Using your Local LBS
Marvinman
Posts: 126
All,
A bit generic but would be interested in views. I try to use my LBS where I can, accepting a premium on the cost of certain items is often (although not always) likely. I always buy any new complete bikes through my LBS.
The issue I am mulling over is how far is "too far" on that cost and inconvenience over online purchases. My case in point:
- I am looking for new components which are not cheap at over £1,000;
- Online retailers have some stock but it is very limited,
- I would like to (and tried to) give the business to my LBS if I can. My LBS can get them but there is an undefined delay of "2-4 weeks" and a differential in cost of between £50 to £100 depending upon their supplier being willing to try and get close to the online price;
- I am wary about waiting because the delay period is not fixed and could end being much longer, interrupting my build.
- I am also wary about delaying an online purchase in case the online dealer sells out.
My query is how others would approach this - at the moment I am leaving towards buying online having done my best to offer the business locally but with the difference in time and cost being a bit too much.
Views?
A bit generic but would be interested in views. I try to use my LBS where I can, accepting a premium on the cost of certain items is often (although not always) likely. I always buy any new complete bikes through my LBS.
The issue I am mulling over is how far is "too far" on that cost and inconvenience over online purchases. My case in point:
- I am looking for new components which are not cheap at over £1,000;
- Online retailers have some stock but it is very limited,
- I would like to (and tried to) give the business to my LBS if I can. My LBS can get them but there is an undefined delay of "2-4 weeks" and a differential in cost of between £50 to £100 depending upon their supplier being willing to try and get close to the online price;
- I am wary about waiting because the delay period is not fixed and could end being much longer, interrupting my build.
- I am also wary about delaying an online purchase in case the online dealer sells out.
My query is how others would approach this - at the moment I am leaving towards buying online having done my best to offer the business locally but with the difference in time and cost being a bit too much.
Views?
0
Comments
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Yup I have pretty much done that already but making slow progress over a week or so now - its a question I guess of how "loyal" one should be before thinking that the time/money/convenience factor of online outweighs supporting the LBS.0
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I hate shops so online everytime.I don't do smileys.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools0 -
Keep online prices low, support your online retailer !0
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Hmm I'm now wondering if I am being a bit "protectionist" in my thinking - God forbid I have anything in common with Trump!!
Still think the LBS is gonna be my first port of call but perhaps not on this occasion.0 -
It's online for me, unless it's a failure of an important component on a ride, then I'll use a shop.0
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LBS: cables, tub tape, errr, that's about it really.
Online for everything else - if you use Merlin then it's there the next day, so sooner than if it was if I had to go to the LBS.
more convenient, far cheaper, far bigger selection online.Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honoursmithy21 wrote:
He's right you know.0 -
take that back ..... ordered from CRC yesterday morning 09:21 and paid for next day delivery. Just checked the tracking details to check where the package is ....... and its not even been processed yet
fcuk online .... go to your LBS, at least that way when they fail you you wont have sat at home all day waiting when you could have gone out !
fookers0 -
the luck i have with bikes / parts i always use my LBS - way easier to sort out problems
clothing / consumables always use online.0 -
LBS can duck right off prices are simply taking the piss
£30 for a new chain at LBS vs. £15 online
£35 for a set of swiss stop brake pads vs. £17 online
£3 for a single gear cable vs. £3 for an entire set of 2 + outer housing + crimps and ferrules online
£35 for a park tool cable cutter vs £18 online
£7 for an inner tube vs £1.50 online
I dont even bother asking any more, I just avoid it
I think they just prey on people that don't know how to do basic maintenance, I've been in there before and someone came in to drop off their bike for new brake pads to be fitted and was told it was gonna cost £500 -
Here in the states a mechanical Dura Ace 9100 groupset is $2300 plus 10% tax at three of my LBS. I ended up ordering from Ribble for $1375. To me, it was a no brainer.0
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When I changed my gearing to Dura-ace 9000 (levers,mechs,brakes)two years ago, I went round a few LBS's and got some quotes for parts and labour.
1 quote, all items at RRP plus fitting and service=£850 (10% off if I join their club). Refused to fit internet sourced parts.
2 quote, price match mechs only, levers £420, free fitting. £150 to fit internet sourced parts.
3 quote, honest enough to admit they couldn't match internet, happy to fit internet sourced parts, £80 including full service and BB stripdown.
I bought all the parts from various internet retailers.
I choose option 3 and received excellent service. I have subsequently taken my bike back to them annually for service and will be doing so again before Easter for a new set of cables and service. (Borwell Cycles Norwich)
My advice speak to your LBS's and be straight with them, no-one wants to be taken for a mug and they need the business.
