3 ms·

It sounds like a local bike shop isn't really what you're looking for. Under $800 a Decathlon/triban road bike is pretty decent. There are commuter bikes for $

It sounds like a local bike shop isn't really what you're looking for. Under $800 a Decathlon/triban road bike is pretty decent. There are commuter bikes for $100 but it's just not worth servicing them because telling someone it'll be 40% of the original bike price in labor + parts to fix something not major is hard for them to accept. > low maintenance, comfort, and ruggedness. Apparently that's totally uncool and biking is all about ultralight and ultrahard--feel every crack in the pavement through the hard plastic saddle! Carbon is more comfortable by reducing the vibrations that you'll feel compared to aluminum. The reason why they stock shitty parts is because they appear to service really cheap bikes and for people who buy cheap bikes, that's what they want. I know many shops who wouldn't service cheap bikes and I know many shops where they would but I wouldn't trust them with my more expensive Trek road bike. So it's strange that they also stock carbon frames.

maxerickson 5y ago
They insinuate the shop marks the price of the tube up ~10x and charges $100+ an hour for simple labor. You don't seem to respond to those things.
- whakim 5y ago
  The bike shop can't compete on price with the biggest online retailers/Amazon. I have my doubts about a tube costing $35. $10 or $15 rather than the $5 you'd get online, but I have been to a lot of bike shops and that 10x markup doesn't comport with anything I've seen. Perhaps the $35 also includes the labor? (Also, it's an inner tube - it's a cheap commodity product, who cares if it's a Chinese no-name brand?) Bike shops need to charge for labor because most people don't buy bikes from bike shops anymore, so labor is where they make their money. $100/hr for labor is on the higher end but doesn't seem crazy in expensive locations. Not to mention that the prevailing way people treat bike shops (as places you can walk in at any time, get your bike fixed, and walk out) is incredibly antithetical to bike mechanics actually being able to take the uninterrupted time to focus and do good work.
- inopinatus 5y ago
  My LBS charges the same fee for any labor, whether it's changing a tube or building a wheel. If you ask a skilled professional to do menial trivia, expect to pay for their skill level.
- JCharante 5y ago
  Oh I just realized they meant inner tube and not top tube (I was confused about that while reading it) Yeah an inner tube for $35? And it's not even those fancy orange ones? Well it's not hard to change it yourself, as long as they're not charging more than $4 for a basic ones. If they are actually selling it for $35 that's pretty yikes. I'd just buy it online given that it doesn't benefit from retail (you don't need to see a tube in person, just need to know the dimensions)
JKCalhoun 5y ago
> Carbon is more comfortable by reducing the vibrations that you'll feel compared to aluminum. So you approve of my steel frame bike? ;-)
skocznymroczny 5y ago
> Carbon is more comfortable by reducing the vibrations that you'll feel compared to aluminum. Is it actually noticeable for an average cyclist? I don't doubt it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a marketing slogan from carbon frame producers and people went with it, and since their bicycles were more expensive, they "felt" better.

maxerickson 5y ago

They insinuate the shop marks the price of the tube up ~10x and charges $100+ an hour for simple labor. You don't seem to respond to those things.

whakim 5y ago
The bike shop can't compete on price with the biggest online retailers/Amazon. I have my doubts about a tube costing $35. $10 or $15 rather than the $5 you'd get online, but I have been to a lot of bike shops and that 10x markup doesn't comport with anything I've seen. Perhaps the $35 also includes the labor? (Also, it's an inner tube - it's a cheap commodity product, who cares if it's a Chinese no-name brand?) Bike shops need to charge for labor because most people don't buy bikes from bike shops anymore, so labor is where they make their money. $100/hr for labor is on the higher end but doesn't seem crazy in expensive locations. Not to mention that the prevailing way people treat bike shops (as places you can walk in at any time, get your bike fixed, and walk out) is incredibly antithetical to bike mechanics actually being able to take the uninterrupted time to focus and do good work.
inopinatus 5y ago
My LBS charges the same fee for any labor, whether it's changing a tube or building a wheel. If you ask a skilled professional to do menial trivia, expect to pay for their skill level.
JCharante 5y ago
Oh I just realized they meant inner tube and not top tube (I was confused about that while reading it) Yeah an inner tube for $35? And it's not even those fancy orange ones? Well it's not hard to change it yourself, as long as they're not charging more than $4 for a basic ones. If they are actually selling it for $35 that's pretty yikes. I'd just buy it online given that it doesn't benefit from retail (you don't need to see a tube in person, just need to know the dimensions)

JKCalhoun 5y ago

> Carbon is more comfortable by reducing the vibrations that you'll feel compared to aluminum. So you approve of my steel frame bike? ;-)

skocznymroczny 5y ago

> Carbon is more comfortable by reducing the vibrations that you'll feel compared to aluminum. Is it actually noticeable for an average cyclist? I don't doubt it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a marketing slogan from carbon frame producers and people went with it, and since their bicycles were more expensive, they "felt" better.