It can seem like an almost overwhelming task, especially when you have no idea what any of that stuff means!

We’re gonna cover all the other confusing stuff to help you get clear, but today I thought we’d talk about finding a bike shop (LBS = Local Bike Shop).

Finding a local Bike Shop (LBS)

It’s not hard to find a local bike shop ~ just open up your yellow pages and look under bike. You may find you only have 1, but you may be surprised to see 5 or 10 listed. While it’s easy to FIND your local bike shop, choosing which will become YOUR local bike shop is another matter all together.

I’ve been checking out all of our local bike shops and I’d like to share with you some of the things I’ve learned as a newbie cyclist.

1. The “best” bike shop in town might not be right for you.

In Wichita there is one bike shop people talk about as the best bike shop in town. I stopped in yesterday with my new (to me) bike wanting to get a once over and some pointers on how to get the bike to fit just right.

It had been raining all morning, and I heard a rainy day is a better day to hit a bike shop because they wouldn’t be quite as busy. Well this is Kansas, and by the time we got to the bike shop it was sunny and 75 degrees and it was PACKED.

The staff was busy, and had to keep leaving to attend to other things. The woman helping us seemed a little put off by the questions I was asking, and told me I got “screwed” on the price of my bike. She also told me this bike didn’t fit me at all, and it was going to cost a LOT to make it work. I should try to get my money back for the bike.

There was a piece missing on the stem of my bike (the little piece that you can tighten the stem with). She said they could replace it. When I asked what it would be she said 5 bucks. (Well that was definitely the CHEAPEST price I’d seen all day). I told her to go ahead and fix that, but I’d wait on the rest of the stuff.

Well that 5 dollar part (which she conspiratorily told me she’d found a used one and shaved a couple dollars off the price) cost $16 (wasn’t expecting that ~ always ask about labor cost in addition to parts price).

We left with a new stem cap, $16 dollars lighter and feeling like crap about the bike I was so happy with only an hour before.

Bad bike shop experience.

2. Determine what you want out of a bike shop:

I decided to run to another shop, it was actually the shop that sold the original owner my bike and see what they had to say.  We got there, and the entire environment of the store was different. A couple dogs behind the counter, friendly, smiling faces, and people willing to talk to us like we weren’t complete idiots.

Here’s another HUGE difference I noticed. The PRICE. I looked at some handlebar grips at the first store, they were over $30. The very same grips were $10.99 at the second shop. This time when I asked about what a good price was for this bike the guy quoted me a price $15 over what I paid.

I told him the story and here’s the biggest lesson I learned.

The other bike shop caters to RACERS and PROFESSIONALS ~ of which I am neither (yet).

The second shop, which used to be right down the road from the first decided to be a more family or casual rider oriented shop. They still carried great bikes, but the attitude, and the prices, and the service was much more geared toward your every day cyclist.

Since he sells Giant bikes I got to talking to him about the 2010 Giant Dash I’ve had my eye on. I was looking at the Dash 2 based on the recommendations of yet another bike shop. He told me there was really no reason I needed the 2 and the Dash 3 would be more than enough bike for me. It would get me through Bike Across Kansas quite well he said.

So . . . interesting.

So here’s some quick tips for searching for the right local bike shop for YOU:

• Shop around, each shop has a different feel/attitude

Shops that cater to professionals and racers are going to feel one way, a family bike shop is going to feel completely different.

• Understand what YOU want in a bike shop

If you want to hang out with professionals/racers then choose a bike shop that caters to them. If you want a more laid back shop who will take time, listen and provide recommendations based on YOU then choose a different one, just by knowing what YOU want in your bike shop experience you’ll be more likely to find the right one for you.

• remember the “best” bike shop in town may not be the right shop for you

Just because everyone and their brother knows the name of a certain bike shop doesn’t mean it’s the best shop for YOU. Going to the bike shop should be a fun trip, make sure you feel good, about your bike and yourself when you leave the bike shop.

• If price matters shop around

I couldn’t believe the difference in price on the SAME items. If you’re looking for something, shop around before you decide to buy it at the “best” bike shop. You can probably find the same item much cheaper at another bike shop in town.

All in all, take your time, shop around and do what feels right for you. Just because everyone tells you which shop is the “best” doesn’t mean it’s the best for you.  Find the shop that is a great fit for you and you will have a lot more fun shopping for a bike, as well as keeping the bike you have in tip top shape.

Heartland Bicycle
111 N Mosley ~ 316-682-4144

When we stepped into Heartland Bicycle we were greated at the door by Byron. He asked if he could help us find anything or help.

