I normally love my LBS they treat me great, normally bend over backwards to help me and very friendly everyone know me at the shop. So I was there browsing around like I normally do and I asked one of the guys if they had a fixed/single speed bike I was looking of getting the Langster Seattle. He said no but lately he has been getting a lot of request for them but they don't carry any. I said if you get a Seattle let me know I would probably buy it and I left at that.

The other day I was there and I saw one of the owners so I saw this as apportunity to see if they were going to get any Langsters. She was kind of short and said I am not getting any I am not carrying a bike I wouldn't be able to sell. She didn't even suggest that she can order it for me. I was thinking to myself, she really needs to talk to her employees to see what are customer's interest.

The whole thing has left kind of sour taste in my mouth. I mean they have like five $4,000 Pinarello frames hanging from the wall, how much would it cost to stock 3 or 6 Langsters. I guess a lot of my frustration is that I am finding less and less things I need at the shop and I find buying more stuff online. I am presently waiting for all the stuff I ordered to build my single speed bike.

Can you not just get them to order one? My LBS does this all the time when I need a certain bike.

are they even a specialized dealer?

If you want a Langster, why not just directly ask her if she will order a Langster for you? If you are set on the bike, pull out a wad of cash and ask her if a 50% deposit is enough. Put your money where your mouth is.

This happens all the time at my LBS. They stock very little high-end stuff, and they stock no Campy at all. People come in all the time asking for parts that are special order only. When the manager says, "We'd have to order that for you. It will take a week," the customers usually hem and haw, then walk out. Customers tend to be impatient and don't realize that a shop with limited space can only stock so much stuff.

I've been going there for years and they pull this with me too. If I want to order something, I'm expected to know exactly what I want. They won't sit there and go through the QBP book with me; they hand it to me and I have to find what I want and write down the SKU. Then they take my deposit. If I miss the weekly special order by even a day, I have to wait until the next weekly order day.

So ordering stuff can be a hassle for the shop. Why not just ask them?

The other day I was there and I saw one of the owners so I saw this as apportunity to see if they were going to get any Langsters. She was kind of short and said I am not getting any I am not carrying a bike I wouldn't be able to sell. She didn't even suggest that she can order it for me. I was thinking to myself, she really needs to talk to her employees to see what are customer's interest.

She was kind of short and said I am not getting any I am not carrying a bike I wouldn't be able to sell.

You should have said "Well I'd buy one".

She probably got burned with those $4000 Pinarello's. LBS is a tough business to make money in. You've got to have a little empathy for them in situations like this. Fixie stuff is still a pretty niche market. I'd cut them a break on this one. The more you ride and learn to wrench your own stuff, the less you need the LBS. My LBS has virtually no fixed gear stuff. I buy what I can in there. But really it's not that much anymore.

You mean to tell me that your LBS owner is unaware of the current fad??!! :D

You mean to tell me that your LBS owner is unaware of the current fad??!! :D


Or maybe she is very aware of the fad and she knows it's already peaked:p :p :p

sorry, I couldn't resist....

But I did notice many LBS's at least in my area (Los Angeles) are somewhat reluctant to stock fixed/ss bikes but are able to order practically any fixed/ss related components, including framesets and complete bikes for you, no problem...

There's a local shop here that's got a 925, a Steamroller, a KHS, and a Swobo Sanchez in stock. I guess that's what happens when you live in a college town!

I had to say to her would you be willing to order one for me. She said yes but she seemed put out by my suggestion and yes they are a Specialized dealer. As for why not just drop the money and buy it? I want to try the bike, I want to check fit. I have bought 5 bikes from them in the last 3 years, I have fixed their computer systems on several occasions for free as a favor. I am not some fly by night customer.

I do understand that she has the right to carry what she feels will sell. I just find it she is a little short sighted. What triggered my feelings was realizing I have to 7 to 10 days for parts to build my bike and that when I want to get some cogs I would have to order them.


