what's happing to the local neighborhood bike shops?



W

wrench4life

Guest
Is it just me or are the old school, "mom & pop" bike shops fading
away due to places like walmart,target, and performance?

They (the above mentioned) started out small and like any hungry group
of biz-ness folk ,they grew their business & good for them. But
durring their quest for retail domination, they are intentionally or
otherwise erasing a part of American tradition-The friendly
neighborhood bike shop.

Like myself, I'm sure their are many of you that stay true to your
local shop. So my question is this...What makes you stay loyal and why
are the big guys killing the local shop?

I personally have found the service from the lnbs to be more
aproachable, more casual, and way more informative. I have also found
some *****in' old school memorabillia (like my 1951 5spd topetube
stick shift Peugeot) from my lnbs. Not to mention the shop dog's. I
love those dog's almost as much as my own k-9's. Seriously people, how
can you not like a shop dog. You know what I mean.? Anyway.
The turn around time for a service is eaqual to if not sooner than the
big guy's. The accessory prices are usually the same or lower than the
big guy's, and the quality of the bike's are way better. (I'm sorry
but the Schwinn at walmat or target is not the same Schwinn you will
get from your lnbs).

So again I ponder this sleepless question, why are the big guy's
doing so well and the local guys struggling?

Can someone please show me what I'm missing here?
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Is it just me or are the old school, "mom & pop" bike shops fading
> away due to places like walmart,target, and performance?

I think Performance and Nashbar are far bigger threats to LBS's than are
the Target's and Walmart's of the world, because they take even the high
end business away from the shops, particularly in parts and accessories,
while the *marts only take the very bottom end of the market.

....

> So again I ponder this sleepless question, why are the big guy's
> doing so well and the local guys struggling?

Price and price.


> Can someone please show me what I'm missing here?


--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).
 
On Oct 24, 12:08 am, wrench4life <[email protected]> wrote:
> Is it just me or are the old school, "mom & pop" bike shops fading
> away due to places like walmart,target, and performance?
>
> They (the above mentioned) started out small and like any hungry group
> of biz-ness folk ,they grew their business & good for them. But
> durring their quest for retail domination, they are intentionally or
> otherwise erasing a part of American tradition-The friendly
> neighborhood bike shop.
>
> Like myself, I'm sure their are many of you that stay true to your
> local shop. So my question is this...What makes you stay loyal and why
> are the big guys killing the local shop?
>
> I personally have found the service from the lnbs to be more
> aproachable, more casual, and way more informative. I have also found
> some *****in' old school memorabillia (like my 1951 5spd topetube
> stick shift Peugeot) from my lnbs. Not to mention the shop dog's. I
> love those dog's almost as much as my own k-9's. Seriously people, how
> can you not like a shop dog. You know what I mean.? Anyway.
> The turn around time for a service is eaqual to if not sooner than the
> big guy's. The accessory prices are usually the same or lower than the
> big guy's, and the quality of the bike's are way better. (I'm sorry
> but the Schwinn at walmat or target is not the same Schwinn you will
> get from your lnbs).
>
> So again I ponder this sleepless question, why are the big guy's
> doing so well and the local guys struggling?
>
> Can someone please show me what I'm missing here?

I think that if you are familar with what has happened to the
automotive market, you will understand, because there are a lot of
similarities. In one sentence, we as a country are moving into a
'throw-away' society. Just like when you buy a new car, people
generally trade it in after the 3-5 year guarantee is over because of
such high replacement costs. It's cheaper to just make new car
payments and have a new car for the average person. With bike shops,
small shops can't realy compete with mail order and ebay parts prices.
Stuff on bikes have gotten much more difficult to work on by
yourself. Have you ever taken apart a Campy 10 speed or 8 speed Ergo
shifter. What a nightmare compared to the old brake levers that anyone
could work on. Probably the rebuild and parts cost to rebuild one of
those shifters would be too expensive and it would be better to just
buy new, just as they do in the automotive market. Throw away and buy
more. That's what the big bike companies want anyways. They don't make
money when the small shop makes all the labor costs, but they do when
people get used to buying new parts. And if you are buying new parts,
the cheapest thing to do is order from the big mail order guys.
Installing them is not a big deal. I see ads all the time for people
asking around for some bike buddy to help with the installation. So
you see, the small shop is cut out of the action.
 
