LBS vs internet
squigs
Posts: 149
I know there will be people that swing one way or another but!!!!!
Since entering the world of bicycling I have found my LBS in saltash to be far more favourable than internet shopping.
The prices are either the same or marginally cheaper on line, yet you can pick it up straight away, or try it on. and if things go wrong simply take it back and look in the eyes of someone rather than interactively.
Over shoes I am looking for are £1.00 cheaper on line than in the LBS.
As for ebay! once you stick on the postage you might as well buy it from a shop.
Since entering the world of bicycling I have found my LBS in saltash to be far more favourable than internet shopping.
The prices are either the same or marginally cheaper on line, yet you can pick it up straight away, or try it on. and if things go wrong simply take it back and look in the eyes of someone rather than interactively.
Over shoes I am looking for are £1.00 cheaper on line than in the LBS.
As for ebay! once you stick on the postage you might as well buy it from a shop.
Sirrus Comp 2010 (commuting)
Roubaix Pro SL Sram red (Weekend sportives)
Certini Campagnolo Mirage (Turbo trainer)
Roubaix Pro SL Sram red (Weekend sportives)
Certini Campagnolo Mirage (Turbo trainer)
0
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Try before you buy, get out on multiple bikes before you decide.
Your local shop cant talk you through endless variances of frames and kit and help you pick out the best bike for you not just a bike that gets great reviews but ultimately may not suit your needs.
Once you have got it down to the right bike then work on price, as you are dealing face to face this can be negotiated down and then work on extras to seal the deal the price upgraded pedals and a few sweeteners like bottle cages /lights for free.
Lbs will build and set up your bike for nowt and any niggles should be easily rectified,
most offer a follow up "service" to tighten up things and give your bike a good check.
Bottom line IMO is that the internet is great at searching out those bargains, if you know exactly what you need, but you can not beet talking face to face with someone who knows and understands what's what. If it's a good lbs with experienced staff/riders their input will be worth an extra few quid to walk away confident that you have got the bike that's best for you.
eBay does still win for hard-to-find secondhand bits, especially old ones, but for new stuff as someone said the postage usually wipes out any price advantage.
If there was a good one at hand, I'd use it.
But you don't always get the web price in the shop
Is that an admission that you DRIVE to the BIKE shop?
My old LBS charges over RRP and has censored customer service, only sells Specialized lids. Clothing is limited to Altura, plus some few bits of Assos and none of it available in the smaller size.
My currently LBS better service wise but has a more limited range of clothing, tubes, seats etc. Much prefer to order on line with quidco and cashback credit card - Distance seller regs means returning open packaging is no issue compared to buying it in store, even if it does cost.
Savings on new kit usually aren't that great, and - be honest - if for example you want a new front mech and you discover that it costs about £30 you're going to buy it, whether you can get it for £27 or £33 - you won't not buy it for £30 or even £33 if it's not available for £27. So why get all excited about the odd £3? It's not life-changing on my part, but may help your LBS to keep going if everyone goes down that path.
I do prefer having the local shops for the chatter, the good advise etc, and don't mind paying a bit of a premium. However that sort of premium is mad!!!
05 Kona King Kikapu
We grow up having a world of choice, yet if I want to spend extra of Fiizik bar tape I can't locally, but I can get charged the same (expensive) price for some cheap no-name stuff.
I recently needed a pair of bottles and cages for my new bike (for a century ride the following day), I wanted Elite black cages & a pair of Camelbak Podium Bottles. None of my LBS's stocked either, so ordered & paid online with Ribble then drove over to Bamber Bridge to pick them up.
Last time I used Formby Cycles to get a wheel repaired I had to chase them over month period to find out where it was. I had asked for price so I could make a call on identical replacement or better wheel, but eventually they had just ordered one (and still didn't inform me it was available).. censored , awful service. Having purchased two bikes there I've never purchased anything since and recommend people stay away.
They're over-priced, they have a habbit of telling me what I want, rather than letting me tell them what I want.
