Bike Shops that have no idea about bikes :(

My Chain broke on my fixed a few weeks ago,

Today I was riding past a BMX shop and thought to myself... "they will have a 1/8 chain there". Go in and say to the guy, "how much is a 1/8th chain? just a bog standard silver one."

The Bloke in the shop says - "I dunno what a 1/8th chain is."

In another shop which my friend has witnessed selling a £3k Cervelo to 50 year old managing directors, I asked for some rim tape, the guy looks at me like I just asked him to solve Riemann Hypothesis.

I expect a certain level of competency from a guy who works in a bike shop i.e. I expect them to know something about bikes and their parts, especially the ones that they are selling.

Which shops are these?

Just some shops Poole/Bournemouth.

Maybe the fella in the BMX shop didn't know because all BMX chains are 1/8"?

i had a similar experience in poole over christmas. back with the folks for the holidays i popped into a bike shop for some tubes & stuff & when i left i had the distinct feeling i knew a hell of a lot more than they did. and i know very little about bikes! haha. but that is poole for you!

Yeah, before i started riding fixed i had no clue. In fact, when i built my first conversion i remember buying parts in Brixton Cycles and being asked what type of chain i was looking for, i thought this was a stupid question, and asked for whatever chain they had.

Asked a Condor Cycles saleman if they had any laminated toeclip straps.

He didn't know what laminated meant so he asked a co-worker, who was also clueless.

As I was walking out I noticed Toshi's in the showcase.

Maybe the fella in the BMX shop didn't know because all BMX chains are 1/8"?

If you know that, then why didn't he?

I would have forgiven him for the exact same reason as you highlighted if was not for a sign outside saying "We service all kinds of bicycle." Maybe I should have made that clearer in my original post.

Had a problem with my 16t cog, and had no tools on me: stopped at Recycle in Elephant and Castle for some quick help - fine they took it off for free but used an electric metal saw, and damaged my rim at the same time, all in 15 mins. Waste of time and unecessary damage.
Rubbish exploiting store.

Had a problem with my 16t cog, and had no tools on me: stopped at Recycle in Elephant and Castle for some quick help - fine they took it off for free but used an electric metal saw, and damaged my rim at the same time, all in 15 mins. Waste of time and unecessary damage.

yes i agree they are helpful in there.
i wonder if that was the same man that told me that the number of teeth on the chainwheel didnt make a difference. when he said that to me, i was tempted to take his theory to task and just probe a little but thought,,,"you know what, if you believe that then fine"

If you know that, then why didn't he?

I would have forgiven him for the exact same reason as you highlighted if was not for a sign outside saying "We service all kinds of bicycle." Maybe I should have made that clearer in my original post.

That puts a different perspective on it. I had the impression it was a BMX only store. If you're a shop kid and all you know is BMX chains, then it's just a chain. Size doesn't come into it.

Let's burn the store down!

... i had the distinct feeling i knew a hell of a lot more than they did..... but that is poole for you!

I get that feeling with 90% of people I have meet in Poole.

I test rode a giant bowery in one of Birminghams better bike shops Bike Pro.
I noticed that the lockring and sprocket were loose before I got out the shop, so the mechanic tightened it up. Took it out for a quick spin, came loose again. I went back and explained how to tighten it, but they did the same, took it out again and of course it came of again. I just rode it about carefully brought it back and said "no thanks"

The shop has fully jumped on the fixed thing too, selling charge plugs, bowery's, parts, overpriced generic singlespeed frames and even aerospokes for silly high prices. Yet they dont know how to do the most basic stuff.

If you're a shop kid and all you know is BMX chains, then it's just a chain.

I see what you are saying and I agree with you to a certain extent. I don't expect the guy to know everything. You are right, could have been the guys first day/month etc. or he may have never worked on anything except BMXs and I am/was being unfairly harsh about him.

It just it happens so often (not only in this area I expect) and in quite a number of places, it gets a bit irritating and I wanted to vent (thus the thread).

I get that feeling with 90% of people I have met in Poole.

I will quite openly admit, even after years of education I don't think I actually know anything useful.

Edinburgh Cycles (Manchester) - Have you got any lockrings for a fixed sprocket I enquired. Person goes to ask the lads in the workshop and comes back and offers me a freewheel remover.

A fellow came into the shop today and asked for some "carbonite" for his 1930's lamp. I had no Idea what the hell he was going on about. Then my colleague told him to try a camping shop because Pot-Holers use mining lamps.

Some bike shops know everything. FACT

A fellow came into the shop today and asked for some "carbonite" for his 1930's lamp. I had no Idea what the hell he was going on about. Then my colleague told him to try a camping shop because Pot-Holers use mining lamps.

Some bike shops know everything. FACT

You do have good taste in beer, so I would expect this might be the case in your bicycle shop.

Some fool in a shop called my track ends horizontal dropouts,
I could not show my face in the club for a whole week, such was the shame

not all bmx chains are 1/8"

just as an aside.
but then again I had to explain what a shim was yesterday, so I know where you're coming from.

Also, most bike stores seem to mind when your bike has been nicked and it annoyed me yesterday that one of the ones I went into couldn't have given less of a shit.
cunts.

But if you really want incompetence, come up to oxford and go to cycle king.
Less use than a square condom.

I test rode a giant bowery in one of Birminghams better bike shops Bike Pro.
I noticed that the lockring and sprocket were loose before I got out the shop, so the mechanic tightened it up. Took it out for a quick spin, came loose again. I went back and explained how to tighten it, but they did the same, took it out again and of course it came of again. I just rode it about carefully brought it back and said "no thanks"

The shop has fully jumped on the fixed thing too, selling charge plugs, bowery's, parts, overpriced generic singlespeed frames and even aerospokes for silly high prices. Yet they dont know how to do the most basic stuff.

That's funny Sham. I was in there on Saturday - after noticing that they had a few Velocity rims hanging up, and had a "Charge" sticker on the front.
Well, cut a long story short - the guy there was super friendly and very good at telling me "what he could get hold of", but something wasn't right.
I picked up a pair of Wellgo pedals with cages, to which he initially charged me £45. I told him at the till that if that was the price, I'd leave it - to which he explained that those exact pedals would cost me £90 elsewhere and that was what the "trackies" (WHACK) ride. My final retort was that he was clearly mixed up with the MKS Custom Nuevo's.
And then the look of "i own the bike shop, not you....what the fuck do you know sunshine....."
Bye then.

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread4020.html

Hey Lucas, what were the names of the shops? Im from bournemouth and was just interested. Dont worry, Im not from any of the shops and I dont know anyone in them either!

I always use Ride Snow in Ashley Cross/Lower Parkstone for bits and bobs when im down that way.

Seem friendly enough, but usually in for the simple stuff. But they did build me a lovely set of Hope singlespeed mtb wheels.

^

They used to be called Xtreme, many years ago (1999) and I bought my Marin Bear valley off of them. Great bike, my brother uses it as a beater now, lasted 10 years though. Pretty sure the one of the Bike Mechanics works at Bike Lab near Barclays. Used to have a £1 bargain bin, in the corner.

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