What would be your Ultimate bike shop.

[sinnerman]

After seeing the recent thread showing how poor some shops can be..., i wondered on peoples thoughts for there Ultimate Bike shop...?

Every thing from stock, location, staff, mechanics...

What do we need as Consumers...?

 

[dablk]

I think one that can build good wheels on site would be a good start.

And the imposssible... can get a bit closer to the online prices of crc ect. I have never minded paying a bit extra for service/advice and walking out the shop with an item in my hand but I can't imagine how shops manage to compete these days.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

It would have a sofa

and plenty of cool old stuff on display

and prolly a bar

maybe 2 bars

plus a load of other stuff.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

In my oh so humble opinion, I couldn't care less if the shop charges RRP as opposed to competing on price with the off-shore warehouses, its not why I go to bike shops.

 

[azaro]

I think one that can build good wheels on site would be a good start.

And the imposssible... can get a bit closer to the online prices of crc ect. I have never minded paying a bit extra for service/advice and walking out the shop with an item in my hand but I can't imagine how shops manage to compete these days.

Merlin seem to fulfil these 2 criteria......

I've found the mechanics quite helpful too - free loan of tools, spare boxes for posting etc.

 

[legrandefromage]

Me - I know my stuff (biiiiig pinch of salt there!), can make tea, have biscuits, all the tools, can build a wheel and have a nice clean tidy workshop...

 

[jax13]

for the majority price is a big issue BUT with low price comes a need for high turnover which won't suit most high street independants.

what I think would work really well (in theory at least) is a pop-up bike shop. think lay-by butty van on a grand scale and your halfway there. You could turn up at the same locations each day (mainly weekends & bank holidays) on busy local trails turn up at race days or big organised rides & serve the people who actually cycle while they have their head in 'bike mode'

you could take an old school double decker bus, seal off the front passenger door & leave the rear step as the entrance, till by the front door & have a galley style walkway with the stock in display cases down either side of the bus & enough room for a couple of people to get past each other on the walkway. go upstairs and find more stock, frames, bikes etc. and for the grand finale tow a trailer / caravan that acts as a mobile workshop behind you for trail-side repairs & upgrades for your customers.


It could work in the right areas but it would never get enough trade in a couple of days to make a good enough profit to survive.

 

[chefmiguel]

My own.

 

[Rich34]

There's a bike shop near me that has a second hand bikes and parts section. Nice simple idea and the turnover of kit is quite high so I'm apparently not the only one who thinks so. They sometimes have nice retro parts for not very much money.

Other than that, a shop with friendly staff who can order stuff they don't have and get it within a week is good enough for me. I'm quite happy to pay RRP so I don't expect "deals for cash". I also like to see a workshop that looks as if a bomb has just gone off, but that's just me.

 

[brocklanders023]

for the majority price is a big issue BUT with low price comes a need for high turnover which won't suit most high street independants.

what I think would work really well (in theory at least) is a pop-up bike shop. think lay-by butty van on a grand scale and your halfway there. You could turn up at the same locations each day (mainly weekends & bank holidays) on busy local trails turn up at race days or big organised rides & serve the people who actually cycle while they have their head in 'bike mode'

you could take an old school double decker bus, seal off the front passenger door & leave the rear step as the entrance, till by the front door & have a galley style walkway with the stock in display cases down either side of the bus & enough room for a couple of people to get past each other on the walkway. go upstairs and find more stock, frames, bikes etc. and for the grand finale tow a trailer / caravan that acts as a mobile workshop behind you for trail-side repairs & upgrades for your customers.


It could work in the right areas but it would never get enough trade in a couple of days to make a good enough profit to survive.

Had thought about this myself. Stick your mobi shop in York and you'd make a killing.