Bikeshops that laugh at your bike

"Man with no pigs." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's old, worn and unfashionable, but it is mine. When I take it to a bike shop for service or
parts, those shops whose

employees

Quoted message said:

snigger at it are put on my boycott list. Does anyone else have these feelings to bike shops?

I have total [censored] and if anyone laughs at them, more often than not it's me! Maybe you should
not take it so personally and be happy with the knowledge that your old, unfashionable bike is still
going strong and you are still happy with it. You get the last laugh anyway when those evil
"upgraders" have to rush out and buy 10 speed Dura-Ace or something... bye bye cash!! ;-)

hippy

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Man With No Pig
It's old, worn and unfashionable, but it is mine. When I take it to a bike shop for service or
parts, those shops whose employees snigger at it are put on my boycott list. Does anyone else have
these feelings to bike shops?

They may laugh at my bike , but hey!

It gets ridden😎

Quoted message said:

Does anyone else have these feelings to bike shops?

:
: I have total [censored] and if anyone laughs at them, more often than not it's me!

Yeah. Same here. I laugh at my [censored] but it still works. Replaced a few bits on it over the years and
do most of my own maintenance using the Bartlett But there is a difference between a good natured
snigger and being insulted.

I just wont buy anything from ugly people.

Peter

"Man with no pigs." wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's old, worn and unfashionable, but it is mine. When I take it to a bike shop for service or
parts, those shops whose

employees

Quoted message said:

snigger at it are put on my boycott list. Does anyone else have these feelings to bike shops?

I am sorry that you have no pigs. That is surely cause for great concern.

As far as bikeshops go, my pet peeve is when people at a bike shop (or car dealer, or mechanics
generally for that matter) treat you as an idiot simply because you're female. I race road bikes,
and am fairly knowledgeable about my bikes. I do my own maintenance because I don't trust anyone
else to do
it. I find it extremely frustrating when I go into a bike shop to buy bits for my bikes, having
carefully researched (usually via the net) what I need, only to be treated like an idiot
because I want a such and such, and to have to explain to some pimply teenager why I want it.

Like most people, I've found a couple of local shops (or more accurately a couple of individual
people in local shops) that know me and my bikes, and actually offer useful advice when I ask for
it, rather than patronising [censored]. As a result of this, these shops get pretty much all my money,
which is not negligible, as I have a fairly serious biking addiction.

Regards,

Suzy

Man with no pigs. <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's old, worn and unfashionable, but it is mine. When I take it to a bike shop for service or
parts, those shops whose

employees

Quoted message said:

snigger at it are put on my boycott list. Does anyone else have these feelings to bike shops?

As someone that works with a lot of crusty old bikes, I do sometimes chuckle at peoples old
favourites. Part of it is that I admire when someone has ridden their beast into the ground over
many years. Means that it is being used at least.

When it all comes down to it though, you can buy a pretty decent second hand bike for only a couple
hundred bucks, so the cost of maintaining an old beast becomes prohibitive, especially when you
start replacing clusters and chains etc. And there is no substitute for something with gears and
brakes that work properly.

I have nothing but scorn for these [censored] yuppies that buy a new $1000+ bike and leave it out to
die in the rain while they drive everywhere.
---
DFM

Suzy Jackson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Man with no pigs." wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's old, worn and unfashionable, but it is mine. When I take it to a bike shop for service or
parts, those shops whose

employees

Quoted message said:

snigger at it are put on my boycott list. Does anyone else have these feelings to bike shops?

I am sorry that you have no pigs. That is surely cause for great concern.

As far as bikeshops go, my pet peeve is when people at a bike shop (or car dealer, or mechanics
generally for that matter) treat you as an idiot

simply

Quoted message said:

because you're female. I race road bikes, and am fairly knowledgeable

about

Quoted message said:

my bikes. I do my own maintenance because I don't trust anyone else to do
it. I find it extremely frustrating when I go into a bike shop to buy

bits

Quoted message said:

for my bikes, having carefully researched (usually via the net) what I

need,

Quoted message said:

only to be treated like an idiot because I want a such and such, and to

have

Quoted message said:

to explain to some pimply teenager why I want it.

That's the same with anything though. Whenever you walk into a shop, you should give some clues that
you know what you're talking about, otherwise they will assume you don't. Seeings as the field of
bike maintenance is vastly male dominated (like anything in the engineering vein), it is a fair
assumption that women are by default not mechanically minded. You are obviously an exception to the
rule, but this is the reason why you get some condescending attitude.
---
DFM

Yes, I'm being over-sensitive. At least parts get replaced when they're worn out and not rusted out
or supeceded. Some places get touchy when my bike soils the floor of their uber-yuppie cycle
emporium and I only spend $7 on brake rubbers. I can name many great shops in Melbourne though.

hippy said:

"Man with no pigs." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's old, worn and unfashionable, but it is mine. When I take it to a bike shop for service or
parts, those shops whose

employees

Quoted message said:

snigger at it are put on my boycott list. Does anyone else have these feelings to bike shops?

