Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Show Your LBS Some Love



Some people are doing all their shopping on-line – all of it. Even bike stuff.  I can understand a lot of it, especially as Amazon Prime and I have an intimate relationship. However, when it comes to bike stuff, the first place I go to is my Local Bike Shop (LBS). Why? Because they’re there for me today and I want them to be there tomorrow for me and future cyclists.

Now you might be wondering what a LBS gets me that Amazon or other on-line retailers don’t… the answer is simple, a relationship and just being there.

For example, I took a short vacation with my bike to the mountains of North Carolina about three years ago…Oh and I took my wife also.  Anyway, I was on my second day of riding in in the Mountains and crashed as I was turning into a gravel parking lot.  Lost a little bit of skin, a little bit of pride and I bent the hanger *sigh*

Calling your spouse for a SAG pick-up is bad enough – having your wife and your mother show up is even worse.  Oh Lawdy, the ignominy of it all.

Anyway, it’s a Sunday afternoon in the Mountains of North Carolina and there’s two bike shops in town…TWO and only one is maybe open on a Sunday and certainly not very late AND it’s a holiday weekend.  So here I am thinking my riding is done for the reset of the week because I need a new hanger, but I decide to chance it and swing by the LBS (Foothills Cyclery) and amazingly enough the owner is still there – he was fixing to walk out the door in five minutes.  

So he and I chatted for a few minutes about my mmm situation and he threw my whip up on the stand, pulled a new hanger out of the drawer and fixed me up as good as new in about 5 minutes and my vacation was saved.  Now I make it a point to swing into that bike shop whenever I go to NC, chat with the staff for a minute and see if they’ve got anything I need. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t, but they’re there and support the local cycling community everyday of the week.

Now, closer to home I’ve got my main LBS (Crofton Bike Doctor) that I visit all too often according to my spouse and two or three others that I swing into on occasion.  Sometimes, it’s to check out what’s new in gear, sometimes I need parts or supplies (lube, chain cleaners, etc.) or just to chat. I know I can swing through there and get advice, a quick tweak to my bike or I can drop it off and get it fixed within a day or so.  Amazon can’t do that for me and frankly I’m not sure I’d want them to.  
I need, not want, need a local bike shop. Your community needs a local bike shop, your kids need a local bike shop. So show them a little love.

Shops near and far that kept me right-side up ;)

Crofton Bike Doctor - https://www.croftonbikedoctor.com/

TrailWerkz Cyclery - http://www.trailwerkscyclery.com/

The Cycle Mill - https://www.cyclemillof md.com/

Foothills Cycling - 526 W Lebanon St, Mt Airy, NC 27030
Zion Cycles, 868 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767