Please "Like" and also " Share" to keep the conversation going. More insights from my perspective with 30 years of experience in the cycling Industry in the playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLdfUXv0-z1u42bZpCLWmT2VtNW-7AIf2A.html
Shops are in trouble , prices are killing them , if they rent and not the owner of the building they use there doomed , rents gone up 50% in 3 years in the UK , was in a local shop last week asking for an inner rear brake cable , was £1.50 each last time I was in there , now they cost £4 each cable ??? Got on Ebay and found 10 cables for £7 ??? They are doomed with prices they have to charge to survive ...Very sad ....
1. Bikes are too expensive and online is the only way to get even close to a decent price. 2. Bike shops are judgemental, unhelpful, entitled dicks all too often and the whole industry has a snobbish, cliquey attitude. 3. It is not difficult to work on your own bike and it has never been easier to learn, LBS are no longer knowledge gatekeepers. 4. Bikes are too expensive 5. Bikes are too expensive 6. Bikes are too expensive 7. Bikes are too expensive 8. Bikes are too expensive 9. Bikes are too expensive 10. Bikes are too expensive
#2 is the reason I Hate going to shops. 99% of the help are younger and by that assume I know nothing. 3 shops in my area have closed in the last year. Right about the last point if you aren't riding the New electro rig and can't average 19+ mph you get snobbed out.
Yep, #2 for me :( -so I buy bikes I know I can fix without much beyond basic spoke and bottom bracket wrenches. I only go to the bike shop if I absolutely must which is pretty well never.
I went into my local shop to grab a new rear derailer for my 7 speed mongoose. I spent the whole time listening to how my 500 dollar bike was bottom of the barrel and just not good enough to buy.
Retired 3 years ago from the wholesale side of the industry and have been helping out part time at a local Trek shop with repairs during the busy season. It's fun work but it seems almost impossible to find any younger people that want to get in the industry. Yea the pay is tough and one has to have knowledge on how a basic coaster brake works all the way up to wireless shifting and internal cable routing. Things were so much simpler back in the 70's. Good luck!
Yes, bikes WERE simpler years ago, which is why I ride two vintage bikes, a '93 Bridgestone RB-1 and an '86 Schwinn Paramount. Less sometimes really is more. Do we really need electronic shifting, hydraulic brakes, internal cable routing and carbon everything? Not in my view. A cycling buddy of mine just got a custom-made bike ($15,000 estimated cost), with high-end parts (all Dura-Ace, etc.) and she's performing no better than she did on her old bike, which was also high end, though her custom is the so-called latest and greatest. Give me an all steel, rim brake, down-tube shifting, 6-8 cog free-wheel or cassette machine any day.
tbh, bike shops have always been useless. Everything's marked up way too much and they never want to do small jobs. I gave up well over a decade ago and just buy from online stores and do the work myself. I tried many a times to give local shops a go but they were always dismissive, rude and well overpriced, and it was their loss. I have 14 bikes totaling nearly 40k and they always took one look at me and wrote me off as I don't dress up or fit the bill of someone with a collection. For example, I took my brand-new frame to seven bike shops a few weeks ago. Not one shop had the ability (or want) to fit the shock bushings and just looked at me like I was crazy. Round two. Took another frame in for facing of the rear post mount. Checked every shop and they pretty much threw the "never heard of post mount facing" at me. It's at the stage of straight up dismissal that the mechanics wont even look at me or stop working to answer my questions at every shop and its super rude. They could make a killing off me if they even made eye contact. Had $500 for a new front wheel the other day and pretty much got the "we only have a quick release wheel not 12x142" My response was "well can you order one in?" and I got "no". So ebay gets my money. Bike shops have become so super focused on selling new bikes that they basically refuse to serve people that bring in a bike that they didn't sell. When it comes to pricing I picked up a new bomber z2 150mm rail online for $320. They go for over 1k at local shops. I can't excuse that type of markup.
Thanks for sharing. This does drive a lot of cyclists to DIY and buy only online. Unfortunately, my business practice and how I treat customers are becoming a lost art. I know there are a few mechanics and shops that still really support their communities, but they are becoming far few, and it's like searching for unicorns.
Unfortunately… my local shop that I’ve only visited once (didn’t know they were there), in the short 20 minutes I was there, promptly told a walk-in customer what they weren’t willing to do… bring life back to his old bike. That action made sure I’ll never walk in again. Instead, I drove a hundred miles to another bike shop for complete ground up restorations of 3 bicycles with significant investment because they were willing to do so. That rejection of work because they just wanna sell new is more commonplace than not; it’s pathetic and frustrating!
This is happening more often than not at the Corporate Owned stores. It doesn't matter if they provide 24-hour turnaround tune-ups if they are not even going to work on older bikes. Their Kool-Aid has become toxic! It's insane to me...Hint: Service Writer Nightmare Video is in the works.
@@roadcyclist1 There is a huge used bike market here where some shops that is all that they do. The Pro's Closet has paved the way for DTC. And Service is just as big.
I always thought it would be a good idea for the bike shop to sponsor a swap meet at their location, let sellers rent a space/table and sell their used stuff...
Really good video. I’m in Albuquerque. Have gone out of my way to develop good relations with a close to me bike shop. Recently tipped a staff guy who got a couple of really tight tires on my bike….after I pealed off callouses trying to mount them. Took care of me even when the shop was a month out on repairs & service. I buy lube, tools, cleaner fluid, socks and shoes from them whenever I need them. One of the youngsters on staff, (I’m 74 and still an active cycler.), mentioned that I could order all this on-line (Specialized store). I told him - yeah, but if I don’t buy local from your store, you could very likely not be here, and, being local to me is better than buying cheaper on line because you also fix my mistakes! Have brought them donuts just because. The big box and corporate stores just don’t get what it’s like to walk into a bike shop and hear: “Hi Dave, what’s up.” It is not customer service - it’s customer friendliness. Small, independent shops - you have to be welcoming to even that guy who just wants a bottle of chain lube. Personally, I can buy any bike I want in retirement. But - $8 to $14k for a bike. Screw that.
The shop I use earned my business by treating me right when I started riding and being frank and honest and realistic with what I needed to keep rolling. Went above and beyond to find me parts during covid. I send everyone there and I could now do some wrenching myself but Id rather trust my mechanic there to do it right.
Internet ultra transparency + Internet discount retailers (CRC, Wiggle…etc) + offline discount retailer Decathlon means that competition is fierce, margins are thin, margins hard to protect. The only reason for cyclists to visit local bike shop is for mechanical skills. So having good mechanics is important.
I have worked on my bikes for years but from time to time I have taken my bikes to the local bike shop for a one over. I have Bought new parts at bike shops. Well 90%. Over the years too. Then About a year ago I needed a part. When I drove into their drive way, there was NO BIKES OUT SIDE TO BE SOLD. And the shop was closed. OK so I called their other shop only they closed that one to. Then I called Dave's witch I never cared for but he seemed to always be busy and he was always my back up. He closed to. I found out Dave just wanted to retire and couldn't find a buyer for his shop. While my Mike the man just gave up. Now the closest bike shop is over a hour and a half away and they have the altitude if you haven't bought the bike from us get to the back of the line. We will get to you in a few days. So now I am buying all my parts on line. And I hate it. I wanted a new bike. Well a good used one. I had bought my bikes from Mike. Then I just bought a very nice used bike from Facebook market place. I was very careful buying from that site. About 100 or more bikes are stolen from Portland alone every year. That is just one small City. My City is only five miles wide and abought the same long. 30 bikes were stolen last year here. Any way I drifted. Point is here bike shops are droppings like flies. . One bike shop is now a restaurant. Over half of the bike shops I knew of are closed. And I am not going to drive over 40- 80 miles to get to a good bike shop. Not anymore. Not unless I can get into a vehicle that gets more than 17 mpgs Oh and why did I not buy a used bike from another shop if I feel this way? Simple I couldn't find one I liked this time. And I used a lot of gas trying. Well that is my 2 cents.
Boy this spoke to me. I worked in various shops from '82 to'98. Almost all "mom & pop". Wearing many hats was common. However, interrupting a mechanic to go to the sales floor was not a good idea. I mostly wrenched and learned to build wheels early on. Much more fun than dirty chains. I'm certainly not up to date but I do all my work and most is clean, lube, attention to detail. One thing I tried was after hours maintenance clinics. Not many but it was a good value for all and it actually convinced most that it was better to pay the shop! But any knowledge to help riders in the field is good for them. Sorry this a bit long. Cheers. 🍻
I recently went to a bike shop to have a Shimano recall crank inspected. It's located in a strip mall anchored by a major home improvement warehouse store. Despute the decent location, inventory was limited to low to mid level bikes. The owner is trying to keep the lights on by also renting out U-hauls. Strange combo, but I wish them well.
The bicycle shop in Berlin, WI were I bought my first mountain bike at over thirty years ago also repaired leather shoes in the other half of the shop I.remrmber the guy sold me a mountain bike that had four inches of clearance said that was the proper sized bike. LOL.
I'm a one man band . Doing absolutely fine until last year when trek opened a store 3 miles away. Now my bike shop is pretty much a "what you need done" shop. I'll build you a bookcase, bodywork on your car, lay flooring, cut grass, . Pretty much whatever it takes to keep my doors open 😂.
As a bike shop owner, this is true if a shop allows it! The truth right now is that all retail business everywhere is struggling!! The shops that adapt, and make changes will help control some of this. I bought my shop just a few months before 911, then the real estate crash a few years later, COVID and now the after effects of so many being greedy during COVID. So the long and short of this is adapting and controlling cost, nothing new truthfully. It is a challenge, and those that want to survive will find ways to make that happen...again, like all business. We don't need all of the drama, we simply need to make some changes and continue to keep doing that. We could go on and on about this, but it seems wiser to me to get back to the whiteboard and figure out things that work for each shop/area, and continue to do just that.
Thank you for your insights. I know it's kind of clicky, but I'm trying to bring attention to your local business and how to help support them. It is an absolute struggle right now, and any help/business we can get can help. Oh, we lost our family business in 2001, right after 911. Good for you getting through those early challenges.
We've got 18,000 car dealers in this country and gradually increasing, just 7,000 bike shops and in sharp decline; it suggests to me the imbalance in retail is more than normally deep with LBS's. Some corporations (e.g. Trek) seem to think the solution is direct dealerships, but I'm highly skeptical. Too little access to general service bike shops in my part of CHICAGO for goodness sake -- I've ended up buying a lot of tools myself.
@@dblissmn I do agree that we need shops that can offer great service. I truly don't agree with shipping bikes consumer direct, as it can leave many customers without proper service or warranty help. AS for car dealerships, vehicle prices are up 47-48%! And once, they could not deliver lots of new vehicles then those same price hikes are associated with "used" vehicles. They also want to service all of the vehicles that they sell, without independent service centers being able to. We just passed a law here in Maine where consumers have the right to get their vehicles where ever they choose. Sort of sounds like Trek buying out many shops to me...
@@dblissmn This is an interesting comparison. It is not looking good at all for the LBS. So, in my area Fort Colling/Loveland Colorado, Trek and Specialized already have corporate stores here (5 in total) so you know there will be at least 10%-20% of LBS closures in the near future.
If your shop is like most, you have already scared away most curious potential buyers with 99% of your stock priced over $5,000 with beautiful fancy models that only 1% of potential customers want and 0.1% need.
Bad service is DEADLY. Example: One of my local bikes shops recently became a company store. Lots of new faces are cycling through. They also (temporarily) changed their opening time to 11am. So, I go by one morning at about 10:30, thinking they would be open. I see some guy I don’t know test riding a bike in the parking lot. But he was rather rude and told me that I would have to wait until 11am until they can help me. “OK,” I said and got into my car. I drove about 3 miles to the other bike store. They fixed the issue while I was standing there. I spent A LOT at bike shops. A LOT. That was an expensive blow-off.
Do you also go to stores 30 min after they close and bang on the door, windows and stare at employees through the window until they shut all the lights off? 🙄 maybe the guy blew you off because he couldn't help you?
@@peterbaskind9872 really? the store wasnt open, you seem a bit spoiled or overly demanding. How do you know the employee wasn't waiting for someone with keys to actually open? Maybe there was noone else there in the store? Some retail stores have policies that they require 2 employees for safety or insurance policies Just slightly bizarre behavior to be expecting to be served on the spot. How is that the stores expectation to let customers in 30min before opening because you can't be bothered to check their hours?
