LBS beats world wide web!

cycle monster

Not sure how often this happens as a quick Google will normally get me to what I need. However, on this occasion I needed a replacement Giro helmet visor. All I could find on the web was CRC who were out of stock until the end of the month. I remembered that the helmet was bought at the LBS on a trip to Pitsford Water. I emailed them more in hope than expectation but now have my replacement and a spare two or three weeks earlier than the big web based boys could manage. A broken visor is not the end of the world but nice to see a local shop beating the internet. We do need to support good LBS, losing them would be a disaster. Many thank s again to Jeff at Pitsford Cycles.

cycle monster

I apologise unreservedly for not being able to blame Wiggle.

bennett_346

So you bought something from a shop. Well done matey.

97th choice

Jeff obviously has better Google fu than you.

Danlube

bennett_346 wrote:

So you bought something from a shop. Well done matey.

I think the point here is going online isn't always the best cause of action, that little bike shop around the corner can surprise you. Remember this one thing online trawlers, the Internet can't supply you with a cup of tea, biscuits and a friendly face.

MountainMonster

Danlube wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

So you bought something from a shop. Well done matey.

I think the point here is going online isn't always the best cause of action, that little bike shop around the corner can surprise you. Remember this one thing online trawlers, the Internet can't supply you with a cup of tea, biscuits and a friendly face.

And this exact reason is why I shop mainly at my LBS, rather than order offline.I would much rather pay to have somewhere to go talk to people, to play around with their gadgets, and to try the things on, than save myself cash and give some stockist who probably isn't even interested in cycling a job in some warehouse. I love my LBS.

chez_m356

Danlube wrote:

I think the point here is going online isn't always the best cause of action, that little bike shop around the corner can surprise you. Remember this one thing online trawlers, the Internet can't supply you with a cup of tea, biscuits and a friendly face.

cycle monster wrote:

I remembered that the helmet was bought at the LBS on a trip to Pitsford Water. I emailed them more in hope than expectation but now have my replacement and a spare two or three weeks earlier than the big web based boys could manage..

never mind that it had probably been sat on a shelf in the shop since they received the original stock that he bought his helmet from

The Northern Monkey

I get 10-20% off most stuff in my LBS for being a regular... I know the owner really well, but he knows i'm a bargain hunter and will check the web too!

Got my EVOC pack at a price that definately couldn't be beaten online

felix.london

My local shops give me 10-20% discount but most stuff is still about twice the price of what you can get it for online...the price of living high in The Alps I guess...EVERYTHING is much more expensive up here

MDobs

I went into my lbs at lunch time on Friday to get them to change the cassette over for me. They did it immediately, the mechanic actually stopped what he was doing to it for me, and was I out of the shop in minutes. And they didn't charge me for it either, perfect. I'll always use them for servicing but I don't go in apart from that as the shop is pretty out of the way, next to a car dealership.

felix.london

MDobs wrote:

I went into my lbs at lunch time on Friday to get them to change the cassette over for me. They did it immediately, the mechanic actually stopped what he was doing to it for me, and was I out of the shop in minutes. And they didn't charge me for it either, perfect. I'll always use them for servicing but I don't go in apart from that as the shop is pretty out of the way, next to a car dealership.

Where did you buy the cassette? Online?

97th choice

MDobs wrote:

I went into my lbs at lunch time on Friday to get them to change the cassette over for me. They did it immediately, the mechanic actually stopped what he was doing to it for me, and was I out of the shop in minutes. And they didn't charge me for it either, perfect. I'll always use them for servicing but I don't go in apart from that as the shop is pretty out of the way, next to a car dealership.

Firstly, you should be ashamed that you can't do that yourself.

Secondly, do you pay for loads of other minor maintenance jobs which enables them to throw you the odd freebie?

flappy8

I wish my LBS hadn't turned a bit rubbish. I've used them for years and accepted that they will charge a bit more than CRC etc, but that was worth it for the advice. Last 2 times they've forgotten to order something for me, and when I popped in with a brake problem on a Monday morning when they were sitting about with a cup of tea they told me I'd have to wait 5 weeks.

That’s the reason you have to be self-sufficient with bike maintenance now - as it happens I enjoy it and would normally do everything myself anyway.

So that's the thanks for buying 6 bike over 5 years - 3 expensive, and 3 cheaper family bikes – no guilt now about using the discounters.

Giraffoto

One of my LBSs (Leisure Wheels in Hemel Hempstead) matched the best price I could find on the internet for some wheels - as the OP says, the web isn't always the best place to buy!

cooldad

Giraffoto wrote:

One of my LBSs (Leisure Wheels in Hemel Hempstead) matched the best price I could find on the internet for some wheels - as the OP says, the web isn't always the best place to buy!

I prefer to sit on my arris and shop than drive around and talk to people.

toastedone

Danlube wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

So you bought something from a shop. Well done matey.

I think the point here is going online isn't always the best cause of action, that little bike shop around the corner can surprise you. Remember this one thing online trawlers, the Internet can't supply you with a cup of tea, biscuits and a friendly face.

Neither can my LBS

bennett_346

toastedone wrote:

Danlube wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

So you bought something from a shop. Well done matey.

I think the point here is going online isn't always the best cause of action, that little bike shop around the corner can surprise you. Remember this one thing online trawlers, the Internet can't supply you with a cup of tea, biscuits and a friendly face.

Neither can my LBS

Nor mine. However Superstar can supply me with Haribo, which again my LBS cannot!

felix.london

cooldad wrote:

Giraffoto wrote:

One of my LBSs (Leisure Wheels in Hemel Hempstead) matched the best price I could find on the internet for some wheels - as the OP says, the web isn't always the best place to buy!

I prefer to sit on my arris and shop than drive around and talk to people.

This. Especially when they're French

spongtastic

My local bike store is 20 miles away, so do I spend time hours cycling there and back, or an hour and a half driving through traffic, plus a gallon of diesel, only to find that the shop monkey I spoke to was wrong and they don't have what I need?

Or do I order on line after searching for five minutes with free p&p?

The Northern Monkey

Move house obviously..