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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 - 31 through 45 (of 59 total)
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  • March 9, 2014 at 11:17 pm #778933
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    Beefy

    Went to a LBS near work in
    Went to a LBS near work in Southport, I only wanted a set of good quality cartridge brake pads for my road bike. The guy serving me said oh we don’t sell that type of brake pad. Showing me a set of really poor moulded pads he said we only sell these because there the best. Apparently the shop has a decent reputation, but to basically be lied to about something as simple as break pads was insulting! I also think some one new to riding would have bought them and been disappointed.

    I have found an in between point an online shop which is reasonably local and is also a shop with helpful staff good pricing. I’m lucky I guess to live near Merlin cycles, they are the best of both worlds if you live close enough to call them a LBS.

    What I don’t understand is why some LBS charge so much for gear? Surely they could order it on line them selves, put a profit margin on the price and still be much creeper than there current price.

    No I don’t have any connection other than being a customer

    March 9, 2014 at 5:24 pm #778931
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    Colin Peyresourde

    Tried a new LBS the other
    Tried a new LBS the other day. They promised to take our bikes and service them over the weekend. We turned up to find that the shop was closing and having their floor relaid. They basically cost us that weekend to get them done. I also wasn’t exactly impressed with what I saw.

    I normally clean my own bike, but like a shop service from the point of view that they’re much more aware of the minor issues which can become big and deal with these much better.

    I’ll not be trying their service anytime soon. But I’ll give a big shout out to ‘On Your Bike’ at London Bridge who are very good.

    March 9, 2014 at 3:54 pm #778929
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    Gkam84

    Nice one Neil, that is
    Nice one Neil, that is something I will consider going forward. Not got the cash to get some bikes just now, but I might tap up the LBS for some ex hire bikes 😉

    March 9, 2014 at 3:52 pm #778927
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    cristiansupernova

    Interesting reading. I think
    Interesting reading. I think there is way way to much emphasis on this whole internet price war vs LBS thing going on ..

    Yes, it does have an impact, but if a good shop reacts well to it, it shouldn’t be a problem. I know that some some LBS owners fret like mad over it, but simply worrying about it, does nothing but distract from your day job.

    I have been doing it for 23 years, and have also worked indirectly for CRC, (after meeting them, having huge respect for them) but really, it’s no big deal, if a good shop has the right attitude (which I hope we have) then life goes on.

    My point being, for any decent LBS to “survive” they have to have the right attitude, in turn creating a nice, cool, comfortable atmosphere for anybody (with any bike!) who walks through the door.

    I love bikes, I love my 10speed Cinelli, my 8″ travel DH bike, and my hardtail xc bike… But it doesn’t show, (apart from the Cinelli, that’s always on display!)

    What shows is a bikeshop doing tons of repairs (fast, to a high std, and good value) and selling bikes from £260 to £4grand ish. Not trying to be super special, or even super clean (kitchen is always a mess) hell, even our website is a bit crap, but guess what, right now were a bit to busy to sort it .. And image isn’t everything, if your doing the basics right and well.

    Oh, yeah, the most important part (for LBS “survival”) – don’t ride any waves.. Just be, and do.

    March 9, 2014 at 2:51 pm #778925
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    Neil753

    @ Gkam – re parts delivery
    @ Gkam – re parts delivery delays.

    Just a thought – If you take a four mile walk as your radius (for people with no other way of getting their bike to your workshop other than wheeling it) that still covers a whopping 50 square mile catchment area. So, why not have a few “courtesy bikes”, so that customers can leave their bike with you for a couple of days or so, giving you more time to wait for parts to arrive.

    If a customer has to wheel his bike to a shop, then walk back home, then walk back to the shop again to pick his bike up, I think most people within one hour’s walking distance would probably prefer to go to you instead. That way, they’d only have to walk once, rather than three times. For someone working from a shed, it’s a usp with huge potential, as more and more people give up their cars.

    March 8, 2014 at 10:31 pm #778923
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    Gkam84

    I am not really going to be
    I am not really going to be retailing much, but if I wanted to retail at the same prices as only, I could only charge a couple of quid profit onto the prices I can get things at and then be around the same price as Wiggle.

    Which I will do for locals, because they are willing to wait that one extra day, but for servicing bikes and doing repairs. It is hopeless to try and order parts because of where I live. Even Wiggle can’t get me next day delivery.

    The only company who have gotten everything to me next day like it says on their site is Chain Reactions and all their stuff so far has come from Ireland.

    March 8, 2014 at 10:24 pm #778921
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    parksey

    I should add that I did
    I should add that I did actually buy my bike from the store, even if it was through C2W. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one there either, their advice in terms of what to buy and, crucially, why was second to none.

