tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36139180.post3379801077501991348..comments2024-02-21T05:18:00.140-05:00Comments on Sprinter della Casa: Equipment - $2 For 2 Screws?Akihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00430651087205849350noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36139180.post-66594372664312587312008-11-26T17:42:00.000-05:002008-11-26T17:42:00.000-05:00All - thanks for the comments. Those on BikeForums...All - thanks for the comments. Those on BikeForums will know that this came from a question posed by one of its members. That particular poster was sincere and appreciated the info, but I was amazed at some of the less positive responses. Ultimately, although a particular item may be worth only so much, the ancillaries (shipping, labor, etc) may be worth much more. The screw is not the valuable thing in this case - the labor, stock, and knowing where it is. If you go to a metal scrap yard for a screw, you really have to know exactly what you want and how to find it. A hardware store would be better, but a bike shop is the ultimate, at least for a bike related screw.<BR/><BR/>What I don't think is healthy is that many shops feel like they should give you a break. I used to think that way because I figured the customer simply couldn't afford the "real price". I didn't understand that their cars were $30-50k (mine was $1500), their salaries unfathomable, and that the "real price" was, to them, chump change. I try and buy things at shops, especially the hard things to find, and I inevitably have to fight to pay full price. A special order part shouldn't be discounted, but it seems every time I special order something, the selling shop tries to discount it. I appreciate the gesture but I also want them to be around next year for whatever next part I need.Akihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00430651087205849350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36139180.post-19768426311823539842008-11-24T10:32:00.000-05:002008-11-24T10:32:00.000-05:00Aki, I appreciate your ongoing quest to bring more...Aki, I appreciate your ongoing quest to bring more understanding to the relationship between bike shops and their customers.<BR/><BR/>One thing that frustrates me is people complaining about bike shops having higher prices than online retailers. As if a storefront and sales staff came free, and as if online retailers and brick-and-mortar shops didn't provide very different services.No One Linehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15902282734965802244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36139180.post-30212106619325951562008-11-24T08:34:00.000-05:002008-11-24T08:34:00.000-05:00This was a pretty insightful post, I doubt most cu...This was a pretty insightful post, I doubt most customers put themselves into the LBS's shoes. <BR/><BR/>It reminds me of a situation last week. My old headset was becoming grindier over time, so I bought a new 1" threaded catridge bearing headset from a tiny importer (velo-orange.com) because I knew my other options were really just a Record headset and Chris King, both of which are out of my budget.<BR/><BR/>I would have installed it myself, but wanted to have the steerer tube cut down so there were no spacers, so I bought it to a LBS. The guy convinced me it wasn't worth cutting 5 mill from the steerer tube, especially if something ever happens to those threads. So I had him install it, asked him about my very worn back tire and bought the exact replacement he happened to stock but maybe $15 more than the internet. Total bill was about $60, but I think I'm becoming a "good customer" in the process, and that's worth it.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07434219818361831871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36139180.post-80953983709485503162008-11-24T04:56:00.000-05:002008-11-24T04:56:00.000-05:00I feel this way sometimes.I've gone to my LBS to b...I feel this way sometimes.<BR/><BR/>I've gone to my LBS to buy something I needed or wanted RIGHT THEN and then seen it online for 25-30 bucks cheaper even after shipping.<BR/><BR/>Is it a decent difference for someone on a students 'pay', yes it is. It's 10% of my MONTHLY paychecks from one of my two jobs.<BR/><BR/>Is the price difference worth it? You betcha. I bought a PI rain jacket that I wore the next day. I didn't have to wait, I didn't have to worry about size and fit, and I didn't have to worry about what would happen if I went out and got caught in the rain the next day.<BR/><BR/>I've bought things that I wanted right then from my LBS all the time, but unfortunately they can't compete for things that I can stock up on. <BR/><BR/>I go there to get something adjusted, they teach me how to do it and sometimes charge nothing. I go back, not with the expectation of not being charged, but with the expectation that I'll learn something while I'm there.<BR/><BR/>I asked if they were hiring this summer (yes, I'm thinking of sticking around to work, aka make ends meet, and race), and the owner's reply was that he was hoping that all his staff could stay...<BR/><BR/>Sometimes convenience outweighs the cost. And sometimes it doesn't. In the end if local businesses fail, then when you need that $2 screw, you're either going to have to drive 20 mins to find it, or you're going to have to spend an hour to find it, or wait a week for it to show up in the mail.<BR/><BR/>-Young rider.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com