What I want is a bike shop that doesn’t exist. The shop would have tons of parts, great service, a large selection of bikes and fantastic prices. I want it all.

What I want is a bike shop that doesn’t exist. The shop would have tons of parts, great service, a large selection of bikes and fantastic prices. I want it all.

If you're a tinkerer and can build from the frame up they do exist......all on the internets.

It is a little short sighted of her in my opinion... In my case, Dallas will never be known as a fixed gear hot spot and I can name 3 or 4 LBS's that stock Langsters. I can name another two that stock Bianchi Pista or San Jose...

In the OP's position, assuming that's not in the middle of nowhere, I'd call around to other Speccy dealers in the region and find the closest one with the bike I wanted in stock. Then I'd go test ride it, and buy it if I liked it.

Well I am already building my single speed/fixie out of an old Japanese Bianchi. I am quite excited it is actually costing more to build that the Langster Seattle. I have decided that I will not buy another bike till late next year. Of course I have said that many a times and end up buying a bike that catches my eye. Right now I can resist because I am not looking at it. Anyway I have been looking at a Gunnar and it is very tempting, but the closest dealer is 8 hours away.

By the way I live in Miami, Florida.

There's a local shop here that's got a 925, a Steamroller, a KHS, and a Swobo Sanchez in stock. I guess that's what happens when you live in a college town!

My local Specialized dealer had one of each of the city langsters and a couple of the basic Langsters last time I was in there. All of the other LBS have at least one or more fixed gears on the floor: 925, One Way, Bianchi Pista, Sanchez, Felt Dispatch, Giant Bowery, and the Langsters. I have even seen higher end track bikes on occasion at some of the shops S-Works Langster, Bianchi Concept, Fuji Track Pro, and a Felt TK2. It is a college town, and most days driving/riding through campus I pass a couple of fixed gears (mostly conversions).

Not for a Langster but have you checked out Business Cycles? You have one of the largest US dealers of track parts/frames right in your back yard...

http://www.businesscycles.com/

9620 S.W. 77th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33156

A different but related complaint:

The LBS here does stock fixed gear. At any time, I've seen the Giant, Raleigh One way, and various Bianchi's in stock. So they do 'get it.'

When I was building up my conversion, I couldn't get the guy behind the counter - the wrench, for Pete's sake - to understand that a Connex wasn't a half-link, and beyond that, why I might need one. While we were chatting about the project, he also told me that I was absolutely, positively wrong about a BB lockring fitting on freewheel threads to help hold things together. He was certain they were the wrong size and threaded the wrong way. (No amount of discussion could shift his brain away from a track hub lockring's threads.) Nevermind that it was already on the wheel. Oh, and for future reference, the 'expert' wrench tells me that you can't run a fixed gear with vertical drops. Just in case you've seen all of us do it - we're apparently miracle workers. He was willing to sell me a Singulator for the effort. And couldn't imagine why that wouldn't work.

I had to leave and come back when the owner was around to get him to crack open a catalog. Good news is that after all this, he just tossed the halflink on their weekly order and gave it to me when it came in, on the promise that I'd stop by with it when the conversion was done.

In case you are wondering, I don't recommend sending a bike there for service.

I had one of those half-link moments at a LBS once.....no one knew what the heck I was talking about....:I ended up ordering a couple of them from Ben's......:D

[QUOTE=team_sheepshead]This happens all the time at my LBS. They stock very little high-end stuff, and they stock no Campy at all. People come in all the time asking for parts that are special order only. When the manager says, "We'd have to order that for you. It will take a week," the customers usually hem and haw, then walk out. Customers tend to be impatient and don't realize that a shop with limited space can only stock so much stuff.
QUOTE]


Therein lies the problem. The store can't afford to stock and store a complete supply of parts. If you want a high end component from the LBS you basically pay full price, have to preorder, make two trips to the store ( one to order, one to pick up order), and pay state sales tax. It makes absolutely no sense to go through that pain when if I know what I want and the LBS doesn't need to help me decide what I need to order, I just order on the internet, get it delivered to my door, get it quicker, and get it cheaper.


