Had a shimano motor go, so bought a one new myselve as it was £300 cheaper, i got in touch with various shimano approved dealers to fit it, and not one of them was interested, learned to fit it myselve as well as setting software on it, from that day on i dont need a bike shop to service my bikes, if i am unsure, i will learn via forums and youtube
I called in to a local bike shop turned trek shop recently. And the dude who answered said he was just a guy who does maintenance but he knew the area super well and different trails by name. He was able to guide me in the right direction on what tires to get for the specific trails and terrain I wanted. His enthusiasm and excitement about bikes in general was apparent and made me want to give them my business.
Bro, I think that’s just the way things are these days. Customer service at any level has been lost. When I’m actually treated like someone who’s spending hard earned money, I’m blown away and it’s a breath of fresh air.
This is why my "local" bike shop is an hour drive away. Shout out The Path Bike Shop in Tustin, CA. They regularly send text updates, and regardless of how much you spend, they're driven to keep you out there on your bike. Their motto is "Love the bike you ride."
The path is the best they will drop what they are doing just to talk bikes with you. I'm 3 hours away but buy alot from them and when ever I'm in town I swing in always a good time
Yeah he compares it to a car but it’s much lower than a car as far as skill there’s a reason a bike mechanic on average gets paid less than an auto tech.
@@mikerucker8913 well most good bikes are about the same price as a used car, especially the expensive ones, those owners want their bike repaired by a pro, considering they get complicated with carbon fiber parts and all the newer tech. the rich people tend to not fix stuff themselves since theyre busy working or they just dont have the time to learn to be repairmen themselves
Been dealing with with this for over 20 years. As soon as I decided to learn how to work on my own bike, It eliminates all the waiting and mis communication. There's no good reason to no know how to set up tubeless or dial in your derailleur. Once you learn how todo it it's a skill you can hone and use for life. The only thing I don't know how to do is build up a wheel. I feel like its is not something I will do very often but everything... Take the time to learn it they will not take care and prioritize your bike like you will 👍
Bike shops need to read these comments & wake the hell up you hear it all the time support your local shop well I can say this if they don’t support you you can forget about that.
I guess I'm lucky since I learned to work on my bike and how to pick the correct parts as a teenager, it also helped being a frequent customer at a bike shop. When I walked in it felt like the show cheers everyone was happy to see me and I earned my forever nickname of CRAZY CHRIS. If in Santa barbara california I recommend velo pro and if in ventura california I reccomend open air bikes both shops have been around for years and offer great honest service
Good video Matty. As a painting contractor I communicate almost everything with my clients, I make them ALL feel as they are the most important customers. Because they ARE! They'll keep (and have) calling me back because of the customer service I try to provide them ALL. No communication and or bad customer service = no money..
This is the exact experience I've had with all the lbs in my area. No communication, bad attitudes, I really tried to build a relationship with a few and I have just ended up doing all my own repairs because I had so many bad experiences.
I live in Colorado and recently used a mobile bike repair company. The guy was excellent, fair priced, and communicated great. I’ve also had a lot of good luck with Pedal Pushers in Golden. Very helpful and attentive.
@@mrvwbug4423pedal pushers took over a week to do a suspension service and brake bleed. This was in the "offseason" when they weren't busy and obstrnsively wanted the business. Also, they contaminated my brake disk and didn't install an o ring correctly so on the furar ride the suspension contracted and never equalized and locked up. Lost a whole day of riding.
Invest in tools. That's the thing others aren't mentioning. You buy the tools, you'll learn the skills; you have skills and tools, you're totally independent.
A friend said this to me the other day, "The biggest problem with most bike shops is that the people who work there don't actually ride bikes" and he's absolutely right. In most big bike shops, the staff just don't get it, you've gotta find yourself a small independant place where the owners and staff actually ride regularly.
Well more of them would ride bikes if they got paid enough to work there. Yeah let’s work at a bike shop making 15-20 dollars an hour support my family and after 6 years maybe I can save enough for a hardtail lol.
Low pay is one factor. The other is the staff keep customers on their bikes during peak riding season and through long hours. I worked in the cycling industry for years.
A small independent is no guarantee of quality service and care. One I have dealt with in the past were less than stellar, never to be used again. However another I have and continue to use are very good and always make me feel welcome.
There are shops where this kind of bs isn’t a thing, but for the most part you are spot on. I now use a great mechanic that works out of his house and he is amazing. Next year I’m going to school and learn to everything myself.
I hear what you are saying. My bike shop sucks. They don't have many parts and don't offer to order anything. They don't even like talking about bikes.
18 months ago, I dropped my 2008 Specialized Epic, a total project "labor of love" type bike off at the LBS because I needed an adapter for tab mounts on my 26" Reba fork. It took them 9 days. The bike was really a collector's piece from my POV, but still... All I needed was just the right adapter. They turned it into a $100 bill for me because they did things I didn't want them to. I didn't need a $45 rotor, but that's what they put on and billed me for.
Love your channel man, the cycling community needs more people with the mindset you have. We are literally just trying to ride bikes, have fun and do so safely The cycling community is wildly pretentious and it makes absolutely no sense to me at all. Its just a bike. No reason at all people should be made fun of, say, for riding a bike you bought from walmart. Again, the point is to ride a bike. I resonate so much with your channels and perspectives. I bought an expensive mountain bike years ago to really get into the sport. But what i found is that I'm most happy riding a bike that makes me smile, regardless of the price, components or how flashy it is. I'm now considering selling thst bike, which I never imagined I'd do in the past. I just want to ride a bike that makes me happy. And I realized i can do it for 1/10th of the cost.
There's a bike shop on the peninsula in the SF Bay Area that's apparently quite well-known and apparently respected by many bikers. I tried several times to do business with them, and each time I went into that store, it was easily apparent that if you weren't MALE, and completely decked out in your Spandex bike-clothing, they wouldn't give you the time of day. So if you were a female who showed up in your work clothes during your lunch hour, TOO BAD! All I wanted to do was buy some biking shorts, and it was before the Internet, so no online shops, yet. They couldn't care less! I could've dropped dead in the middle of their shop and they just would've stepped over me. I was just starting to get into mountain biking, and I had a cheap bike I had gotten for free as some sort of a promotion. I rode it a lot, and eventually it needed the brakes adjusted. Not knowing how to do that myself, I brought it in to have the work done, and they just looked down their noses at it and said, "Oh, we don't work on crappy bikes like THAT", and then proceeded to try to sell me an expensive new bike. I left there, and went to a small bike shop a few miles away. Not only did they fix the brakes, they showed me how to do it, and gave me a free water bottle! I remember the guy said to me, "No, that's not a 'crappy' bike, it's an ENTRY LEVEL bike. You're having fun with it, and it's gotten you into the sport, right? There's no such thing as a 'crappy' bike. All bikes are worth enjoying and taking care of." They had my business for many years after that, until I finally moved away.
I see what the nice LBS owner was saying - and 30/40 years ago he had/has a point when they were/are _genuinely_ a brand's entry-level - but there are *definitely* 'crappy bikes'. There's even a term for them: BSO's (bicycle-shaped-object). Poorly-made (e.g. agricultural welds), unnecessarily heavy and/or uncomfortable to ride, often with dirt-cheap barely-capable parts that break all too easily. They tend to discourage more people than they help. More often than not they either languish in people's sheds/garages until they find a way to the local dumpsite.
@@C345OFR still doesn’t make any sense from the point of view of a business owner, a bike that needs frequent maintenance is good for his business, and if he wants to help a customer upgrade to something more stable, behaving more politely and professionally could land the sale of a new bike, it’s all about the attitude and communication skills
I'm not even into bikes,but i subscribed to this man's channel because he seems honest,genuine and a good person. These businesses could learn a thing OR 3 from this man's videos.
Matty, stoked to let you know that I just purchased my Roscoe 9 and I've already done a bunch of upgrades to it. Your channel is a huge reason on why I chose this bike and I absolutely love it. One of the comments I was reading mentioned that the biggest problem with bike shops is that the people that work there are primarily not actual Riders and that is so the truth. People just want the job so they can make the money and they'll work wherever but if you had a staff that was fully committed to riding whether it be mountain bikes BMX road gravel whatever the shop would run so much more efficiently and you are absolutely 100 correct it is up to the shop to gain the customer's Trust.
This was during COVID, I bought my first full suspension second hand. Brought it in to a “trusted” bike shop (they have a partnership with the company I work for)…. They were late, and I found that they did not replace the cassette I paid for. So I brought it back, and they upgraded something that I wasn’t made aware of and did not approve… so it caught my boyfriend off guard and we ended up paying… the worst, they have pop up repair stations at my works campus, will never go and always give them the side eye as I walk past. SMH!
I have learned to work on my bikes. I'm decently new to cycling, and purched two used bikes. Took them to bike shop to have inspected and tuned. I spent over 400.00 in accessories and misc parts and labor. They said will be up to 3 days. After calling few times got them back almost 2 weeks later. Then my wifes rear derailleur would not shift into the last two lower gears. I purchased nice bike stand, leared about derailleurs and adjusted it myself. I have found i enjoy working on bikes..
