Bicycle Sports is a great idea, look at the management staff - these guys have a solid background in cycling and tri.

This was a long time coming.

So long Nytro ......

One of my best friends did something like this in another area of the bicycle industry. He did not open a lot of shops but bought a large trailor and started going to a large number of races. He charged lower prices and took over the industry. He then went to a large mail order business. You can go in to most bicycle shops in the country and they will know who he is. What he did may not have been good for other bike shops but it was great for the consumer. During a time when most of the bike industry was struggling he flourished. I think what Cobb is doing is good. I am with u on the big business thing but they all started somewhere. They all want to make more money, some do and some don't. He made it because he took chances others would not and stayed close to the peeps that got him there. Because of this he sold his buss., yes to a large corp., and will never have to work again.

i think it is a horrible situation. like how barnes and noble company is destroying writers left and right, making us all read the same dozen books they carry. bicycle sports will control which bike makers stay in buisness. if litespeed doesn't pay up then mr. cobb will make sure that the brand isn't sold anywhere. smaller shops will collapse and the owners and employees will be on the street starving do to mr bush (he wa selected not elected) outrages tax cut to the ruch.

i say like newbies and purple shirters, large stores with a huge selection, compitive prices and knowledable sales and technical staffs will ruin our sport.

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

I agree with a lot of what you said... this would be a bad side effect if we lost the good local bike shops that helped Tri to grow to this point

However I disagree with your statement that

"large stores with a huge selection, compitive prices and knowledable sales and technical staffs will ruin our sport"

I think that is an ideal situation... large store... good selection... good prices... knowledgable sales and staff... I really don;t see a draw back to that...

Just cause something is small doesn't make it better.
I buy books at specific small book shops not because I hat Barnes and Nobles or Borders ( I buy magazines there) but because they are better not becuase they are smaller.

I'm a little concerned myself. I'm all for creating high quality triathlon/cycling shops, and obviously Cobb knows how to build them. The "truck" is absolutely amazing and a really cool idea. I'm happy to see they've done that.

My issue is that I like the personality and quirkyness of different shops. I like Mom and Pop places where I can talk directly with the owner. I also think it's good to have as many good shops as possible. So if these guys were going into underserved markets, I'd be really happy. But I don't like the idea of them setting up shop in the saturated San Diego area just down the street from Nytro, B&L, and near the small but great Leucadia Bike Shop. What's the goal here, to shut the other guys down? I understand that that's the way business works. But being a consumer I can't help but think I'd be better served by a collection of smaller shops than by a single superstore. Home Depot comes to mind. I avoid that hellhole like the plague and will take the service of a small hardware store any day of the week. Hopefully some of the local shops will be able to weather the storm brought by this latest carpetbagging corporation. When am I going to read that Bicycle Sports has joined up with Nashbar/Performance/Supergo... yuck.

The expo truck at Wildflower was simply amazing. It's too bad that everyone was using it as a way to escape the torrential rain on Friday, because it was impossible to move around inside the tent.

I haven't been to the new SF store yet, but if it has just the selection of apparel that the expo truck had, I will be extremely impressed. (And very happy, since I never got to go back and buy the jersey I fell in love with...)

i was kidding. i am a right wing agnostic of the high order. i love the idea of mega stores. my reading list more deverse becuase the big stores carry more books than little guys. as far as cobb's stores effects on the sport i think since our sport is as small as it is and the bicycle sports aren't really that huge things will stay about the same.

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

The SF store will be interesting to see how it does since it's in the most bizarre location for a bike shop. I think their next door neighbor is a drug treatment place or something like that. (Market out near the Castro, if you know SF).

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

...which is why I haven't been there yet.

No kidding. Not to mention the fact that there is no parking within a mile of the place, unless you shell out $$, and even the pay lots aren't close.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Having worked in a mom and pop bike shop all through high school and college, I think it is essential that LBS thrive and get our business when we have the opportunity to support them.

That being said, if mom and pop shops can't compete with larger, more aggressive stores - then it is their responsibility to manage their business and become more competitive. No LBS has ever gone into business to just 'sustain' a living. They open their business for one reason....to make money.

Capitalism is BEAUTIFUL thing...it brings more products at better prices to us all. Mom and Pop shops need to manage their inventory, cash and human resources just like any major corporation does - just on a smaller scale.

As far as I am concerned...three cheers for Bicycle Sports. They send me colorful catalogs and give me good deals on big ticket items that my LBS refuses to stock. Yes, I'll give my LBS as much business as possible - but when I'm buying a new crankset or want that pair of Zipps, if they won't match the best price I find online (plus shipping) - then I'm making the call to DiscountLand.

I would like to thank Bill Gates for making this email possible.

The Internet, the Web, and Forums certainly are NOT Microsoft 'innovations.'

You are correct, that was Al Gore.

