I think you need to find a new bike shop. It took me a bit to find mine after I moved, but it has been absolutely worth it. In the past 4 years I have been darkening his door, he has fixed the bike twice when the frame manufacturer said it was toast. Total cost for both repairs was $200, with the majority of that being a carbon repair.

Actually been a few times when I was leaning toward just replacing components and he talked me out of it, asking for me to give him a chance to fix it (twice I was about to pull the trigger on a new frame).

My last tune up, which consisted of new chain, all new cables and a few housings, plus a bottom bracket was $157.

I asked a friend in the bike industry about this. Response was, whether shops like it or not, that ship (customers buying parts online) has sailed. Some money is better than no money.

I have brought parts to my LBS to install for various reasons and they've always been cool with it. I try to do most of my work myself but I do occasionally need a bailout and they are happy to help. As a result I am also happy to buy some random swag while I am in the store and drop off some beer.

I don't have time or willpower to foster a relationship with a shop. I as shop wants me to do that to be treated reasonably, I'll avoid them. I guess that means "they win."

THIS.

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http://www.jt10000.com/

Sometimes, the parts I need are not stocked by the shop and they are sort of slow to get them in-hand, so I order them myself to get them quickly, bring them in with the bike and it shortens the turnaround time. And I tip the mechanic and say thank you for the great work. Even though sometimes, I have to come back, because I find out the work wasn't as great as it was supposed to be. :D

Most things I do myself, but changing out a shifter cable on an aero bike, for example, is a PIA, so that is the type of thing I go to the shop for and I don't bring parts for something like that.

There's not really any turning back on e-commerce access to parts at low prices for consumers, and shops know it, so it appears that less parts are stocked and there is more focus on selling built bikes and making healthy margins on labor. Sign of the times and access through technology that can't be reversed. A well run shop with good people will always focus on relationship-building, excellent service and work quality, and it will keep customers coming back. If they don't focus on those things, they're not really earning the business. Having worked in shops in my previous life, I can tell you that there is a lot of poor training and lack of consistency in the shop environment, same as in automotive, which is why it's so hard to find good places to take your car, same as the bike.

Reasonably, sure. But I think he was talking about being treated more than reasonably, which can be really nice sometimes. Being on a first-name basis with mechanics can be great. They can look at something for you right away without having to submit a formal service request, etc. Also it can make dealing with warranty issues really nice. I had a relatively new pair of HED wheels with a minor issue. The shop owner came by and said, "I'll deal with it. Here, take this other brand new set of HED wheels I have in stock" Vs. making me wait through the entire HED warranty process. Those types of things are not offered to everyone who just walks in.

Not one bit, but if I can't be fast I might as well be sexy.

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I still lapped everyone on the couch!

I have a pretty good relationship with my LBS. I know them all by name and they know mine. I do most of my own wrenching but occasionally I don't have the time or I f'd something up and I bring the bike to them to do what I don't feel like doing or unfuck what I screwed up. I was in there right after I bought my Canyon and the main bike mech asked me if I built it up yet. I said I was doing it that weekend and he jokingly said something like "So you'll be in on Monday." Thankfully, I didn't need to go in on Monday.

I brought my Dimond in there with all the TriRig Alpha X parts and had them do the whole install because I didn't feel like fussing with it. I just bought the PD Aeria system for the Dimond and did that myself. I did have them cut the base bar though because I didn't have a carbon saw, and had them install my brake levers. I could have done the brake levers myself but I figured they could make a couple of bucks since he was already messing with the base bar area.

All that stated, I would never bring in my own cable housing. I'd let them nickel and dime me on that stuff. I'd only bring in major components.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

GMAN, you hit the nail on the head for what I was going for. I know lots of shops will do good work, but if I bring in my bike after I've been wrenching on it and got stuck to just a shop I had no prior relationship with, I'd be put at the back of the line, and charged full rack rate on everything needed to fix it.

I see absolutely no problem bringing in specialized components (not the brand, but some of our unique tri stuff) and having a shop wrench, but buying the same stuff online that they stock and expecting to get treated the same? At least try to mention it to the shop and see if they'll play ball. Mine matches online prices if I ask him to.

I think unfortunately for you, you got caught up in the battle between Shimano and local bike shops. Since Shimano freely allows companies to sell parts at any price all over the internet and mail anywhere, customers can purchase directly from there and cut out the need for the local bike shop to do anything but installation. With that being said most good shops would tell you freely that this happens and suggest that if you want Shimano, it would be best to purchase that yourself, and to bring in the bike for a tune up and install with the new part. Though if the shop was trying to convince you to take the time to switch to 1X11 and remove the need for a front derailleur and stick with a Sram rear, I would totally understand. Maybe because I'm a proponent of being in the age of removing those pesky fronts.

If you like what the shop has to offer I would just say to bring your own part in this instance and get them to tune and install. When you go to pick it up, bring a 6 pack and call it a day. Finding a good mechanic for me is way more important than the price of a parts, so I typically base all my judgments on that.