"We ordered the wrong fork" is code for, we forgot to order it. And your La Bomba, they just couldn't care less. They weren't going to make a dime on the recall. So there was no insensitive to get it done.
The shops near me are great and love answering questions even though they got bought out by Trek and Specialized. After another 5 years when the old guys retire out I am concerened what the customer experience is going to be like though. The owner who is in his 70s has done almost anything on a bike you can imagine and loves to help out with anything you can think of. He told me the last time I was in there he misses BMX and wishes that Trek had an offering for the people in our area that still do it. BMX in our area is almost totally dead and I wonder if it is a supply problem and there is little opportunity to get into the sport. I'm just glad someone in the shop cares about all the forms of biking and not just hyperfocusing on only road or only MTB for example.
Hey Matty- your absolutely right. Like you I would go to bike shops for parts and service. Customer service is horrible. Now I buy everything online and service my own bikes.
100% agree on this. I've had multiple issues with my lock bike shops, from scratching my frame, giving back my bike with broken parts that they don't mention or even alert me to. Or the bike sitting in the shop for 2+ weeks with no work done on it. Or when you bring it in they give you the "You should have bought it through us first". I've also had an experience where I bring in my kids bike for a small upgrade and they set me up and add on extra things for no reason, they add appointments to their calendar for my bike which I didn't ask for. I just ended up taking my kids bike back and saying "thanks but no thanks, all this isn't needed" etc. It's honestly more of a hassle than a help with shops these days.
I go to a Family owned place for stuff i don't know how to do. Super helpful and will teach you how to do things if you want to know. I been to some other shops that are brand specific that i wont go to after dealing with them.
At the end of this video you nailed it. “It all comes down to communication.” Bike shops have always been hit or miss for me, sometimes the service is over the top great, other times I walk away wondering how they stay in business 😂. I try to do 75% of my maintenance on my own.
I definitely feel you on how some bike shops refuse to communicate. I'm very lucky though because I live minutes away from Worldwide Cyclery in Newbury Park and they do fantastic work and communicate extremely well.
Same here and same experience - local shops suck at being proactive - I was out of the country for two weeks. I sat down with the guy fixing my bike for 30 minutes explaining all the things that need to be done when I get back they were still two days behind, and I had to remind him of a few things, they hadn’t even done yet. They basically had no intention of calling and letting me know I had to go find out on my own.
I own a shop. Typically it takes us 1 or 2 days for a normal repair and a week if we need to order a part. It is extremely unusual for us to take 2 weeks on a repair if we are able to get the part on a normal order. No-name e-bikes seem to be the only outlier to this and sometimes the electronics can take a whole month to come in.
best advice is learn how to do all your repairs and upgrades yourself. I'm all for supporting your LBS but half of the ones I've been to are just a bunch of potheads anymore.
I feel so fortunate to have found a great local bike shop. I have been to a few shops around the area, man oh man some of workers are just not great. My favorite shop is West End in Ishpeming. They are freaking fantastic!!!!
I'm a wrench at my fourth shop now. Two in Nova Scotia, one in Yellowknife and now in Whitehorse. I've been fortunate that each shop treated us well, was family run, really took pride in service and customer satisfaction and were/are awesome places to work. Ive made a lot of friends and riding groups through shops. Find a GOOD SHOP, and if they do slip up, give them a chance to make it right.
I had a similar experience last May. When the Colorado Cyclist when went out of business, I bought the SRAM GX group set to upgrade my mountain bike. The Tech at the bike shop near my house barely looked at my bike and said it wouldn't fit my bike. He seemed more interested in helping a guy buy a new bike.
On a more positive note. The Trek Trails at Virginia Canyon opened up last week and those new trails are amazing, Drop Shaft might be one of the best trails on the front range. You should get out and ride it before winter comes, it's also reasonably hardtail friendly so the Roscoe would likely do well on that trail. As for difficulty, the main line of drop shaft is about a step above Rutabaga, but easier than Floyd Hill or Hard Money, super flowy with lots of features and lots of optional lines as well.
This is more about the purchase of a bike, I’m in CO. Walked into a local bike shop (won’t name it) and I felt so awkward as I’ve never biked before (except when I was younger). The help I got was minimal and it just didn’t feel like they cared if I purchased or not. However, after walking into our local Trek store, I felt so taken care of, I tested many bikes, and I walked out of there with my first bike and so many recommendations on where to start and what to do. I think it really comes down to who is being hired and how passionate they are about what they are selling. Trek blew me away and honestly because of those two experiences, I will never go to another bike store again.
I've taken heat from my friends for this decision, but when I need somebody else to work on my bike I take it to REI. They've been great with communication and they're not snobs at all. They were helpful and gave me good advice when I was learning to wrench and I purchased a number of specialty tools from them. I won't lump all my LBS together, but my experience is they're primarily occupied with selling whatever brands bike they stock and are a bit snobbish if you're not riding a mid-tier name brand bike. The whole industry is in disarray because the big-name manufacturers gleefully abandoned/downgraded the entry-level segment trying to force everyone to spend $1200+ for a decent, trail-worthy XC bike. What's crazy is that it is wholly possible to buy/build very capable bikes for FAR less if you order from an online brand, buy a solid Ozark Trail hardtail from Walmart, or are adventurous enough to source frame & parts online and just build yourself. These bike shops think they can just cater to white-collar dudes willing to pay $6,000 for a bike and wrote off regular working people years ago.
I used to work at REI as a bike mechanic over 20years ago. One reason why they have good service is cause they are well oil machine, organized and well trained, with most specializing in their respective department with proper training. Even the bike mechanics are sent off to bike mechanic school. I didn't have to be sent off to mehcanic school cause I was already a competent one before joining REI. Most LBS don't have the resources to be a well oil machine.
The irony is the bike itself isn't where the real profit comes from. Yes they might make a few hundred. After assembly store space ECT. The money comes from earning a customer who will bring the bike back and buy more stuff.
What a breath of fresh air! I'll try REI next and see how my experience changes. The final straw for me was my local shop got brake fluid on my front rotor and RUINED them.
@@ItalianStallion1415 One of the things I like about my local REI's bike section is that the store exists for a broader purpose and the bike department is just one of many so the staff is helpful but not aggressive. My experience is that they hire people who actually ride and spend time outdoors. The mechanics at REI have been exceptionally good and quite frankly, I think they undercharge me. I became personal friends with one of the older mechanics and discovered that they're generally very happy to answer questions about the bike and glad to give advice if you want to learn how to do your own wrenching. I was happy to buy a number of specialty tools from them and I always solicited their advice. My sense is that they LIKE to see people interested in their craft and are happy to share their knowledge (when their work schedule permits). I've even taken in frames with new groupsets I've purchased from Aliexpress and not only did they not laugh or flinch, they were legitimately interested in the brand, how I researched it, where I bought it, and how much it cost. Unlike most mom & pop stores, REI employees don't seem to be strong armed into upselling, they seem to just be trained bike enthusiasts doing something they enjoy. But that's just my personal experience and I'm sure there are great LBSs the same--I just haven't found one near me.
Way back when I worked in a restaurant we were always told that a customer should never have to stop someone to ask about their food or drink etc. Things happen and there are delays sometimes, but in those cases, go inform your customers. Don’t leave them in the dark wondering why it’s taking longer than usual and longer than other customers who have been waiting for less time. Keeping customers updated can make up for a lot of mistakes and problems.
There's certainly good shops out there, Pedal Pushers in Golden comes to mind, but you also get a lot of LBS that just don't seem to care and then you get the chain stores like Trek stores, Mike's bikes, REI, Epic Mountain Gear where the staff might not even know much about what they're selling.
What most retailers fail to realize is they are not in the bike (or similar) business, they are in the customer service business. When you don’t design or build anything, and your “product” is the same as a thousand other stores, the only thing you control is the customer experience. Once you lose that customer, it is almost impossible to get them back
I'm watching this after re-cabling my touring bike (mechanical rim brakes and shifting), putting on some new grips on the flat handlebars, and mounting the front rack. It took me about an hour, good quality Jagwire cables. Ready to roll on a 'shorty' 5-day trip in two weeks. BB is square-taper, easy to replace if I ever have to do that.
Great video Matty. I am in the UK and its an unfortunately similar story. A few years back, I was learning to bleed my brakes. I needed some common Shimano brake fluid. I thought I would support my LBS. Well, They didn't sell it. Only had a big container of it in the back room just for the bike mechanic. They were unhelpful and pretencious. They could have siphoned off a little in a container and gained a customer for life, being helpful and welcoming. Instead all they got is no future customer and now someone that looks after bikes themselves. What a shame.
Your experience is the norm among most bike shops I have experienced. I am in small western town bike desert but do travel to some major cities in cycling like Boulder, CO. I naively expected I was going bike heaven but most of the shops were such niche havens of their own narrow interests that it was dismal experience time after time. My LBS and I get along. It is a young couple and they have had the store for a decade and they have matured into the work and community. I 90% do my own work except wheel building but I am looking for a part that I can wait a 5-7 days for, I use them.