On Oct 24, 12:14 pm, [email protected] wrote:
> On Oct 24, 12:08 am, wrench4life <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Is it just me or are the old school, "mom & pop" bike shops fading
> > away due to places like walmart,target, and performance?
>
> > They (the above mentioned) started out small and like any hungry group
> > of biz-ness folk ,they grew their business & good for them. But
> > durring their quest for retail domination, they are intentionally or
> > otherwise erasing a part of American tradition-The friendly
> > neighborhood bike shop.
>
> > Like myself, I'm sure their are many of you that stay true to your
> > local shop. So my question is this...What makes you stay loyal and why
> > are the big guys killing the local shop?
>
> > I personally have found the service from the lnbs to be more
> > aproachable, more casual, and way more informative. I have also found
> > some *****in' old school memorabillia (like my 1951 5spd topetube
> > stick shift Peugeot) from my lnbs. Not to mention the shop dog's. I
> > love those dog's almost as much as my own k-9's. Seriously people, how
> > can you not like a shop dog. You know what I mean.? Anyway.
> > The turn around time for a service is eaqual to if not sooner than the
> > big guy's. The accessory prices are usually the same or lower than the
> > big guy's, and the quality of the bike's are way better. (I'm sorry
> > but the Schwinn at walmat or target is not the same Schwinn you will
> > get from your lnbs).
>
> > So again I ponder this sleepless question, why are the big guy's
> > doing so well and the local guys struggling?
>
> > Can someone please show me what I'm missing here?
>
> I think that if you are familar with what has happened to the
> automotive market, you will understand, because there are a lot of
> similarities. In one sentence, we as a country are moving into a
> 'throw-away' society. Just like when you buy a new car, people
> generally trade it in after the 3-5 year guarantee is over because of
> such high replacement costs. It's cheaper to just make new car
> payments and have a new car for the average person. With bike shops,
> small shops can't realy compete with mail order and ebay parts prices.
> Stuff on bikes have gotten much more difficult to work on by
> yourself. Have you ever taken apart a Campy 10 speed or 8 speed Ergo
> shifter. What a nightmare compared to the old brake levers that anyone
> could work on. Probably the rebuild and parts cost to rebuild one of
> those shifters would be too expensive and it would be better to just
> buy new, just as they do in the automotive market.

Not true at all. About $45 for a complete ERGO lever overhaul/lube to
make it 'feel' like new, at least at Vecchio's. Not gonna find any new
ERGO lever for that price. PLUS, it's really pretty simple to take
these things apart and reassemble. Not 'rocket surgery' at all.



Throw away and buy
> more. That's what the big bike companies want anyways. They don't make
> money when the small shop makes all the labor costs, but they do when
> people get used to buying new parts. And if you are buying new parts,
> the cheapest thing to do is order from the big mail order guys.
> Installing them is not a big deal. I see ads all the time for people
> asking around for some bike buddy to help with the installation. So
> you see, the small shop is cut out of the action.
 
