The benefit of your LBS

[prettybird]

It's always worth supporting your Local Bike Shop.

Ds' first Crit race of the season is on Saturday. I rang our LBS (who also sponsor ds' cycling club) and asked if they could give ds' bike (bought from them of course) a pre-race service/tune-up.

He said that they were really really busy (cos the sun's come out this week, everyone and their dog has decided that they want to go out on their bikes) but that if I got ds' bike there really quickly, he could do it.

This is despite the fact that even if I hadn't bought the expensive bike from them, the service would be free as the kids from the club get their bikes serviced free.

Yes I do always like to get things from my lbs however this week I went to get an item which cost £140 from lbs.
The exact same model was £100 at Halfords (grrr) and as little as 80 from some random online shop.
So unfortunately I know know where I'll be going.
But for services and small items I would use my lbs.

Love mine

They know me, know what kind of riding I do, and are dead helpful with recommendations and as PP despite not buying my bike there give me a nice discount on the bits and bobs I keep buying

Love em

I don't buy everything from my LBS (We get stuff from Decathlon and occasionally Evans like my Christmas present from dh which was a Night Vision bright yellow jacket and some SPD shoes which I still haven't got round to learning how to use ) - but for all my ds' "regular" consumables (inner tubes, brake pads, bar end plugs don't know what ds does with them, bar tape) and the big stuff (bikes!), I got to the LBS.

He also knows that I'm also pretty ignorant - but doesn't try to fiddle me as I'm surrounded by people who do know their stuff at ds' club.

We have always tried to support ours until the last twelve months two issues on two mtm frames ordered from them so we ditched them.

However, Spa has always had a lot of our business, as in a lot. They are about to become my lbs so will definitely get all our business from now on

My lbs is fanbloodytastic. They look scary from the outside, and theres always people toting very, very expensive bikes/wheels in and out (inc several olympians), but they are incredibly nice to everyone. The bloke who does bike fittings even adapted my splints for me so they would fit with my tri bars.

I love them, and wish I could buy the pretty bikes from them!