I’ve been off my mtb the last 3 months due to faulty repairs from my lbs 😖. Instead of new upgrades, I’ve now bought a fleet of park tool equipment, & have been watching hours of Calvin 👨🏻🔧
feel you sentiments bruh,most of my experience here in my country due to the employees attitude especially if the bikeshop caters hi-end bikes and components/accesories,whenever i went in to these expenssive bikeshops and you bringing it your cheap bike,you'll get the attitude right away, they'll just look at you and won't assist you they just go on do whaever they were doing, i stood there for almost 5 minutes and still no one's coming to assist you or even wanna listen to what you're looking for, that's why i think most o my fellow bikers here in my country albeit roadbikers or mtb riders all learns how to fix or build their bikes and getting stuffs in online shops after the pandemic endead
I've had some negative interactions with people in shops that have made me avoid that shop for a period of time. One of the shops I actually went back to for the first time in years was great. But I agree that having better communication and generally treating every customer like their question is worth your time, even if you've heard it thousands of times before.
I sort of have the same problem, I never know who to send people too. I like to do things myself, so I've never actually asked a bike shop to do anything, but I'm nervous about recommending a shop because they have such a reputation.
I manage a service department and you really have to be on point 24/7 there are so many details to get right and so many ongoing projects. Even a small oversight can have a huge negative impact on customer experience. Sometimes it feels like we are just constantly making mistakes. 😢😅 You’re right however, no matter what delays or mistakes happen it’s always better to rip the bandaid off and tell the customer what’s going on. Thanks for the reminder to always make time for communication.
My biggest gripe with local bike shops are the hours they keep. They are worse than banks and you about have to be unemployed to shop there. One other thing is lack of inventory. It feels like they've given up and are handing gear purchases to the Internet. When they say, "we can order it", all I can think is, "yea, so can I".
Working with a LBS has always been a source of frustration - lack of stock, lack of time. As a result I buy all my stuff from Jensen USA or AliExpress and do all my own work.
With the availability of TH-cam videos on how to do most of this stuff and amazon having all the weird tools you could need there is no more reason to take a bike to the bike shop except for really serious stuff and yearly maintenance stuff.
I had a bike shop that I bought a Santa Cruz Hightower and a Trek Roscoe 8 + repairs on other bikes say no to doing a recall on my faulty cranks...new shop took me in, gave me a tour of their entire shop and did the recall and got me my bike back quick.
this is why i all the time encourage people to learn how to fix your own bike, DIY, assemble and buy your own tools instead of relying bike shops. they just lack that customer care. most shops think that riders are dependent. one thing that bothers me the most is that if you walk in looking like you aint rich or something, they'll simply ignore you. weird af. BIKES ARE EASY TO FIX.
When I was a kid riding BMX we would ride to the LBS and hang out for hours with the mechanics. They were in there late 20's and early 30's and super busy but still showed us how to fix our bikes and since I cut grass for money they would even save new take off parts (like cranks and wheels) for us when someone upgraded their bike after buying. That LBS vibe is gone and so is the care for the blue collar rider. LBS's now are only focused on the folks dropping $2500+ every few months for the latest and greatest.
This is why I love my two (or probably three) bike shops! My main bike shop, I have all bike maintenance and services done there. I’ve got some parts and a new bike frame from them too! They understand if I get components and bikes from others since they know I’d always return to them and we’re treated just like their high-end customers…
One problem with bike shops is that they have kids in the back working. This is cause they not paying enough so no real competent adult are willing to work for peanuts. Same thing with auto dealerships, all the experience mechanics leave cause they get paid peanuts and treated bad.
Long story short I think this is bike industry issue as a whole right now, not just LBS’s. It’s especially difficult that some of these things are a niche of a niche of an already niche market. I’ve had the opposite scenario and currently similar issue but with multiple manufacturers on the latter. I tried supporting my local county funded community LBS and they didn’t have tools in the condition to to do the work I needed, they not only let me promptly know but didn’t charge anything. Ever since I’ve donated and sent people there. Currently I’m dealing with a major bike company whose seat post clamping failed and damaged the carbon fiber frame. Even though I followed the torque specs and used the bike as intended they won’t stand by the warranty and are classifying it as crash. The second current issue is that I’m getting a custom bike accessory made and they’re about 40 days past their 60-80 day lead time and they are unable to give a status of where in the process my order is at.
World Of Wheels is a great shop ran by people who ride for people who ride, incredible experience with those guys even after working there and seeing the real attitude beneath the surface. They’re out in Modesto California.
And even if there is a Problem or it takes a bit longer - i nice friendly Call with a bit of laughter is the best way to go. The Customers are almost everyone are very understanding. But that snuffy silence drestroys everything.
it's not only bikeshops. Alot of stores do not communicate. Had it with a bed last year; bought it early oktober, but they didn't have some things in stock, so they ordered it. Would take about 6 to 8 weeks. 9 weeks in I still had not heard a thing, so I called them up and their answer was that the factory made a mistake and it would take longer....oke, but why not call me then? In the end it took to early january till it finally was here.....atm the main issue I have with bikestores is the condescendent way they treat you; stores seems to think they're doing us favors instead of us being customers.
Spot on about lack of communication! I'm about to drop one of the LBS and quit the race team because of the crappy communication. And it's not from lack of giving them more chances than they deserve.
I agree with the video. I think it's very difficult to keep up with the trends, standards, inventory, and get the qualified help to run a bike shop - besides the rest of the small business concerns. My LBS is decent. I take bikes there for repairs and they do a good job. Retail sales are hit or miss. Their prices have been high and I don't feel comfortable asking them to price match, especially after the sale, which is common today. Their inventory is small. I support my lbs, but I have to watch out for myself first.
I bought a Marlin on the Trek website, and it said pickup available today. I went 45 miles to the store the following day and was told it would be ready within a week. Fast forward ten days still no bike. It was in stock the whole time but not assembled they saud. They never once called and I had to phone them every few days. I finally went back to the store to cancel it and saw they had two assembled bikes in stock on the floor in XL that were the exact color - bike I had ordered. I asked if they were available to purchase and they were ready to sell me one. I then told them I had been waiting on my internet order and one of these should used to fulfill my order. They said the internet orders are handled by a different employee, so I couldn't have one. I told them to cancel my order so I could buy one of the bikes on the floor.
I actually agree with this a lot. I recently got a new enduro bike for racing and for some reason it shipped with nothing installed. Not even the headset. By chance it arrived the day I was supposed to head up to the mountain to pre ride the course. I took it to the bike shop to get everything installed and hoped if they got it done in time I would still be able to pre ride. Long story short they said it would take 1-2 hours and it ended up taking 4. The mechanic over bled the brakes and had to hammer the pistons back in for over an hour to get the bike able to ride. I got about 1/5 trails ridden during the pre ride, and rode everything else blind during the race. Nice video, keep up the good work. I ride at the Lefthand OHV area a lot and would love to see another video from you there.
Crazy Cat in El Paso is amazing. The owner is always around to help. All of the staff is helpful and easy to talk to. I will drive to the west side whenever I need a tune-up. However, I need to start learning how to do the basic stuff on my own.
The reason I go to a bike shop is for in stock inventory. Saying they can order something or waiting for someone to need something before they order the part defeats the whole purpose of the bike shop. Anyone can order their own part online themselves and will also learn to work on their own bike if need be (not rocket science) if the bike shop experience is difficult in any way. If bike shop don’t recognize this they’re doomed
Just wanted to say I’ve started riding my bike to work on a Breezer Radar X pro after not riding for 20 years after watching your videos. Thanks for the inspiration. Appreciate it.
I'm totally with you on this, I've been riding since about 1990, I have found bike shops really annoying, really condescending. I do all my own work and wouldn't have it any other way.
I do all of my maintenance and bike builds. I use eBay 98% of my parts if there is something I need now I’ll use one of the local shop it find what I need .