On Oct 24, 12:14 pm, [email protected] wrote:
> On Oct 24, 12:08 am, wrench4life <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Is it just me or are the old school, "mom & pop" bike shops fading
> > away due to places like walmart,target, and performance?
>
> > They (the above mentioned) started out small and like any hungry group
> > of biz-ness folk ,they grew their business & good for them. But
> > durring their quest for retail domination, they are intentionally or
> > otherwise erasing a part of American tradition-The friendly
> > neighborhood bike shop.
>
> > Like myself, I'm sure their are many of you that stay true to your
> > local shop. So my question is this...What makes you stay loyal and why
> > are the big guys killing the local shop?
>
> > I personally have found the service from the lnbs to be more
> > aproachable, more casual, and way more informative. I have also found
> > some *****in' old school memorabillia (like my 1951 5spd topetube
> > stick shift Peugeot) from my lnbs. Not to mention the shop dog's. I
> > love those dog's almost as much as my own k-9's. Seriously people, how
> > can you not like a shop dog. You know what I mean.? Anyway.
> > The turn around time for a service is eaqual to if not sooner than the
> > big guy's. The accessory prices are usually the same or lower than the
> > big guy's, and the quality of the bike's are way better. (I'm sorry
> > but the Schwinn at walmat or target is not the same Schwinn you will
> > get from your lnbs).
>
> > So again I ponder this sleepless question, why are the big guy's
> > doing so well and the local guys struggling?
>
> > Can someone please show me what I'm missing here?
>
> I think that if you are familar with what has happened to the
> automotive market, you will understand, because there are a lot of
> similarities. In one sentence, we as a country are moving into a
> 'throw-away' society. Just like when you buy a new car, people
> generally trade it in after the 3-5 year guarantee is over because of
> such high replacement costs. It's cheaper to just make new car
> payments and have a new car for the average person. With bike shops,
> small shops can't realy compete with mail order and ebay parts prices.
> Stuff on bikes have gotten much more difficult to work on by
> yourself. Have you ever taken apart a Campy 10 speed or 8 speed Ergo
> shifter. What a nightmare compared to the old brake levers that anyone
> could work on. Probably the rebuild and parts cost to rebuild one of
> those shifters would be too expensive and it would be better to just
> buy new, just as they do in the automotive market. Throw away and buy
> more. That's what the big bike companies want anyways. They don't make
> money when the small shop makes all the labor costs, but they do when
> people get used to buying new parts. And if you are buying new parts,
> the cheapest thing to do is order from the big mail order guys.
> Installing them is not a big deal. I see ads all the time for people
> asking around for some bike buddy to help with the installation. So
> you see, the small shop is cut out of the action.

Again, not really true, at least here. Our business model was a high
end(meaning knowledgable) Honda/Acura repair place called Hoshi
motors. The new Honda buyer goes to the dealer until his warranty is
up and then goes to Hoshi. Same for bikes. They 'may' buy that
trekspecializedgiantcannondalescottorbea somewhere else, but for
service, they bring it to us. As for simplicity of service, which is
it? 'Hard to work on(ERGO) or easy as pie to put together and make
work'? Bicycles today are NOT 'brain science' but are not as simple as
that. We see gooned up self assemblies or assemblies by 'my buddy' all
the time. Easy to slap it together, but slapped togerther does not
mean it's gonna work well. .
 
On Oct 24, 12:08 am, wrench4life <[email protected]> wrote:
> Is it just me or are the old school, "mom & pop" bike shops fading
> away due to places like walmart,target, and performance?

Walmar and Target are not competing with your LBS. Performance
maybe, but some of their prices are not so great.

> Like myself, I'm sure their are many of you that stay true to your
> local shop. So my question is this...What makes you stay loyal and why
> are the big guys killing the local shop?

Service, of course.

> So again I ponder this sleepless question, why are the big guy's
> doing so well and the local guys struggling?
> Can someone please show me what I'm missing here?

It might come down to how well the owners are at running a business.
It's not just about knowing bikes and giving good service.
----------------
Alex
 
Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com wrote:
> On Oct 24, 12:14 pm, [email protected] wrote:

>
> Not true at all. About $45 for a complete ERGO lever overhaul/lube to
> make it 'feel' like new, at least at Vecchio's. Not gonna find any new
> ERGO lever for that price. PLUS, it's really pretty simple to take
> these things apart and reassemble. Not 'rocket surgery' at all.
>
>
>
I think it is true. I have a 10 speed Campag modern setup. There is one
shop which can work on it here in my city area of 900,000 residents. One
shop. That shop is terrific (like yours I think) but it's only one. What
happens when the owner gets bored with it or retires or decides he can
make more money doing something else? Then I'm 100% stuck unless I want
to drive 500 miles to Boulder. Then 500 miles back after spending how
much on a hotel room while you do the work.

Like your shop, his rates are such that I feel perfectly comfortable
getting my tunes up and repairs done there. I do minor stuff, cleaning
and lubes with thim doing the rest. While he has a steady clientèle, we
also just got a new Performance retail outlet open a few months ago.

I can't imagine that hasn't affected the little guy local stores like
him. How much? I can't say. But the idea that I can wander in to dozens
of LBS's to get the work done on my bike well isn't true.

-paul
 
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