I've been riding for 10+ years and have always been an advocate of supporting my local bike shop. Not for everything obviously, I wouldn't pay for them to install my brake pads, tubes, chains, handlebars, basic stuff that anyone who can turn a allen key can do. But I never had any problem getting them to true my wheels, bleed brakes, fork service, some of the more involved stuff. The past 6-8 months I have done a complete 180 and won't step foot in that forsaken place EVER again. Ok maybe not ever, but if I never go there again I will not be disappointed.
I have had several bad experiences I'd like to share and see if people have had similar problems, and see what everyone's opinions are on going to your LBS. Maybe can help me or some other people out there.
Living in Georgia, there are many bike shops but when you take anything with more than 130mm of travel in they look at it like its an alien. A brand new one opened up in a super convenient location, and was owned by a youngish(low to mid 30's) guy who I had seen riding before. Decent skills, knew he had a bike maintenance business beforehand that he would run out of his truck at various local races. Talking to him come to find out he "worked at Yeti 5 years" and was a "certified Fox tech". Upon receiving a new bike that had a Fox fork(I had done basic service on my Rock Shox), I took the bike to him for him to glance over and do a basic service on the fork since I didn't know the history of it. Ended up doing seals and oil change for $80, no big deal at the time. Upon picking the bike up I said that I had seen the new e13 LG1 pedals and wanted them, he informed me they wouldnt be out for a few more weeks. Well, a few weeks later I get a call saying my pedals had arrived, I was baffled because I did not ask them to order any pedals for me, simply said that I had seen them and had lusted for them. No big deal, I thought, I was honestly planning on getting them. Ended up having to pay $150 for them, absolutely ludicrous since I can get them online all day for closer to $100. Was pretty pissed but whatever. Figured I would learn to do the service on my fork since I did on my old Rock Shox, bought some oil, have been doing it for months now. But the first time I serviced it after the "certified Fox tech", I found that one of the fork nuts on the bottom was so loose that I removed it by hand. The bastard even put a bicycle tube over my spring to stop the rattle. Effectively limiting my travel by 1.5" from all the "bunching-up" the tube did. I knew that this was an inadequate way to solve the problem before I even took it to him, I did much research on the 40 before I received it and knew the proper way to solve the problem without limiting the travel was to use a longer piece of shrink wrap. Still, this didn't deter me from going. I mentioned in passing in another conversation that I would like to get an LG1 guide to replace my SRS one day. Low and behold, I get a call a week later saying my $180 chain guide had arrived. Which I didn't ask for. Ended up breaking my collar bone a few days after that phone call, and got numerous phone calls asking when I would purchase the guide. Haven't been back since. Even my mates have had issues. My friend destroyed his front wheel, the hub was fine he just needed a new rim laced up. He ended up going with a ex500 and required new spokes. He ended up paying $250 for the rim, spokes, and lacing. He just ordered a Hope Pro2 Evo rear hub, laced to ex500 off CRC's custom wheel builder, $315.
So all in all, our LBS has tainted our opinion of them. The one shop that knows a thing or two about single rings, chain guides, and generally aggressive offroad riding has gouged us. He sells the **** out of full carbon yeti's with full xtr builds for these mid 40 aged men to hang on the back of their Porsche Cayenne. We are young kids(24) who work hard for their money. We don't wont to blow the little bit of money we work so hard for on parts that can be bought consistently for %20-%50 online. My mate, who purchased an LG1 guide and ring for his SB66, and had it installed by the shop($300), and called him to ask what cage length derailleur he should get. He told him that he was ordering it off the internet, and that he would have the shop install it for him. The shop went on to tell him that he doesn't have any advice for someone who purchases parts online and doesn't support the local shop. Wasn't it enough that he was going to get him to install it? Wasn't it enough that he paid 300 ****ing dollars to get a ring and guide and have it installed? There are numerous other little nuances and situations that have occurred that have turned us away.
I've now got a wheel stand, brake bleed kit, all the materials and tools needed to do fork service, everything. There is literally nothing I need to go for a bike shop for. I will pop in to buy the common item I need in a pinch, tubes, chain possibly, shifter cables, etc. Otherwise I don't need them or want them. I have a good supply of expendable parts, have all the necessary lubes, oils, grease, etc. I can speak for myself in saying that I will never use a local bike shop for anything more than buying a common part for the convenience.