It really sucks for everyone. It sucks that the store can't carry the inventory and sucks that the customer can't run down and pick up bike stuff right away.

Interesting request.
With frames, isn't the saying something like 2 out of 3: light, stiff or cheap.
With LBS, I think it you're luck with 1 out of 3: selection, service or price.


What I want is a bike shop that doesn’t exist. The shop would have tons of parts, great service, a large selection of bikes and fantastic prices. I want it all.

Not for a Langster but have you checked out Business Cycles? You have one of the largest US dealers of track parts/frames right in your back yard...

http://www.businesscycles.com/

9620 S.W. 77th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33156

You have no idea how close that is to my house. Basically 50 blocks away. Boy I feel stupid. Thanks!!!!

What I want is a bike shop that doesn’t exist. The shop would have tons of parts, great service, a large selection of bikes and fantastic prices. I want it all.

There's a very good reason it doesn't exist. It would be bankrupt in a short period of time. Sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars of inventory that will take years to sell through is not a viable "business model."

Although here in Orange County, CA, the "fixie phenom" was somewhat late in coming, we did see it and started stocking items for the conversion crowd. We have cogs, lockrings, wheelsets, etc., stuff our Performance neighbor doesn't have. And if J&B, QBP, KHS, Trek, Wilson, etc. has it, we can order it for you. If you let us know what you want by close on Sunday (we place orders Monday morning) we can piggyback it on the regular order and you won't have to pay shipping. J&B, KHS, Trek, and Wilson have west coast warehouses and we usually can get it in one or two days.

We've "stocked" some "factory fixies" (Cayne Uno, Redline 9 to 5, Moto Messenger) but that end seems slower than catering to the conversion crowd. It's taken a long time to sell through those.

A different but related complaint:

The LBS here does stock fixed gear. At any time, I've seen the Giant, Raleigh One way, and various Bianchi's in stock. So they do 'get it.'

When I was building up my conversion, I couldn't get the guy behind the counter - the wrench, for Pete's sake - to understand that a Connex wasn't a half-link, and beyond that, why I might need one. While we were chatting about the project, he also told me that I was absolutely, positively wrong about a BB lockring fitting on freewheel threads to help hold things together. He was certain they were the wrong size and threaded the wrong way. (No amount of discussion could shift his brain away from a track hub lockring's threads.) Nevermind that it was already on the wheel. Oh, and for future reference, the 'expert' wrench tells me that you can't run a fixed gear with vertical drops. Just in case you've seen all of us do it - we're apparently miracle workers. He was willing to sell me a Singulator for the effort. And couldn't imagine why that wouldn't work.Suicide hub? Half-linked vert drop frame? I think he was just playing dumb with you. What respectable mechanic would want his finger prints on a contraption like that?

Suicide hub? Half-linked vert drop frame? I think he was just playing dumb with you. What respectable mechanic would want his finger prints on a contraption like that?

No, this fellow was dumb and proud of it. I asked for the link before I the why, went round and round about how this was a different beast than a connex...

After we got talking about things I mentioned the BB lockring. He was insistent that it wouldn't fit, even though I already had it done. He couldn't be dissuaded from his opinion by 'but it's sitting in my living room right now.'

But you have tread new ground. I am confident that 'respectable mechanic' and this guy have never been lumped into the same train of thought. Bought my wife's bike from them. Wouldn't have, but it was a great deal, and they're nearby. Needed them to swap out the stem for fit, they didn't have the right one. When it came in, they installed it and called me. As I rolled the bike down the aisle to leave, I could feel the headset binding. I just kept walking. It was a tossup whether it would get better or worse, and at any rate I wasn't interested in the 'that's how they're supposed to be' that I know I would have heard first.