The guy test riding the bike was one of the mechanics. They often come in early or are there late and on a schedule. Most likely didn't have time or the ability to even make any kind of sale. There are a few reasons why they charge the hours for the retail end of the shop. However having worked as a mechanic in a shop that charged it hours for the slow season...I understand the frustration because the shop appears to be open . I'm not surprised that the mechanic may have been curt and not willing to help. It is possible that the mechanic would have been in jeopardy for even trying to help. This would actually been that case at the shop I previously worked at...perhaps we are referring to the same...just have that sence of who you encountered. Anyway not open is generally not open.
The mom and pop shops in my area have all closed, mostly because the owners were 70+ years old. One of the bigger ones got bought out by Trek and became a corporate store. They do a good job there to be totally honest.
A lot of people complain about corporatism but I would venture that statistically, retiring out is likely the far more common reason for shop closures.
Soooo true!! You hit the nail on the head. I had a Trek store move in I was able to withstand the blow they gave me and put them out of business in 8 months and I was a Trek dealer at the same time. Times are different and hard. Supposed for your local business!
All the major bike manufacturers ship 95% complete bikes direct to consumer, who in there right mind would ever go to a local bike shop. I think thats the #1 reason.
So spend thousands on something marketed as a highly refined product then convince people you don’t need specialized knowledge and skills to build and maintain it? Who does that benefit? The manufacturer. Customers lose out. Most of the time the bikes are the same price under a roof or through UPS.
True, but now Trek, Specialized and others are no longer going to help them out. Now they are a major competitor like Walmart, REI, and other big box stores.
I've seen huge lines of credit put small shops out of business. The big names aren't doing anything to really help lbs but provide warranties. Beyond that they are going to experience similar staffing issues at the local level. Its no different than car dealerships. And there are tons of small service stations .@@IKnowAGuyBicycles
My local bike shop is booming on electric bike sales, service and repair. He probably doesn’t need to sell a bike to stay open honesty. This is what amazing customer service gets you. I can repair my own bikes, but I take it to him just ti support his shop as he’s been amazing over the years. Obviously I don’t take my bike there for every little thing but I do support him when/all I can.
I just got back into bikes. Went to a Trek store ready to buy and they said they'd get a certain bike in for me to look at from their other shop w/in a few days. It took them over three weeks. In that time I did more research and decided to go a different direction. Contacted a local bike shop and ordered a Marin. Took forever to show up and in the meantime found the same bike new for $900 less. Cancelled that first order and got the new bike from Discount Bikes online before the first order was even shipped. Need to up your game, people. Also, I've been binge watching youtube mechanical videos and there's nothing I can't do on my own so I thnk local bike shops are in big trouble.
Ever since, you can order online, and bikes are almost completely set up. You can't almost go wrong there. I ship many used bikes with very little assembly, and you can hit the road in about 30-40 minutes. Follow-up service will always be needed, but you are right. There are a lot of do-it-yourself videos, including mine. So, the brick-and-mortar store has less of the pie and is still shining.
@@IKnowAGuyBicycles I was into high end audio just when the internet started heating up and everybody was saying the audio shops would go out of business and please support your local shop. That was a silly call to action because virtually nobody was going to spend thousands more on a purchase just to support anybody. The audio shops had an opportunity to reinvent themselves with clubs, listening sessions, free in home demos, free installation, easy trade ins, etc but they chose to do nothing but complain and now they're almost all gone. Too bad. The bike industry could figure it out but asking people to support them won't work.
I would say also customer service is the first one for me, I’ve been looking to upgrade stuff on my bike and since I didn’t buy the bike from any given shop their behavior is “ ok, let’s get the most of this guy” rather let’s treat him well the first time maybe will be a long term customer. They just don’t care. And many people are deciding to do it themself bc of no customer confidence that your are not getting screwed
Many shops need to work very hard to bring back customer confidence because there has been poor customer service that needs to be changed. Hopefully, they can bring back excellent customer service and give that warm hug that has been missing for the last 20 years.
I got my first road (expensive bike), from a shop it’s closing due to everything you said. Somehow the owner was trying to make me feel guilty cause I got a 30% discount before she close shop, my front derailer was mess up went multiple times to fix it with no success, decided to go to 3 diff stores one was 100!$. To look at it. The second one told me 20$. But needed to leave the bike while I arrived riding the bike, not in my car so I left with the same problem, keep in mind I told them about the possibility of change my handlebars a and wheels if they can provide guidance (again don’t care, cause I didn’t buy the bike with them) really frustrating. So I got tools already fixed myself in 10min. They lost my business cause they had a bigger job while this one was maybe 10min for them 1h for me. That’s the point where people are moving online or big retail, since you will not get support at all. No reason to go to smaller shops anymore (either you get treated like noob or don’t get treated at all) at least my experience. The third shop wanted to charge me for cable routing and break bleed bc I asked for a handle bike, even though my bike is not compatible with internal cable routing. And at that point I just gave you. I’m sorry if I am rambling but discourage ppl just to even try. While trek and specialized offers convenience at their shops.
My local shop moved to a gigantic building , loaded up on bikes after the pandemic boom and then a Trek corporate store moved in. So I feel like they might be hosed
Post covid LBS have changed, they stock less charge more, and are not really interested unless you are buying a stock bike from their shelves. Im In the UK and many have dissapeared, even the big corporates. I think a lot of bikers are becoming bike mechanics. and buying the components online. Thats what I have done. I have built 4 bikes in 3 years frame up and now even lace and true my own rims. TH-cam doesnt help either for Bike engineers. I taught myself everything on this platform. But Im saving 100's of £ in inflated labour costs and getting the exact sped of bike I want.
@IKnowAGuyBicycles mine is 13. It's all I can do to get her back on bike. We used to ride everywhere. Gonna get her a very relaxed bike . I think my drop bar bike are ruining her experience. Especially at slow speeds
Direct to consumer bikes and bikes like Wal Mart's Ozark Trail Ridge will do in bike shops as they exist now. If only the mechanic/service part is the value add. But with better interchangeable parts, newer tech, and a lot of DIYers, well, this too is a challenge.
I'm a small shop owner and I only fix bikes that are profitable. If you have internal cables and creaky bb issues and are not ready to drop $200 to fix them...adios. The bikes I sell are mostly trouble-free and we service them for cheap. If you fell for the scam and bought crap...no way.
That is becoming the trend now. You can take the bike mechanic out of the shop, but you can't take the wrenches out of their hands. A lot of bike shop peeps have opened their own home businesses. (or a small one-person location) This may be the future of good Mechanics and Service.
Exactly , I'd set up shop as close to a Rail Trail system as possible as this is where most of the average consumers ride bikes these days . Also all they need for the most part are a solid basic bike as you'd easily sell quality vintage bikes as that's all that's needed on a rail trail as customers wouldn't be thwarted away from sticker/price shock.
Yep, I ride on maybe the popular road bike route on the East coast, also highly populated, and the shop their moves high end $7k plus road bikes left and right, put the surf shop on the beach in Maui
You're a very snart guy, I think! Maybe it's best to work with a small operarion--in a decent-sized shed, etc. A lot of the old stuff is great quality. They don't mind working with Nishiki, whatever. There's far more to bikes than this elite racing BS--there always was. To a lot of us, that looks stupid. These companies loathe their typical shop owners: The lazy way ifor the latter is to go on--as usual. The fatal way....
Hey, how’s your E Bike knowledge growing? Training some electric bike specialists ? Half of all bike sales in Europe are electric now. It’s happening here too. Lots of cyclists getting into assisted power cycling now. Climbing the dams, feeling empowered, and stoked to be riding again. How about you?
my local bike shop is ruined since most cyclist know how to do their own fixes and maintenance right now and almost all parts are available through online.
"..most cyclist know how to do their own fixes and maintenance right now" Really? What planet do you live on? Can't believe it's Earth. I've been in and out of the bike biz all over for decades and I could never make a claim like that. People are mostly clueless and watching GCN videos just makes it worse.
@@larryt.atcycleitalia5786 Actually, I live in a 3rd world country so to cut some of the expenses, we fix or mend our own things such as cars, motorcycles, and bikes. The biking industry really exploded in my country during the pandemic due to all restrictions with travel and physical workouts. People turned their heads quite quickly to the biking industry thus causing a huge spike in the demand. but After years of owning a bike, owners like myself and friends studied the basics of bike mechanic and bought basic tools for the job. I personally cannot do wheelset truing but thats about the only thing I cannot do to my bike fleet. I am not alone in this mindset, there are tons of people in my local area that can mend their bike at the side of the road if needed.
I would disagree with your premise that most cyclists know how to fix and maintain their own bikes. I do all my own stuff including wheel builds. I used to work at a blue chip engineering company and was shocked at how people (including engineers) were impressed with what I did on my bikes and either did not have the confidence or ability to do the same. I also found that younger people depended for so many things on buying in services or replacing broken items with new mainly because their parents had adopted that way of life and they just carried on the same attitude.
even with the cost of all the tools, i make more per hour than any bike shop could ever pay me and i have zero overhead, working at home. i have no pressure so i can make mistakes at my liesure which is invaluable. i charge 100cdn for a thourough wash and tuneup. takes about an hour. i can make a couple hundred a day cash no problem. of course, i'll never be fast enough to get hired in a shop but i don't need to be fast, just good.
The best way to ensure that your LBS stays in business is to rally against this car-centric society we have been brainwashed into believing is actually beneficial for society. Or open you shop in Amsterdam, but that kind of competition is on a whole different level.
Insightful content. Seems like you have outlined 3 or more full-time jobs, though... "just get yourself a bunch of used kids bikes"? That store doesn't exist. Used bikes have to be purchased one at a time with a keen eye on profitability. Pay a mechanic ANY wage and sell for a couple hundred dollars? That isn't sustainable. Social media is a full-time job in itself and requires specialized computer skills and software. The real conversation lies in the overpriced bike at the center of this conversation. Bikes have gotten so expensive that manufacturers have to go directly to consumer or the retail prices become even more unaffordable. The "buy in" for a respectable mtb has doubled or more in the last 10 years.
I live in a very bike-friendly city, Eugene in Oregon. I counted 33 bike shops I could find online, serving a population of about 237,000 people (if we count neighboring Springfield), not counting places like Target and WalMart. I'm wonderign how many bike stores per head of local population is ideal? I bought an eBike a week ago, from a store dedicated to just eBikes. They recently moved into bigger premises (neighboring their old store). I was able to test multiple e-bikes over several hours, but never felt they were trying to up-sell me. Bought a Magnum Peak T5. They've also done electric conversions for my wife, on her reclining bikes too.
I never once heard you mention e-bikes. That is where the industry is heading. E-bikes are allowing the elderly to get out into the fresh air and get some much needed exercise. And the retired elderly are the ones with the money. Forget about the kids. Mom and Dad are just going to go to Walmart and get a bike for $80. Or a hoverboard or skateboard. But the elderly are spending $2000+ on e-bikes and accessories for their bikes. And all these e-bikes whether their from China or a Name brand use all the same parts, - the freewheel, the chainring, the wheels, tires, seats, derailleurs, pedals, handlebars, etc. etc are all the same parts you're probably selling right now. And they all need someone local to service and keep their e-bikes tuned up. I would think you'd have your hands full just replacing the gear sets on all those improperly geared e-bikes that are plagued with the oh so common ghost peddling issue. That's the first thing I had to do on my e-bike was to replace the freewheel and the chainring to eliminate the ghost peddling. Now it's perfect. So don't let the e-bike industry pass you by. If you're starting to hear crickets in your shop that's most likely where all your customers have gone. Cater to the people with the money. The retired crowd like me that are finding new life with e-bikes. That's where the money is. Follow the money.
I wasn't focusing on types of bikes but more on how to run your business. Yes, e-bikes, Gravel, 3-wheel, and others can help your sales. But your location and the local bike culture would be the most focused on what type you carry. But that is an excellent point on having the right product mix. Like having downhill bikes in Florida, I wouldn't go heavy on.
@@IKnowAGuyBicyclesThanks for the great video. IBD for FL here. What web platform do you use for your main site? Using Lightspeed Retail for POS but unimpressed with their web option even though it syncs inventory. Liked WordPress but no sync with LS inventory.
