IMADreamer

I had a poor experience with the local shop. Actually it's not that local but I live in a rural area so I had to go 30 miles to the nearest shop. I basically got ingnored and when I asked for help I got a weired look. Maybe I'm self conscious but I think it's because I'm a big guy. It turned me off on biking for a good while but now I'm determined to get into. The problem is other then that shop the nearest place is 70 miles away so I'm a little stuck I guess. I'll figure something out though because they aren't getting my business.

I suppose the bike industry is no worse then any other though. I've seen it time and time again with tuner shops for cars, unless you are fast you get treated like crap. Fortunately they aren't all that way.

gosmsgo

Man we have great shops here in Columbia. I mean the best guys in town work there.

I try to avoid the skinny, shaved types who work there only for the employee discounts. Look for the oldest dudes there. They gave up on being fast a long time ago and are only there because they believe in bikes.

ovrrdrive

In all fairness, many of the magazines that do new bike reviews are paid and bribed too. It seems like its only a good review when they rate what you like highly.

Blacktri99

While my intentions were not to dog one brand, I do think that Trek bikes are a very nice bike and well made, My only issue was the shops. A Good Example one of the nicer shops I was looking at, I went in and the gentleman was nice and he asked me what I was looking for, and asked my price range, Once I told him, he was very nice and said that he did not have anything in his shop for that price. To me I appreciated that, see he did not waste my time, nor I wasted his but all the while he was polite and understanding. Would I do business with him, Yes once my budget allows for it, and I will recommend his shop to others due to his consideration, No attitude on why my choice was not good, and that I needed to buy this bike instead. While I do appriciate someone taking the time to show me better options with the typical family finances that people have these day's I am not able to purchase a $500 or more bike right now.
My question could have been just wait until you could afford a better bike and delay riding, getting into shape and losing weight, or purchase the nicest bike for the money and ride?
My answer was Purchase the nicest bike for the money and Ride.

There are many good shops in the DFW area I am sure, and I am also sure that not all Trek dealers are SNOBS, It's the Bike Chain (Poorly represented) that I dealt with.

fuish

OH man, I just started working at a LBS and I HATE it when people try to play stump the chump with me, I NEVER try to lie to my customers and always ask my more experienced managers when I am stumped. Don't play stump the chump so much, sometimes people are just new to the profession.

hoytbasses

I should probably clarify, fuish...... I only act that way when I get one of those "youre too fat and old to be bothered with" types. Generally I'm quite subdued and appreciative of folks who try and be helpful, no matter their experience......

sorry if I offended you, that wasn't the intent

hoytbasses

IAmCosmo

This is one time I'm glad to live where I do. There are 3 shops in my area, and all of them have been nothing but nice to me. The one that really surprised me was the shop that carries Litespeed, Look, Intense, Santa Cruz, and other high-end bikes. I can't tell you the last time I've seen a bike in their store that was under $2500. They were more than happy to talk to me about what bike I was interested in, and told me they could order me whatever bike I wanted. In fact, I like my local shops so much I try to spread my spending out among them when I'm buying tubes, cables, and other smaller things (don't tell them I just ordered my new bike off the internet).

Granted, I've been in all of these shops enough that they recognize me now, but even when I first started going in, they treated me like I was their favorite customer. I guess since we're a smaller town they realize that news travels fast, and if you are rude to customers, it comes back to haunt you.

I have run into the "bike snob" thing when traveling, however. I was in a store in Philadelphia that wasn't really a "high end" store. They had a wide range of bikes. They did have a brand that I had never seen in person and didn't know much about, so I asked one of the employees about them. The response I got was "Those bikes won't hold you. You may want to try Wal-Mart. They have bikes made for people like you".

billbass

As Karl said. All the shops on my end of the cape are a drag,with one exception. I found that Eastern Mountain Sports not only has a decent little shop right there, but they have a great mechanic (Doug) who actually gives a ***, knows his bikes, and goes out of his way to do right by the customer. A lot of folks will write them off as "big box", but not so of the Hyannis store. Their brand selection is probably the biggest shortcoming. They carry Rocky Mountain, and Iron Horse, which I happen to like anyway, but brand name fanatics won't find their "favorite badge, or logo. Down Karls way, Cape Cod kayak, and bike in Harwich has been pretty good to me. Now you know where to go on Cape Cod.
Bill
www.billrountree.net

proethele

I actually had a really good experience at my local Trek dealer - they were a newer shop in the area, and I stopped in to buy my first bike in 10+ years. I'm a big guy (closer to 300 lbs. than I am to 200) and immediately made it known that I was looking for a bike that was suitable for my size and in a pretty modest price range. The employees were extremely helpful, never made me feel like I "shouldn't be riding", made sure I got sized correctly, stayed past closing time setting up my new bike, and threw in a few freebies - even after I haggled a few bucks off the bike (last years' model) and used a "10% off any purchase" coupon I had. They reminded me multiple times that I get 3 free tune-ups every year, no appointment necessary.