    March 8, 2014 at 10:11 pm #778919
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    parksey

    ^ This is pretty much my
    ^ This is pretty much my attitude as well. LBS is used primarily for servicing and non-routine repair work only, although I could equally just use a mechanic if I knew of a good one locally.

    Components, accessories and clothing are mainly bought online or in large chain stores, as my LBS just can’t get anywhere near the pricing and availability. If it was only a small differential I wouldn’t be so fussed, but by way of some recent examples:

    Shoes – LBS £90, online £58
    Pedals – LBS £60, online £32
    Gloves – LBS £40, Halfords £22

    At best, my LBS is 50% more, at worst more like 100%… I don’t earn a fortune and have a family to support, so I simply cannot justify paying those prices. For me, cycling has to be an affordable hobby or else I can’t keep it up.

    But, the store has been there for 50 years, and I don’t see it going anywhere in a hurry. As others have mentioned, I’ve seen plenty of people dropping money I could only dream of on bikes and kit in there. Cycling seems to be the new golf anyway, lots of affluent middle-aged sorts who won’t hesitate to spend a fortune on the latest gear in the vain hope it’ll improve their performance.

    March 7, 2014 at 11:53 pm #778917
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    glynr36

    I buy my parts online and use
    I buy my parts online and use a local guy working as a mechanic to fit them for me.
    It’s quicker for me to be sat on my sofa/at workand decide what parts I want and have them arrive the next day, as opposed to go to a shop, find what I want isn’t in stock (as all they seem to stock locally is Shimano and Commuter crap) wait for them to order it, only they won’t order it just for me as they’ll wait till they have a few things from that distro to order instead, and to then be more expensive than what I could have got quicker and easier online.

    March 7, 2014 at 10:39 pm #778915
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    bailey19

    I just ordered a s3 with
    I just ordered a s3 with vectors from my lbs and got a fantastic discount and great service, the price with the discount was far cheaper than anywhere online. I was a wiggle addict before but will now go and see them in store and see what they can do when I need something next!

    March 7, 2014 at 10:03 pm #778913
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    Nick T

    How can you exclude R&D costs
    How can you exclude R&D costs or anything else from a price? You might as well say my Spag Bol only costs 10p if you exclude the beef, tomatoes and pasta from the price but you still won’t be correct.

    March 7, 2014 at 9:48 pm #778911
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    drfabulous0

    Darth_sharter wrote:$30 for a

    Darth_sharter wrote:
    $30 for a for a £1000 bike. As a 25 yrs in the trade veteran, I can assure you all that’s absolutely nowhere near correct. No wonder people expect dealers to give discounts if they think bikes are that cheap at source.

    Quite correct of course, my mistake. I meant factory gate price of the frameset rather than the complete bike. I used to work for a large ‘manufacturer’ and if you exclude any R & D then you could get a really nice alloy frame or the sort of carbon I would have doubts about for this sort of price. If you wanted say Sora on it (levers and rear mech) that would be $3.90.

    March 7, 2014 at 8:42 pm #778909
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    bobdelamare

    here in Cranleigh we have a
    here in Cranleigh we have a fairly new bike shop in the High Street. They are clueless. A couple of wallies lounging on a sofa with loud music and obsessed with mountain bikes. Ask for a 700c x 32 inner tube and they are amazed. About 2 miles out of town there is a bike shop with some older guys who know their stuff and will fix your problem with minimal cost and time. Two problems, it’s hidden away to avoid business rates and the owner, who thinks they are going to sell £million carbon fibre racers. There is not one bike in the shop with mud guards or a pannier rack. This is a rural area, mud and potholes. The market is in “do it all” bikes not “head down arse up” speedsters. We used to have a good man in the High Street but he gave up with the burden of Business Rates being charged on the value of the shop rather than the value of the business, ie ability to pay.

    Actually that’s the reason for the decline in the High Street generally, useful shops can’t pay the high rents and rates.

    March 7, 2014 at 8:36 pm #778907
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    Darth_sharter

    $30 for a for a £1000 bike.
    $30 for a for a £1000 bike. As a 25 yrs in the trade veteran, I can assure you all that’s absolutely nowhere near correct. No wonder people expect dealers to give discounts if they think bikes are that cheap at source.

    March 7, 2014 at 8:36 pm #778905
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    Darth_sharter

    $30 for a for a £1000 bike.
    $30 for a for a £1000 bike. As a 25 yrs in the trade veteran, I can assure you all that’s absolutely nowhere near correct. No wonder people expect dealers to give discounts if they think bikes are that cheap at source.

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