@@TheUntypicals I don't think so. These e-bikes have opened up a whole new world for many older people that can't get around like they used to. I know for myself at 66, I could never think of getting around on a bike, especially if a hill of any kind came up. But on my e-bike, after just a month of peddling around the neighborhood I am able to travel 20-30 miles now no problem, hills and all! And it's all because of the e-assist. It turns me into Superman and I can conquer anything! This has been a real boon for my health and outlook on life. It get's me out of the house doing things. But what us old folks can't do is bend down for very long or get on our knees, so it can be difficult to work on our bikes. That's where the bike shops come in for us. We need help keeping these things going and are happy to pay someone to do it.
ebikes are a dead end and predicated on significant cohort of people with the disposable income to afford them, in tandem with a still functioning economy. Batteries are expensive to replace. My very expensive Dualtron scooter battery won't charge beyond 64% and only a couple of years old. Lots of potential e-waste. Consider too, that minerals used for the composition of these ebikes are in competition with other mass scale uses for them. Tool industry for example. Everything is going cordless. Electric Cars (another dead end) are being hyped - demand (if global economy doesn't implode) will scale up for a raft of reasons. They too will be consuming limited resources of rare earth metals. Ebikes/scooter manufacturers will be competing with industry goliaths who can out bid them as demand for rare minerals spikes and goes up. The wider global economy is turning to shit. Will it collapse? I hope not but I think we can agree that things are not looking good and this is not set to change for the better in the near future. Many jobs will be wiped out by poor economy (as well as AI/Robotics/automation). Many pensions eaten up by inflation and cost of living. Now is the time to buy such e-toys if you have the means. The ye olde human powered pedal bike, going to be a much more viable alternative for most people.
My friend owns a shop....years ago he switched to specialized.....you have to sell all specialized in your shop....I think this is crazy but he went that way....I hope he survives....no variety in the sport anymore
My biggest beef with local bike shops is the hours they keep. They are worse than banks. A customer has to be unemployed to have the open time to patronize these stores. I've got one that's closest to me that's open 10-5 Monday thru Friday.
My LBS closed during covid now have to drive 35 miles too nearest bicycle shop the biggest loss is the community lbs ie group rides lunchtime meet-up access to knowledgeable staff nowadays it's internet service
We had a local shop for years. The owner basically started telling anyone that didn’t buy a bike from his shop that he wouldn’t service their bikes or sell them anything else. I witnessed this on at least 3 occasions and started driving 40 miles to another shop. The rude guy closed his shop and the other shop is still rolling on. Lot of Amish in the area and they ride bikes! Service business is pretty good!
There is opportunity in the industry for sure. Pivoting to different niches or offereing different services is a start. I am a big proponent of the secondary market! I have cleaned house in that for years!
Absolutely, there are opportunities still available for shops to fill. The two huge ones are the used market and outstanding service. That's where I live doing my business out of my garage.
basically I'd want to be able to go into a bike shop, say: i want to change the battery in my ebike from 48 (13s) to 52 (14s) ... can you do that within the existing battery case, mounting location or a new location is needed, etc. or if a shop offered custom paint services. that would be interesting. break down the bike for me, paint the parts, put it back together correctly. maybe a little cnc machine for aluminium/steel to make custom adapter plates or parts when needed. i don't know. my ideal bike shop is actually like a maker-lab specialising in bikes i guess. i have little to no need for what i guess would be traditional bike shops and the whole social aspect and customer service for that traditional bike shop stuff doesn't justify the 50% markup of items like seat posts i see in my local bike shop today. if i see markups like that on the way in, I'm going to assume I'm going to be getting bent over for all the services offered as well. if that kind of mark up is needed in a local shop to stay afloat, i think it would be better to just not sell that stuff. for every one person who may buy it, I'm pretty sure more than one are seeing it and like me, just write off the whole store as being a ripoff.
The shop I go to has a guy who doesn't work there that they send the bike to him to paint already prepped then he paints it and sends it back to the bike shop. He does a lot of cars too
A difficult business to be in although my local bike shop keeps overheads low & specialises in keeping older/unusual bikes/trikes/recumbents on the road with a spare parts inventory going back to 1928.The owner is the mechanic & his knowledge is encyclopedic.Frame repairs also undertaken [brazing steel frames],& the shop also has access to a skilled frame sprayer so you can chose to have unusual paint colours to mark out your bike from everyone elses.
They are a set that I put on a Specialized Roubaix "Shimano Dura-Ace Hubs w/ Velocity A23 Rims" in this post: iknowaguybicycles.com/product/2005-specialized-roubaix-comp-x-large/
How foolish one needs to be buy these expensive bikes that do little to more than a cheap bike for most people. Get out their and ride dont get caught up on carbon groupsets or brand names.
The 3 bike shops I use here in town just got bought up by Specialized. Most of the people are happy to be employed by the company. The owner got away with a lot of money.
Yes! Talk to your local bike shop, establish a relationship and figure ways to make suggestions- shops need the personal feedback…. Try to gauge receptivity before suggestions- not all times are good times and wording can affect how it comes across…. But shops have the ability and interest to stay relevant to YOU and others in the community. * We all know that bike shop owners and employees can be ornery (we have our reasons) but just be ‘real’ and personable and you’ll do fine. Thanks Justin!
I have purchased 2 bikes from a LBS, and every imaginable thing that could have been done wrong in assembly was done wrong. They have no training, and just hire anyone that wants to fix bikes. You can't just learn all things to be a good mechanic on your own. Non existent parts supply.
@@IKnowAGuyBicycles if I went into details, it would be 1000s of words, and I didn't feel like putting that much effort into it. I had to rebuild the bikes from the ground up and can't acquire the little rubber pieces that were either left off or mangled due to lack of skill. The mfr says I must buy from the LBS. The LBS says they don't have them (guessing that they don't want to waste time on $1 parts) and to find a place that disassembles wrecked bikes for parts. In any case, I think (as a BMW and A+P mechanic): 1) there ought to be a basic school+certification for bicycle mechanics where the learn about alloys/metals, fitting, and proper assembly and various specifications. 2. Mfrs ought to be required to sell all the little wearable+breakable little rubber pieces that can't be purchased anywhere. Used to seal cable ends, wheel bearings, cable into frame insertion points, and other little custom parts. 3) I should not have to pay extra to build my own bike. Giant wanted $100 extra to ship a box to my home compared to buying a bike from a LBS assembled by a kid off the street that I have to rebuild myself without access to all the little pieces he tore/broke.
@@IKnowAGuyBicycles What got me was they replaced the F-d up SRAM with another SRAM. Sometimes just do what the customer ask's we are not all dummies. Plus the Ck's look cool.
The way things have gone in my town is, the for-profit shop went out of business to concentrate on locksmithing. We now have a community 501(c)(3) bike shop that is not for-profit, and they work on all kinds of bikes, except for E-bikes. They also have a large used parts selection, which I've used multiple times. I've even taken my own repairs to them to do, and I refurbish and sell used bikes as a hobby. (Yes, I know and understand what that means, but I'm also not charging $40 per hour for labor, and I'm selling bikes that not only operate properly, but that I've ridden.) Honestly, I see more bike shops going the way of non-profit, because of the tax benefits. It also helps if you live in a college town as well, since college kids these days can and do ride. And my town is just under 21,000 people.
About the only thing I had a bike shop do was to work on my wheels...everything else I did myself but once upon a time I used to go to a local shop that didn't even have bikes for sale. The guy was a one employee of his bike shop and worked at least twelve hours of not more six days a week that he was open and on the day he was closed he worked still. He lived downtown in the back.of his shop My town is the home of a big ten college so he has more than enough business to.just do repairs. He takes a few months off in the winter I think it's January and February every year during the slow season Luckily I have enough bikes that could just leave a.bike with him until it's finished. The last time I brought him a bike was when a car ran over my bike sideways with me on it...they wrecked the crankset and one wheel. I was partially under the car but was o.k...the guy was drunk and I was on the way to.work
I would love to support my local bike shops but every time I go into one, they treat me like crap because I am not spending $2000-$3000 on a bike. Just recently, I brought in some rims to be trued and the shop employee gave me so much crap for having lower quality rims. I took my rims back and just tried them myself. It’s like that every time I go into one. Looks like your shop isn’t like that.
We have been losing bike shops for the last 15 years, including my own. We have been losing all brick and mortar businesses. Constant negative TH-cam post surely can't help.
Bike shops are going to become bike and ebike repair/customization shops where they also, consign, buy and refurbish/repair old bikes for resale. It's about time tbh. I love my bike repair people, but I can't stand bike shop owners and sales people. I don't ever have a good experience at bike shops with owners and sales people. I don't know if it's because the margins are really thin, making shop owners money hungry, or the employees are paid a commission percentage based on how much they can sell me... but it's just not a nice experience.
Greed! After they cleared the floor during Covid, our shop owner started a large barndominiom project instead of holding these assets to see what would happen. He can afford it, but the shop is now not that profitable. These owners do many things right, but the econ economy is way worse and people can no longer withstand a product with an 80% markup. ie, NOT razor thin margin.
bike shops will generally not be able to compete in retail unless they behave like a car dealer for a given brand and that brand only sells thru dealers. I'd only visit a bike shop for things not available online. custom bike modification, mechanical maintenance and emergency part supply. basically like a car speed shop. and go all in on electric bikes. the future growth of bikes is electrification. have bike shops mod batteries or repair them and what not. right now nothing is interchangeable for ebikes so there is and will be demand for servicing things that aren't easy to get online.
I learned to work on bikes after a few bad attitudes from shops, found a gem in palmetto ga that is laid back and great with wheels so i use him for wheels and hub work. Get my frames directly from Lynskey in Tennessee.
With electric bikes coming and ever-more sophistication of quality bikes the bike shops need to raise their prices and pay their staff’s better. With the coming of electronics they need to educate themselves and be ready to service the growing customer base.
Now........i remember way back when I was alive in another life......after the 3rd TDF....we said the same thing with the flip-flop hub. "Why on Earth would I need a shop??? I can just flip the wheel to the other side!?" Service, even though they (Sram) want the mechanic dead, we'll Be Here. This video is uniquely Western. These fear videos and "It's the End of The World" sorta stuff doesn't jive when you travel. If Western bike mechanics traveled, even a weeeeee bit, you'd see that this imminent death is not imminent at all. I own a shop. It's been around for a few milliseconds....... service - service - service. Drop brands. Drop merchandise that is just dust magnets. The size of the shop should be the size of a small barber shop. Nothing larger. All the things he's describing are just poor management, poor planning, and just being meh about the grind. In depressions you don't need a new Fox 34 but you'll need someone to overhaul it the 6 times necessary until the economy picks up but Western people don't see this. It's CALAMITY. WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE. OMG OMG OMG. Just.......be lean and mean and your shop will be fine. Calm down Brah and have a hot chocolate. If I'm in Argentina and our economy is literally a roller coaster..... you'll be fine in Huff-N-Puff Upon Hudson, NY. The essence of this video is "Smarten up and don't be an a$$hole ya whole life." Additionally, he's 250% correct about wrench dragging nasty and rude mechanics. I can teach you how to wrench...I can't teach you how to be a decent human being.
Thank you for your insights. I hope on the other side of this, shops will be more approachable and friendly/family. And the result is more people getting into cycling of all kinds of riding. (not just high-end)
@@IKnowAGuyBicycles Dude!!! You're 100% correct. I SOOOOOO strongly despise the indifferent mechanic attitude. People walk in....zero compliment on their bike...zero demeanor or positivity....like....do you want everyone to leave and go on the interwebs for a pedal overhaul and maybe just maybe you could have overhauled their headset if you weren't soooo Gnar and into like the tuning of the first Mad Season record. Your channel is awesome. I enjoy it as a mechanic and possibly also as a human
I know im late but I think their main problem is sticker shock. Simple as that. Now overstock is to because some how no company thought plandemic bike sales would stop...
Yea, the COVID boom before the post covid bust. Everything is online now unless you run a repair centered shop or specialize in your bike discipline. Road, mtn, BMX specialty shops. Or you just get floor space in a outdoors/sports store that's doing well with foot traffic.
