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Local Bike Shops – Are they really doing OK?

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  • March 7, 2014 at 11:17 am #20880
    Shades

    To my shock the other day, my LBS, which I have a great rapport with, just closed. It might reopen but I fear the worst. Standing forlornly outside wailing, “I’m sorry I bought that seatpost from Wiggle”, the daunting task of building a similar relationship with another shop seems like a daunting task; and there’s some bad LBSs out there. This isn’t an ‘agony aunt’ article (Therapist: What do you want to talk about?…..Me: My LBS closed down!) but got me thinking in these days of struggling high streets (council rates and internet), albeit with a booming cycling industry, just how well are LBSs doing? What drives profits? Are the chain stores taking the lions share with economy of scale? Most of the bikes you see parked up in town look like they’ve never seen a bike shop in years. Are the keen cyclists who spend lots of money actually a small minority? Does a LBS need a strong on-line presence, but it must be impossible to compete with the likes of Wiggle? LBS’s sometimes don’t help themselves when they haven’t got spares etc and I hate not being able to talk to a mechanic about what work is needed, so perhaps good business sense and knowing what the customer wants is key to success just like any shop?

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Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 59 total)
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  • March 17, 2014 at 2:34 pm #778993
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    Shep73

    The Veloton in Tetbury is
    The Veloton in Tetbury is going down the route of tea shop and bike shop. Tea and cake downstairs, bikes and kit upstairs. Done out really well and it has become a popular stopping point for a lot of cyclists.
    But then I am just as happy to go to the farm and garden shops for cake as the view can be nicer.

    I do most work on my bikes but when I spend all week fixing equipment, somedays I just want someone else to do it or if it’s going to be a warranty job then I let them do it.
    The full susser is labour intensive, especially for a pivot bearing regrease which takes me a couple of hours at least.

    March 17, 2014 at 12:22 pm #778991
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    monkeytrousers

    http://www.supernovacycles.co.uk
    http://www.supernovacycles.co.uk Website looks alright.

    If I lived there I’d come in just to see the dog!

    March 17, 2014 at 11:33 am #778989
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    workhard

    allez neg wrote:Aren’t the

    allez neg wrote:
    Aren’t the big mail order sites based offshore and thus don’t pay VAT?

    CRC in Ulster. Wiggle in Portsmouth. All the German ones, where the big BIG price savings are to be made, in… well… Germany no?

    March 17, 2014 at 11:14 am #778987
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    allez neg

    Aren’t the big mail order
    Aren’t the big mail order sites based offshore and thus don’t pay VAT?

    March 17, 2014 at 10:04 am #778985
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    workhard

    Only time my bikes go inside
    Only time my bikes go inside an lbs is for headset install or replacement or, on the mtb suspension rebuilds, because I don’t own the tools for that (yet). Every other job I can do myself. I determined to teach myself these skills after one too many patronising conversations with lbs staff who wanted to take me for a mug or insult my choice of bike/riding style/equipment selection. Funny how “xxx is shit” often means “we don’t have those in stock”. And one too many times collecting a bike from an lbs to find it hadn’t been fixed or had new faults that weren’t there before.

    The smartest lbs hereabouts at least offers a £30 per hour to fit the parts you supply yourself service and the people there can frequently be heard to say “Buy it yourself off the interwebs; we can’t get near those prices” which is an excellent and common-sense approach. Another just refuses to fit bits you bring in yourself and charges list for everything plus labour!

    March 16, 2014 at 10:18 am #778983
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    Miles253

    LinusLarrabee wrote:
    Now, if

    LinusLarrabee wrote:

    Now, if I could have gone in to my LBS today and watched the Paris – Nice coverage on Eurosport and chatted with some other cyclists over a latte, I might well have walked out with a new pair of Sidi shoes under my arm. But my LBS doesn’t go in for any of that. One could argue that’s not a bike shop, it’s a café, but times are changing.

    This! Offering that social experience massively makes me want to support my local shop. They offer social rides and a local sportive, if they had a cafe too I would be there all the time. Times are changing and I think this is the way forward. Look at Look Mum NO Hands, pretty sure they are thriving, though I know they sell no bikes.

    March 15, 2014 at 9:10 pm #778981
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    Shamblesuk

    Hardly ever use mine. Order
    Hardly ever use mine. Order everything online. Self service the bike using YouTube and other google links. Occasionally pop in for urgent spares. Get charged a fortune and sells average stuff. Guy doesn’t seem to be bothered. This may be an exception but as a rule I’ve never seen the need to support them other than nostalgia or inertia.

    March 15, 2014 at 8:28 pm #778979
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    LinusLarrabee

    I understand why people go to
    I understand why people go to their LBS, but I genuinely don’t understand this perceived adoration of LBSs. Is it a nostalgia thing? I’ve found most to be expensive and not as knowledgeable as I expected them to be (although more knowledgeable than my local Halfords I’ll admit!). Don’t get me wrong though, I’m sure some give a great service, but you can get much better product information online (reviews, technical and problem solving etc.). With no prior experience (other than fixing a puncture), I’ve just built up a bike from scratch using parts I’d purchased mostly from Ebay and I feel much more confident riding around the French countryside knowing exactly how my bike works. Bottom brackets, derailleurs and headsets are no longer a mystery to me. For me, price is less of a concern. I’m much more interested in good, accurate information and a wide choice of parts and products.

