This is the funniest thing I have read on "Rotorburn" in the last 6 months!
Pure GOLD!
+1 for what he said.
LBS frustration rant
- Thread starter trt-reece
- Start date
Pure GOLD!
+1 for what he said.
flamshmizer
Likes Dirt
This is far too true, my favourate LBS has actually stopped stocking dirt jump and downhill bikes because they're too expensive to keep and maintain. A sales rep was telling me that they get all sorts of warranty problems on them, they sit around forever collecting dust and costing them money in stocktake and are all over a liability. Same guy flat out told me that I should go to fortheriders for those sorts of bikes as they won't be dealing with them at all any more.(1)Firstly they have to be able to sell and support that product before they can think about stocking it... no use having fancy parts in the counter if you can't set them up/service them/even explain how they work.
(2)Maybe, but I think you will also find that DHers are pretty finicky when it comes to their purchases, and since they're fashion and technology aware they'll be scouring the internet for the latest and greatest bits then find the best deals on them... no wonder there's so many threads about DH on here
It's not surprising most stores put DH in the "too hard" basket, along with other relatively niche pursuits like triathlon and trials.
In big cities i reckon you can get away with big expensive bikes, but in places like Toowoomba they are just a neuisance.
Tomas
my mum says im cool
Where I work, we flat out made the decision NOT to stock DH/DJ bikes. DH/FR is one of the smallest genres of Cycling in the country, generally with low margins and a high degree of pimply 16 year olds who are more than happy to shop from CRC. Im glad TBSM have found a good business model - good on them.
If one more narrow minded poster (Chuckie et al) posts saying how "maybe if we got the gear in DHers mught shop there and we'd get more money" opinion, i'll go mental. Can you not comprehend that every square centimeter costs per anum in rent. Worse so in Sydney, rents are bloody high. Even worse in Inner sydney!
I think it's really important for shops to realise who they are, what they sell and who their customers are.
If one more narrow minded poster (Chuckie et al) posts saying how "maybe if we got the gear in DHers mught shop there and we'd get more money" opinion, i'll go mental. Can you not comprehend that every square centimeter costs per anum in rent. Worse so in Sydney, rents are bloody high. Even worse in Inner sydney!
I think it's really important for shops to realise who they are, what they sell and who their customers are.
BUSHPIG
Likes Bikes and Dirt
I know how you feel.
But then again, think about their position. If they aren't right up on the products people are jumping at (e.g. FSA gravity lite 800's) then they aren't going to be to successful ordering in heaps of stuff no one will buy.
Chuckie
Likes Bikes and Dirt
"maybe if we got the gear in DHers mught shop there and we'd get more money" ...
GO MENTAL BUDDY!!!!
...actually I think I am the opposite of narrow minded...I am not saying drop the other stuff, I am saying there may be a possibility fot them to broaden their customer base
why wouldnt you utilize every square metre and get as much business as you can..????
By the way there are a lot of DJ'ers that are 16 and dont have a lot of $ to spend on bikes, that may be why they ride cheaper hardtails
...I also know a lot of 25yr olds + that ride DH (not DJ) and spend a lot of money on their bikes... frequently
I think what a lot of bike shops forget is the importance of repeat business...and I guarantee that almost 70% of customers that walk thru that door everyday they may never see again, whether they bought something or not
Im in at my not-quite-LBS pretty much every week, buying little bits. But the number of PFYs who come in and bang on abotu something and then leave time and time again is astounding. Then again the number of us 20something workers who come in and yap and then buy a chunk of stuff every week is huge.
Oh yeah, i also think that all good bike shops should have a coffee machine...
P.s. this is the goods:
Bike store on one side, coffee shop on the other. Joined internally....
Oh yeah, i also think that all good bike shops should have a coffee machine...
P.s. this is the goods:
Bike store on one side, coffee shop on the other. Joined internally....
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Gone_4_A_Ride
Banned
Well what about my LBS?
