn't get it to seat with my pump and called the LBS in a panic near closing. One of the mechanics stayed late to get my tires sorted, then sold me a tire setter canister thing just in case and told me to leave the tags on and return it after the race for a refund (I kept it, because I don't return things I used and aren't defective)

To @Philpug's comment about the interview process... There's a subtle difference between an interested salesperson trying to help you make the best purchase and one that wants you to prove you're cool enough to buy the thing you want. I'm not sure the distinction is obvious unless it's actively happening to you.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I was just thinking of back when I owned a bike shop. My first customer was this guy named Big Jim who was from Durango. Before owning the shop, I used to ride with him and would always go to NORBAs with him. I think he wanted to throw me a bone, so he was the first customer. He bought a Judy SL which was an amazingly expensive $600 and a purple Chris King and a purple Ringle stem headset for his Litespeed Ocoee. I was stoked, he was stoked, it was great. A few days later he comes back and is SO mad at me. His headset is seized and the bars won't turn at all as I have obviously f'ed up his bike. I can feel how red my face was right now. I popped the bike in the stand and dropped the fork, and this shower of bright metal shavings came out. The headset bearing were full of them. I looked at the fork and the back of the steerer tube was all carved up. On closer inspection as we put the fork back in, you could see that the head tube itself was bent and the steerer was actually touching the back of the headtube. The way that Litespeed made those bikes was they would put alloy inserts into the head tube and face those, rather than facing the actual headtube, so not my fault. You could see rub marks on his old fork with the steel steerer too. I was not a Litespeed dealer, but was able to get his frame warrantied. Thankfully Jim could see that I was not at fault, but for a few minutes there I was seriously embarrassed. Later Bianchi sold frames made by Litespeed, and I had to send about half of them back. We at least knew to check the head tube before we did anything else.

Not sure this goes in this thread, but it's my thread, so I can put it here if I want to!

 

[Nancy Hummel]

I had a deal with a guy at a bike shop.
He took care of my bikes and I took care of his traffic tickets (notice the plural). Best deal ever!

 

[Tony S]

To @Tony S's point in the other thread that he doesn't feel that he wants to be interviewed before he buys...To me that is a salesman/clerk that is trying to help, not disuade...IMHO that is a salesperson who cares and is taking time to help.

Totally. There is constructive and destructive interviewing. I won't comment more on the bad kind in this thread; belongs in the other one.

 

[Tony S]

I had a deal with a guy at a bike shop.
He took care of my bikes and I took care of his traffic tickets (notice the plural). Best deal ever!

Did he get the tickets riding or driving?

 

[coskigirl]

I saw this thread this morning and was excited that I was picking up my bike today and would have yet another good experience at my shop. I didn't. I know, you're wondering why I'm posting here about it. Well, I got a survey shortly after I got back to my desk with a request for feedback and I was honest. I talked about how the shop guys didn't seem to believe that I know what my bike looks like (no it's not the mint green hybrid) and had trouble actually finding my bike. Then I proceed to pay for the service and the girl that I've never seen there starts trying to make small talk. In that attempt it is clear that she is assuming I'm a mom. Then a pet owner. Finally a teacher. Finally the female sales manager who knows me and knows I'm in law school pipes up and says something about me just being a busy woman. I suggested she find neutral ground like where my next ride is taking me. Then I had to ask the service guys if there is anything I should know about the bike and service. They had to look it up because they assumed I wouldn't care.

Anyhow, I sent feedback when I got the survey and got a very quick response from the operations manager stating they would have a conversation with the shop guys to trust that I know my bike and with the young woman who made so many wrong assumptions about me in trying to make small talk. I appreciated the quick response and given that I always am treated well there I know it was just an off day. All it takes is acknowledging a customer's concerns and taking action to improve and they actually end up with a happier and more loyal customer in the end.

Also, with that tune up, I earned 2 free beers in the tap room through their points program.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

You reported the girl to her boss for being bad at small talk? Tough crowd.

 

[Tom K.]

Well, once upon a time when I was racing seriously, I blew the main pivot on my Superfly 100 four days before my big 100 mile race of the year.

While the head mech and I were puzzling over what might possibly solve the problem, the shop owner wheeled a brand new bike over to the stand, and said "take what you need, the Trek rep and I will work out the details later".

I'm still -- and always will be -- riding for that shop. Mountain View Cycles in Hood River, Oregon FTW!!!

 

[scott43]

You reported the girl to her boss for being bad at small talk? Tough crowd.

 

[coskigirl]

You reported the girl to her boss for being bad at small talk? Tough crowd.

Perhaps it is a little tough but making assumptions about someone based on no information can be very risky in a service focused business. Assuming a middle-aged woman is a mom can be very hurtful whether someone means it or not. I have several friends, including myself who are not childless by choice and have endured losing children. Assuming we could only be busy because we are caring for children only serves as a difficult reminder of what we’d much rather be doing and would cause some not to return to the business. The way I worded it was as a suggestion that she find a more neutral subject to talk about. As a former customer service manager I would appreciate the opportunity to coach an employee while not losing a customer.

 

[Ken_R]

I have had a pretty AWESOME experience with my local bike shop, Pedal of Littleton. From purchasing bike, small parts and service. They have some good people there.

 

[Mike Thomas]

its so easy to be a victim and write about your crappy experiences, well I don’t want to hear it. Tell me something good.
.

I saw this thread this morning and was excited that I was picking up my bike today and would have yet another good experience at my shop. I didn't. I know, you're wondering why I'm posting here about it. .

A little bit, yup. Not gonna lie.

 

[scott43]

Ok so Cybercycle in Mont Tremblant replaced my chain and also tweaked my bent rear rotor for $10 labour with no wait. Rock stars.