    Now, if I could have gone in to my LBS today and watched the Paris – Nice coverage on Eurosport and chatted with some other cyclists over a latte, I might well have walked out with a new pair of Sidi shoes under my arm. But my LBS doesn’t go in for any of that. One could argue that’s not a bike shop, it’s a café, but times are changing.

    March 15, 2014 at 4:16 pm #778977
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    NickK123

    This has been really
    This has been really interesting thread to read – not least that I have spent some time in business analysis. It strikes me that on the one hand we have a consumerism argument – strike for the best price; and, on the other, we have an acknowledgement that the LBS provides a broader level of support, which is valued, set against higher prices for some elements of that support, particularly spares. I suppose one could cherry pick – buy spares which have relatively low risk attached to them at WigReaction but use the LBS for higher risk activities; I imagine most do this to some extent. That said, as others have said on the future of LBS – ‘use it or lose it’. Personally, like many, I have built up a relationship with my LBS, always give them a chance to get within 5-10% of a web price, and am prepared to pay that extra as my ‘tax’ to support the LBS, noting it runs our local riding group, goes out if its way to support my old vintage bike, sorted my (troublesome) indexing the day before an event on my number 1 bike, sorted mates’ machines before we went out on an informal ride, runs the local Sportive … I could go on but I sleep easy in my bed knowing that that 5-10% has provided that support. Not that I am a paid up member of the V Taliban but perhaps there is something to Rule 58.

    March 15, 2014 at 10:00 am #778975
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    psclarke

    There’s an assumption in a
    There’s an assumption in a lot of these comments that the same wholesale prices are available to local bike shops as to Wiggle, Chain Reaction etc. I can tell you categorically that this is not the case – even matching the prices of the big online retailers often means selling at a loss.

    So yes, a local shop can be more expensive, but for the extra money you’re getting the benefit of their expertise (and who hasn’t bought the wrong thing online). If they’re fitting stuff for you you’re also getting their warranty and legal liability. You’re also supporting the shop’s owner and staff, all of whom will be living locally and putting big chunks of their money back into the local economy.

    I can’t tell anyone where they should shop – we all make our decisions based on our own circumstances – but incredibly cheap deals on parts aren’t going to be much help when there’s no one left to fit them. Or index your gears, bleed your brakes, cure that annoying clicking noise…

    March 15, 2014 at 8:21 am #778973
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    Shep73

    Support my LBS as much as
    Support my LBS as much as possible but even they will say use Merlin Cycles for Shimano kit as they can do a better price. But that said I have spent £1000’s in there and they have been brilliant and I have saved a large chunk in the process.

    Never paid a penny for repairs or servicing. one example was my rear mech kept sticking after the bike had been left for a few days so I took it in, turns out that my drinks bottle was leaking and my energy drink was getting into my cables and it had dripped around the BB shell, So they fitted new outer and cable, cleaned the bike and polished it, when I asked for the bill the shop manager said “there isn’t one, don’t worry about it”. I get this kind of treatment all the time so I am happy to pay more for kit from them then buy online. Service like that means more than saving a few quid.

    They support our local MTB club with sponsorship for the race team, give stuff away for competitions and they do open nights with extra club discounts and they do training nights for those who want to service their own bikes.

    March 14, 2014 at 11:21 am #778971
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    Chuck

    Flying Scot wrote:
    The best

    Flying Scot wrote:

    The best of these shops do reward if you put a bit of time in, I actually introduce people to my local place, as otherwise they wouldn’t know who was working and who was hanging.

    I’m with TheBungle here. I don’t think this kind of ‘you’ve got to be in the know’ thing is very helpful if you’re not in the gang. This is just the sort of thing that puts people off and sends them to the big boys. Not great for the LBS or the customer.

    March 14, 2014 at 11:13 am #778969
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    Miles253

    I’ve got a pretty good lbs
    I’ve got a pretty good lbs near meat, Wildside in Tumbridge Wells. Really friendly staff, but not the cheapest prices overall. But they make up for it with good sales and tonnes of times fixing small things for me for nothing, obviously after me offering.

    March 13, 2014 at 1:37 pm #778967
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    issacforce

    i have an excellant lbs,
    i have an excellant lbs, nothing is too much trouble, just the other day broke a spoke, so much easier to take it to lbs as new spoke and retruing was £ 7.00 cant ask fairer than that, i always go there, as ive tried other lbs and was dissapointed. the shop is in chester-le-street, co durham, called cestria cycles, :H

    March 13, 2014 at 12:19 pm #778965
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    thebungle

    Flying Scot wrote:thebungle

    Flying Scot wrote:
    thebungle wrote:
    I can’t think of any other retail environment where you are encouraged to ‘build a relationship’.

    It’s not really a retail environment though is it?

    It’s a full service provider, just like your local independent garage, tyre shop and the like.

    The best of these shops do reward if you put a bit of time in, I actually introduce people to my local place, as otherwise they wouldn’t know who was working and who was hanging.

    This is a place that people travel over an hour to use, but it ain’t Tesco!

    Of course it’s a retail environment, how else would you define a shop?

    Why should a customer have to ‘put a bit of time in’ to earn a special relationshop?

    The best shops make the customer feel special from their very first visit, the very best shops combine that service with good stock and keen prices.

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