I went into a well know Bike Shop around my area looking for one of those little red rebound adjustment knobs you find on the bottom of Totems, only to be told they dont have any in stock (which is understandable) so i give the guy there my number and contact details hoping to get the part ordered in for me.
I receive a phone call 2 and a half weeks later this is what he said
"hey mate ive found that part you were after its going to cost you $25"
I thought yeah maybe a bit steep but i can afford it
he then said
"Oh yeah its going to cost and extra $30 for freight"
I hung up. then ordered it from a well know Bike Shop in Sydney in which the part only cost $20 including postage. i receive the part 3 days later.
Oh yeah i forgot to mention, the bike shop in sydney didnt hav one in stock either.
I guess what im trying to say is that sometimes your alot better off ordering parts from a shop that specialises in your type of riding even if the shop is a few hundred K's away.
I went into a well know Bike Shop around my area looking for one of those little red rebound adjustment knobs you find on the bottom of Totems, only to be told they dont have any in stock (which is understandable) so i give the guy there my number and contact details hoping to get the part ordered in for me.
I receive a phone call 2 and a half weeks later this is what he said
"hey mate ive found that part you were after its going to cost you $25"
I thought yeah maybe a bit steep but i can afford it
he then said
"Oh yeah its going to cost and extra $30 for freight"
I hung up. then ordered it from a well know Bike Shop in Sydney in which the part only cost $20 including postage. i receive the part 3 days later.
Oh yeah i forgot to mention, the bike shop in sydney didnt hav one in stock either.
I guess what im trying to say is that sometimes your alot better off ordering parts from a shop that specialises in your type of riding even if the shop is a few hundred K's away.
I'd say that he found it at CRC and he wanted to charge you an extra $10 for re-posting to you after he received. CRC sell them for about AUD$25 with about AUD$20 for postage.
Red Rebound Adjuster: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=21941
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Kezza dawG
Likes Dirt
delete please
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Kezza dawG
Likes Dirt
love the lbs....
im a gong kid and i got my first dh bike from good ol spearmans
it was an 08 glory dh0.
i found a crack on it just after the last national round in tazzie.
naturally i checked my warranty and the giants have "lifetime" warranty.
i took the bike in and they said the rep would have to have a look at it. fair enough.
i was hoping to have the new frame before thredbo state round. 5 weeks away.
the rep was ment to be 2 weeks from the day i took it in. 3 weeks and 2 days later the rep deceides to come in.
get the ok for a new frame with 4 days till thredbo.
new frame waiting time was said "7 to 10 days"
that puts me a week+ after thredbo. GRRRRRRR.
LUCKILY i have been hooked up with cyclelogic during that time and had my new rotec built up ready for the first round.
then after getting home from thredbo i called spearmans (they never ever call back even if you tell them to.)
they said it was ready to pick up. new front triangle only. they said they didnt have time/couldnt be botherd to put my rear triangle on it. GRRRRRR
took old frame in and ameil cavelier gives me an allenkey and tells me to strip the old triangle off.
while he stands and watches.
after i am finished with that amiel askes me how the rotec is and i say that i pedals well.
he trys to shut me down sayiny that it could only pedal well if i didnt have the suspension setup properly.
say theat it is way plusher than the giant and is lower. handles awsome at high speed.
he says that he has riden keg's rotec and that is was heaps stiff and heavy.
(kegs weighs around 100kgs while amiel is 65kgs. keg's bike weighs under 18 kgs whil my glory which was lighter than amiels was 19.5kgs.)
he has never ridden a rotec let alone keg's rotec.
then hands me my linkages in a bag and "says thre you go, is that all??"
i ask for new front triangle and he says what are you talking about??
umm the piece that goes here. (motion the shape of fame in front of rear triangle)
what are you talking about????
oh for f@#ks sake!
oh that????? points to front triangle behind bench.
yes goddamit.
handS it over reluctantly.
THANK GOD I HAVE NO REASON TO GO THER EVER AGAIN.!!!!!!!!!