If you are happy/able to fit the parts yourself then internet is the way to go obviously.
I would also suggest you avoid Evans/CyclesUK/Halfords/Cycle Republic unless you are positive of their ability to do the work properly.0 -
I had a LBS do the below recently
Supply & fit 'Fabric' bar tape (tape was £20 alone)
Cut steerer
Supply and fit front and rear brake cables
Update and adjust DI2
£90.
I thought that was OK, as I was in a hurry and didn't have all the right tools/bits. We've got a really good choice of shops in York, but there are a few who seem to revel in trying to rip people off.Orbea Orca OMX DI2 MyO
Kinesis 4s Di20 -
I'm lucky to have a fairly decent LBS, I got my 'cross bike on the C2W scheme there, which was good as they got to fit the fiddly front mudguards (eyelets between the forks) and was a godsend when one of those eyelets broke after 9 months- they handled the warranty replacement and fitted it for no charge.
I tend to get most of my stuff online because of cost, but I have picked up the odd bit of cheap sale clothing and bits and pieces I needed urgently, such as slimmer inner tubes for a set of 'cross tyres I'd borrowed from a friend, new gear cable when one broke unexpectedly, and some other consumables.
The also provide a club discount and offer to price match (although I don't often find exact products on Wiggle or CRC) which makes them very worthwhile for small purchases you don't want to have to wait to arrive, then inevitably collect from the post office...0 -
If LBS will do a price match I'm happy to buy from them or even if they can get very close. But on the line every time if there is a big price difference.
I'm buying pedals this week - £70 difference between the lbs and CRC - I'll try the LBS first but I'd be a mug to buy for anything remotely near that price increase from the shop.
Loyalty is a two way thing.0 -
i was lucky enough to be in a position to go from a 1980's Bianchi straight to a Bianchi Oltre XR1 as my first carbon bike.
My LBS (Bike Chain Ricci at Redruth) have been great in helping me with both advice and service in getting my cycling back on track after a 20 year break.
I always call there first as I value the service and advice they give.they will always price match without asking and have even dropped sale prices after haggling (I am Cornish after all
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I haven't bought anything other than Muc Off stuff elsewhere and do feel they value my custom,working in a service industry myself, that is a feeling I feel more businesses should strive to portray.0 -
Still seems expensive, £90 - £20 for tape - £5 for cables means they're charging £65 for maybe an hour's work. Maybe that's what bicycle work costs at any LBS though, I don't knowTeebs_123 wrote:I had a LBS do the below recently
Supply & fit 'Fabric' bar tape (tape was £20 alone)
Cut steerer
Supply and fit front and rear brake cables
Update and adjust DI2
£90.
I thought that was OK, as I was in a hurry and didn't have all the right tools/bits. We've got a really good choice of shops in York, but there are a few who seem to revel in trying to rip people off.0 -
still waiting for CRC to progress my order .. items are all "in stock" and paid for with next day delivery .... this was Tuesday
Annoyingly with CRC you cant cancel unless its within 30 mins .... so now I have to wait until it turns up, gets taken to the post office, go to the post office collect item, stick returns label on it and give it back to them and wait 2 more weeks to get my money back
All because I wanted the item in matte black ..... could have bought shiney black from LBS0 -
I bought a full 105 groupset online and some Fulcrum 5 wheels
Handed over my bike and the boxes of bits - they carried out the full groupset swap, cleaned the frame and set everything up perfectly for £100
They moaned about the online retailers selling groupsets that are clearly for trade (just in blue bags, not the branded boxes etc) but did the work well and better than I could at home in a couple of days.Road - '10 Giant Defy 3.5
MTB - '05 Scott Yecora
BMX - '04 Haro Nyquist R24 (don't judge me)0 -
LBS as long as the premium isn't huge. 10% is fair I think.
Ultimately an LBS will never be able to compete with online as the overheads and scale are very different. So if you want an LBS to continue to exist you need to accept that you need to put some money their way and it will cost you a bit more. I'm happy to do that for my local LBS (until he closed) as I liked having him there. If he was far from the internet prices then he was more than happy to fit internet sourced parts.