I had one of those half-link moments at a LBS once.....no one knew what the heck I was talking about....:I ended up ordering a couple of them from Ben's......:D

Ya know, I understand that they don't know, but when you walk in and can tell them it's made by KMC and QBP has it in stock, you'd think they figure out that perhaps you had a clue, stop arguing with the customer and open the damn catalog.

wow sounds like you guys have some bad experiences with your LBS. I love mine, I walked into my today and ordered my Seattle Langster, they didnt have my size but it will be here friday. I dont think i have ever walked in and they had the Exact bike i wanted but, they always got it in less than a week, and the owner has always sat down with me and gone over all my options. I dont have a problem waiting, I know what i want, and if its nto there.... ill wait.

I ended up with a good relationship with a local LBS. They also do not stock the high end, but what I found out is most shops order from the same distributor, I wont drop the name but you probably all know it... The two volume catalogue is to die for. Talk about a kid in a candy store... After going in a few times asking if they could order me this that or the other odd part etc.. he now just hands me the catalogues.. I make a list and slide it back over the counter. I have done frames, wheels, just about everything... Just goes on the weeks order and he calls me when it is in. Key to this was developing a human relationship, and for that to happen, the LBS person has to be able to do this. At the end of the day, SOME people don't belong in retail where it is ALL about relationships.

I have been through every bike shop in this state. They are full of arrogant, apathetic trolls and I hope they all burn to the ground. I can tell you horror story after horror story about my experiences in the LBSs I have been to.

I have been through every bike shop in this state. They are full of arrogant, apathetic trolls and I hope they all burn to the ground. I can tell you horror story after horror story about my experiences in the LBSs I have been to.



what state and how many shops? does it happen all the time? are you sure it's all them, and not you? come on, spill the beans...

Not for a Langster but have you checked out Business Cycles? You have one of the largest US dealers of track parts/frames right in your back yard...

http://www.businesscycles.com/

9620 S.W. 77th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33156Wow, that a 15 min drive for me.

Now the big question s, why is a suck a large track store here in Miami?

Not a big track seen here, nor a big fixe/ss crowd. There is only one Velodrome in Florida!

Ya know, I understand that they don't know, but when you walk in and can tell them it's made by KMC and QBP has it in stock, you'd think they figure out that perhaps you had a clue, stop arguing with the customer and open the damn catalog.

You should be grateful you didn't have the misfortune of having the mechanic actually work on your bike and display his ignorance in a way that caused real damage. It's always good to try to chat with any mechanic you might have work on your bike.

Ok, since its you. (This could be a very long post, let's see.)

Well the first bike I bought as an adult was a Cannondale f4. I bought the bike in March, and rode it very little during those colder months and I never took it off road before this incident.

Soon after I begin riding some longer miles on it I notice the chain is skipping a lot. Very, very annoying. Then the chain breaks. I take it to the place that I bought it (where I also bought clipless pedals, shoes, multi tool and various other things right beside my friend who bought an f3 the same day from the same sales person) and they tell me the issue might be the chain. I had no knowledge at all at the time and they told me it was not covered by warranty. 30 bucks, ok, whatever. Get the bike back. Problem not fixed. So I take it back, mind you, roughly three months after I purchased it new with a 1 year parts warranty and immediately after getting the chain replaced for no damn reason. The guy takes a closer look and sees that there are teeth sheared clean off the cassette on two of the rings.

So I say to the guy,

"Ok, that's covered by warranty, right?"

"I'll check, but the SRAM guy (they made the cassette) isn't here, I'll call you tomorrow."

No call.

A day later I call them,

"Yeah, SRAM says they will not warranty that part."

"Hmm, that's funny, not only do you guys supposedly warranty you bikes, but I'm looking at SRAM's website now and they too warranty their parts for a year.