I have total [censored] and if anyone laughs at them, more often than not it's me! Maybe you should
not take it so personally and be happy with the knowledge that your old, unfashionable bike is
still going strong and you are still happy with it. You get the last laugh anyway when those evil
"upgraders" have to rush out and buy 10 speed Dura-Ace or something... bye bye cash!! ;-)

hippy

"Deep Flayed Mares" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:7nX_a.951

Quoted message said:

That's the same with anything though. Whenever you walk into a shop,

you

Quoted message said:

should give some clues that you know what you're talking about,

otherwise

Quoted message said:

they will assume you don't. Seeings as the field of bike maintenance

is

Quoted message said:

vastly male dominated (like anything in the engineering vein), it is a

fair

Quoted message said:

assumption that women are by default not mechanically minded. You are obviously an exception to
the rule, but this is the reason why you get

some

Quoted message said:

condescending attitude.

I actually find it useful to go into shops and NOT make it look like I know anything (not that I'm
claiming to know much!). This way, you can get a feeling for whether or not they are serving you or
themselves. If they give you some big speil which you know is total bollocks, then you can avoid the
shop. This applies to all shops, not just bikes shops.

hippy (male, last time i checked)

Most employees of bike shops wouldn't know where to start with attempting to describe my beloved pedallys. Why has it got all those stickers? Why all the reflective tape? Why the 150mm cranks? Why are you riding a ancient pygmy road bike? Why the Cascade Four Seasons bottle cap on the A Set? Why the big fish?

Simple, it's my Bicycle Fleet & I'll decorate them anyway I want.

Remember the utes & vans in the 1980's with the stickers "it may look like [censored] to you, but it's my bread & butter"? Some folks spent thousand$ on sport kits for their cars, I prefer to stuff about with lighting systems, DIY augmentations & Hello Kitty stickers. Makes life more fun, not beige.

True, there's many excellent bike shops in Melbourne, and their kindness, understanding & knowledge will be duly rewarded some day in the future, when, one sunny day, I walk in and ask to purchase a Dura Ace groupset or two, or three......😉

Deep Flayed Mares said:

I have nothing but scorn for these [censored] yuppies that buy a new $1000+ bike and leave it out to
die in the rain while they drive everywhere.
---
DFM

Why do you care? Did you mean scorn or envy? :-)

&roo

Suzy Jackson said:

As far as bikeshops go, my pet peeve is when people at a bike shop (or car dealer, or mechanics
generally for that matter) treat you as an idiot simply because you're female. I race road bikes,
and am fairly knowledgeable about my bikes. I do my own maintenance because I don't trust anyone
else to do
it. I find it extremely frustrating when I go into a bike shop to buy bits for my bikes, having
carefully researched (usually via the net) what I need, only to be treated like an idiot
because I want a such and such, and to have to explain to some pimply teenager why I want it.

Like most people, I've found a couple of local shops (or more accurately a couple of individual
people in local shops) that know me and my bikes, and actually offer useful advice when I ask for
it, rather than patronising [censored]. As a result of this, these shops get pretty much all my money,
which is not negligible, as I have a fairly serious biking addiction.

Regards,

Suzy

That's a good post for a little girl - did your Daddy help you with the big words? :-)

&roo

"Patronising - that's when you talk down to someone."

Andrew Swan <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Deep Flayed Mares said:

I have nothing but scorn for these [censored] yuppies that buy a new

$1000+

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bike and leave it out to die in the rain while they drive everywhere.
---
DFM

Why do you care?

Ummm... that would kinda be giving away a bit much about myself. I'm in cognito in usenetland if I
can help it! :o)

Quoted message said:

Did you mean scorn or envy? :-)

I did mean scorn. I guess it means I like bikes more than [censored] yuppies...
---
DFM

True, there's many excellent bike shops in Melbourne, and their
: kindness, understanding & knowledge will be duly rewarded some day in the future, when, one sunny
: day, I walk in and ask to purchase a Dura Ace groupset or two, or three......😉
:

Too true. That goes the same for where I live. I am going to buy a nice bike soon to replace my
aging beloved. It has done about 50000ks (I know people get a lot more out of them). I have all
original parts etc except a rear deraiulleur due to a little accident. I have always kept it
maintained but I am keen for something faster and lighter. Its due for a chain and cluster anyway.
Now I would like to spend up to $3000 so who am I going to choose to take my business to. I think
they should be a little more over sensitive if they want to make money. People will congregate to
the most helpful stores.

Pete