They often don't have things in stock, and look puzzled when I ask them why they don't have them.
Either that or I've had a few bad experiences.
On the other hand, they mainly stock Trek, Bontrager and Endura which is not on my shopping list
I recommend Mosscrop cycles, they tell you when to bring it in and when to pick it up and they don`t mess you about and know their onions.
I buy nearly everything online though, cos I don`t have to leave my chair.
Any business is a business: make money for selling product + service.
Being local to you doesn't make it special in any way.
It is the service and the product and the support that count.
But ultimately, the dream of all LBS owners is to become bigger, selling more, eventually online.
That's what happened to Wiggle, CRC, and the likes.
So now they are big they don't deserve to be there too?
Today I needed a chain. Cost me £21.99. CRC have it £10.99. Shop a mile away has it on their site for £17.99. Only I needed the chain today I would have told them to stick it. I was walking so didn't have time to go trotting in the opposite direction of town from I had to go next so I just paid the money. Lesson learnt. Buy them in 3 from Merlin or elsewhere and always make sure I don't have to have something at the last minute that way I don't get ripped off.
LBS have to earn my loyalty. None currently have that as they have never gone out of their way to earn it. You buy components from them at inflated prices and ask them to fit it and they charge the full labour costs. I would personally appreciate the person from buying from me and give a discount (or throw the fitting in free if it was simple job). That's someone who understands what creates a loyal customer. If I need to know something general about fitting I can get that info here so just having a wee chat with them isn't really going to cut it either though it does all help.
I wanted some components swapped over on a bike. One place quoted me £200 and another £80. How can such disparity exist?
Now that is an interesting 1st hand experience. Your outcome of choosing to go elsewhere is perfectly understandable but I wouldn't agree that you are necessarily being ripped off by the LBS.
CRC will have almost certainly got a double advantage of a higher supplier discount in the first instance on top of which, they have then probably secured a bulk buy rate from the supplier. Having secured a cost price that is already significantly lower than the LBS who buys 1 at a time, they may be selling them as either a loss leader or simply at very low margin to drive custom. Alternatively the supplier is overstocked and has shifted volume at a very low price. The LBS is probably just charging SRP which is clearly not competitive.
You are quite entitled to go elsewhere and the LBS job is to offer value added service to convince you to shop with them. But they probably aren't making a mint out of the chain no matter how it may appear.
I agree that C2W has completely skewed the economics of bike retail though.
Online for me 9 times out of 10.
I am quite sure CRC and everyone else make a nice profit on chains, one reason they are cheaper there is because they are OEM, they don`t come in a box and have a few less links. I always get mine from Merlin or CRC as I don`t need a box.
I live in Wolverhampton where we are served by a few LBShops, each of which has people who swear by them.
My fave is Fred Williams, from where I have bought all the family's bikes, and most of the spares. Many maintenance jobs I can do but those I can;'t, I get the lads in the shop to do as they are quick (usually same day if booked in) and prices are reasonable, with never a quibble.
I don't get clothing, lights or other such bits from them as they CAN be found cheaper (or at least at a price making it worthwhile, even with postage) from the 'net. In addition, looking at the clothing I've wanted and then bought, the shop didn't/doesn't stock it.
However, being a regular 'face' in the shop can get you discount here and there when you do buy.
The downside to some shops, especially if you are new to them, is a tendency to an attitude I'd call 'elitism-cum-whose this to55er', whereby unless you somehow prove you are NOT a to55er, your humble requests are sometimes treated with disdain.
Worse is trying to engage the owner/helpboy of the LBS in a sensible conversation about what you want, when he is more concerned with carrying on HIS conversation with the shop 'groupie(s)', who hang about name dropping obscure pieces of mechanical kit, or mountain passes they nearly died on while descending during this years Alpine jaunt.
On such occasions I've been tempted to say that "I'll just have to take the 3 grand I 've got in my pocket for a nice road bike and spend it elsewhere, as you are clearly not bothered with my custom..."
You pays yer money and you takes yer choice....
Singlespeeds in town rule.