Well, I went in to one of my local shops about a year ago and was asking if they had any Shimano Deore four piston brake sets. The mechanic overheard and started laughing. He said what are you putting that garbage on? Unfazed, I said, my Roscoe 6 (at the time). He said, oh so garbage on top of garbage. He said, we don’t stock them but can order them. Because I know a lot about mountain bikes and how to do all my own wrenching and because I fix peoples bikes as well, I was genuinely curious where he would lead me even though I wanted to walk out and NEVER GO BACK. I asked him what he would recommend and he said Shimano Saints. I said for a 2022 roscoe 6, you’d recommend Saints? Isn’t that overkill for an XC/trail bike? He said no, I used to race DH in BC before I moved here and I always ran Saints and still do! But then he said, I wouldn’t put saints on an R6. Then he said that’s a garbage bike. So I asked, ok, curious, out of all the bikes in your shop right now, which one would you recommend? He said NONE! He said the only way to do it right is to custom build! I said so that’s like 2500-4000 for a bike with custom parts that you’d recommend ? He said not a chance! More like 6-8k and it has to be full suspension. Hardtails suck! I said wow that’s crazy that you couldn’t recommend anything on your sales floor. Then I asked him, so if I came in to buy a bike like a specialized rock hopper, would we have had this type of conversation? He said, yes, honesty is the best policy! Then I asked him, but if I had the cash budget for a rockhopper in my pocket and you deterred me from that bike based on your custom build recommendation and told me rockhopper/hardtails are garbage and not knowing what I know about bikes, do you think I would have bought the rockhopper today like I was planning? He said probably, people are dumb and want what they want and it’s garbage, people like you need to realize that this is a pay to play sport and the more you pay, the better bike you have. I said, basically what you’re saying is if I bought the Deore four piston brakes, I’d be dumb. He said basically. They’re no good. Then he said, do you want me to order them for you. No, I said. Elitists cater to elitists. This is definitely an elitist shop. I go in their website all the time to check there inventory of mtb’s and they never change. It’s always the same bikes every time. Same stock levels and sale prices. Nothing for the current year etc…. Still basically all Covid bikes. I wonder why that is?
Great video this is why i learned how to do almost everything on my bikes it was not about the money it was about the time it took to fix something simple yet weeks would pass and i would wonder what ever happen to my bike sad
i totally agree. i once went into a established bike shop with my polygon d7. i needed a headset bearing, something simple. but the staff took my bike brought it to the workstation, few of them gathered around my bike, around 3-4 of them, discussing abt it among themselves, and when I asked they just all looked at me and say they dont have the part and asked me to go elsewhere. like wtf? i waited there for a solid 10 mins. they were discussing for 10 mins, just to tell me they dont have a standard headset bearing? F them. Never ever going back there.
There are 2 shops near me, one claims to be a Doctor and if you don't buy the bike from them they will make you wait forever for even the most minor repairs.I broke a spoke and they told me 2 plus weeks. The other shop is family owned and fixed my spoke on the spot. One will never get a dollar from me.
I just started as mechanic although I have been wrenching a long time just at home, I like to think I am the polar opposite of what you are referencing in this video. I have done work in all kinds of bikes so far and the shop I work at turns everything around super fast and no attitude. Of course the reason why I become proficient myself was the exact reason I ended up doing my own work because of what you are stating. I for one as long as I work in the industry will not follow this trend I might either get a lot of calls to work or get ran right out of the buiss. cheers
I’ve been a hardcore mountain biker for over 20 yrs bike shops are hit or miss & if you find a good one definitely stick with it. But I remember when I first started I’d bother my brother everytime my bike had a issue & I remember him saying you gotta learn to work on your own bike it was the best advice for sure so I learned to do everything except build wheels I’d build & work on all my friends bikes as well. I’ve had some very bad experiences with bike shops one time I had a shop put on because I didn’t have anytime & I had to redo everything when I got it home it was actually a lawsuit waiting to happen had I rode it the way the gave it back it would’ve failed. And I remember going to a shop & looking around & a shop worker was telling me ya you can’t touch stuff & I had a wad of cash in my pocket so I just left & didn’t come back. Bike shops seem to be very arrogant & have a bunch of know it alls. And shops with higher end stuff are usually the worst. I remember having a wheel built & when I went to but it on it was dished incorrectly & it wouldn’t work so I called the shop & spoke to them & they couldn’t believe it & said it can’t be that’s like the basics of wheel building so I took it back & yep it was dished incorrectly & they just had nothing to say but fixed it & I never had them work on any wheels again. I know there are good shops & it’s usually the ones that are down to earth love bikes & riding & have respect & common sense.
My Bike mechanic and all the crew were just the best dudes out there. I bought my first fat bike from them and they taught me everything about it and showed me how to do things myself and guided me the whole way to purchasing a higher end model. The bike I mainly ride today. Now the whole crew have left and the other bike shops just don't care.
After Covid I just started purchasing tools and doing all of the work myself. It’s insanely expensive now to get most work done at bike shops, plus I enjoy the tinkering and learning process. Also crazy wait times depending on the time of the year. Some things I will still take the bike in for but most things I’ll just do myself going forward.
Had new headset and brakes fitted at a LBS. For the headset they forgot/didn't bother to reinstall one of the stem spacers and for the brakes I had to ask for the additional brake pads that came in the box as the employee was happy to send me on my way without them. Grease from the headset install was still around the headset. The front and rear brakes had different lever feels, possibly down to one bleed being better than the other. Someone I know went to the same shop as they needed a brake line fixed quickly as they were going on holiday soon. They fixed the cable issue... but didn't bleed the brakes, so they still had no brakes. Just lots of little details where if you cared beyond just doing the bare minimum it would improve the customer experience immensely, neither of us have good opinions of this shop because of one experience. Bearing in mind, this is a shop for enthusiasts by enthusiasts not a local Halfords or Walmart or whatever example you'd like to use, but they still don't get it right.
Car repairs are a poor comparison to cite for justifying not wanting to do your own bike maintenance. It is comparatively much simpler, cheaper, and more accessible to work on a bike than a car especially in this age of being able to look up how do do anything online, it's not rocket science. And if you can't be bothered to learn how, of course you run the risk of dealing with bike shops with poor service
The bike shop I used to go to hated working on my vintage road bike because they didn't want to deal with square taper bottom brackets. They kept giving me crap about keeping up with the times or something like that.
most bike shops can't afford to keep large inventory. They need cash on hand to pay the bills. Most bike shops have decent inventory for their niche thought.
Hey Matty, good video topic. I've had great luck with local bike shops while traveling, especially when the shop owner's name is in the actual company name on the sign. It's much more likely that they're going to take you seriously when they're willing to tie their business directly to them that way, in my experience. Re: your story about Kali eventually becoming a sponsor, have you done a video about what that process was like? I'd be interested to hear how that deal started, and what your experience has been like as a TH-camr with brand deals. I think most of us dream about getting that sort of opportunity, and seeing it happen to someone in the community who still has that "normal guy at the trailhead" vibe just makes it feel much more exciting.
I bought all the tools I needed on AliExpress for dollars each, and I learned to work on my bike myself. It's really not difficult, especially with youtube tutorials. If I need to fix something on my bike, I just go in the garage, put my bike up on the repair stand, put a long youtube video or podcast on the TV, and get to work. No drive to and from the bike shop, no two week wait to drive back to and from the bike shop, no insane labor costs, and best of all... no being spoken to like I'm an idiot by smug bike shop employees!
I know not everyone is so lucky, but this is why I try and do as much as I can myself to save the frustration. It also seems they don’t stock a lot so if they can order it, I can order it.
Went to my local bike shop for a end of season tune up (50hr shock service, new chain, new brake pads, adjustments). The bill was $680.00 most of it for suspension work which they sent out. The brake pads were not centered and squeal, never told me suspension would be over $200.00 per shock. I have done the same service myself many times. Thought I would be helping out local shop and did not want order brake fluid and new weight of shock oil. Never gave me an estimate, assumed it would be much less. Could have done repair myself for less than $200.00. Will never go to that bike shop again.
I ordered my bike from Europe and sent to Texas. I purchased my wife’s bike from the LBS. I had my bike in a week. My wife’s bike had to come from the shops warehouse just 60 minutes away, took them 2 weeks.
There's A small shop where I live that have dedicated employees that know their stuff but they have almost nothing in stock, the bike shops that have stuff in stock are the ones you want to avoid doing business with, tourist traps with people who don't know things like that wheels have different spokes count sometimes, it's often ridiculous. Working on your own bike, too much time? Price of tools? Nothing compared to not riding because a bike shop screwed you up and then present a bill long as a leg ...
I just got into mountain biking and the condescending attitude I got from lbs is why I started doing my own repairs
You are 💯 correct arrogant & condescending
Had a shimano motor go, so bought a one new myselve as it was £300 cheaper, i got in touch with various shimano approved dealers to fit it, and not one of them was interested, learned to fit it myselve as well as setting software on it, from that day on i dont need a bike shop to service my bikes, if i am unsure, i will learn via forums and youtube
Every time i semd my bike to my lbs they fkn contaminate my brakes with silicone spray 😡
I have 9 good bike shops i go to across my riding territory. Guess I'm lucky.
@@donavinnezarMaybe ask them to stop?
The world has forgotten what real service is!
Chick fil a is the ony place you can get service with a smile anymore 😂
Uh huh..
I called in to a local bike shop turned trek shop recently. And the dude who answered said he was just a guy who does maintenance but he knew the area super well and different trails by name. He was able to guide me in the right direction on what tires to get for the specific trails and terrain I wanted. His enthusiasm and excitement about bikes in general was apparent and made me want to give them my business.
This isn’t just the bike industry. It’s almost every retailer.
Bro, I think that’s just the way things are these days. Customer service at any level has been lost. When I’m actually treated like someone who’s spending hard earned money, I’m blown away and it’s a breath of fresh air.