I think the market has reset back to normal. People who could not go to gyms looked buying bikes during the pandemic. Now, everything is back to normal so the demand for bikes has dropped and people are now back in the gym. Plus the economy isn’t great and bikes are so expensive, leads to less bikes being sold.
Thanks for info , we just opened a bike shop in our small town of oxford mi last year ! Excited to be a part of something that was needed in our city . Come check us out sometime !!
i d not think bike shops will disappear. they may thin out for some years but eventually the people that recently bought bikes will need service and no one does service better than a local bike shop . they can have on hand or order parts with much greater ease than the average person and they can interact with the bike companies far more efficiently than you or i could . you will regret saving a few hundred dollars by buying a bike on line when it comes time for service and parts .
I live in Germany and ride E MTB . as an old guy (78) i don't want to do maintenance anymore or hassle with online sales and or calling corporate offices to fix a problem . I bought three new bikes from local bike shops in the last eight years . in every case i wanted some extras and custom options. in every shop they were able to tweak my bike immediately in their shop and when i had a software issue with one of the motors i took it to them and they fixed it in five minutes . try that if you bought a bike on line . a lot of the problems that small shops have is coming from the customers that place price above all else . i hear mostly horror stories from those buyers when they have an issue and try to deal directly with a corporation . my local shop owner has connections at the factories and can usually resolve the problem in one phone call . i would advise future buyers to buy at a local independent shop even if it cost a little more initially .
the bike industry was flooded with cheap junker department store disposable bikes from walmart and other big box stores. Someone wont justify fixing a bike by spending $80 on a bike that cost $120. Also its hard to sell someone a decent bike for $600 when they can buy 4 bikes at walmart for the same amount.
Damn, guess I’m lucky where I live here in MN. Quite a few good bike shops with excellent service, (although over the years, I’ve also learned the ones to avoid). I started wrenching a bit during Covid, but sill use my LBS for big repairs etc. as they’re affordable and usually get the job done right first time. Let’s hope they stick around.
Prices , prices and higher prices . The average person gets to a certain dollar value and goes E-Bike . They don't care about spandex shorts and weight savings . Nor are they on the trails , unless it is paved . For the price of a decent peddle bike , I can get one heck of a E-bike . Greed since covid is turning people away from traditional shops ( usually anti e-bike - unless a high end model for 15 grand or up ) and into e-bike shops .
I live in rural NS Canada. There are only 2 bike shops in a approx. 150KM radius. They refuse to service an ebike that they don't sell. As more and more ebikes are bought online these days (including the one I bought), I'd say they're not doing themselves any favors. I would even supply them the part/s. Ok, you'll probably say they're unfamiliar with that particular ebike and don't want to be responsible doing something wrong. In that situation, I could even show them a step by step video from the seller/manufacturer...but they still won't do it. They're just being spiteful in my opinion. BTW, they're ebikes are at least three times the price of similar or even better "spec" online bikes. They also consider themselves "purists" and only sell torque sensor ebikes. They're just snobs. They only sell the type of bike they think you should ride. You're greeted with a sarcastic smirk when you roll in an ebike that they don't sell. Much as I'd like to support local businesses, every penny counts in these days of crazy inflation. It's not my fault that they rent the premises and pay exorbitant rent to greedy landlords. All the more reason to try to accommodate as much diverse clientele as possible and be willing to broaden their skills.
Let me guess, you're bringing your electric motorcycle to a bicycle shop and telling them to fix it. If you want to have an explosion on wheels, maybe learn to fix it yourself.
Until the industry figures out a way to repair bikes via fiberoptic cable, bike shops will continue to exist. They may not be selling a lot of new bikes or carrying a lot of inventory but the smart ones will concentrate on what can NOT be provided by fiberoptic cable to customers who have no clue or interest in doing it themselves. Can you get your flat tire fixed by holding your smart-phone next to your bike? Back when I was in bike-wholesale the :boogie-man was mail order like Nashbar. Then it was the internet, Same s__t, different era - if a live person in a store with a live person in front of them can't solve the customer's problem or sell him what he/she needs, it's on THEM....nobody else is to blame.
Great point. Great service will always be needed. But you will have to find the "Great" in your neck of the woods. They are out there just a little harder to find.
You can get them off of my Spreadshirt shop. You can get those designs on t-shirts, hoodies, hats, coffee cups and much more. Plus, you can custom the size and placement as well. i-know-a-guy-bicycles.myspreadshop.com/
It's all about making the customer feel good and treating them right. That's where the big chains and retailers can lose customers, and where the small ones can pick them up. A customer that feels respected will keep coming back. The shops big and small that i wont go back to again lost me because they hired young cheap low knowledge bicycle punks with attitude, which is a very common issue. The economics of bike shops means you have to have young learners on staff, but generally they're not taught or inspired with caring for the customer. For example, i make a list of stuff i would like done when i bring the bike in. If the list is lost and not all the items are done, i get annoyed... I pick up the bike, and find things just done wrong, that have to be corrected and i have to come back again later... Or little things, no end caps on cut cables, grease on bars, tires uninflated, QR not tight, bars not straight, tires installed backwards, these kinds of things show a shop that doesn't care about its work... and when you request them to be fixed and just get attitude in response, well.... I've had worse, bottom bracket threads stripped out, chainstays cracked, axle bent, and instead of apologizing and offering to fix, claiming that i somehow pedal wrong, or the bike is old, or there must have been some kind of corrosion... a really good LBS is a rare diamond, and when and if you find one, you'll keep going there and nowhere else...
👍 final things are catching up with bike shops. Never liked them and never well because the few times I been to one was always the same I know better than you so let me do all the talking so since you don't look like a Marathon biker, there's the door and head to Walmart because we only service real bikers here... Well that the feeling I got and you know what I ratter fix my own bikes and shop online 👍 no more asshole know it all's
We don't have an economic downturn in this country; we have record low unemployment and faster growth than other major countries. What we have had is a pandemic that lowered wages and that the government did not prepare for and that was managed for the first year in a way that was very biased toward big business and against small ones. And there will be more tilting of the playing field against small business if the players in that government get back into the White House. Layer that on top of internet mail order and yes, it's ugly for small bike shops. But what small bike shops have within their control is service; more and more, people are spending less of their income on goods and more on services and bike shops need to exploit this more, including by training mechanics.
Just under two years ago, I bought a Specialized SL Creo Evo Carbon Expert bike at my local bike shop here in Arizona. I guess they are part of the Incycle Marketplace. During that time I have been back a lot with dropper post too hard to drop, then later, not staying up at all, chain coming off the front ring and numerous flats. I had to call Specialized for help on the messy chain problem, and they suggested trying a Wolf Tooth chain ring. Fixed the issue. Dropper post difficulty finally fixed with a new cable. Replaced under warranty, since the cable was corroded, probably from the start. For all the flats, I at first went to tubeless tires, that entailed pumping the tires up twice a week and I still got flats, often without notice, way out on my ride. I've gone back to tubes, this time with a solution pumped into the tube. Now, I could be a jerk and loudly complain about all this, but I know they tried their hardest on my problems. I've gotten to know the staff there now, and get serviced quickly when I visit.
A lot of this new fangled technology is crap... tubeless tires...disc brakes .. electronic shifting carbon rims...dropper post....some stuff you have to learn about the hard way....
I think the youth are showing less interest in cycling all together. If we could get kids off video games and back outside on bikes the whole industry would boom.
Fuel prices going up and up. So is food. Rent/utilities. Disposal income shrinking. Parents will be looking to make cuts in the family budget where they can. Can Timmy pedal 4km to school rather than get dropped off in a car? He can now! People won't buy new unless compelling price/lack of availability of decent used bike. They'll buy cheap and used. Or reanimate the bikes in their garage. Spares will be the boom though. Brake cables/pads, shifter cables, tires, chains and other consumables as well as accessories like bike pumps. Work commute (where practical) will grow. Bike shops will be busy booking in servicing and repairs. I've stocked up on chains, brake/shifter cables and outers for our family bikes.
My dealings with bike shops has been painful. When I started shopping online, and stopped using bike shops, my problems stopped. Bike shops, good riddance.
Exactly , people are purchasing parts online . Also, people are maintaining their bikes at home more so these days as " how to " videos are very prevalent online. If I were to open a bike store , I'd personally be selling used solid bikes as well as sought after vintage /antique bikes/parts as this could attract people much like a vintage boutique shop. Opening a store right next to a busy Rail Trail system within a city would help as well , as these types of riders are simply looking for a quality , solid used bike to ride as they don't need a $2,000+ bike to ride on level ground.
There are only a couple that come to mind to me. The first one is this notion that shops deserve thousands of dollars for literally unpacking a box and handing it to you. The average $5,000 bike that costs the shop $2,600 could be sold direct to consumer for $2999 with some type of flat rate return fee if someone orders the wrong size and wants to swap. Consumer still saves a ton of money. The other one that irritates people is forced obsolescence. The bike industry and it's never ending quest to make sure people keep buying via always inventing some new trinket and often discontinuing things people may still enjoy. The mullet craze, what about just 27.5? If you're under 5'10 that size wheel feels really good especially riding Enduro. Axle spacing, wireless, there's always something new to pitch people which would be fine but the lack of support on what they just sold you a couple years ago is really my issue. Lastly, the razor thin margin statement you made is lol. Shops literally double their money on bikes and frames and a lot of small parts. That means your average $6,000 bike, you make three grand for handing someone a box. The reason the margins are argued to be slim is because the owner is driving around that new raptor with his big house on the hill paying his employees pennies. There's even one specific shop I'm thinking of as I type this. It's literally what goes on there
Please "Like" and also " Share" to keep the conversation going. More insights from my perspective with 30 years of experience in the cycling Industry in the playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLdfUXv0-z1u42bZpCLWmT2VtNW-7AIf2A.html
Shops are in trouble , prices are killing them , if they rent and not the owner of the building they use there doomed , rents gone up 50% in 3 years in the UK , was in a local shop last week asking for an inner rear brake cable , was £1.50 each last time I was in there , now they cost £4 each cable ??? Got on Ebay and found 10 cables for £7 ??? They are doomed with prices they have to charge to survive ...Very sad ....
1. Bikes are too expensive and online is the only way to get even close to a decent price.
2. Bike shops are judgemental, unhelpful, entitled dicks all too often and the whole industry has a snobbish, cliquey attitude.
3. It is not difficult to work on your own bike and it has never been easier to learn, LBS are no longer knowledge gatekeepers.
4. Bikes are too expensive
5. Bikes are too expensive
6. Bikes are too expensive
7. Bikes are too expensive
8. Bikes are too expensive
9. Bikes are too expensive
10. Bikes are too expensive
#2 is the reason I Hate going to shops. 99% of the help are younger and by that assume I know nothing. 3 shops in my area have closed in the last year. Right about the last point if you aren't riding the New electro rig and can't average 19+ mph you get snobbed out.
Way overpriced yeah you can buy a nice car for the price of these bikes
Yep, #2 for me :( -so I buy bikes I know I can fix without much beyond basic spoke and bottom bracket wrenches. I only go to the bike shop if I absolutely must which is pretty well never.
I went into my local shop to grab a new rear derailer for my 7 speed mongoose. I spent the whole time listening to how my 500 dollar bike was bottom of the barrel and just not good enough to buy.
I stick with #3. I don't think there is anything I can't do myself, regarding bikes.
Retired 3 years ago from the wholesale side of the industry and have been helping out part time at a local Trek shop with repairs during the busy season. It's fun work but it seems almost impossible to find any younger people that want to get in the industry. Yea the pay is tough and one has to have knowledge on how a basic coaster brake works all the way up to wireless shifting and internal cable routing. Things were so much simpler back in the 70's. Good luck!
I'm 32 and can't find a job even with years of expirience
It is very true to be expected to have all those skills and work for low pay. For LBS, there has to be a way to keep or provide growth opportunities.
Yes, bikes WERE simpler years ago, which is why I ride two vintage bikes, a '93 Bridgestone RB-1 and an '86 Schwinn Paramount. Less sometimes really is more. Do we really need electronic shifting, hydraulic brakes, internal cable routing and carbon everything? Not in my view. A cycling buddy of mine just got a custom-made bike ($15,000 estimated cost), with high-end parts (all Dura-Ace, etc.) and she's performing no better than she did on her old bike, which was also high end, though her custom is the so-called latest and greatest. Give me an all steel, rim brake, down-tube shifting, 6-8 cog free-wheel or cassette machine any day.
tbh, bike shops have always been useless. Everything's marked up way too much and they never want to do small jobs. I gave up well over a decade ago and just buy from online stores and do the work myself. I tried many a times to give local shops a go but they were always dismissive, rude and well overpriced, and it was their loss. I have 14 bikes totaling nearly 40k and they always took one look at me and wrote me off as I don't dress up or fit the bill of someone with a collection.
