Buying a bike online and then needing servicing at local bike shops

Cakewheels

There's been various threads on here or in bargain alerts about people buying bikes online, but just wondering are most people here who do this able to do their own fixing? How do bike shops tend to feel about fixing bikes not bought from them? I've been bringing my ancient dying bike to some really helpful people in a Halfords branch that just happens to be around the corner for the last two years, but I don't really want to replace it with anything they sell (closest I was considering was the Boardman Road Sport, but it only has Claris groupset and an alloy fork). I understand it's better to support a local shop and I hope to do more of this in the future but at the moment I need to spend as little as possible and there's some great 2014 bargains online that are very tempting.

Chips Lovell

I've never encountered an issue.

Why would a shop not work on a bike that wasn't bought there? You're paying them the same money for the work.

Koobcam

I doubt many bike shops would turn away paying customers, regardless of where the bike was purchased. I would imagine that you might get some sort of free service if you bought a bike at an LBS, but you'd probably more than offset this by the savings you would likely make in buying the bike online.

DirkVoodoo

loughgill wrote: »

I understand it's better to support a local shop

Better how? It's nice, for sure, but I don't see how it's better.

It's a changing world we live in and a lot of bike shops are slow to adapt to that change. You aren't going to stop people using online shopping for bikes/accessories, but bike shops can still survive, just not in the same form.

I can't see any reason why a shop would not work on a bike you didn't buy from them.

seamus

If a shop starting turning away customers who didn't buy their bike from them, they will go out of business very quickly.

Lots of smaller bike shops cropping up everywhere that do no sales of new bikes whatsoever.

cython

My view would be that there is no difference between buying online, and getting servicing in a shop than if you move to a new area and have to change from your regular shop (where you might have bought your bike). Either way you haven't bought the bike from them, but they can still sell you a service

cdaly_

What you won't get is the local bike shop sorting our warranty issues for you. You'll either have to go back to the online retailer or search out the local shop that supplies X brand and ask them to pursue a warranty claim for you. Manufacturers will not deal directly with the public for warranty stuff.

magicbastarder

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

It's a changing world we live in and a lot of bike shops are slow to adapt to that change. You aren't going to stop people using online shopping for bikes/accessories, but bike shops can still survive, just not in the same form.

you'll probably find that 'local' bike shops simply can't compete against online retailers for several reasons; rates and rent (i.e. comparing running a warehouse on the outskirts of a city vs. running a shop on the main street of a town); volume (an international or national online retailer is probably shifting significant multiples of stock more than an LBS, and benefitting from significant bulk discounts); insurance (having non-employees on site will drive public liability up) and employee costs - you don't necessarily need someone to cover lunch if you're just running web orders, etc.

Harrybelafonte

magicbastarder wrote: »

you'll probably find that 'local' bike shops simply can't compete against online retailers for several reasons; rates and rent (i.e. comparing running a warehouse on the outskirts of a city vs. running a shop on the main street of a town); volume (an international or national online retailer is probably shifting significant multiples of stock more than an LBS, and benefitting from significant bulk discounts); insurance (having non-employees on site will drive public liability up) and employee costs - you don't necessarily need someone to cover lunch if you're just running web orders, etc.

I'm pretty sure Dirk is well aware of these points. He's not five.

magicbastarder

sorry, didn't know we shouldn't raise these relevant points in the discussion.

magicbastarder

anyway, i was once in a camera shop in dublin and was quoted a price for a piece of kit - when i mentioned the price i could get the same item from an irish online retailer, the shop assistant showed me the wholesale price the shop was being charged - it was higher than the retail price the online store was charging; the distributor didn't want to deal with small volume shops, they wanted to deal with high volume online retailers. and as such, were pricing them out of the market.

obviously, i can't say the same is happening in the bike market; but the shops are probably under similar pressures, perhaps at a smaller scale than in the context above.

easygoing39

[QUOTE

obviously, i can't say the same is happening in the bike market; but the shops are probably under similar pressures, perhaps at a smaller scale than in the context above.[/QUOTE]

There are LBS's in this country that can buy bike parts cheaper in CRC than from the parts wholesaler who supplies the parts to the Republic!

cormacjones

magicbastarder wrote: »

sorry, didn't know we shouldn't raise these relevant points in the discussion.

It's not really a relevant point though, is it? We all know why online shops can sell cheaper than main street ones.

DirkVoodoo

magicbastarder wrote: »

sorry, didn't know we shouldn't raise these relevant points in the discussion.

No, I probably should have clarified but I'm waiting till I win the lotto so I can start my own shop without having to stress over making a living out of it.

"Look mum no hands" in the UK is the model that I would refer to for the "adapting" bike shop. Your second post highlights this perfectly, if distributors are seeing the wind change and not willing to support small shops, why should the man in the street be expected to take it upon himself and his wallet to do it?

I'm not too familiar with this "rent" that you speak of, but the direct sales model is really taking off when it comes to bikes. Clothing is the same, it's cheaper online and your shop risks becoming a changing room for cheeky buyers looking to see if SIDIs really do feel a bit tight in the toe area before clicking "buy" from CRC.

What can't be done online (yet)? Service (OP is case in point), coffee and ambience. The last one might seem a bit fluffy and intangible, but a proper cycling themed cafe (like LMNH) that shows races, documentaries, etc. and serves top notch coffee and beers, with a bike service business on the side, is the way forward for me. People need their bikes serviced, even if they buy them from Canyon. Heck, maybe go so far as having a measuring studio as well, help people get sized up for their online bike and then charge for fit/setup when it arrives.

My point is that there are lots of ideas outside selling similar spec'd bikes or clothing but for 50% more and expecting people to support you out of pity or some notion of loyalty.

outfox

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

... but a proper cycling themed cafe (like LMNH) that shows races, documentaries, etc. and serves top notch coffee and beers, with a bike service business on the side, is the way forward for me.

When are you opening a Cork branch? I'll be there. I suspect you wont become a millionaire out of it, what with local authority rates, but I'll be there.

2 Wheels Good

outfox wrote: »

When are you opening a Cork branch? I'll be there. I suspect you wont become a millionaire out of it, what with local authority rates, but I'll be there.

Throw in a couple of bike stands and some evening (paid for) tutorials on bike servicing/installation of those bits you bought online and you've a business plan. You might even squeeze in a coffee/beer afterwards in the shop!