This is why my "local" bike shop is an hour drive away. Shout out The Path Bike Shop in Tustin, CA. They regularly send text updates, and regardless of how much you spend, they're driven to keep you out there on your bike. Their motto is "Love the bike you ride."
The path is the best they will drop what they are doing just to talk bikes with you. I'm 3 hours away but buy alot from them and when ever I'm in town I swing in always a good time
@@thinkaboutit3011 Heckin' A!
@@thinkaboutit3011 Have you checked out their podcast?
This is why I do all my own bike repairs and upgrades
Yeah he compares it to a car but it’s much lower than a car as far as skill there’s a reason a bike mechanic on average gets paid less than an auto tech.
@@mikerucker8913 well most good bikes are about the same price as a used car, especially the expensive ones, those owners want their bike repaired by a pro, considering they get complicated with carbon fiber parts and all the newer tech. the rich people tend to not fix stuff themselves since theyre busy working or they just dont have the time to learn to be repairmen themselves
As an auto tech I would love to do bike work full time a whole lot more space to work and a lot less grease or broken knuckles
Been dealing with with this for over 20 years. As soon as I decided to learn how to work on my own bike, It eliminates all the waiting and mis communication. There's no good reason to no know how to set up tubeless or dial in your derailleur. Once you learn how todo it it's a skill you can hone and use for life.
The only thing I don't know how to do is build up a wheel. I feel like its is not something I will do very often but everything... Take the time to learn it they will not take care and prioritize your bike like you will 👍
Bike shops need to read these comments & wake the hell up you hear it all the time support your local shop well I can say this if they don’t support you you can forget about that.
I guess I'm lucky since I learned to work on my bike and how to pick the correct parts as a teenager, it also helped being a frequent customer at a bike shop. When I walked in it felt like the show cheers everyone was happy to see me and I earned my forever nickname of CRAZY CHRIS. If in Santa barbara california I recommend velo pro and if in ventura california I reccomend open air bikes both shops have been around for years and offer great honest service
Good video Matty. As a painting contractor I communicate almost everything with my clients, I make them ALL feel as they are the most important customers. Because they ARE! They'll keep (and have) calling me back because of the customer service I try to provide them ALL. No communication and or bad customer service = no money..
This is the exact experience I've had with all the lbs in my area. No communication, bad attitudes, I really tried to build a relationship with a few and I have just ended up doing all my own repairs because I had so many bad experiences.
I live in Colorado and recently used a mobile bike repair company. The guy was excellent, fair priced, and communicated great. I’ve also had a lot of good luck with Pedal Pushers in Golden. Very helpful and attentive.
Yeah Pedal Pushers is also my go to bike shop, they're one of the best on the front range.
@@mrvwbug4423pedal pushers took over a week to do a suspension service and brake bleed. This was in the "offseason" when they weren't busy and obstrnsively wanted the business. Also, they contaminated my brake disk and didn't install an o ring correctly so on the furar ride the suspension contracted and never equalized and locked up. Lost a whole day of riding.
Mobile bike man? He's the best!
@@MattRolls5280the Brazilian guy, right?
@@johnr909 Yup! He's the best.
I appreciate all your vids Matty. We've all had the bike shop treatment and it sucks.
Invest in tools. That's the thing others aren't mentioning. You buy the tools, you'll learn the skills; you have skills and tools, you're totally independent.
A friend said this to me the other day, "The biggest problem with most bike shops is that the people who work there don't actually ride bikes" and he's absolutely right. In most big bike shops, the staff just don't get it, you've gotta find yourself a small independant place where the owners and staff actually ride regularly.
Well more of them would ride bikes if they got paid enough to work there. Yeah let’s work at a bike shop making 15-20 dollars an hour support my family and after 6 years maybe I can save enough for a hardtail lol.
Sadly I’ve seen this happen in small local bike shops as well.
Low pay is one factor. The other is the staff keep customers on their bikes during peak riding season and through long hours. I worked in the cycling industry for years.
@@mikerucker8913I remember a shop owner telling me you don’t open up a bike shop or work in one to make $
A small independent is no guarantee of quality service and care.
One I have dealt with in the past were less than stellar, never to be used again. However another I have and continue to use are very good and always make me feel welcome.
There are shops where this kind of bs isn’t a thing, but for the most part you are spot on. I now use a great mechanic that works out of his house and he is amazing. Next year I’m going to school and learn to everything myself.
I hear what you are saying. My bike shop sucks. They don't have many parts and don't offer to order anything. They don't even like talking about bikes.
U need to find another shop
@@cfmechanic for real.
18 months ago, I dropped my 2008 Specialized Epic, a total project "labor of love" type bike off at the LBS because I needed an adapter for tab mounts on my 26" Reba fork.
It took them 9 days. The bike was really a collector's piece from my POV, but still...
All I needed was just the right adapter. They turned it into a $100 bill for me because they did things I didn't want them to.
I didn't need a $45 rotor, but that's what they put on and billed me for.
Rotor is easy to remove especially on front wheel s bolts and a quick release
Love your channel man, the cycling community needs more people with the mindset you have.
We are literally just trying to ride bikes, have fun and do so safely
The cycling community is wildly pretentious and it makes absolutely no sense to me at all. Its just a bike. No reason at all people should be made fun of, say, for riding a bike you bought from walmart. Again, the point is to ride a bike.
I resonate so much with your channels and perspectives. I bought an expensive mountain bike years ago to really get into the sport. But what i found is that I'm most happy riding a bike that makes me smile, regardless of the price, components or how flashy it is.
I'm now considering selling thst bike, which I never imagined I'd do in the past. I just want to ride a bike that makes me happy. And I realized i can do it for 1/10th of the cost.
There's a bike shop on the peninsula in the SF Bay Area that's apparently quite well-known and apparently respected by many bikers. I tried several times to do business with them, and each time I went into that store, it was easily apparent that if you weren't MALE, and completely decked out in your Spandex bike-clothing, they wouldn't give you the time of day. So if you were a female who showed up in your work clothes during your lunch hour, TOO BAD! All I wanted to do was buy some biking shorts, and it was before the Internet, so no online shops, yet. They couldn't care less! I could've dropped dead in the middle of their shop and they just would've stepped over me. I was just starting to get into mountain biking, and I had a cheap bike I had gotten for free as some sort of a promotion. I rode it a lot, and eventually it needed the brakes adjusted. Not knowing how to do that myself, I brought it in to have the work done, and they just looked down their noses at it and said, "Oh, we don't work on crappy bikes like THAT", and then proceeded to try to sell me an expensive new bike. I left there, and went to a small bike shop a few miles away. Not only did they fix the brakes, they showed me how to do it, and gave me a free water bottle! I remember the guy said to me, "No, that's not a 'crappy' bike, it's an ENTRY LEVEL bike. You're having fun with it, and it's gotten you into the sport, right? There's no such thing as a 'crappy' bike. All bikes are worth enjoying and taking care of." They had my business for many years after that, until I finally moved away.
I see what the nice LBS owner was saying - and 30/40 years ago he had/has a point when they were/are _genuinely_ a brand's entry-level - but there are *definitely* 'crappy bikes'. There's even a term for them: BSO's (bicycle-shaped-object).
Poorly-made (e.g. agricultural welds), unnecessarily heavy and/or uncomfortable to ride, often with dirt-cheap barely-capable parts that break all too easily. They tend to discourage more people than they help. More often than not they either languish in people's sheds/garages until they find a way to the local dumpsite.
@@C345OFR still doesn’t make any sense from the point of view of a business owner, a bike that needs frequent maintenance is good for his business, and if he wants to help a customer upgrade to something more stable, behaving more politely and professionally could land the sale of a new bike, it’s all about the attitude and communication skills
My LBS's all had jerks who treated you like you were bothering them and knew nothing. I dont have any LBS's anymore.
Well if no store in your town try a neighboring one. I go 2 towns over to go to the shop I use
I'm not even into bikes,but i subscribed to this man's channel because he seems honest,genuine and a good person. These businesses could learn a thing OR 3 from this man's videos.
Matty, stoked to let you know that I just purchased my Roscoe 9 and I've already done a bunch of upgrades to it. Your channel is a huge reason on why I chose this bike and I absolutely love it. One of the comments I was reading mentioned that the biggest problem with bike shops is that the people that work there are primarily not actual Riders and that is so the truth. People just want the job so they can make the money and they'll work wherever but if you had a staff that was fully committed to riding whether it be mountain bikes BMX road gravel whatever the shop would run so much more efficiently and you are absolutely 100 correct it is up to the shop to gain the customer's Trust.
This was during COVID, I bought my first full suspension second hand. Brought it in to a “trusted” bike shop (they have a partnership with the company I work for)….
They were late, and I found that they did not replace the cassette I paid for. So I brought it back, and they upgraded something that I wasn’t made aware of and did not approve… so it caught my boyfriend off guard and we ended up paying… the worst, they have pop up repair stations at my works campus, will never go and always give them the side eye as I walk past. SMH!