For example, I took my brand-new frame to seven bike shops a few weeks ago. Not one shop had the ability (or want) to fit the shock bushings and just looked at me like I was crazy. Round two. Took another frame in for facing of the rear post mount. Checked every shop and they pretty much threw the "never heard of post mount facing" at me.
It's at the stage of straight up dismissal that the mechanics wont even look at me or stop working to answer my questions at every shop and its super rude. They could make a killing off me if they even made eye contact. Had $500 for a new front wheel the other day and pretty much got the "we only have a quick release wheel not 12x142" My response was "well can you order one in?" and I got "no".
So ebay gets my money. Bike shops have become so super focused on selling new bikes that they basically refuse to serve people that bring in a bike that they didn't sell. When it comes to pricing I picked up a new bomber z2 150mm rail online for $320. They go for over 1k at local shops. I can't excuse that type of markup.
Thanks for sharing. This does drive a lot of cyclists to DIY and buy only online. Unfortunately, my business practice and how I treat customers are becoming a lost art. I know there are a few mechanics and shops that still really support their communities, but they are becoming far few, and it's like searching for unicorns.
Unfortunately… my local shop that I’ve only visited once (didn’t know they were there), in the short 20 minutes I was there, promptly told a walk-in customer what they weren’t willing to do… bring life back to his old bike. That action made sure I’ll never walk in again. Instead, I drove a hundred miles to another bike shop for complete ground up restorations of 3 bicycles with significant investment because they were willing to do so. That rejection of work because they just wanna sell new is more commonplace than not; it’s pathetic and frustrating!
This is happening more often than not at the Corporate Owned stores. It doesn't matter if they provide 24-hour turnaround tune-ups if they are not even going to work on older bikes. Their Kool-Aid has become toxic! It's insane to me...Hint: Service Writer Nightmare Video is in the works.
@@roadcyclist1
For the reason I stated above. I was looking for a dealer to start my frame-up "dentist' build"; it won't be them.
@@roadcyclist1 There is a huge used bike market here where some shops that is all that they do. The Pro's Closet has paved the way for DTC. And Service is just as big.
I went thru that same BS. I have a 93 Merlin Road Abe 84 Ritchey Competition. All service done from mechanic garage. Has lots of parts.
@@mechanicaldavid4827
Excellent, and you may be on to something; hopefully you're correct.
I always thought it would be a good idea for the bike shop to sponsor a swap meet at their location, let sellers rent a space/table and sell their used stuff...
That's a really good idea!
My LBS does parts swaps twice a year!
Really good video. I’m in Albuquerque. Have gone out of my way to develop good relations with a close to me bike shop. Recently tipped a staff guy who got a couple of really tight tires on my bike….after I pealed off callouses trying to mount them. Took care of me even when the shop was a month out on repairs & service. I buy lube, tools, cleaner fluid, socks and shoes from them whenever I need them. One of the youngsters on staff, (I’m 74 and still an active cycler.), mentioned that I could order all this on-line (Specialized store). I told him - yeah, but if I don’t buy local from your store, you could very likely not be here, and, being local to me is better than buying cheaper on line because you also fix my mistakes! Have brought them donuts just because. The big box and corporate stores just don’t get what it’s like to walk into a bike shop and hear: “Hi Dave, what’s up.” It is not customer service - it’s customer friendliness. Small, independent shops - you have to be welcoming to even that guy who just wants a bottle of chain lube. Personally, I can buy any bike I want in retirement. But - $8 to $14k for a bike. Screw that.
The shop I use earned my business by treating me right when I started riding and being frank and honest and realistic with what I needed to keep rolling. Went above and beyond to find me parts during covid. I send everyone there and I could now do some wrenching myself but Id rather trust my mechanic there to do it right.
Well said!
Internet ultra transparency + Internet discount retailers (CRC, Wiggle…etc) + offline discount retailer Decathlon means that competition is fierce, margins are thin, margins hard to protect.
The only reason for cyclists to visit local bike shop is for mechanical skills. So having good mechanics is important.
I have worked on my bikes for years but from time to time I have taken my bikes to the local bike shop for a one over. I have Bought new parts at bike shops. Well 90%. Over the years too.
Then About a year ago I needed a part. When I drove into their drive way, there was NO BIKES OUT SIDE TO BE SOLD. And the shop was closed. OK so I called their other shop only they closed that one to. Then I called Dave's witch I never cared for but he seemed to always be busy and he was always my back up. He closed to. I found out Dave just wanted to retire and couldn't find a buyer for his shop. While my Mike the man just gave up. Now the closest bike shop is over a hour and a half away and they have the altitude if you haven't bought the bike from us get to the back of the line. We will get to you in a few days. So now I am buying all my parts on line. And I hate it. I wanted a new bike. Well a good used one. I had bought my bikes from Mike. Then I just bought a very nice used bike from Facebook market place. I was very careful buying from that site. About 100 or more bikes are stolen from Portland alone every year. That is just one small City. My City is only five miles wide and abought the same long. 30 bikes were stolen last year here. Any way I drifted. Point is here bike shops are droppings like flies. . One bike shop is now a restaurant. Over half of the bike shops I knew of are closed. And I am not going to drive over 40- 80 miles to get to a good bike shop. Not anymore. Not unless I can get into a vehicle that gets more than 17 mpgs Oh and why did I not buy a used bike from another shop if I feel this way? Simple I couldn't find one I liked this time. And I used a lot of gas trying. Well that is my 2 cents.
Boy this spoke to me. I worked in various shops from '82 to'98. Almost all "mom & pop". Wearing many hats was common. However, interrupting a mechanic to go to the sales floor was not a good idea. I mostly wrenched and learned to build wheels early on. Much more fun than dirty chains. I'm certainly not up to date but I do all my work and most is clean, lube, attention to detail. One thing I tried was after hours maintenance clinics. Not many but it was a good value for all and it actually convinced most that it was better to pay the shop! But any knowledge to help riders in the field is good for them. Sorry this a bit long. Cheers. 🍻
I recently went to a bike shop to have a Shimano recall crank inspected. It's located in a strip mall anchored by a major home improvement warehouse store. Despute the decent location, inventory was limited to low to mid level bikes. The owner is trying to keep the lights on by also renting out U-hauls. Strange combo, but I wish them well.
It may be strange, but many shops are almost doing anything they can to stay afloat.
The bicycle shop in Berlin, WI were I bought my first mountain bike at over thirty years ago also repaired leather shoes in the other half of the shop
I.remrmber the guy sold me a mountain bike that had four inches of clearance said that was the proper sized bike. LOL.
I'm a one man band . Doing absolutely fine until last year when trek opened a store 3 miles away. Now my bike shop is pretty much a "what you need done" shop. I'll build you a bookcase, bodywork on your car, lay flooring, cut grass, . Pretty much whatever it takes to keep my doors open 😂.
@@blown94camaroz I hear that, down 30% over last year, it is very rough.
I have a bike shop as well and I admit my irrigation business is helping it stay alive economically and my love for bikes to keep it going
As a bike shop owner, this is true if a shop allows it! The truth right now is that all retail business everywhere is struggling!! The shops that adapt, and make changes will help control some of this. I bought my shop just a few months before 911, then the real estate crash a few years later, COVID and now the after effects of so many being greedy during COVID. So the long and short of this is adapting and controlling cost, nothing new truthfully. It is a challenge, and those that want to survive will find ways to make that happen...again, like all business. We don't need all of the drama, we simply need to make some changes and continue to keep doing that. We could go on and on about this, but it seems wiser to me to get back to the whiteboard and figure out things that work for each shop/area, and continue to do just that.
Thank you for your insights. I know it's kind of clicky, but I'm trying to bring attention to your local business and how to help support them. It is an absolute struggle right now, and any help/business we can get can help. Oh, we lost our family business in 2001, right after 911. Good for you getting through those early challenges.
We've got 18,000 car dealers in this country and gradually increasing, just 7,000 bike shops and in sharp decline; it suggests to me the imbalance in retail is more than normally deep with LBS's. Some corporations (e.g. Trek) seem to think the solution is direct dealerships, but I'm highly skeptical. Too little access to general service bike shops in my part of CHICAGO for goodness sake -- I've ended up buying a lot of tools myself.
@@dblissmn I do agree that we need shops that can offer great service. I truly don't agree with shipping bikes consumer direct, as it can leave many customers without proper service or warranty help. AS for car dealerships, vehicle prices are up 47-48%! And once, they could not deliver lots of new vehicles then those same price hikes are associated with "used" vehicles. They also want to service all of the vehicles that they sell, without independent service centers being able to. We just passed a law here in Maine where consumers have the right to get their vehicles where ever they choose. Sort of sounds like Trek buying out many shops to me...
@@dblissmn This is an interesting comparison. It is not looking good at all for the LBS. So, in my area Fort Colling/Loveland Colorado, Trek and Specialized already have corporate stores here (5 in total) so you know there will be at least 10%-20% of LBS closures in the near future.
If your shop is like most, you have already scared away most curious potential buyers with 99% of your stock priced over $5,000 with beautiful fancy models that only 1% of potential customers want and 0.1% need.
Been in a some bike shops lately after years away and have yet to meet anyone who wasn’t rude or useless.
This is so sad and needs to change. Shops should be a fun, inviting experience that makes you want more when you leave.
Bad service is DEADLY. Example:
One of my local bikes shops recently became a company store. Lots of new faces are cycling through. They also (temporarily) changed their opening time to 11am.
So, I go by one morning at about 10:30, thinking they would be open. I see some guy I don’t know test riding a bike in the parking lot. But he was rather rude and told me that I would have to wait until 11am until they can help me. “OK,” I said and got into my car. I drove about 3 miles to the other bike store. They fixed the issue while I was standing there.
I spent A LOT at bike shops. A LOT. That was an expensive blow-off.
Do you also go to stores 30 min after they close and bang on the door, windows and stare at employees through the window until they shut all the lights off? 🙄 maybe the guy blew you off because he couldn't help you?
@@_Zane__ No. Of course not. But that isn’t our set of facts, is it?
@@peterbaskind9872 really? the store wasnt open, you seem a bit spoiled or overly demanding. How do you know the employee wasn't waiting for someone with keys to actually open? Maybe there was noone else there in the store? Some retail stores have policies that they require 2 employees for safety or insurance policies Just slightly bizarre behavior to be expecting to be served on the spot. How is that the stores expectation to let customers in 30min before opening because you can't be bothered to check their hours?
This just screams “I’m an entitled jerk” by you! You also have no loyalty.
The guy test riding the bike was one of the mechanics. They often come in early or are there late and on a schedule. Most likely didn't have time or the ability to even make any kind of sale. There are a few reasons why they charge the hours for the retail end of the shop. However having worked as a mechanic in a shop that charged it hours for the slow season...I understand the frustration because the shop appears to be open . I'm not surprised that the mechanic may have been curt and not willing to help. It is possible that the mechanic would have been in jeopardy for even trying to help. This would actually been that case at the shop I previously worked at...perhaps we are referring to the same...just have that sence of who you encountered. Anyway not open is generally not open.
I have 5 bike shops locally. 4 of them only do repairs now. No sales at all! They are apparently all doing way better
I was about to suggest just that . Trying to compete with on line is a very up hill job . Repairs and maintenance can't be done on line .
The mom and pop shops in my area have all closed, mostly because the owners were 70+ years old. One of the bigger ones got bought out by Trek and became a corporate store. They do a good job there to be totally honest.
They do have some good people working for them, but at some point, Trek's policies and procedures will start to turn customers away.
A lot of people complain about corporatism but I would venture that statistically, retiring out is likely the far more common reason for shop closures.
Soooo true!! You hit the nail on the head. I had a Trek store move in I was able to withstand the blow they gave me and put them out of business in 8 months and I was a Trek dealer at the same time. Times are different and hard. Supposed for your local business!