Yep, that's how it should work.
I rarely go near an LBS. In fact it's been about 18 months I think!
The main reason is the attitude I've often gotten when I have gone to an LBS. I'm the customer, I came in of my own volition, I'm not a fool, and I have other options. Somehow several of the LBS' I've dealt with seem to miss some or all of these points. Just one example: a few years ago a friend of mine who'd recently bought a new bike, came for a ride in the mountains with me. The bike had come equipped with an 11-25 cassette and, mostly because of that, he struggled. I suggested that he buy a 12-27 or 11-28 cassette and we'd put it on for next time to help him get up the steeper gradients. He went to the LBS (where he'd bought the bike) and asked if they had any 12-27 or 11-28 cassettes in stock. He wasn't making a complaint or looking for an exchange or anything, just wanted to purchase a new part. The guy, who knew he'd bought a bike from them recently asked what it was for. He told them. The guy actually refused to sell it to him, telling him there was nothing wrong the bike, he just needed to train more - I found that absolutely stunning! We're talking about a novice cyclist who was essentially told he wasn't good enough for his bike and the LBS turned down a sale out of misguided elitism. That sort of thing is not only tremendously ignorant, it's also an insane way to run a business. You cater for cyclists yet risk putting people off the sport entirely and at the very least make them avoid visiting your premises for fear of being ridiculed.

I feel for this era of retail and the Bicycle Retailer. At the same time, I think I'll start bringing my own cheese to In-n-Out. Ya know? Cause $0.50 for a slice of 'murican cheese is full retail. I can get 600 slices for $72.00 at Costco.

-SD

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

Not sure why bike shops would expect to just get handed business. Earn the business. Just like in every other retail category.

You negotiate your price at Starbucks? At the ER?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for consumers setting the threshold for what is acceptable. I'm curious as to why bicycle retail is singled out as the swap meet?

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

IMO $200 for a bike "tuneup" is absurd.

It takes an hour to lube the chain, clean the frame, tighten the bolts to the torque spec and adjust derailleurs. Leave and never come back.

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Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

How are you going to keep all that cheese from drying out by the time you eat it all? That stuff goes bad you know...mold, dry, etc. Not to mention the heart & artery clogging 600 slices would cost.

From inside an LBS. Always at least give the LBS the chance, to find/price you for what you are after ;-)

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'to give anything less than the best is to sacrifice the gift'...Pre

The problem with a bad analogy is well, it’s bad....Starbucks, really??

LBS is a non necessary service. Most, if not all of those are negotiable. I’m a lawyer, and of course our rates are negotiable, and we must earn business. I’m neither condoning not condemning the original practice in the thread. The relationship is a two/way street to work, and both parties need to understand that

Maybe the best analogy is a BYOB Restaurant. It’s a win win for both parties. Customers save money on expensive booze but the restaurant wins by bribing more customers in the door.

I think there's a difference. Most bike shops provide 2 potentially separate functions.
1. Selling bikes and bike related parts and accessories
2. Carrying out mechanical work on bikes

Many customers, myself included, don't think it's necessary or desirable to intermingle those two functions except by the customer's choice. In other words, I think I should be able to purchase parts and do the work on the bike myself [all LBS' I know facilitate this]. This is just function 1. Or I should be able to buy parts and have the LBS install them or set them, either as part of the price or for a fee [most LBS I know will do this]. This is a bundle package of function 1 and 2. Or, I would like to be able to bring parts and have work done for a fee. This is function 2.

If the LBS sees the 2 functions as separate, all three options should be agreeable. However, many LBS' seem to consider mechanical work to be linked to parts or accessories purchases. That's fine if the mechanic's services were only there as a facilitator of product sales. But when the shop also does stand alone mechanic work it becomes confusing for customers to understand why it would be wrong to bring your own parts and pay for the services of a mechanic. The onus lies with the LBS to make clear their business model or it can seem like they're taking advantage. As long as it's all explicit that's fine, but it causes confusion when it's about unspoken expectations - thus threads like this!

I occasionally bring major parts or items they don't stock. I have a good relationship with several bike shops and they want the business. One of my bikes is in the shop now for a conversion from 10 speed mechanical to 11 speed SRAM eTap. The LBS is giving me a good discount on all the parts, but I brought in a new cockpit for them to install while they are changing the group set. I got the cockpit for a price the LBS couldn't match but they didn't mind at all given how all the other purchases I was doing through them.

Never had a problem with a customer purchasing quality parts and bringing them into my shop. (37 years in business). I won't install discount store inner tubes and tires that customers bring in for obvious reasons. Just last week a customer brought in a trainer bike and their TT bike and boxes of new shimano components and grip tape. Some cables were in the box and the headset on the trainer bike was trash so the customer spent about $80 in parts from me and $190 in labor to completely strip, clean the frame and reassemble the bikes. Customer over a period of a few days stopping in to check on the progress also walked out with a $1,199 Kick'r after trying out my demo area with Zwift/Apple TV/Wahoo kick'r and a treadmill and footpod.

Why would I ever turn down a potential customer to my store by refusing or treating them as a second class customer? Bike shops need to adapt to online sales and a smaller market share. They also need to treat women much, much better. Area shops drive women to my store time and time again.

I'll sell the surplus to customers waiting in line.

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

Because they don’t get it like you apparently do.

Look I love my LBS. I know all the guys by name and they know me. Just walked in yesterday and bought the new Oakley Aro5 helmet from them. But when I can get a Di2 9150 groupset for $2400 from Merlin Cycles in the UK versus $2799 plus 10% sales tax from the LBS there’s just no way I’m doing that. So I built the bike myself with the UK sources parts and had them do the final tune/fit/cut the steer tube. They’re totally cool with that.

I'm totally cool with that.

Used parts or swapping parts from one bike to another; no problem.
New parts bought cheaply somewhere else; very bad form.