I have learned to work on my bikes. I'm decently new to cycling, and purched two used bikes. Took them to bike shop to have inspected and tuned. I spent over 400.00 in accessories and misc parts and labor. They said will be up to 3 days. After calling few times got them back almost 2 weeks later. Then my wifes rear derailleur would not shift into the last two lower gears. I purchased nice bike stand, leared about derailleurs and adjusted it myself. I have found i enjoy working on bikes..
"We ordered the wrong fork" is code for, we forgot to order it.
And your La Bomba, they just couldn't care less. They weren't going to make a dime on the recall. So there was no insensitive to get it done.
Actually GT has to pay the dealer to build the bike.
Companies give credit when doing a warranty labor. Maybe you should work in a shop, to see how they actually works.
They took advantage of the increased demand during the pandemic with price gouging. I don't feel too bad if they start to hurt now.
The shops near me are great and love answering questions even though they got bought out by Trek and Specialized. After another 5 years when the old guys retire out I am concerened what the customer experience is going to be like though. The owner who is in his 70s has done almost anything on a bike you can imagine and loves to help out with anything you can think of. He told me the last time I was in there he misses BMX and wishes that Trek had an offering for the people in our area that still do it. BMX in our area is almost totally dead and I wonder if it is a supply problem and there is little opportunity to get into the sport. I'm just glad someone in the shop cares about all the forms of biking and not just hyperfocusing on only road or only MTB for example.
Hey Matty- your absolutely right. Like you I would go to bike shops for parts and service. Customer service is horrible. Now I buy everything online and service my own bikes.
100% agree on this. I've had multiple issues with my lock bike shops, from scratching my frame, giving back my bike with broken parts that they don't mention or even alert me to. Or the bike sitting in the shop for 2+ weeks with no work done on it. Or when you bring it in they give you the "You should have bought it through us first".
I've also had an experience where I bring in my kids bike for a small upgrade and they set me up and add on extra things for no reason, they add appointments to their calendar for my bike which I didn't ask for. I just ended up taking my kids bike back and saying "thanks but no thanks, all this isn't needed" etc. It's honestly more of a hassle than a help with shops these days.
I go to a Family owned place for stuff i don't know how to do. Super helpful and will teach you how to do things if you want to know. I been to some other shops that are brand specific that i wont go to after dealing with them.
At the end of this video you nailed it. “It all comes down to communication.”
Bike shops have always been hit or miss for me, sometimes the service is over the top great, other times I walk away wondering how they stay in business 😂. I try to do 75% of my maintenance on my own.
I definitely feel you on how some bike shops refuse to communicate. I'm very lucky though because I live minutes away from Worldwide Cyclery in Newbury Park and they do fantastic work and communicate extremely well.
Same here and same experience - local shops suck at being proactive - I was out of the country for two weeks. I sat down with the guy fixing my bike for 30 minutes explaining all the things that need to be done when I get back they were still two days behind, and I had to remind him of a few things, they hadn’t even done yet. They basically had no intention of calling and letting me know I had to go find out on my own.
I own a shop. Typically it takes us 1 or 2 days for a normal repair and a week if we need to order a part. It is extremely unusual for us to take 2 weeks on a repair if we are able to get the part on a normal order. No-name e-bikes seem to be the only outlier to this and sometimes the electronics can take a whole month to come in.
best advice is learn how to do all your repairs and upgrades yourself. I'm all for supporting your LBS but half of the ones I've been to are just a bunch of potheads anymore.
I feel so fortunate to have found a great local bike shop. I have been to a few shops around the area, man oh man some of workers are just not great. My favorite shop is West End in Ishpeming. They are freaking fantastic!!!!
I'm a wrench at my fourth shop now. Two in Nova Scotia, one in Yellowknife and now in Whitehorse. I've been fortunate that each shop treated us well, was family run, really took pride in service and customer satisfaction and were/are awesome places to work. Ive made a lot of friends and riding groups through shops. Find a GOOD SHOP, and if they do slip up, give them a chance to make it right.
I had a similar experience last May. When the Colorado Cyclist when went out of business, I bought the SRAM GX group set to upgrade my mountain bike. The Tech at the bike shop near my house barely looked at my bike and said it wouldn't fit my bike. He seemed more interested in helping a guy buy a new bike.
On a more positive note. The Trek Trails at Virginia Canyon opened up last week and those new trails are amazing, Drop Shaft might be one of the best trails on the front range. You should get out and ride it before winter comes, it's also reasonably hardtail friendly so the Roscoe would likely do well on that trail. As for difficulty, the main line of drop shaft is about a step above Rutabaga, but easier than Floyd Hill or Hard Money, super flowy with lots of features and lots of optional lines as well.
This is more about the purchase of a bike, I’m in CO. Walked into a local bike shop (won’t name it) and I felt so awkward as I’ve never biked before (except when I was younger). The help I got was minimal and it just didn’t feel like they cared if I purchased or not. However, after walking into our local Trek store, I felt so taken care of, I tested many bikes, and I walked out of there with my first bike and so many recommendations on where to start and what to do. I think it really comes down to who is being hired and how passionate they are about what they are selling. Trek blew me away and honestly because of those two experiences, I will never go to another bike store again.
I've taken heat from my friends for this decision, but when I need somebody else to work on my bike I take it to REI. They've been great with communication and they're not snobs at all. They were helpful and gave me good advice when I was learning to wrench and I purchased a number of specialty tools from them. I won't lump all my LBS together, but my experience is they're primarily occupied with selling whatever brands bike they stock and are a bit snobbish if you're not riding a mid-tier name brand bike. The whole industry is in disarray because the big-name manufacturers gleefully abandoned/downgraded the entry-level segment trying to force everyone to spend $1200+ for a decent, trail-worthy XC bike. What's crazy is that it is wholly possible to buy/build very capable bikes for FAR less if you order from an online brand, buy a solid Ozark Trail hardtail from Walmart, or are adventurous enough to source frame & parts online and just build yourself. These bike shops think they can just cater to white-collar dudes willing to pay $6,000 for a bike and wrote off regular working people years ago.
I used to work at REI as a bike mechanic over 20years ago. One reason why they have good service is cause they are well oil machine, organized and well trained, with most specializing in their respective department with proper training. Even the bike mechanics are sent off to bike mechanic school. I didn't have to be sent off to mehcanic school cause I was already a competent one before joining REI. Most LBS don't have the resources to be a well oil machine.
The irony is the bike itself isn't where the real profit comes from. Yes they might make a few hundred. After assembly store space ECT. The money comes from earning a customer who will bring the bike back and buy more stuff.
What a breath of fresh air! I'll try REI next and see how my experience changes. The final straw for me was my local shop got brake fluid on my front rotor and RUINED them.
@@ItalianStallion1415 One of the things I like about my local REI's bike section is that the store exists for a broader purpose and the bike department is just one of many so the staff is helpful but not aggressive. My experience is that they hire people who actually ride and spend time outdoors. The mechanics at REI have been exceptionally good and quite frankly, I think they undercharge me. I became personal friends with one of the older mechanics and discovered that they're generally very happy to answer questions about the bike and glad to give advice if you want to learn how to do your own wrenching. I was happy to buy a number of specialty tools from them and I always solicited their advice. My sense is that they LIKE to see people interested in their craft and are happy to share their knowledge (when their work schedule permits). I've even taken in frames with new groupsets I've purchased from Aliexpress and not only did they not laugh or flinch, they were legitimately interested in the brand, how I researched it, where I bought it, and how much it cost. Unlike most mom & pop stores, REI employees don't seem to be strong armed into upselling, they seem to just be trained bike enthusiasts doing something they enjoy. But that's just my personal experience and I'm sure there are great LBSs the same--I just haven't found one near me.
Way back when I worked in a restaurant we were always told that a customer should never have to stop someone to ask about their food or drink etc. Things happen and there are delays sometimes, but in those cases, go inform your customers. Don’t leave them in the dark wondering why it’s taking longer than usual and longer than other customers who have been waiting for less time. Keeping customers updated can make up for a lot of mistakes and problems.
There's certainly good shops out there, Pedal Pushers in Golden comes to mind, but you also get a lot of LBS that just don't seem to care and then you get the chain stores like Trek stores, Mike's bikes, REI, Epic Mountain Gear where the staff might not even know much about what they're selling.
What most retailers fail to realize is they are not in the bike (or similar) business, they are in the customer service business. When you don’t design or build anything, and your “product” is the same as a thousand other stores, the only thing you control is the customer experience. Once you lose that customer, it is almost impossible to get them back
I'm watching this after re-cabling my touring bike (mechanical rim brakes and shifting), putting on some new grips on the flat handlebars, and mounting the front rack. It took me about an hour, good quality Jagwire cables. Ready to roll on a 'shorty' 5-day trip in two weeks. BB is square-taper, easy to replace if I ever have to do that.
I perform my own repairs and upgrades and order my own parts. I have no time to wait. Great learning experience.
Great video Matty. I am in the UK and its an unfortunately similar story. A few years back, I was learning to bleed my brakes. I needed some common Shimano brake fluid. I thought I would support my LBS. Well, They didn't sell it. Only had a big container of it in the back room just for the bike mechanic. They were unhelpful and pretencious. They could have siphoned off a little in a container and gained a customer for life, being helpful and welcoming. Instead all they got is no future customer and now someone that looks after bikes themselves. What a shame.