Here’s what I told him:

New to biking. Looking to upgrade. Have 1/2 mile of gravel to drive over to get the road. Planning on doing longer rides and eventually in 2011 I’d like to do Bike Across Kansas. I then asked him what he would recommend for someone in my situation. (All the while my three year old is squirming around and getting excited about all the bikes)

He immediately offered up a hybrid.

I mentioned I was not really interested in getting a hybrid, and instead of taking me to the fitness bike section or the cyclocross section he told me.

I wouldn’t let 1/2 mile of gravel get in the way of your goals. I’d go for a road bike.

No WAY! I was a little leery at this point. NO ONE has even mentioned to me the option of getting a road bike (which in my heart is really what I want). I was a little worried he was just trying to sell me an expensive bike.

However, we talked for a while and he told stories of people who had done Bike Across Kansas with a fitness bike and came back and wanted a road bike. They said they would have enjoyed it much more if they had had a bike better equipped for the road.

So I let my guard down and let him show me some road bikes.

He was very patient with all my questions, and showed me the new 2010 models from Giant. He showed me new Dash series that is coming out soon and I asked a lot of newbie questions ~ he never made me feel stupid, or acted like I was wasting his time. I was pretty excited about this Giant bike because it has straight handlebars ~ he said that would help me have better control over the gravel.

He explained how the gears worked differently and what exactly made up for the difference in price between the Dash, 3, 2, 1 and 0. In the end, he recommended I would probably be happiest in my situation with the Dash 2, which is the second lowest priced bike of the series ($925).

I asked him about pulling a bike trailer and he didn’t bat an eye, he did decide wholeheartedly on the Dash 2 when I mentioned that though, saying the way it is made would make it better for what I need it for.

At the beginning of our conversation he talked about me driving my bike to the end of the road to start my ride, which is really, let’s face it, not gonna happen, but at the end he was talking about me driving the Dash 2, pulling a trailer over the gravel, so I think I’ll be able to just ride out on the Giant Dash 2.

He gave me his card, and wrote down the bike model we were talking about as well as the Giant website. He also mentioned he would have a couple very similar bikes coming in this week and they should be on the floor so I can see the different components and mechanics of the bike and how they work by Saturday if I wanted to check them out.

I told him I was thinking I’d like to get my bike around Christmas time and he quickly offered up that I could ask for gift certificates and use them toward my new bike. (good idea) He quickly added “If you decide to buy at Heartland, and we do hope you decide to buy here”.

At this point Hanna was getting seriously antsy, and I was getting really HOT (the AC could have been a little colder) so we grabbed a couple pamphlets and headed out.

How does Heartland Bicycle rate from my experience?

Friendliness: Excellent
Intimidation factor: High in the beginning, quickly down to nothing
Impatience with beginner Questions: None
Overall: Excellent

I will definitely be going back to Heartland, I wish they had more clothes though.

Bicycle X-Change
908 W Douglas ~ 316-262-9878 and
1516 E Central ~ 316-264-6427

I stopped by the west side location. When I walked in there are a lot of bikes in the store. (duh) I looked around for a bit and then a sales person (Joe) asked me if he could help.

Here’s what I told him:

New to biking. Looking to upgrade. Have 1/2 mile of gravel to drive over to get the road. Planning on doing longer rides and eventually in 2011 I’d like to do Bike Across Kansas. I then asked him what he would recommend for someone in my situation. (All the while my three year old is squirming around and getting excited about all the bikes)

He immediately offered up a hybrid.

Which I’ve already decided I don’t want. I mentioned the fact they don’t seem to be that great at either thing they are built for and asked what else he might suggest. He mentioned a fitness bike of which he showed me a few in stock. He said he’d seen people do BAK on a fitness bike.

I then asked about cyclocross bikes because someone had recommended them to me for my situation. He had 2 in stock, and the price range ($1400 or so) is a little higher  than I’m wanting to spend.  At this point I asked if I could pull a bike trailer with the cyclocross bike and he said yes, probably, and started looking like he was about done with me.

He said my best bet would then be a fitness bike, if I wanted something a little lower priced than the cyclocross and recommended I take a look at a Trek, Fuji, Felt or Gary Fisher ~ all of which the store carries.

When I asked about used bikes he mentioned the east side store carries used bikes.

He was overall fairly friendly and answered my questions without making me feel stupid. He gave me a couple catalogs to look at, and his card. The fitness bikes are definitely in my price range, starting at $450 and up, but I’m not sure a fitness bike is exactly what I’m going to want for the long haul.  I don’t think I’m going to be able to justify buying a new bike for a while after I get this one, so I want to make sure I get what I want.

How does Bicycle X-Change rank from my experience?

Friendliness: Good
Intimidation factor: a little
Impatience with beginner questions: Pretty good
Overall: Good