For 90% of maintenance I'm happy to do myself but I think having an LBS is important if we want beginners entering the sport and cycling to continue to thrive. For me, spending a bit of extra money to keep the wheels turning seems equitable.0 -
As above. Happy to use my LBS when it makes sense (although a career in the Scouts means I'm prepared for most eventualities - there are still those times when you need something that you don't have to hand "now") but his range of parts is limited, more so than mine in some cases... So sometimes I try to spend money with him but can't. (Naturally he always says "I can order it in" - but so can I)
However he does have all of those tools that you rarely need (at least too rarely to justify buying a decent one yourself) and as long as it's not Sunday or Monday (his "weekend") then I'll pop in for those?0 -
Tried to use my independent LBS who failed to answer the phone on 4 separate occasions. Resorted to calling Evans who picked up straight away and the service was excellent. When you're looking at dropping a large amount of cash on a bike, it's sad but I need that kind of level of staffing.
That said, I use a small local repair shop for tasks outside my capabilities and tools - they are excellent and sometimes worth paying for jobs I can do myself just to avoid the hassle factor.0 -
Well the LBS threw in the towel on ability to provide any kind of delivery date and ended up saying "maybe 4 weeks". Merlin order placed Wednesday evening - arriving this morning before 10am.
I gave LBS the opportunity several times, so satisfied my desire to place order at LBS if possible.0 -
Yea had the same nonsense at mine. Decided to support local business and agreed to pay £30 for a new chain (£15 online). However he had no 11 speed chains and would order it in to arrive the next day.Marvinman wrote:Well the LBS threw in the towel on ability to provide any kind of delivery date and ended up saying "maybe 4 weeks". Merlin order placed Wednesday evening - arriving this morning before 10am.
I gave LBS the opportunity several times, so satisfied my desire to place order at LBS if possible.
Next day comes around, no chain, "come back tomorrow". I go back the following day, no chain "come back after lunch time I'll bring one from the other shop". So I go back after lunch and, surprise surprise, no chain. I give it one more day as he tells me "tomorrow" again and no f****** chain.
At that point I went onto wiggle and ordered it for £15 + £4 delivery. I ordered it 8:30pm and it was with me at 10:30am the next day.0 -
CRC seem slower if you pay for special stuff. I think it messes with their robot warehouse.fat daddy wrote:still waiting for CRC to progress my order .. items are all "in stock" and paid for with next day delivery .... this was Tuesday
Annoyingly with CRC you cant cancel unless its within 30 mins .... so now I have to wait until it turns up, gets taken to the post office, go to the post office collect item, stick returns label on it and give it back to them and wait 2 more weeks to get my money back
All because I wanted the item in matte black ..... could have bought shiney black from LBS
Just plan better and take free delivery.I don't do smileys.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools0 -
Clothes and Consumables - Online
Bike Service, New Bikes or Parts - LBS
Because My LBS (Hargroves Cycles) are online too they price match a fair bit of stuff as long as it's cost effective for them.0 -
I once waited 3 weeks for the LBS to contact me to see if they could obtain some frame cable guides.
They failed to either ev contact me or, when I popped back in, be useful at all (errr, dunno, they said, best check online).
Online it was and sorted rapido.Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honoursmithy21 wrote:
He's right you know.0 -
barongreenback wrote:
That said, I use a small local repair shop for tasks outside my capabilities and tools - they are excellent and sometimes worth paying for jobs I can do myself just to avoid the hassle factor.
These small local workshop/ repair shops are great.
They don't mind you taking your internet bought parts in for assembly or repair.
They will source small parts such as bolts, bearings etc.
They offer advice.
Even though they are busy they still have good turnaround times.
It's the way forward.0 -
Consumables (unless needed right now!) - online.
Clothing - mostly Sigma Sports (either online or in person), not really an LBS as not really local, but I like riding there and having a poke around.
Ordinary Components and tools (unless needed right now!) - online.
Bikes - online (I like my Dolans).
Big ticket gadgets (like my Kickr/power meters) - Sigma (I like multiple warranty outlets).
Servicing - DIY <--- cannot stress this enough, after many experiences of at best indifferent servicing, installation, "advice" and what have you, I just bought all the tools and do everything other than wheelbuilding myself using Zinn, youtube, trial and error, elbow grease, and swearing. Have assembled three bikes from scratch and numerous other minor and major jobs. Even if a professional would do it faster, they just won't ever care more than I do and I have a sneaking suspicion that there just isn't enough money in servicing or bikes generally to attract uniformly conscientious types to the profession.0 -
There's a severe lack of LBS near to me. Phoned one a few weeks ago asking if they could do a front derailleur while I waited at a time that suited them. The chap replied that I would need to speak to the boss who obviously wasn't around. Phones another time to get a chain fitted at short notice but the lady that answered said that she was the only one in and that she wasn't good with chains.
Anything that needs ordered is done online but don't mind LBS for servicing so long as it means my bike isn't with them for over a week or can only picked up between 9-5.0