A lot of people seem to be afraid these large bike shops are going to put all of the mom and pop places out of business. While arguably some LBS closings may be good. (Namely the ones that have crappy service, no selection, and charge way to much, and are only in bussiness because there the only gig in town.) Will the Big guys run out all the little guys though, I doubt it. A lot of people are still going to prefer going to a small more "cozy" shop. They may be intimidated by something huge. As to back this up, I would choose another market entirely. While the Pet industry and the bike industry are different. It is a good example of how a few large corparations have come in and tried to commercialize everything (i.e. PetCo, Petsmart...) While these big businesses have carved a niche for themselves they haven't hurt the local shops at all. In fact you could say the local shops do better because of it. It allows everyone to see that they are about more than cheap prices and massive inventory. They back there stuff with quality and personal time and relationships.
So will Bicycle Sports spell the doom of the bike industry? I don't think so; I see it as just another step towards a better tri/cycling community.

You're quite right, although I think you intended sarcasm. Ask the guys who really did invent the Internet (Vinton Cerf et al), and they'll tell you: in government, it was Al Gore who made the Internet possible. See Cerf's statement on the matter at the bottom of the post here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cyberia-l/message/31896
Also this makes for interesting reading to see how the "liberal media" can propagate a lie:
http://commons.somewhere.com/rre/2000/RRE.Al.Gore.and.the.Inte.html

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"It is a good feeling for old men who have begun to fear failure, any sort of failure, to set a schedule for exercise and stick to it. If an aging man can run a distance of three miles, for instance, he knows that whatever his other failures may be, he is not completely wasted away." Romain Gary, SI interview

What?! You're killing me here...I don't want to take this forum away from tri-talk - but the 'Internet' or at least the concept of it (accessing files on servers from computers located remotely) has been around since the early 50's. Al Gore and his brethren might have sparked legislation to help move this technology forward - but he was too busy aiding Tipper with censoring 2 Live Crew and Twisted Sister back when he was supposedly creating the internet.

Just one more thing our military has done for us.

Even in NYC, where I live, there are only two blue chip bike shops that charge up the kazoo for simple things like bar tape and tires. Throw in a major dose of attitude (in a famous Brooklyn store) and you have the perfect recipe for customer alienation, which is why I purchased my bike from Bicycle Sports (thanks Cody). I got patience, understanding, a willingness to explain why to upgrade (or why not to), and a fulfillment of a promise that the bike was actually there and would be delivered on a particular date. That's rare in these parts. As long as their service keeps up with their growth, I have no problem with Bicycle Sports expanding all the way to Brooklyn. Hint hint. BTW, I still spend money at my two LBS's, I'm just not always happy about it.

I haven't been to a Bicycle Sports yet, still waiting for the MN one to open. But looking at their catalog, all I see is bikes that are priced at $3000+. I'm sure my LBS has a few in that price range, but I'm guessing they are making their living by selling cheaper bikes and catering to the entire family (BMX, mountain bikes, cross-bikes, etc), not just "serious" racers. Maybe Bicycle Sports does too, but just doesn't advertise that in their catalogs.

Zeke

Gotta agree with you on the NYC shops... Things are flat out expensive in the city... Expensive would be OK but I have never found one that had people that I could really trust... As we learn in medicine, it doesn't matter how much you know if you can not be trusted.

Bikes are not life and death but they sure are expensive

The only reaason I go to the shop I go to now is because I like the mechanic there... nice guy, does great work, I slip him a couple bucks for lunch or whatever, polite, etc... too bad I don;t like the rest of the people there

I love Bicyclesports SF -- go check it out. They don't have a huge selection of "stuff" yet (they've only been open a month or two) so it's not a great place to go if you need to pick up some tubes or lube, but their manager, Eric, is super nice and they do great service (I've had my bike in there twice already.) Plus they have a good collection of tri-specific apparel and new tri bikes to drool over.

I mainly write because I think you're wrong about the parking -- each of the three times I've driven there, at least one of the metered spots on Gough right next to the store has been open. And I (with an admittedly biased viewpoint - I live about 2 blocks from there) think the area was in need of a good bike store -- not all triathletes in SF live in the Marina or the Upper Haight :).

>>I love Bicyclesports SF -- go check it out. not all triathletes in SF live in the Marina or the Upper Haight>>

No thanks. I love my LBS and I can walk or ride there and they take great care of me. And I don't live in the Marina or UH.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

What a day! First, I get a message with a tracking number for my new frame and fork, then head out for a good ride -- in the sun, no less :o) -- then while reading through Slowtwitch, I find a write up on Bicycle Sports SF. I meant to send this bit out earlier, but... life happens.

I was fortunate enough to have Eric as my mechanic, and not only did he do great work on my bike, from the how and the why of the way things work, but he also helped me get my positioning on the bike dialed in better than ever. While I miss watching him work, I'm thrilled he has this opportunity to pursue this, his passion.

I believe Eric and his store will be good additions to the Bay Area triathlon and cycling community -- a super resource!

Best wishes to you all.

89 days to Ironman Canada! :o)

here's and article on Bicycle Sports System One fitting as well , they do an excellent job:

http://www.timetrial.org/systemone.htm