Your experience is the norm among most bike shops I have experienced. I am in small western town bike desert but do travel to some major cities in cycling like Boulder, CO. I naively expected I was going bike heaven but most of the shops were such niche havens of their own narrow interests that it was dismal experience time after time. My LBS and I get along. It is a young couple and they have had the store for a decade and they have matured into the work and community. I 90% do my own work except wheel building but I am looking for a part that I can wait a 5-7 days for, I use them.
I’ve been off my mtb the last 3 months due to faulty repairs from my lbs 😖.
Instead of new upgrades, I’ve now bought a fleet of park tool equipment, & have been watching hours of Calvin 👨🏻🔧
Man, this is so true. Many places lost me as a costumer because of those behaviors. It's not just in this industry, btw.
Cheers from Brazil 💪🏽
feel you sentiments bruh,most of my experience here in my country due to the employees attitude especially if the bikeshop caters hi-end bikes and components/accesories,whenever i went in to these expenssive bikeshops and you bringing it your cheap bike,you'll get the attitude right away, they'll just look at you and won't assist you they just go on do whaever they were doing, i stood there for almost 5 minutes and still no one's coming to assist you or even wanna listen to what you're looking for, that's why i think most o my fellow bikers here in my country albeit roadbikers or mtb riders all learns how to fix or build their bikes and getting stuffs in online shops after the pandemic endead
I've had some negative interactions with people in shops that have made me avoid that shop for a period of time. One of the shops I actually went back to for the first time in years was great. But I agree that having better communication and generally treating every customer like their question is worth your time, even if you've heard it thousands of times before.
I sort of have the same problem, I never know who to send people too. I like to do things myself, so I've never actually asked a bike shop to do anything, but I'm nervous about recommending a shop because they have such a reputation.
I manage a service department and you really have to be on point 24/7 there are so many details to get right and so many ongoing projects. Even a small oversight can have a huge negative impact on customer experience. Sometimes it feels like we are just constantly making mistakes. 😢😅 You’re right however, no matter what delays or mistakes happen it’s always better to rip the bandaid off and tell the customer what’s going on. Thanks for the reminder to always make time for communication.
My biggest gripe with local bike shops are the hours they keep. They are worse than banks and you about have to be unemployed to shop there. One other thing is lack of inventory. It feels like they've given up and are handing gear purchases to the Internet. When they say, "we can order it", all I can think is, "yea, so can I".
Working with a LBS has always been a source of frustration - lack of stock, lack of time. As a result I buy all my stuff from Jensen USA or AliExpress and do all my own work.
With the availability of TH-cam videos on how to do most of this stuff and amazon having all the weird tools you could need there is no more reason to take a bike to the bike shop except for really serious stuff and yearly maintenance stuff.
I had a bike shop that I bought a Santa Cruz Hightower and a Trek Roscoe 8 + repairs on other bikes say no to doing a recall on my faulty cranks...new shop took me in, gave me a tour of their entire shop and did the recall and got me my bike back quick.
this is why i all the time encourage people to learn how to fix your own bike, DIY, assemble and buy your own tools instead of relying bike shops. they just lack that customer care. most shops think that riders are dependent. one thing that bothers me the most is that if you walk in looking like you aint rich or something, they'll simply ignore you. weird af. BIKES ARE EASY TO FIX.
When I was a kid riding BMX we would ride to the LBS and hang out for hours with the mechanics. They were in there late 20's and early 30's and super busy but still showed us how to fix our bikes and since I cut grass for money they would even save new take off parts (like cranks and wheels) for us when someone upgraded their bike after buying. That LBS vibe is gone and so is the care for the blue collar rider. LBS's now are only focused on the folks dropping $2500+ every few months for the latest and greatest.
This is why I love my two (or probably three) bike shops! My main bike shop, I have all bike maintenance and services done there. I’ve got some parts and a new bike frame from them too! They understand if I get components and bikes from others since they know I’d always return to them and we’re treated just like their high-end customers…
One problem with bike shops is that they have kids in the back working. This is cause they not paying enough so no real competent adult are willing to work for peanuts. Same thing with auto dealerships, all the experience mechanics leave cause they get paid peanuts and treated bad.
Long story short I think this is bike industry issue as a whole right now, not just LBS’s. It’s especially difficult that some of these things are a niche of a niche of an already niche market.
I’ve had the opposite scenario and currently similar issue but with multiple manufacturers on the latter. I tried supporting my local county funded community LBS and they didn’t have tools in the condition to to do the work I needed, they not only let me promptly know but didn’t charge anything. Ever since I’ve donated and sent people there.
Currently I’m dealing with a major bike company whose seat post clamping failed and damaged the carbon fiber frame. Even though I followed the torque specs and used the bike as intended they won’t stand by the warranty and are classifying it as crash.
The second current issue is that I’m getting a custom bike accessory made and they’re about 40 days past their 60-80 day lead time and they are unable to give a status of where in the process my order is at.
World Of Wheels is a great shop ran by people who ride for people who ride, incredible experience with those guys even after working there and seeing the real attitude beneath the surface. They’re out in Modesto California.
And even if there is a Problem or it takes a bit longer - i nice friendly Call with a bit of laughter is the best way to go. The Customers are almost everyone are very understanding. But that snuffy silence drestroys everything.
it's not only bikeshops. Alot of stores do not communicate. Had it with a bed last year; bought it early oktober, but they didn't have some things in stock, so they ordered it. Would take about 6 to 8 weeks. 9 weeks in I still had not heard a thing, so I called them up and their answer was that the factory made a mistake and it would take longer....oke, but why not call me then? In the end it took to early january till it finally was here.....atm the main issue I have with bikestores is the condescendent way they treat you; stores seems to think they're doing us favors instead of us being customers.
Spot on about lack of communication! I'm about to drop one of the LBS and quit the race team because of the crappy communication. And it's not from lack of giving them more chances than they deserve.
I agree with the video. I think it's very difficult to keep up with the trends, standards, inventory, and get the qualified help to run a bike shop - besides the rest of the small business concerns. My LBS is decent. I take bikes there for repairs and they do a good job. Retail sales are hit or miss. Their prices have been high and I don't feel comfortable asking them to price match, especially after the sale, which is common today. Their inventory is small. I support my lbs, but I have to watch out for myself first.
I agree with you on communication. It takes no time at all to send a text.
I bought a Marlin on the Trek website, and it said pickup available today. I went 45 miles to the store the following day and was told it would be ready within a week. Fast forward ten days still no bike. It was in stock the whole time but not assembled they saud. They never once called and I had to phone them every few days. I finally went back to the store to cancel it and saw they had two assembled bikes in stock on the floor in XL that were the exact color - bike I had ordered. I asked if they were available to purchase and they were ready to sell me one. I then told them I had been waiting on my internet order and one of these should used to fulfill my order. They said the internet orders are handled by a different employee, so I couldn't have one. I told them to cancel my order so I could buy one of the bikes on the floor.
I try to go to local bike shops for parts and equipment, though I try to do as much work on my bikes myself.
I actually agree with this a lot. I recently got a new enduro bike for racing and for some reason it shipped with nothing installed. Not even the headset. By chance it arrived the day I was supposed to head up to the mountain to pre ride the course. I took it to the bike shop to get everything installed and hoped if they got it done in time I would still be able to pre ride. Long story short they said it would take 1-2 hours and it ended up taking 4. The mechanic over bled the brakes and had to hammer the pistons back in for over an hour to get the bike able to ride. I got about 1/5 trails ridden during the pre ride, and rode everything else blind during the race.
Nice video, keep up the good work. I ride at the Lefthand OHV area a lot and would love to see another video from you there.
Crazy Cat in El Paso is amazing. The owner is always around to help. All of the staff is helpful and easy to talk to. I will drive to the west side whenever I need a tune-up. However, I need to start learning how to do the basic stuff on my own.
The reason I go to a bike shop is for in stock inventory. Saying they can order something or waiting for someone to need something before they order the part defeats the whole purpose of the bike shop.
Anyone can order their own part online themselves and will also learn to work on their own bike if need be (not rocket science) if the bike shop experience is difficult in any way.
If bike shop don’t recognize this they’re doomed
Just wanted to say I’ve started riding my bike to work on a Breezer Radar X pro after not riding for 20 years after watching your videos. Thanks for the inspiration. Appreciate it.
Thank you for watching! And I’m
Glad you have that bike, it’s still one of my favorites
I'm totally with you on this, I've been riding since about 1990, I have found bike shops really annoying, really condescending. I do all my own work and wouldn't have it any other way.
I do all of my maintenance and bike builds. I use eBay 98% of my parts if there is something I need now I’ll use one of the local shop it find what I need .