All the major bike manufacturers ship 95% complete bikes direct to consumer, who in there right mind would ever go to a local bike shop. I think thats the #1 reason.
Direct to customer has changed the landscape.
So spend thousands on something marketed as a highly refined product then convince people you don’t need specialized knowledge and skills to build and maintain it? Who does that benefit? The manufacturer. Customers lose out. Most of the time the bikes are the same price under a roof or through UPS.
Haven't people been saying this for more than a decade? Service will always be needed. Just like cars.
True, but now Trek, Specialized and others are no longer going to help them out. Now they are a major competitor like Walmart, REI, and other big box stores.
Many people service their own bikes more so these days as " How to " videos are very prevalent.
many people work on their own cars too but in my region there are service stations everywhere@@manchesterexplorer8519
I've seen huge lines of credit put small shops out of business. The big names aren't doing anything to really help lbs but provide warranties. Beyond that they are going to experience similar staffing issues at the local level. Its no different than car dealerships. And there are tons of small service stations .@@IKnowAGuyBicycles
My local bike shop is booming on electric bike sales, service and repair. He probably doesn’t need to sell a bike to stay open honesty. This is what amazing customer service gets you. I can repair my own bikes, but I take it to him just ti support his shop as he’s been amazing over the years. Obviously I don’t take my bike there for every little thing but I do support him when/all I can.
I just got back into bikes. Went to a Trek store ready to buy and they said they'd get a certain bike in for me to look at from their other shop w/in a few days. It took them over three weeks. In that time I did more research and decided to go a different direction. Contacted a local bike shop and ordered a Marin. Took forever to show up and in the meantime found the same bike new for $900 less. Cancelled that first order and got the new bike from Discount Bikes online before the first order was even shipped. Need to up your game, people. Also, I've been binge watching youtube mechanical videos and there's nothing I can't do on my own so I thnk local bike shops are in big trouble.
Ever since, you can order online, and bikes are almost completely set up. You can't almost go wrong there. I ship many used bikes with very little assembly, and you can hit the road in about 30-40 minutes. Follow-up service will always be needed, but you are right. There are a lot of do-it-yourself videos, including mine. So, the brick-and-mortar store has less of the pie and is still shining.
@@IKnowAGuyBicycles I was into high end audio just when the internet started heating up and everybody was saying the audio shops would go out of business and please support your local shop. That was a silly call to action because virtually nobody was going to spend thousands more on a purchase just to support anybody. The audio shops had an opportunity to reinvent themselves with clubs, listening sessions, free in home demos, free installation, easy trade ins, etc but they chose to do nothing but complain and now they're almost all gone. Too bad. The bike industry could figure it out but asking people to support them won't work.
I would say also customer service is the first one for me, I’ve been looking to upgrade stuff on my bike and since I didn’t buy the bike from any given shop their behavior is “ ok, let’s get the most of this guy” rather let’s treat him well the first time maybe will be a long term customer. They just don’t care. And many people are deciding to do it themself bc of no customer confidence that your are not getting screwed
Many shops need to work very hard to bring back customer confidence because there has been poor customer service that needs to be changed. Hopefully, they can bring back excellent customer service and give that warm hug that has been missing for the last 20 years.
I got my first road (expensive bike), from a shop it’s closing due to everything you said. Somehow the owner was trying to make me feel guilty cause I got a 30% discount before she close shop, my front derailer was mess up went multiple times to fix it with no success, decided to go to 3 diff stores one was 100!$. To look at it. The second one told me 20$. But needed to leave the bike while I arrived riding the bike, not in my car so I left with the same problem, keep in mind I told them about the possibility of change my handlebars a and wheels if they can provide guidance (again don’t care, cause I didn’t buy the bike with them) really frustrating. So I got tools already fixed myself in 10min. They lost my business cause they had a bigger job while this one was maybe 10min for them 1h for me.
That’s the point where people are moving online or big retail, since you will not get support at all. No reason to go to smaller shops anymore (either you get treated like noob or don’t get treated at all) at least my experience.
The third shop wanted to charge me for cable routing and break bleed bc I asked for a handle bike, even though my bike is not compatible with internal cable routing.
And at that point I just gave you.
I’m sorry if I am rambling but discourage ppl just to even try.
While trek and specialized offers convenience at their shops.
lack of marketing & branding, location, economic downturn, poor management, poor customer service, lack of good mechanics, high costs - expenses, change, big box stores, on-line retailers
My local shop moved to a gigantic building , loaded up on bikes after the pandemic boom and then a Trek corporate store moved in. So I feel like they might be hosed
Love my local bike shops. Super valuable recourses as a cycling enthusiast.
Nice!
Post covid LBS have changed, they stock less charge more, and are not really interested unless you are buying a stock bike from their shelves.
Im In the UK and many have dissapeared, even the big corporates.
I think a lot of bikers are becoming bike mechanics. and buying the components online.
Thats what I have done. I have built 4 bikes in 3 years frame up and now even lace and true my own rims.
TH-cam doesnt help either for Bike engineers. I taught myself everything on this platform. But Im saving 100's of £ in inflated labour costs and getting the exact sped of bike I want.
I get it... Totally makes sense. It's beautiful out today. Gonna go ride. Thanks bro. Cya
Same here, 75 degrees high here today. Maybe I'll pull my 7-year-old daughter today on the tag-a-long.
@IKnowAGuyBicycles mine is 13. It's all I can do to get her back on bike. We used to ride everywhere. Gonna get her a very relaxed bike . I think my drop bar bike are ruining her experience. Especially at slow speeds
As a customer this was super interesting. Thank you
Direct to consumer bikes and bikes like Wal Mart's Ozark Trail Ridge will do in bike shops as they exist now. If only the mechanic/service part is the value add. But with better interchangeable parts, newer tech, and a lot of DIYers, well, this too is a challenge.
I'm a small shop owner and I only fix bikes that are profitable. If you have internal cables and creaky bb issues and are not ready to drop $200 to fix them...adios. The bikes I sell are mostly trouble-free and we service them for cheap. If you fell for the scam and bought crap...no way.
My Bike mechanic retired 3 years ago from owning a shop. He repairs bikes from his garage, New or Vinage.
That is becoming the trend now. You can take the bike mechanic out of the shop, but you can't take the wrenches out of their hands. A lot of bike shop peeps have opened their own home businesses. (or a small one-person location) This may be the future of good Mechanics and Service.
Location is so important. The bike shops that do well near me are the ones that are near the places people ride.
Exactly , I'd set up shop as close to a Rail Trail system as possible as this is where most of the average consumers ride bikes these days . Also all they need for the most part are a solid basic bike as you'd easily sell quality vintage bikes as that's all that's needed on a rail trail as customers wouldn't be thwarted away from sticker/price shock.
Yep, I ride on maybe the popular road bike route on the East coast, also highly populated, and the shop their moves high end $7k plus road bikes left and right, put the surf shop on the beach in Maui
i switched to dirt bike😅 i cannot take the bike pricing anymore. goodluck. hope bike brands. raised the price more till these elitists snobs go broke
You're a very snart guy, I think!
Maybe it's best to work with a small operarion--in a decent-sized shed, etc.
A lot of the old stuff is great quality. They don't mind working with Nishiki, whatever.
There's far more to bikes than this elite racing BS--there always was. To a lot of us, that looks stupid.
These companies loathe their typical shop owners: The lazy way ifor the latter is to go on--as usual. The fatal way....
Hey, how’s your E Bike knowledge growing? Training some electric bike specialists ? Half of all bike sales in Europe are electric now. It’s happening here too. Lots of cyclists getting into assisted power cycling now. Climbing the dams, feeling empowered, and stoked to be riding again. How about you?
my local bike shop is ruined since most cyclist know how to do their own fixes and maintenance right now and almost all parts are available through online.
"..most cyclist know how to do their own fixes and maintenance right now"
Really? What planet do you live on? Can't believe it's Earth. I've been in and out of the bike biz all over for decades and I could never make a claim like that. People are mostly clueless and watching GCN videos just makes it worse.
@@larryt.atcycleitalia5786 Actually, I live in a 3rd world country so to cut some of the expenses, we fix or mend our own things such as cars, motorcycles, and bikes. The biking industry really exploded in my country during the pandemic due to all restrictions with travel and physical workouts. People turned their heads quite quickly to the biking industry thus causing a huge spike in the demand. but After years of owning a bike, owners like myself and friends studied the basics of bike mechanic and bought basic tools for the job. I personally cannot do wheelset truing but thats about the only thing I cannot do to my bike fleet. I am not alone in this mindset, there are tons of people in my local area that can mend their bike at the side of the road if needed.
I would disagree with your premise that most cyclists know how to fix and maintain their own bikes. I do all my own stuff including wheel builds. I used to work at a blue chip engineering company and was shocked at how people (including engineers) were impressed with what I did on my bikes and either did not have the confidence or ability to do the same. I also found that younger people depended for so many things on buying in services or replacing broken items with new mainly because their parents had adopted that way of life and they just carried on the same attitude.
I'm not sure if you mentioned it, but these neighborhood website applications (like Nextdoor) may also be a good way to get your name out.
even with the cost of all the tools, i make more per hour than any bike shop could ever pay me and i have zero overhead, working at home. i have no pressure so i can make mistakes at my liesure which is invaluable. i charge 100cdn for a thourough wash and tuneup. takes about an hour. i can make a couple hundred a day cash no problem. of course, i'll never be fast enough to get hired in a shop but i don't need to be fast, just good.
The best way to ensure that your LBS stays in business is to rally against this car-centric society we have been brainwashed into believing is actually beneficial for society. Or open you shop in Amsterdam, but that kind of competition is on a whole different level.
£60 an hour labour charge is the killer for me. Luckily I enjoy working on my squadron of bikes so no problem.
I walked into my LBS and bought a $500 kids bike last week. Lol
I find a lot of bike shops in my area sell tea / coffee to supplement their income.
Insightful content. Seems like you have outlined 3 or more full-time jobs, though... "just get yourself a bunch of used kids bikes"? That store doesn't exist. Used bikes have to be purchased one at a time with a keen eye on profitability. Pay a mechanic ANY wage and sell for a couple hundred dollars? That isn't sustainable. Social media is a full-time job in itself and requires specialized computer skills and software. The real conversation lies in the overpriced bike at the center of this conversation. Bikes have gotten so expensive that manufacturers have to go directly to consumer or the retail prices become even more unaffordable. The "buy in" for a respectable mtb has doubled or more in the last 10 years.
As a one man shop. You get very efficient with your time and who needs sleep, right?
I live in a very bike-friendly city, Eugene in Oregon. I counted 33 bike shops I could find online, serving a population of about 237,000 people (if we count neighboring Springfield), not counting places like Target and WalMart. I'm wonderign how many bike stores per head of local population is ideal?
I bought an eBike a week ago, from a store dedicated to just eBikes. They recently moved into bigger premises (neighboring their old store). I was able to test multiple e-bikes over several hours, but never felt they were trying to up-sell me. Bought a Magnum Peak T5.
They've also done electric conversions for my wife, on her reclining bikes too.
WOW, cycling must be huge there. I bet most of those shops have their own niche and following with good customer service.
I never once heard you mention e-bikes. That is where the industry is heading. E-bikes are allowing the elderly to get out into the fresh air and get some much needed exercise. And the retired elderly are the ones with the money. Forget about the kids. Mom and Dad are just going to go to Walmart and get a bike for $80. Or a hoverboard or skateboard. But the elderly are spending $2000+ on e-bikes and accessories for their bikes. And all these e-bikes whether their from China or a Name brand use all the same parts, - the freewheel, the chainring, the wheels, tires, seats, derailleurs, pedals, handlebars, etc. etc are all the same parts you're probably selling right now. And they all need someone local to service and keep their e-bikes tuned up. I would think you'd have your hands full just replacing the gear sets on all those improperly geared e-bikes that are plagued with the oh so common ghost peddling issue. That's the first thing I had to do on my e-bike was to replace the freewheel and the chainring to eliminate the ghost peddling. Now it's perfect. So don't let the e-bike industry pass you by. If you're starting to hear crickets in your shop that's most likely where all your customers have gone. Cater to the people with the money. The retired crowd like me that are finding new life with e-bikes. That's where the money is. Follow the money.