"I'll call you back"

This time he does call back and tells me SRAM will replace the cassette. Essentially he lied to me and hoped I would be dumb enought to hand them another 30 bucks for another cassette. More amazing than anythind was their willingness to kill a relationship over a 30dollar part that should be warranteed.

Oh, and I asked around MTBR about the cassette teeth, it was unheard of to break those teeth under almost any riding condition, let alone around this area's streets and sidewalks. To do what I did would require either: a hammer and chisel, or, a faulty part from a manufacturer. Which is more likely?

Umm, the store that I bought my Capo from told me it would be in in two weeks which became three months and I was told repeatedly it would be in on dates that came and went, although that is somewhat tame, I don't like being lied to. If you aren't sure, say so. I bought a hitch mount bike rack from the same store, they had to order it for me and I wanted them to assemble and install it. I get a call to come down and pick it up (about a half hour away) and when I get there some guy tells me that is mechanic left and he can't install it for me that day and I need to reschedule.

Well, they did it that day, but I wandered around the store for 90 minutes before he was done doing whatever stuff that the mechanic that left (that should have been fired) left behind before he could get to me.

Umm yet another shop that I had build me a wheel out of a Deep V rim and Phil hub. Well, I noticed the rim was scratched before they built it up but I didn't say anything and praised the quality of the work. So much so that when I wanted a new crankset and BB installed and my steerer tube cut and a 1/8th in cog and chain put on, I took it to them.

Well, I get my bike back and, as I'm putting it on my rack, I notice there is a huge violent scratch in my Aerospoke (yes yes, mock me) So, I go back inside and point it out and they guys answer is,

"Well, bikes get scratched."

No sorry, no offer to make amends or touch it up or anything. Now, I know quite well his boss who is the owner of that shop and another shop that I don't go to anymore, so I send him an e-mail detailing the story, he tells me it is a very important matter and he will deal with it. Never heard a thing.

Umm, I brought a bunch of components to another shop that I had lying around that I wanted the shop to use to build a fixie for a friend around a pake frame. Well, they never even started the fixie and lost all my components.

Oh, another shop I went to and ordered about 400 dollars worth of upgrades. I wrote down exactly what I wanted and they told me "no problem, be here in a week". When the parts come, the headset was not the Cane Creek that I ordered but an FSA. And the cranks that were supposed to be a crankset, were just cranks with a Vuelta chainring. SHADY.

God another place I went to replaced a tube for me that blew while I was out on a ride. I get about 2 miles away and it blows again, they didn't find the piece of metal that was in the tire. They tried to charge me for another tube.

I'm sure there is more but I need to think. And I'm also sure you all can imagine the attitude that comes with all this. I'll never understand the sense of entitlement these guys (and girls) have.

So I bought my own workstand and I'm learning to wrench my own. Bike shops can all get gonnorhea.

With all due respect, bro, your chances of getting treated poorly by a bike shop usually correlate directly with your knowledge of bicycles. The fact that your chain was skipping and you didn't notice you had two broken teeth on your cassette.... Well, most shop guys are going to think: "This Fred doesn't even know enough to look at his cassette when his chain is skipping. He goes to the back of the line."

Same thing goes for the punctured tube. You probably just took it to the shop out of convenience (I'm guessing you know how to change a tube), but giving your bike to a shop guy to change a tube says to him, "I'm too ignorant or lazy to change a tube. Can you do it for me, dad?" So they treat you like garbage.

A good friend of mine manages a shop. He charges $16 to change a tube. That's $6 for a tube that costs him 99 cents, plus $10 for about 3 minutes of labor. I tell him he's basically robbing these poor people have no idea how to change a tube. He just shrugs and says there's no law against learning how to do it yourself.

So good on you, MisterC, for learning how to turn a wrench. That's the best way around this problem.

Ok, since its you. (This could be a very long post, let's see.)

Well the first bike I bought as an adult was a Cannondale f4. I bought the bike in March, and rode it very little during those colder months and I never took it off road before this incident.

