Choosing the Right Bike Shop

As a beginning cyclist everything can be really confusing. Measurements, derauilers, 105, 700c,  WSD, geometry (who knew you were gonna ever need that again right?), and on top of that you have to learn about the bike manufacturers, and find a bike shop you like.

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.