I wasn't focusing on types of bikes but more on how to run your business. Yes, e-bikes, Gravel, 3-wheel, and others can help your sales. But your location and the local bike culture would be the most focused on what type you carry. But that is an excellent point on having the right product mix. Like having downhill bikes in Florida, I wouldn't go heavy on.
@@IKnowAGuyBicyclesThanks for the great video. IBD for FL here. What web platform do you use for your main site? Using Lightspeed Retail for POS but unimpressed with their web option even though it syncs inventory. Liked WordPress but no sync with LS inventory.
Many baby boomers don't want to pay for repairs or servicing of their new ebike toys they then get dumped on marketplaces
@@TheUntypicals I don't think so. These e-bikes have opened up a whole new world for many older people that can't get around like they used to. I know for myself at 66, I could never think of getting around on a bike, especially if a hill of any kind came up. But on my e-bike, after just a month of peddling around the neighborhood I am able to travel 20-30 miles now no problem, hills and all! And it's all because of the e-assist. It turns me into Superman and I can conquer anything! This has been a real boon for my health and outlook on life. It get's me out of the house doing things. But what us old folks can't do is bend down for very long or get on our knees, so it can be difficult to work on our bikes. That's where the bike shops come in for us. We need help keeping these things going and are happy to pay someone to do it.
ebikes are a dead end and predicated on significant cohort of people with the disposable income to afford them, in tandem with a still functioning economy. Batteries are expensive to replace. My very expensive Dualtron scooter battery won't charge beyond 64% and only a couple of years old. Lots of potential e-waste. Consider too, that minerals used for the composition of these ebikes are in competition with other mass scale uses for them. Tool industry for example. Everything is going cordless. Electric Cars (another dead end) are being hyped - demand (if global economy doesn't implode) will scale up for a raft of reasons. They too will be consuming limited resources of rare earth metals. Ebikes/scooter manufacturers will be competing with industry goliaths who can out bid them as demand for rare minerals spikes and goes up.
The wider global economy is turning to shit. Will it collapse? I hope not but I think we can agree that things are not looking good and this is not set to change for the better in the near future. Many jobs will be wiped out by poor economy (as well as AI/Robotics/automation). Many pensions eaten up by inflation and cost of living.
Now is the time to buy such e-toys if you have the means. The ye olde human powered pedal bike, going to be a much more viable alternative for most people.
My friend owns a shop....years ago he switched to specialized.....you have to sell all specialized in your shop....I think this is crazy but he went that way....I hope he survives....no variety in the sport anymore
They are still good bikes, but the market will be very challenging in the coming years.
Go chiefs lol
That's my go to, when the Bronco's are not doing so well.
My biggest beef with local bike shops is the hours they keep. They are worse than banks. A customer has to be unemployed to have the open time to patronize these stores. I've got one that's closest to me that's open 10-5 Monday thru Friday.
Which shop it that? That is defiantly not retail hours. Here they are 10am-7pm mostly 7 days a.week.
My LBS closed during covid now have to drive 35 miles too nearest bicycle shop the biggest loss is the community lbs ie group rides lunchtime meet-up access to knowledgeable staff nowadays it's internet service
The struggle is going to continue for another year or two.
We had a local shop for years. The owner basically started telling anyone that didn’t buy a bike from his shop that he wouldn’t service their bikes or sell them anything else. I witnessed this on at least 3 occasions and started driving 40 miles to another shop. The rude guy closed his shop and the other shop is still rolling on. Lot of Amish in the area and they ride bikes! Service business is pretty good!
Thanks for sharing!
There is opportunity in the industry for sure. Pivoting to different niches or offereing different services is a start. I am a big proponent of the secondary market! I have cleaned house in that for years!
Absolutely, there are opportunities still available for shops to fill. The two huge ones are the used market and outstanding service. That's where I live doing my business out of my garage.
basically I'd want to be able to go into a bike shop, say: i want to change the battery in my ebike from 48 (13s) to 52 (14s) ... can you do that within the existing battery case, mounting location or a new location is needed, etc.
or if a shop offered custom paint services. that would be interesting. break down the bike for me, paint the parts, put it back together correctly.
maybe a little cnc machine for aluminium/steel to make custom adapter plates or parts when needed.
i don't know. my ideal bike shop is actually like a maker-lab specialising in bikes i guess. i have little to no need for what i guess would be traditional bike shops and the whole social aspect and customer service for that traditional bike shop stuff doesn't justify the 50% markup of items like seat posts i see in my local bike shop today. if i see markups like that on the way in, I'm going to assume I'm going to be getting bent over for all the services offered as well. if that kind of mark up is needed in a local shop to stay afloat, i think it would be better to just not sell that stuff. for every one person who may buy it, I'm pretty sure more than one are seeing it and like me, just write off the whole store as being a ripoff.
Good points, thanks for sharing.
The shop I go to has a guy who doesn't work there that they send the bike to him to paint already prepped then he paints it and sends it back to the bike shop. He does a lot of cars too
You sale the parts and pay your employees
Cycling hype is over 😢
A difficult business to be in although my local bike shop keeps overheads low & specialises in keeping older/unusual bikes/trikes/recumbents on the road with a spare parts inventory going back to 1928.The owner is the mechanic & his knowledge is encyclopedic.Frame repairs also undertaken [brazing steel frames],& the shop also has access to a skilled frame sprayer so you can chose to have unusual paint colours to mark out your bike from everyone elses.
We had a couple of those shops around here, but when they retired the shops just closed.
A younger person is taking over my local bike shop as the current owner/mechanic wishes to retire.@@IKnowAGuyBicycles
What kind of velocity wheels are there behind you?
They are a set that I put on a Specialized Roubaix "Shimano Dura-Ace Hubs w/ Velocity A23 Rims" in this post: iknowaguybicycles.com/product/2005-specialized-roubaix-comp-x-large/
How foolish one needs to be buy these expensive bikes that do little to more than a cheap bike for most people. Get out their and ride dont get caught up on carbon groupsets or brand names.
Right? That what makes the used market so appealing.
The 3 bike shops I use here in town just got bought up by Specialized. Most of the people are happy to be employed by the company. The owner got away with a lot of money.
Thanks for sharing, where are these located?
That is messed up
is he the same guy from bikefarmer? he looks and sounds like him.
I guess all of us bike mechanics start looking and sound of the same. Over time. lol
Yes! Talk to your local bike shop, establish a relationship and figure ways to make suggestions- shops need the personal feedback…. Try to gauge receptivity before suggestions- not all times are good times and wording can affect how it comes across…. But shops have the ability and interest to stay relevant to YOU and others in the community.
* We all know that bike shop owners and employees can be ornery (we have our reasons) but just be ‘real’ and personable and you’ll do fine.
Thanks Justin!
I have purchased 2 bikes from a LBS, and every imaginable thing that could have been done wrong in assembly was done wrong. They have no training, and just hire anyone that wants to fix bikes. You can't just learn all things to be a good mechanic on your own. Non existent parts supply.
Thanks for sharing.
@@IKnowAGuyBicycles if I went into details, it would be 1000s of words, and I didn't feel like putting that much effort into it. I had to rebuild the bikes from the ground up and can't acquire the little rubber pieces that were either left off or mangled due to lack of skill. The mfr says I must buy from the LBS. The LBS says they don't have them (guessing that they don't want to waste time on $1 parts) and to find a place that disassembles wrecked bikes for parts.
In any case, I think (as a BMW and A+P mechanic):
1) there ought to be a basic school+certification for bicycle mechanics where the learn about alloys/metals, fitting, and proper assembly and various specifications.
2. Mfrs ought to be required to sell all the little wearable+breakable little rubber pieces that can't be purchased anywhere. Used to seal cable ends, wheel bearings, cable into frame insertion points, and other little custom parts.
3) I should not have to pay extra to build my own bike. Giant wanted $100 extra to ship a box to my home compared to buying a bike from a LBS assembled by a kid off the street that I have to rebuild myself without access to all the little pieces he tore/broke.
I went into a shop recently and wanted to upgrade my bottom bracket to a Chris King, wouldn't do it, seriously.
Thats a bummer. Hopefully you can find a better shop.
@@IKnowAGuyBicycles What got me was they replaced the F-d up SRAM with another SRAM. Sometimes just do what the customer ask's we are not all dummies. Plus the Ck's look cool.
The way things have gone in my town is, the for-profit shop went out of business to concentrate on locksmithing. We now have a community 501(c)(3) bike shop that is not for-profit, and they work on all kinds of bikes, except for E-bikes. They also have a large used parts selection, which I've used multiple times. I've even taken my own repairs to them to do, and I refurbish and sell used bikes as a hobby. (Yes, I know and understand what that means, but I'm also not charging $40 per hour for labor, and I'm selling bikes that not only operate properly, but that I've ridden.)
Honestly, I see more bike shops going the way of non-profit, because of the tax benefits. It also helps if you live in a college town as well, since college kids these days can and do ride.
And my town is just under 21,000 people.
About the only thing I had a bike shop do was to work on my wheels...everything else I did myself but once upon a time I used to go to a local shop that didn't even have bikes for sale.
The guy was a one employee of his bike shop and worked at least twelve hours of not more six days a week that he was open and on the day he was closed he worked still.
He lived downtown in the back.of his shop
My town is the home of a big ten college so he has more than enough business to.just do repairs.
He takes a few months off in the winter I think it's January and February every year during the slow season
Luckily I have enough bikes that could just leave a.bike with him until it's finished.
The last time I brought him a bike was when a car ran over my bike sideways with me on it...they wrecked the crankset and one wheel. I was partially under the car but was o.k...the guy was drunk and I was on the way to.work
I would love to support my local bike shops but every time I go into one, they treat me like crap because I am not spending $2000-$3000 on a bike. Just recently, I brought in some rims to be trued and the shop employee gave me so much crap for having lower quality rims. I took my rims back and just tried them myself. It’s like that every time I go into one. Looks like your shop isn’t like that.
We have been losing bike shops for the last 15 years, including my own. We have been losing all brick and mortar businesses. Constant negative TH-cam post surely can't help.
Bike shops are going to become bike and ebike repair/customization shops where they also, consign, buy and refurbish/repair old bikes for resale.
It's about time tbh. I love my bike repair people, but I can't stand bike shop owners and sales people. I don't ever have a good experience at bike shops with owners and sales people. I don't know if it's because the margins are really thin, making shop owners money hungry, or the employees are paid a commission percentage based on how much they can sell me... but it's just not a nice experience.
Greed! After they cleared the floor during Covid, our shop owner started a large barndominiom project instead of holding these assets to see what would happen. He can afford it, but the shop is now not that profitable. These owners do many things right, but the econ economy is way worse and people can no longer withstand a product with an 80% markup. ie, NOT razor thin margin.
bike shops will generally not be able to compete in retail unless they behave like a car dealer for a given brand and that brand only sells thru dealers. I'd only visit a bike shop for things not available online. custom bike modification, mechanical maintenance and emergency part supply. basically like a car speed shop. and go all in on electric bikes. the future growth of bikes is electrification. have bike shops mod batteries or repair them and what not. right now nothing is interchangeable for ebikes so there is and will be demand for servicing things that aren't easy to get online.
I learned to work on bikes after a few bad attitudes from shops, found a gem in palmetto ga that is laid back and great with wheels so i use him for wheels and hub work.
Get my frames directly from Lynskey in Tennessee.
With electric bikes coming and ever-more sophistication of quality bikes the bike shops need to raise their prices and pay their staff’s better. With the coming of electronics they need to educate themselves and be ready to service the growing customer base.
Now........i remember way back when I was alive in another life......after the 3rd TDF....we said the same thing with the flip-flop hub. "Why on Earth would I need a shop??? I can just flip the wheel to the other side!?" Service, even though they (Sram) want the mechanic dead, we'll Be Here. This video is uniquely Western. These fear videos and "It's the End of The World" sorta stuff doesn't jive when you travel. If Western bike mechanics traveled, even a weeeeee bit, you'd see that this imminent death is not imminent at all. I own a shop. It's been around for a few milliseconds....... service - service - service. Drop brands. Drop merchandise that is just dust magnets. The size of the shop should be the size of a small barber shop. Nothing larger. All the things he's describing are just poor management, poor planning, and just being meh about the grind. In depressions you don't need a new Fox 34 but you'll need someone to overhaul it the 6 times necessary until the economy picks up but Western people don't see this. It's CALAMITY. WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE. OMG OMG OMG. Just.......be lean and mean and your shop will be fine. Calm down Brah and have a hot chocolate. If I'm in Argentina and our economy is literally a roller coaster..... you'll be fine in Huff-N-Puff Upon Hudson, NY. The essence of this video is "Smarten up and don't be an a$$hole ya whole life." Additionally, he's 250% correct about wrench dragging nasty and rude mechanics. I can teach you how to wrench...I can't teach you how to be a decent human being.