Soon after I begin riding some longer miles on it I notice the chain is skipping a lot. Very, very annoying. Then the chain breaks. I take it to the place that I bought it (where I also bought clipless pedals, shoes, multi tool and various other things right beside my friend who bought an f3 the same day from the same sales person) and they tell me the issue might be the chain. I had no knowledge at all at the time and they told me it was not covered by warranty. 30 bucks, ok, whatever. Get the bike back. Problem not fixed. So I take it back, mind you, roughly three months after I purchased it new with a 1 year parts warranty and immediately after getting the chain replaced for no damn reason. The guy takes a closer look and sees that there are teeth sheared clean off the cassette on two of the rings.

So I say to the guy,

"Ok, that's covered by warranty, right?"

"I'll check, but the SRAM guy (they made the cassette) isn't here, I'll call you tomorrow."

No call.

A day later I call them,

"Yeah, SRAM says they will not warranty that part."

"Hmm, that's funny, not only do you guys supposedly warranty you bikes, but I'm looking at SRAM's website now and they too warranty their parts for a year.

"I'll call you back"

This time he does call back and tells me SRAM will replace the cassette. Essentially he lied to me and hoped I would be dumb enought to hand them another 30 bucks for another cassette. More amazing than anythind was their willingness to kill a relationship over a 30dollar part that should be warranteed.

Oh, and I asked around MTBR about the cassette teeth, it was unheard of to break those teeth under almost any riding condition, let alone around this area's streets and sidewalks. To do what I did would require either: a hammer and chisel, or, a faulty part from a manufacturer. Which is more likely?

Umm, the store that I bought my Capo from told me it would be in in two weeks which became three months and I was told repeatedly it would be in on dates that came and went, although that is somewhat tame, I don't like being lied to. If you aren't sure, say so. I bought a hitch mount bike rack from the same store, they had to order it for me and I wanted them to assemble and install it. I get a call to come down and pick it up (about a half hour away) and when I get there some guy tells me that is mechanic left and he can't install it for me that day and I need to reschedule.

Well, they did it that day, but I wandered around the store for 90 minutes before he was done doing whatever stuff that the mechanic that left (that should have been fired) left behind before he could get to me.

Umm yet another shop that I had build me a wheel out of a Deep V rim and Phil hub. Well, I noticed the rim was scratched before they built it up but I didn't say anything and praised the quality of the work. So much so that when I wanted a new crankset and BB installed and my steerer tube cut and a 1/8th in cog and chain put on, I took it to them.

Well, I get my bike back and, as I'm putting it on my rack, I notice there is a huge violent scratch in my Aerospoke (yes yes, mock me) So, I go back inside and point it out and they guys answer is,

"Well, bikes get scratched."

No sorry, no offer to make amends or touch it up or anything. Now, I know quite well his boss who is the owner of that shop and another shop that I don't go to anymore, so I send him an e-mail detailing the story, he tells me it is a very important matter and he will deal with it. Never heard a thing.

Umm, I brought a bunch of components to another shop that I had lying around that I wanted the shop to use to build a fixie for a friend around a pake frame. Well, they never even started the fixie and lost all my components.

Oh, another shop I went to and ordered about 400 dollars worth of upgrades. I wrote down exactly what I wanted and they told me "no problem, be here in a week". When the parts come, the headset was not the Cane Creek that I ordered but an FSA. And the cranks that were supposed to be a crankset, were just cranks with a Vuelta chainring. SHADY.

God another place I went to replaced a tube for me that blew while I was out on a ride. I get about 2 miles away and it blows again, they didn't find the piece of metal that was in the tire. They tried to charge me for another tube.

I'm sure there is more but I need to think. And I'm also sure you all can imagine the attitude that comes with all this. I'll never understand the sense of entitlement these guys (and girls) have.

So I bought my own workstand and I'm learning to wrench my own. Bike shops can all get gonnorhea.