THATS MY RANT.
im a gong kid and i got my first dh bike from good ol spearmans
it was an 08 glory dh0.
i found a crack on it just after the last national round in tazzie.
naturally i checked my warranty and the giants have "lifetime" warranty.
i took the bike in and they said the rep would have to have a look at it. fair enough.
i was hoping to have the new frame before thredbo state round. 5 weeks away.
the rep was ment to be 2 weeks from the day i took it in. 3 weeks and 2 days later the rep deceides to come in.
get the ok for a new frame with 4 days till thredbo.
new frame waiting time was said "7 to 10 days"
that puts me a week+ after thredbo. GRRRRRRR.
LUCKILY i have been hooked up with cyclelogic during that time and had my new rotec built up ready for the first round.
then after getting home from thredbo i called spearmans (they never ever call back even if you tell them to.)
they said it was ready to pick up. new front triangle only. they said they didnt have time/couldnt be botherd to put my rear triangle on it. GRRRRRR
took old frame in and ameil cavelier gives me an allenkey and tells me to strip the old triangle off.
while he stands and watches.
after i am finished with that amiel askes me how the rotec is and i say that i pedals well.
he trys to shut me down sayiny that it could only pedal well if i didnt have the suspension setup properly.
say theat it is way plusher than the giant and is lower. handles awsome at high speed.
he says that he has riden keg's rotec and that is was heaps stiff and heavy.
(kegs weighs around 100kgs while amiel is 65kgs. keg's bike weighs under 18 kgs whil my glory which was lighter than amiels was 19.5kgs.)
he has never ridden a rotec let alone keg's rotec.
then hands me my linkages in a bag and "says thre you go, is that all??"
i ask for new front triangle and he says what are you talking about??
umm the piece that goes here. (motion the shape of fame in front of rear triangle)
what are you talking about????
oh for f@#ks sake!
oh that????? points to front triangle behind bench.
yes goddamit.
handS it over reluctantly.
THANK GOD I HAVE NO REASON TO GO THER EVER AGAIN.!!!!!!!!!
THATS MY RANT.
flamshmizer
Likes Dirt
ooh, i should add though, the LBS i frequent is absolutely great for servicing my bike and customer service. They've always done a good job and have given me loads of discounts of stuff i've destroyed.
Whats funny is that its hard to stock stuff to keep the DH'ers happy, but to service them would be a dream for most bike shops, we just keep breaking things.
trt-reece
Likes Dirt
geez kezza, rant much?
Actually, lookin' forward to seeing that rotec at possums soon...
On the intitial thread note, my (not-so)LBS saved itself some grace yesterday before i came back to the gong... They got themselves some stock back in, so I picked up somenew pedals and grips to give a run (for bigggg discounts too, thanks to the old boss)
Actually, lookin' forward to seeing that rotec at possums soon...
On the intitial thread note, my (not-so)LBS saved itself some grace yesterday before i came back to the gong... They got themselves some stock back in, so I picked up somenew pedals and grips to give a run (for bigggg discounts too, thanks to the old boss)
mittagongmtb
Likes Dirt
I'd be very careful as to identifying and bagging any particular LBS. The owners of the forum could also be liable for defamation. On other forums I've used, it is against the rules to bag out any particular (car) mechanic/supplier for that reason.
That being said .. I have found the guys at Phantom cycles, Tahmoor, to be very helpful. have a chat with Bert and Kerry. They have looked after our needs really well. I was in their recently and an older gent was in there looking over gear - he'd ridden across from Wollongong on his bike.
That being said .. I have found the guys at Phantom cycles, Tahmoor, to be very helpful. have a chat with Bert and Kerry. They have looked after our needs really well. I was in their recently and an older gent was in there looking over gear - he'd ridden across from Wollongong on his bike.
Johnny Come Lately
Likes Dirt
And rightly so! Could you imagine having a warranty claim with a car or motorcycle and the dealer you bought the vehicle from having the temerity to get you to fit the part yourself?! That lack of service causes me to make a complaint in the first instance and never return if they don't fix the issue on the spot.
For the record, my LBS is great (Ivanhoe Cycles)
RMB
Likes Dirt
Have a guess,it is mentioned above!!