Thank you for your insights. I hope on the other side of this, shops will be more approachable and friendly/family. And the result is more people getting into cycling of all kinds of riding. (not just high-end)
@@IKnowAGuyBicycles Dude!!! You're 100% correct. I SOOOOOO strongly despise the indifferent mechanic attitude. People walk in....zero compliment on their bike...zero demeanor or positivity....like....do you want everyone to leave and go on the interwebs for a pedal overhaul and maybe just maybe you could have overhauled their headset if you weren't soooo Gnar and into like the tuning of the first Mad Season record. Your channel is awesome. I enjoy it as a mechanic and possibly also as a human
I know im late but I think their main problem is sticker shock. Simple as that.
Now overstock is to because some how no company thought plandemic bike sales would stop...
Yea, the COVID boom before the post covid bust.
Everything is online now unless you run a repair centered shop or specialize in your bike discipline. Road, mtn, BMX specialty shops.
Or you just get floor space in a outdoors/sports store that's doing well with foot traffic.
I think the market has reset back to normal. People who could not go to gyms looked buying bikes during the pandemic. Now, everything is back to normal so the demand for bikes has dropped and people are now back in the gym. Plus the economy isn’t great and bikes are so expensive, leads to less bikes being sold.
Thanks for info , we just opened a bike shop in our small town of oxford mi last year ! Excited to be a part of something that was needed in our city . Come check us out sometime !!
Whats the name of your shop?
Oxford bike shoppe@@IKnowAGuyBicycles
i d not think bike shops will disappear. they may thin out for some years but eventually the people that recently bought bikes will need service and no one does service better than a local bike shop . they can have on hand or order parts with much greater ease than the average person and they can interact with the bike companies far more efficiently than you or i could .
you will regret saving a few hundred dollars by buying a bike on line when it comes time for service and parts .
They will still be around, maybe less of them. But they will look and function vastly differently, hopefully for the good.
I live in Germany and ride E MTB . as an old guy (78) i don't want to do maintenance anymore or hassle with online sales and or calling corporate offices to fix a problem .
I bought three new bikes from local bike shops in the last eight years . in every case i wanted some extras and custom options.
in every shop they were able to tweak my bike immediately in their shop and when i had a software issue with one of the motors i took it to them and they fixed it in five minutes . try that if you bought a bike on line .
a lot of the problems that small shops have is coming from the customers that place price above all else . i hear mostly horror stories from those buyers when they have an issue and try to deal directly with a corporation . my local shop owner has connections at the factories and can usually resolve the problem in one phone call . i would advise future buyers to buy at a local independent shop even if it cost a little more initially .
This is one of the few honest videos about the bike industry. You never once tried to tell me $10k road bikes were normal, and everything is ok.
I really like that 2nd hand reselling idea..
The latest buzz word is "Upcycled Bikes" for used refurbished bicycles.
Omg i remember wanting 1of those so bad.. but was too expensive for me in those days 😭😂
“I got like 11 bikes for sale if anyone’s interested; they need parts tho “😂
the bike industry was flooded with cheap junker department store disposable bikes from walmart and other big box stores. Someone wont justify fixing a bike by spending $80 on a bike that cost $120. Also its hard to sell someone a decent bike for $600 when they can buy 4 bikes at walmart for the same amount.
They need better options (maybe good used) to fix this hole in the market. As what I'm try to do with road bikes.
We don't have gold pot down here😊
Yeah, it's more like copper coins here too. But I'll take what I can get. lol
Damn, guess I’m lucky where I live here in MN. Quite a few good bike shops with excellent service, (although over the years, I’ve also learned the ones to avoid). I started wrenching a bit during Covid, but sill use my LBS for big repairs etc. as they’re affordable and usually get the job done right first time. Let’s hope they stick around.
That's great to know you have a few good shops in your neighborhood. I how they last as well.
Prices , prices and higher prices . The average person gets to a certain dollar value and goes E-Bike . They don't care about spandex shorts and weight savings . Nor are they on the trails , unless it is paved . For the price of a decent peddle bike , I can get one heck of a E-bike . Greed since covid is turning people away from traditional shops ( usually anti e-bike - unless a high end model for 15 grand or up ) and into e-bike shops .
I live in rural NS Canada. There are only 2 bike shops in a approx. 150KM radius. They refuse to service an ebike that they don't sell. As more and more ebikes are bought online these days (including the one I bought), I'd say they're not doing themselves any favors. I would even supply them the part/s. Ok, you'll probably say they're unfamiliar with that particular ebike and don't want to be responsible doing something wrong. In that situation, I could even show them a step by step video from the seller/manufacturer...but they still won't do it. They're just being spiteful in my opinion. BTW, they're ebikes are at least three times the price of similar or even better "spec" online bikes. They also consider themselves "purists" and only sell torque sensor ebikes. They're just snobs. They only sell the type of bike they think you should ride. You're greeted with a sarcastic smirk when you roll in an ebike that they don't sell. Much as I'd like to support local businesses, every penny counts in these days of crazy inflation. It's not my fault that they rent the premises and pay exorbitant rent to greedy landlords. All the more reason to try to accommodate as much diverse clientele as possible and be willing to broaden their skills.
Let me guess, you're bringing your electric motorcycle to a bicycle shop and telling them to fix it. If you want to have an explosion on wheels, maybe learn to fix it yourself.
Until the industry figures out a way to repair bikes via fiberoptic cable, bike shops will continue to exist. They may not be selling a lot of new bikes or carrying a lot of inventory but the smart ones will concentrate on what can NOT be provided by fiberoptic cable to customers who have no clue or interest in doing it themselves. Can you get your flat tire fixed by holding your smart-phone next to your bike?
Back when I was in bike-wholesale the :boogie-man was mail order like Nashbar. Then it was the internet, Same s__t, different era - if a live person in a store with a live person in front of them can't solve the customer's problem or sell him what he/she needs, it's on THEM....nobody else is to blame.
Great point. Great service will always be needed. But you will have to find the "Great" in your neck of the woods. They are out there just a little harder to find.
I just have one question man! Where can I get the shirt you’re wearing!?!? It’s awesome and true!
You can get them off of my Spreadshirt shop. You can get those designs on t-shirts, hoodies, hats, coffee cups and much more. Plus, you can custom the size and placement as well. i-know-a-guy-bicycles.myspreadshop.com/
Goathead thorns put them out of business
Good video.
Thanks!
This is The Speech!
excellent video and good for you-
Thank you very much! Thanks for watching!
Great video, thanks 👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧
Thanks 👍 There is a lot of work ahead for us. The better shops will prevail... Hopefully
It's all about making the customer feel good and treating them right. That's where the big chains and retailers can lose customers, and where the small ones can pick them up. A customer that feels respected will keep coming back.
The shops big and small that i wont go back to again lost me because they hired young cheap low knowledge bicycle punks with attitude, which is a very common issue. The economics of bike shops means you have to have young learners on staff, but generally they're not taught or inspired with caring for the customer.
For example, i make a list of stuff i would like done when i bring the bike in. If the list is lost and not all the items are done, i get annoyed... I pick up the bike, and find things just done wrong, that have to be corrected and i have to come back again later... Or little things, no end caps on cut cables, grease on bars, tires uninflated, QR not tight, bars not straight, tires installed backwards, these kinds of things show a shop that doesn't care about its work... and when you request them to be fixed and just get attitude in response, well....
I've had worse, bottom bracket threads stripped out, chainstays cracked, axle bent, and instead of apologizing and offering to fix, claiming that i somehow pedal wrong, or the bike is old, or there must have been some kind of corrosion...
a really good LBS is a rare diamond, and when and if you find one, you'll keep going there and nowhere else...
There are a few diamonds out there, you may need to spend a little time looking for them.
👍 final things are catching up with bike shops. Never liked them and never well because the few times I been to one was always the same I know better than you so let me do all the talking so since you don't look like a Marathon biker, there's the door and head to Walmart because we only service real bikers here... Well that the feeling I got and you know what I ratter fix my own bikes and shop online 👍 no more asshole know it all's
This had really become an industry issue.
We don't have an economic downturn in this country; we have record low unemployment and faster growth than other major countries. What we have had is a pandemic that lowered wages and that the government did not prepare for and that was managed for the first year in a way that was very biased toward big business and against small ones. And there will be more tilting of the playing field against small business if the players in that government get back into the White House. Layer that on top of internet mail order and yes, it's ugly for small bike shops. But what small bike shops have within their control is service; more and more, people are spending less of their income on goods and more on services and bike shops need to exploit this more, including by training mechanics.
Just under two years ago, I bought a Specialized SL Creo Evo Carbon Expert bike at my local bike shop here in Arizona. I guess they are part of the Incycle Marketplace. During that time I have been back a lot with dropper post too hard to drop, then later, not staying up at all, chain coming off the front ring and numerous flats. I had to call Specialized for help on the messy chain problem, and they suggested trying a Wolf Tooth chain ring. Fixed the issue. Dropper post difficulty finally fixed with a new cable. Replaced under warranty, since the cable was corroded, probably from the start. For all the flats, I at first went to tubeless tires, that entailed pumping the tires up twice a week and I still got flats, often without notice, way out on my ride. I've gone back to tubes, this time with a solution pumped into the tube. Now, I could be a jerk and loudly complain about all this, but I know they tried their hardest on my problems. I've gotten to know the staff there now, and get serviced quickly when I visit.
A lot of this new fangled technology is crap... tubeless tires...disc brakes .. electronic shifting carbon rims...dropper post....some stuff you have to learn about the hard way....
I think the youth are showing less interest in cycling all together. If we could get kids off video games and back outside on bikes the whole industry would boom.
Fuel prices going up and up. So is food. Rent/utilities. Disposal income shrinking. Parents will be looking to make cuts in the family budget where they can. Can Timmy pedal 4km to school rather than get dropped off in a car? He can now! People won't buy new unless compelling price/lack of availability of decent used bike. They'll buy cheap and used. Or reanimate the bikes in their garage.
Spares will be the boom though. Brake cables/pads, shifter cables, tires, chains and other consumables as well as accessories like bike pumps. Work commute (where practical) will grow. Bike shops will be busy booking in servicing and repairs. I've stocked up on chains, brake/shifter cables and outers for our family bikes.
My dealings with bike shops has been painful. When I started shopping online, and stopped using bike shops, my problems stopped.
Bike shops, good riddance.
Exactly , people are purchasing parts online . Also, people are maintaining their bikes at home more so these days as " how to " videos are very prevalent online. If I were to open a bike store , I'd personally be selling used solid bikes as well as sought after vintage /antique bikes/parts as this could attract people much like a vintage boutique shop. Opening a store right next to a busy Rail Trail system within a city would help as well , as these types of riders are simply looking for a quality , solid used bike to ride as they don't need a $2,000+ bike to ride on level ground.
There are only a couple that come to mind to me. The first one is this notion that shops deserve thousands of dollars for literally unpacking a box and handing it to you. The average $5,000 bike that costs the shop $2,600 could be sold direct to consumer for $2999 with some type of flat rate return fee if someone orders the wrong size and wants to swap. Consumer still saves a ton of money. The other one that irritates people is forced obsolescence. The bike industry and it's never ending quest to make sure people keep buying via always inventing some new trinket and often discontinuing things people may still enjoy. The mullet craze, what about just 27.5? If you're under 5'10 that size wheel feels really good especially riding Enduro. Axle spacing, wireless, there's always something new to pitch people which would be fine but the lack of support on what they just sold you a couple years ago is really my issue. Lastly, the razor thin margin statement you made is lol. Shops literally double their money on bikes and frames and a lot of small parts. That means your average $6,000 bike, you make three grand for handing someone a box. The reason the margins are argued to be slim is because the owner is driving around that new raptor with his big house on the hill paying his employees pennies. There's even one specific shop I'm thinking of as I type this. It's literally what goes on there