Well, I went in to one of my local shops about a year ago and was asking if they had any Shimano Deore four piston brake sets. The mechanic overheard and started laughing. He said what are you putting that garbage on? Unfazed, I said, my Roscoe 6 (at the time). He said, oh so garbage on top of garbage. He said, we don’t stock them but can order them. Because I know a lot about mountain bikes and how to do all my own wrenching and because I fix peoples bikes as well, I was genuinely curious where he would lead me even though I wanted to walk out and NEVER GO BACK. I asked him what he would recommend and he said Shimano Saints. I said for a 2022 roscoe 6, you’d recommend Saints? Isn’t that overkill for an XC/trail bike? He said no, I used to race DH in BC before I moved here and I always ran Saints and still do! But then he said, I wouldn’t put saints on an R6. Then he said that’s a garbage bike. So I asked, ok, curious, out of all the bikes in your shop right now, which one would you recommend? He said NONE! He said the only way to do it right is to custom build! I said so that’s like 2500-4000 for a bike with custom parts that you’d recommend ? He said not a chance! More like 6-8k and it has to be full suspension. Hardtails suck! I said wow that’s crazy that you couldn’t recommend anything on your sales floor. Then I asked him, so if I came in to buy a bike like a specialized rock hopper, would we have had this type of conversation? He said, yes, honesty is the best policy! Then I asked him, but if I had the cash budget for a rockhopper in my pocket and you deterred me from that bike based on your custom build recommendation and told me rockhopper/hardtails are garbage and not knowing what I know about bikes, do you think I would have bought the rockhopper today like I was planning? He said probably, people are dumb and want what they want and it’s garbage, people like you need to realize that this is a pay to play sport and the more you pay, the better bike you have. I said, basically what you’re saying is if I bought the Deore four piston brakes, I’d be dumb. He said basically. They’re no good. Then he said, do you want me to order them for you. No, I said. Elitists cater to elitists. This is definitely an elitist shop. I go in their website all the time to check there inventory of mtb’s and they never change. It’s always the same bikes every time. Same stock levels and sale prices. Nothing for the current year etc…. Still basically all Covid bikes. I wonder why that is?
Great video this is why i learned how to do almost everything on my bikes it was not about the money it was about the time it took to fix something simple yet weeks would pass and i would wonder what ever happen to my bike sad
i totally agree. i once went into a established bike shop with my polygon d7. i needed a headset bearing, something simple. but the staff took my bike brought it to the workstation, few of them gathered around my bike, around 3-4 of them, discussing abt it among themselves, and when I asked they just all looked at me and say they dont have the part and asked me to go elsewhere. like wtf? i waited there for a solid 10 mins. they were discussing for 10 mins, just to tell me they dont have a standard headset bearing? F them. Never ever going back there.
There are 2 shops near me, one claims to be a Doctor and if you don't buy the bike from them they will make you wait forever for even the most minor repairs.I broke a spoke and they told me 2 plus weeks. The other shop is family owned and fixed my spoke on the spot. One will never get a dollar from me.
I just started as mechanic although I have been wrenching a long time just at home, I like to think I am the polar opposite of what you are referencing in this video. I have done work in all kinds of bikes so far and the shop I work at turns everything around super fast and no attitude. Of course the reason why I become proficient myself was the exact reason I ended up doing my own work because of what you are stating. I for one as long as I work in the industry will not follow this trend I might either get a lot of calls to work or get ran right out of the buiss. cheers
I’ve been a hardcore mountain biker for over 20 yrs bike shops are hit or miss & if you find a good one definitely stick with it. But I remember when I first started I’d bother my brother everytime my bike had a issue & I remember him saying you gotta learn to work on your own bike it was the best advice for sure so I learned to do everything except build wheels I’d build & work on all my friends bikes as well. I’ve had some very bad experiences with bike shops one time I had a shop put on because I didn’t have anytime & I had to redo everything when I got it home it was actually a lawsuit waiting to happen had I rode it the way the gave it back it would’ve failed. And I remember going to a shop & looking around & a shop worker was telling me ya you can’t touch stuff & I had a wad of cash in my pocket so I just left & didn’t come back. Bike shops seem to be very arrogant & have a bunch of know it alls. And shops with higher end stuff are usually the worst. I remember having a wheel built & when I went to but it on it was dished incorrectly & it wouldn’t work so I called the shop & spoke to them & they couldn’t believe it & said it can’t be that’s like the basics of wheel building so I took it back & yep it was dished incorrectly & they just had nothing to say but fixed it & I never had them work on any wheels again. I know there are good shops & it’s usually the ones that are down to earth love bikes & riding & have respect & common sense.
My Bike mechanic and all the crew were just the best dudes out there. I bought my first fat bike from them and they taught me everything about it and showed me how to do things myself and guided me the whole way to purchasing a higher end model. The bike I mainly ride today. Now the whole crew have left and the other bike shops just don't care.
The problem is customer service. It has gone down a lot over the years.
yea customer entitlement hasn't gotten worse at all.
After Covid I just started purchasing tools and doing all of the work myself. It’s insanely expensive now to get most work done at bike shops, plus I enjoy the tinkering and learning process. Also crazy wait times depending on the time of the year. Some things I will still take the bike in for but most things I’ll just do myself going forward.
Had new headset and brakes fitted at a LBS. For the headset they forgot/didn't bother to reinstall one of the stem spacers and for the brakes I had to ask for the additional brake pads that came in the box as the employee was happy to send me on my way without them. Grease from the headset install was still around the headset. The front and rear brakes had different lever feels, possibly down to one bleed being better than the other.
Someone I know went to the same shop as they needed a brake line fixed quickly as they were going on holiday soon. They fixed the cable issue... but didn't bleed the brakes, so they still had no brakes.
Just lots of little details where if you cared beyond just doing the bare minimum it would improve the customer experience immensely, neither of us have good opinions of this shop because of one experience. Bearing in mind, this is a shop for enthusiasts by enthusiasts not a local Halfords or Walmart or whatever example you'd like to use, but they still don't get it right.
This is why I do all of the service myself.
Car repairs are a poor comparison to cite for justifying not wanting to do your own bike maintenance. It is comparatively much simpler, cheaper, and more accessible to work on a bike than a car especially in this age of being able to look up how do do anything online, it's not rocket science. And if you can't be bothered to learn how, of course you run the risk of dealing with bike shops with poor service
The bike shop I used to go to hated working on my vintage road bike because they didn't want to deal with square taper bottom brackets. They kept giving me crap about keeping up with the times or something like that.
I do most of my auto stuff myself too. Good way to learn.
Most bike shops wait till a minimum order requirement is met by their parts supplier when they don't stock the part required or requested.
Yes for free shipping
most bike shops can't afford to keep large inventory. They need cash on hand to pay the bills. Most bike shops have decent inventory for their niche thought.
Hey Matty, good video topic. I've had great luck with local bike shops while traveling, especially when the shop owner's name is in the actual company name on the sign. It's much more likely that they're going to take you seriously when they're willing to tie their business directly to them that way, in my experience.
Re: your story about Kali eventually becoming a sponsor, have you done a video about what that process was like? I'd be interested to hear how that deal started, and what your experience has been like as a TH-camr with brand deals. I think most of us dream about getting that sort of opportunity, and seeing it happen to someone in the community who still has that "normal guy at the trailhead" vibe just makes it feel much more exciting.
I bought all the tools I needed on AliExpress for dollars each, and I learned to work on my bike myself. It's really not difficult, especially with youtube tutorials. If I need to fix something on my bike, I just go in the garage, put my bike up on the repair stand, put a long youtube video or podcast on the TV, and get to work. No drive to and from the bike shop, no two week wait to drive back to and from the bike shop, no insane labor costs, and best of all... no being spoken to like I'm an idiot by smug bike shop employees!
I know not everyone is so lucky, but this is why I try and do as much as I can myself to save the frustration. It also seems they don’t stock a lot so if they can order it, I can order it.
Went to my local bike shop for a end of season tune up (50hr shock service, new chain, new brake pads, adjustments). The bill was $680.00 most of it for suspension work which they sent out. The brake pads were not centered and squeal, never told me suspension would be over $200.00 per shock. I have done the same service myself many times. Thought I would be helping out local shop and did not want order brake fluid and new weight of shock oil. Never gave me an estimate, assumed it would be much less. Could have done repair myself for less than $200.00. Will never go to that bike shop again.
I ordered my bike from Europe and sent to Texas. I purchased my wife’s bike from the LBS. I had my bike in a week. My wife’s bike had to come from the shops warehouse just 60 minutes away, took them 2 weeks.
It's not just bike shops.
It's everywhere.
If I get good service \ communication , it's a pleasant surprise.
There's A small shop where I live that have dedicated employees that know their stuff but they have almost nothing in stock, the bike shops that have stuff in stock are the ones you want to avoid doing business with, tourist traps with people who don't know things like that wheels have different spokes count sometimes, it's often ridiculous.
Working on your own bike, too much time? Price of tools?
Nothing compared to not riding because a bike shop screwed you up and then present a bill long as a leg ...
I found a former bike mechanic. that started his own business. has way better customer service than shops around my area