Rant over haha
I have had several bad experiences I'd like to share and see if people have had similar problems, and see what everyone's opinions are on going to your LBS. Maybe can help me or some other people out there.
Living in Georgia, there are many bike shops but when you take anything with more than 130mm of travel in they look at it like its an alien. A brand new one opened up in a super convenient location, and was owned by a youngish(low to mid 30's) guy who I had seen riding before. Decent skills, knew he had a bike maintenance business beforehand that he would run out of his truck at various local races. Talking to him come to find out he "worked at Yeti 5 years" and was a "certified Fox tech". Upon receiving a new bike that had a Fox fork(I had done basic service on my Rock Shox), I took the bike to him for him to glance over and do a basic service on the fork since I didn't know the history of it. Ended up doing seals and oil change for $80, no big deal at the time. Upon picking the bike up I said that I had seen the new e13 LG1 pedals and wanted them, he informed me they wouldnt be out for a few more weeks. Well, a few weeks later I get a call saying my pedals had arrived, I was baffled because I did not ask them to order any pedals for me, simply said that I had seen them and had lusted for them. No big deal, I thought, I was honestly planning on getting them. Ended up having to pay $150 for them, absolutely ludicrous since I can get them online all day for closer to $100. Was pretty pissed but whatever. Figured I would learn to do the service on my fork since I did on my old Rock Shox, bought some oil, have been doing it for months now. But the first time I serviced it after the "certified Fox tech", I found that one of the fork nuts on the bottom was so loose that I removed it by hand. The bastard even put a bicycle tube over my spring to stop the rattle. Effectively limiting my travel by 1.5" from all the "bunching-up" the tube did. I knew that this was an inadequate way to solve the problem before I even took it to him, I did much research on the 40 before I received it and knew the proper way to solve the problem without limiting the travel was to use a longer piece of shrink wrap. Still, this didn't deter me from going. I mentioned in passing in another conversation that I would like to get an LG1 guide to replace my SRS one day. Low and behold, I get a call a week later saying my $180 chain guide had arrived. Which I didn't ask for. Ended up breaking my collar bone a few days after that phone call, and got numerous phone calls asking when I would purchase the guide. Haven't been back since. Even my mates have had issues. My friend destroyed his front wheel, the hub was fine he just needed a new rim laced up. He ended up going with a ex500 and required new spokes. He ended up paying $250 for the rim, spokes, and lacing. He just ordered a Hope Pro2 Evo rear hub, laced to ex500 off CRC's custom wheel builder, $315.
So all in all, our LBS has tainted our opinion of them. The one shop that knows a thing or two about single rings, chain guides, and generally aggressive offroad riding has gouged us. He sells the **** out of full carbon yeti's with full xtr builds for these mid 40 aged men to hang on the back of their Porsche Cayenne. We are young kids(24) who work hard for their money. We don't wont to blow the little bit of money we work so hard for on parts that can be bought consistently for %20-%50 online. My mate, who purchased an LG1 guide and ring for his SB66, and had it installed by the shop($300), and called him to ask what cage length derailleur he should get. He told him that he was ordering it off the internet, and that he would have the shop install it for him. The shop went on to tell him that he doesn't have any advice for someone who purchases parts online and doesn't support the local shop. Wasn't it enough that he was going to get him to install it? Wasn't it enough that he paid 300 ****ing dollars to get a ring and guide and have it installed? There are numerous other little nuances and situations that have occurred that have turned us away.
I've now got a wheel stand, brake bleed kit, all the materials and tools needed to do fork service, everything. There is literally nothing I need to go for a bike shop for. I will pop in to buy the common item I need in a pinch, tubes, chain possibly, shifter cables, etc. Otherwise I don't need them or want them. I have a good supply of expendable parts, have all the necessary lubes, oils, grease, etc. I can speak for myself in saying that I will never use a local bike shop for anything more than buying a common part for the convenience.
Rant over haha
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