I actually went to their web page a few days later and clicked on the "meet the staff" page - it turns out the owner was actually an old co-worker of mine I lost touch with years ago! It makes sense now, he was always extremely professional & courteous to customers when we worked together, apparently he teaches his employees to be the same way. Needless to say I dropped him an email saying hello and telling him how impressed I was with the shop...

spencejm

If you're ever back down around Columbia, MO don't hestiate to go to Walt's. They're the local Trek dealers but I think they're really great. Sometimes you'll get a younger kid that just doesn't have good customer service skills but that's getting more and more rare. Actually, it seems like all the bike shops here are good. Walt's and Cycle Extreme I have a lot of experience with. Klunk's is a very small, one person shop that I haven't dealt with but have heard really good things about. He's a Jamis dealer. This is probably all irrelevant to this thread but if I remember correctly you've got family down here and I just wanted to say "Never Fear."

Joe

kmac27

I am 5'9 and 170 lbs obviously I'm not a clyesdale, however, I have been treated poorly by shops too. I had a bike that was a $180 MTB for my first bike. I took it to one of the lbs shops and they helped me get fenders that worked for the bike, even though they knew that my bike wasn't the best of bikes. I kept coming back for spare parts and every time I had good customer service and everyone in the shop I have talked with was very polite and respectful. BTW this was a trek/ lemond dealer for the most part. very good customer service

I took the same bike to another shop to get the chain changed. they changed it, but in the back I could hear them talking and laughing about what I was riding. this was a trek only dealer. Got that sucker out the door and never went back.

I took my business back to the first shop when I had the money for my first "real" bike. I only wanted to spend $500 on the bike, but one of the guys in the store talked me into a $700 bike. He explained how the parts on the $500 were not going to be worth my time with the ammount of riding I am doing. I ended up spending $1100 on the bike and all the parts for commuting on the bike and I coudn't have been more pleased.

When buying a bike it is not like most other purchases, if you are over weight it is more of an investment. You get what you put into it. That $180 bike has been destroyed within 7-8 months. Bottom bracket broke, rear brake cables broke, tires have come untrue several times and the pedals broke. The other bike I am riding now is running smoothly and I have not had a single problem with it. Buying a cheap bike is like buying a house that has termites inside of the wood, eventually you will be putting more money into the house and spend even more money than if you were to buy a house that has just been built.

Condorita

I must confess I was pleasantly surprised last Sunday when I went to a certain LBS here in Orange County to find out if I could get my sitbones measured and I was greeted before I was even 10 feet into the store! This is the exact opposite of my two prior visits, and the only reason I went back this time was because they're apparently the only store around with that measuring device. Had there been any others, I would never have returned to that store.

Erik B

FYI
If there is a decent Trek LBS around you and you have friends needing measuring they should have their sitbone measuring setup in stores now. It seems to be better than the specialized in terms of usability.(IMHO) I spend as little as possible at the local Specialized dealer.

DaveW

Sorry to those that had bad experiences in cycle stores - I on the other hand had the complete opposite.
Being new to this (and a great deal overweight), my first questions covered whether or not I could get a cycle that would stand my bulk. The store owner was not there at the time but his assistant ran me through various options, explained anything I asked about, and basically could have sold me something far more expensive than what I ended up with.

2 weeks later, and not feeling that I had bought the right cycle (I was having a lot of trouble as I had about a millions gears - don't laugh), I phoned the store and spoke to the owner who told me to call in to discuss just what I needed the cycle for etc etc.
He was very good and said he would take my cycle back no problem as his goal was to make sure everyone got a cycle that they were 100% happy with.

I went back and he let me road test various options that he felt would suit me best (I was just after an urban cycle and one which I could use for just around town).
He spent a good amount of time with me and when I decided on the right one (I bought a Gazelle) he threw in a good lock and various other goodies, made sure the cycle was A1 serviced, and had it delivered to me later that day.

That was 2 weeks ago and he has had one of his staff to check to see if everything is still OK and that I was happy.

I will say that everyone I speak to told me that this store is the most expensive in the area but in all honesty I don't believe that as I have checked several items on the net and he is not any more expensive than anywhere else. For the stores attitude towards me (I know very little about a cycle), their after sales, and their general interest that I had what suited me best and that I was happy, I have to award them full marks. Perhaps I was lucky in choosing this place as not only on here but other places I have heard horror stories, but I would have no hesitation in sending anyone to this store.