If I was to work in a bike shop...?

[Rid3R13]

If I was to work in a bike shop would I be obligated to by the band of bike they sell? For instance if i were to get a job at an Avanti+ bike shop, would It be inappropriate for me to buy a transition TR450 over a specialized Demo 8 etc. I am looking at working in a shop for a year or so after school. I'm looking at this shop in particular as I've been a customer there for three years, get on well with the guys there and its probably the easiest to get to. In a perfect world I'd try and get work at TBSM but it's so damn far to even consider.

Let me know your thoughts, especially if you've been in the same position or work in a shop.

 

[FoxRidersCo]

No obligation at all ..... Ride/Own whatever bike you want/like..

It's not as if you are persuading customers to purchase what YOU ride over the brands that the shop you work in sells/deals with.

I know of plenty bike shop workers who ride bikes that their store doesn't sell so it mustn't be that big of an issue.

My $0.02

 

[panthro]

No you wouldnt be obliged to buy anything aligned with what the shop sells. You might get swayed with staff discounts, but you wouldnt be under any agreement to only ride what they stocked.

 

[pistonbroke]

Working in a shop has nothing to do with what you ride. You are there to make them money.

However, from experience I can tell you, if you work there long enough you will end up riding their bikes and wearing their gear. Not because you have to, but because you will be able to get them at prices unavailable to others.Don't abuse this privilege. Depends on the shop though.

 

[chrisp2087]

Re: the "don't abuse the privilege" comment. Just curious as to what sort of discounts you're talking about. I would've thought that anything you buy at a price above cost (even if it's only a couple of hundred dollars above cost) would be worth it for the store.

Another question related to the above, what would you say about working for the corporate side of a company? I was going for a job with Trek Australia at one point, my biggest excitement about the job was the possibility of discounts on the bikes.

 

[S.]

Re: the "don't abuse the privilege" comment. Just curious as to what sort of discounts you're talking about. I would've thought that anything you buy at a price above cost (even if it's only a couple of hundred dollars above cost) would be worth it for the store.

Another question related to the above, what would you say about working for the corporate side of a company? I was going for a job with Trek Australia at one point, my biggest excitement about the job was the possibility of discounts on the bikes.

Most bike shops will give you cost price on parts if you work there, sometimes plus a small surcharge (like 5-10% markup), though there are often conditions on this - eg sometimes you have to have worked there for a certain period of time before you get those benefits. Some distributors do employee pricing too, which means you can sometimes get stuff below cost price. As pistonbroke said, if you're there long enough then chances are you'll end up riding what they sell, because it's usually the cheapest/best value deal available to you, not because you're obliged to.

Working for the corporate side of a company is probably actually better than working in a shopfront (though aren't Trek brought in by Clarence St Cyclery anyway? Or has that changed?). Personally I think retail work gets old pretty quick, being a mechanic is better but still relatively repetitive and you get to the point where you just don't want to work on your own bike because you've spent the past 5 days that week working on other people's irreparable shitboxes.

 

[jaseh]

There would be no obligation to ride the bikes you are selling but, If I walked into a shop looking to buy a bike from you and asked the question about what you ride and the answer wasn't one of the brands on your floor it would tell me that you don't have faith in the products you are trying to sell.

 

[skinindustries]

avanti puls dealers can get transitions! i work at avanti plus store and purchased with revelution products(transition importer)! they distribrute gamut guides that are on the demo's too!

 

[.BP.]

After working in a bike shop for a year i can honestly say it realy isnt the best job, also as for cheap bike parts you would be waisting your time thinking you will get them cheap. You may get them at cost but when you compare it to most of chain reactions prices you will get a rude shock.

Its so amazing how you can buy stuff off them cheaper than you can off the importors. Also with most of the stuff you will be better off waiting the 2-3 day extra to get it from crc as it will be cheaper.

So if that is a big reason on wanting to work in a bike shop dont bother. Also depending on the bike shop you will get sick of trying to sell the average bloke a bike in the store when he can get a bike for $100 from k mart or somewhere similar. Most wont understand the differance.

As for the initial question i real dont see why you couldnt ride a different brand.

 

[Tomas]

Ignore the haters'. More through the people i've met, but ive had some of the happiest, funniest, best memories through my time at the LBS.

If you get the opportunity to work a bike shop, take it. Nothing gets me more enthused about bikes than hanging with riders, buying the latest gear, supplier hookups and awesome sales reps.

 

[BT146]

Further to Tomas's point - don't work at a bike shop with the expectation of buying stuff cheap. Work there because you are like the work, otherwise, you'll be crap at what you do and end up not being productive.

Why not look for a job that might pay you more so you can afford the stuff you want? Hopefully it will be a job that will add to your resume when you go start your career as well.

 

[Sethius]

Further to Tomas's point - don't work at a bike shop with the expectation of buying stuff cheap. Work there because you are like the work, otherwise, you'll be crap at what you do and end up not being productive.

Why not look for a job that might pay you more so you can afford the stuff you want? Hopefully it will be a job that will add to your resume when you go start your career as well.

And don't expect to get rich working as a bike mechanic either, doesn't happen mostly.

 

[mcbeath94]

Hey man, i work at an Avanti Plus shop, and i own a Tomac Primer. There is no problems like that.

 

[Rid3R13]

Money or getting stuff cheap is not my motivation to work in a bike shop, experience and the fact that work ing on a bike is one of the few things i can do for hours without going totally nuts. I really just wanted to see if it'd be frowned upon to work in a bike shop but buy from another store.

Thanks for all your great answers.

 

[dain2772]

There would be no obligation to ride the bikes you are selling but, If I walked into a shop looking to buy a bike from you and asked the question about what you ride and the answer wasn't one of the brands on your floor it would tell me that you don't have faith in the products you are trying to sell.

If there was a good reason as to why another brand was preferred, I don't think that I would be too put off as a consumer. If you um and ah about it, I would be more worried.

 

[BUSHPIG]

It might be innapropriate if you rode to work everyday and put it out the front on the highest stand (bit controvercial), but it shouldn't matter as long as you dont divert customers away from the brands you stock.

 

[McBain]

(though aren't Trek brought in by Clarence St Cyclery anyway? Or has that changed?)

They have a special relationship, but TBA and CSC are separate companies.

 

[thecat]

Ignore the haters'. More through the people i've met, but ive had some of the happiest, funniest, best memories through my time at the LBS.

Yep the people you meet and friends you make is definitely the highlight of the bike shop gig.

 

[SBCmatt]

After working in a bike shop for a year i can honestly say it realy isnt the best job, also as for cheap bike parts you would be waisting your time thinking you will get them cheap. You may get them at cost but when you compare it to most of chain reactions prices you will get a rude shock.

Its so amazing how you can buy stuff off them cheaper than you can off the importors. Also with most of the stuff you will be better off waiting the 2-3 day extra to get it from crc as it will be cheaper.

So if that is a big reason on wanting to work in a bike shop dont bother. Also depending on the bike shop you will get sick of trying to sell the average bloke a bike in the store when he can get a bike for $100 from k mart or somewhere similar. Most wont understand the differance.

As for the initial question i real dont see why you couldnt ride a different brand.

If you're working in a LBS and advocating buying from CRC then you're cutting your shop owners throat.

Way to support the local industry Judas

 

[.BP.]

If you're working in a LBS and advocating buying from CRC then you're cutting your shop owners throat.

Way to go Judas

Well they didnt make anything off me as i was getting cost price. Also are you going to pay extra for the same thing? I realy hate the fact that it was cheaper from crc but its not going to change sometime soon.