Are traditional Local bike shops dead ?

[k-rod]

In all honesty, the Greater Vancouver area has tons of various shop types: Caps, Atomic Cycles, World Cycles, Our Community Bikes, Dunbar Cycles, Sidestand Bikes, MEC, Cheapskates, John Hendry, The Cove Bikes, Ride On Again, The Bike Doctor, Mighty Rider ...

A broad spectrum of operation types, and almost all of them are both sales and service friendly, and supportive.

 

[ibbz]

Why're you getting your knickers in a twist man?
I asked a question about local bike shops - I did NOT say they're all Rubbish. I said the good ones around where I am are now gone and the there NOT many remaining - in order to visit a decent one I need to travel miles which means it's no longer local. I explained that inner London has many and described them.

Read my post and what I wrote properly before jumping to foolish conclusions and being rude.

Apologies, I didn't mean to come across rude, although, in my humble opinion this was slightly ruder:

Typical smart Alec comment from someone who didn't read/understand my original post and subsequent ones.

I'm still being foolish I'm afraid, but the thing is you still haven't provided us with the specific parameters within which a 'traditional bike shop' should be operating. It seems like they should be numerous and local, be able to provide excellent service, low prices, expert mechanics who can build wheels cheaply and quickly and also offer a wide range of parts for your 30 year old bike in a range of options. Again, it's all down to expectation, but I would say that most of those lovely old skool bike shops who (with sepia-tinted lenses) provided the above have all closed down as it's an inoperable enterprise*



*for the most parts, there are exceptions.

The question is on the original post
It's plain as day so have another look if you wish.
And most people have answered, discussed and addressed it

I don't log on and browse retrobike to debate or get into a tit for tat handbag match.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

I read it as most people have answered this fairly thoroughly:

How's it like elsewhere ?

But for me the far more interesting question, and the reason I am looking for clarification, is this:

Is the good old skool local bike shop dead?

because I work in the trade in London and have done for many years in both Indys and (the better I must add) larger chain stores, so to me it's a really intriguing question and one that affects me. I am genuinely curious if there are no decent local shops to you, and people's perception of the bigger stores and the Industry as a whole and also what gaps there are, I would like to understand more about how people see what shops do and the manner they do it in because this is my future.

From the inside the Cycle trade has seen huge change even in the last 5 years, real pressures from the internet and a general downturn in spending (these affect all retail to some extent), but also real enthusiasm based on the Olympics/TdF/Road racing in general and the huge numbers of people who have pulled a bike out of the shed due to spiraling transport costs or Tube strikes.

It's not surprising that so many of those smaller local shops have gone, London property prices and therefore Business rents have gone mental, the last Government didn't seem particularly interested in helping those in the difficult 'VAT registered zone' and more and more people want it NOW and CHEAP.

Again, I didn't mean to be short on this topic but I am passionate about it, and endless topics (not including this one!) on internet forums discussing how awful the local bike shop/Halfords/Evans is and how bike repairs are easy and there being no need to buy anything from an actual person any more cos the internet is cheaper have lead to my default being vehemently defensive of the good old LBS! Insert winky smiley here.

 

[WWC]

Re:

Worcester cycles aren't the cheapest but they do what ever I ask either using my parts or theirs.

I managed to seperate a freehub from a hope ti body and the guy was very enthusiastic to work on some retro quality.

The first shop I took it to had no idea what they were looking at...