LBS vs Online stores

Have you considered Cytech training?

Don't lean.. on your tools!

More than it costs people in the service industries to listen to feedback from the general public.

But Jeez, you're not the general public. You're one person. And you're not providing feedback, you're just bitching and moaning on an internet forum.

The bike shop you went to will either respond to the requirements of their customers (that's all their potential customers, not just you) and stay in business, or they won't, and they won't. You got a quote from a service supplier, you decided it was too much, you declined to pay the quoted price for the service. So fucking what? Happens day in, day out, but most people manage not to see it as some earth-shatteringly important lesson for the whole of humanity.

Going back to the thread before it was derailed by Jeez's bitching and moaning, I think tester got it right with his reference to distress purchases. I go to my LBSs (both near work and near home) when I need something now, and can't wait to order it on-line or (occasionally) when I go in for a browse and they've got bargains.

The reason I don't use my LBSs more often isn't so much to do with the price, but is more to do with the fact that their stock levels are usually so poor. For example, I wanted a square taper bottom bracket for my old road bike. Went to the LBS, and they had every size in stock except the one I wanted. Man in LBS explained this on the basis that the size I wanted was the most popular size, and so they always sold out of that size. He offered to order it in for me for the next day, but given that I could order it cheaper on-line, including delivery to my desk the next day, that wasn't a particularly tempting offer.

Similarly, when it comes to clothes, the range of stuff in my size (large, sometimes medium) is usually very limited because it's the most popular size and has sold out. XS and XXXL, no problems, take your pick, but large jerseys and shorts and size 43 shoes, forget it - they're gone.

The other reason I don't use my most local bike shop is that they have a big dog, and I don't like dogs. But that's just me.

What is the experience with Putney cycles?

Lots of stock, decent prices from what I remember and on the whole the staff are helpful. Can't comment on servicing as I've not used them.

cheers will look into that, I was thinking about doing rapha hotn on the Roadie that needs a basic service (I can do everything apart from gears) but decided to do it on the rat with 32c tyres (as the roadie would take 28c max plus I'll have to buy new tyres)

I called up London Bike Workshop in clapham they said they don;t book appointments so if I can be there first thing in the morning they would be able to do this, since I am not in hurry I'll look into holdsworth and velosport. I have been to velosport couple of times, lots of pr0n bikes on display.

What is the experience with Putney cycles?

I should add the guys in velosport charge £20 for a gear tune up if you can't do it yourself, and they're always very helpful and friendly. And yes they have some very nice bikes on display.

[Blah, blah, repeat previous posts ad nauseam]

I am not moaning and bitching, I am providing feedback on the whole experience of using an LBS [more repetition of previous posts]

So you've told all this to the LBS in question have you, and explained why you haven't used them to remove this sodding BB?

No, thought not. In which case, you are bitching and moaning. Feedback is where you tell the person providing goods or services what you think of their goods or services. Bitching and moaning is when you spout off about it on an internet forum to a lot of people who don't really care what you think, and are getting increasingly bored with you telling them it over and over and over and over again.

My favourite part of bike shops is going in for something I need and then finding other stuff that I want or need that I'd not thought about. I love that about bike shops.

Jeez, I don't quite get it. Personally I don't really like Tesco, hence I don't shop there... Simples. You on the other hand seem very passionate and opinionated about a service you don't want to use anyway... Just saying.

Can we get a Jeremy Kyle style sit down with Jeez and the bike shop owner?
Then the owner can tell him all about how his prices are done just to annoy and scare Jeez off

"My favourite part of bike shops is going in for something I need and then finding other stuff that I want or need that I'd not thought about. I love that about bike shops."

This, aside from wanting and needing is the same thing when it comes to bike stuff.

I suspect that there is more to this than meets the eye- were Jeez's advances rebuffed by the bike shop employee?

This, aside from wanting and needing is the same thing when it comes to bike stuff.

Not always.

I 'need' new bike gloves but I would rather not own any bikes gloves.

Stupid global warming needs to get a move on.

Climate change, plz. It's what happens when you fill up the Holden.

Needing doesn't necessarily equal wanting...

#differentscenario

Climate change, plz. It's what happens when you fill up the Holden.

I blame Europeans. it's a numbers game.

As for climate change... Climate as such isn't really an issue in itself, it's climate distribution that's the real problem.

Can we get a Jeremy Kyle style sit down with Jeez and the bike shop owner?

Yes, that is what we need - a DNA test to prove who is the real father of the bottom bracket and who should be paying the £15. Obviously there would also need to be a fight and chairs being thrown about before we get to see the results.

I'd pay £15 to watch that..

But it's such fun.

I think there is a £15 bottom spouted post removal fee, if needed you'll probably get them edited a little too, but you don't get them removed for less if there is no editing or reposting needed.

£15 for post removal, that is too rich for me. I am going to find a forum that is cheaper.

That is a perfectly acceptable reaction, another one is to remove them yourself if you have the ability to.

£15 for post removal, that is too rich for me. I am going to find a forum that is cheaper.

Woah there, that's far too moderate and sensible. And short. A response like that requires a 500 word rant about how all moderators are useless and overpaid and charge too much and how you're never going to use an internet forum ever again. And then reposted with only minor differences in the wording at least 8 times. Come on, Jeez has set standards to be maintained on this thread.

Jeez, I don't quite get it. Personally I don't really like Tesco, hence I don't shop there... Simples. You on the other hand seem very passionate and opinionated about a service you don't want to use anyway... Just saying.

Why is Jeez getting so much flak? The OP asked...

But I often wonder, if the LBS was opened longer hours, had a better range of stock and was price competitive with the online stores, would I still shop online?

What are your thoughts?

and Jeez related some incidents in which his LBS failed to better online stores in the few ways in which they can. They were slow, gave poor advice and ordered the incorrect part.

As far as the BB removal goes, whether or not you think it's a fair price, they lost Jeez's business. That's fine if their books were full and they had more lucrative stuff on. But if they didn't, and the mechanic had some down time, then they simply lost whatever he was prepared to pay, since wear and tear on tools for BB removal is negligible.

We've been through this, oh about a 100 times already, ffs. Why wait until Jeez leaves the thread and kick it off again? One bails another takes its place. This place is like trollnip.

If the mechanic had free time they would've done it, not said come back in a week.