Just to confirm the differing focus of LBS's, when I lived in Lorton, Virginia, I found two bike shops that went out of their way to help with special orders, Bicycle Pro Shop (Mel Pinto's retail shop) in Georgetown, and College Park Bicyles, near the University of Maryland, a Rivendell retailer at the time.
On Jan 7, 2:07 pm, Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery <[email protected]> wrote: > Your LBS probably has some things they do well, and others not so > well. Sounds like the main problem is communication - i.e. if they're > not interested in filling your special order, they should communicate > that to you, and if you're not interested in waiting indefinitely, you > should communicate that to them. > > Speaking of, I have to get on the phone to place some special orders. > > On Jan 7, 1:46 pm, cyclotourist <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I figure special order is a bit of a pain, but then I consider it's just a > > couple clicks on a keyboard, and decide that no, it's really not that > > difficult. I'm pissed that SRAM won't send/sell the $5 part directly to me > > and make me involve my LBS in it. But seeing that they are involved, it is > > their JOB to do that. If they don't like ordering bike parts, maybe they > > should be in a different profession. You know, one that doesn't involve > > bikes, or parts or the public in general. > > > My wife keeps telling me to quit buying stuff from them. I think I'm > > finally going to listen... :-( > > > 2010/1/7 Eric Norris <[email protected]> > > > > In my experience, LBSs are generally terrible at fulfilling special > > > orders. > > > I also try to buy locally when I can, but it's hard to do when I will be > > > a) > > > usually paying more and b) putting up with a longer wait. > > > > A friend took his broken Brooks saddle to a local shop in early December, > > > and they still don't have the replacement bolt that wallbike.com could > > > have delivered in a few days. > > > — Eric Norris > > >www.campyonly.com > > >www.wheelsnorth.com > > > [image: Blog] <http://campyonlyguy.blogspot.com>[image: > > > Flickr]<http://www.flickr.com/photos/35176...@n03>[image: > > > Web] <http://www.campyonly.com>[image: Web] > > > <http://www.wheelsnorth.org>[image: > > > Web] <http://www.groovyboy.org>[image: Email] <[email protected]> > > > > On Jan 7, 2010, at 10:10 AM, cyclotourist <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Unless their LBS is like > > > mine...<http://cyclotourist.blogspot.com/2009/12/ok-whats-up-with-incompetent...> > > > > :-/ > > > > On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 4:05 AM, Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery > > > <<[email protected]> > > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > >> Surely there are shops much closer to home for small parts? Sorry if > > >> that's a glib answer, but I often talk to local-to-me folks who order > > >> odds and ends online when I have the same items on-hand at a > > >> competitive price within easy bike-range. They are often surprised to > > >> learn that whatever items they want are available locally. > > > >> On Jan 5, 7:12 pm, William Henderson <[email protected]> > > >> wrote: > > >> > I like to go to Riv now and then, but it's an expensive BART ticket > > >> > from SF and quite a bit of time if I'm just getting an odd part or > > >> > two. On the other hand, I don't want to pay shipping for a cheap part > > >> > nor do I like the idea of packaging and trucking a part that I can > > >> > carry in my pocket home. > > > >> > Propposed solution: I order my parts, they wait at Riv for a couple > > >> > days, and then on the weekend we take turns doing a mass pick up for > > >> > SF folks. Informally, one pickup gets you one free "shipment". The > > >> > courier can meet the rest of us back in the city at a central location > > >> > (coffee shop), where there will be much rejoicing, perhaps a quick > > >> > ride, etc. > > > >> > Anyone interested? > > > >> -- > > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > >> "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > >> To post to this group, send email to <[email protected]> > > >> [email protected]. > > >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > >> <rbw-owners-bunch%[email protected]> > > >> [email protected]. > > >> For more options, visit this group at > > >> <http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en> > > >>http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > > > -- > > > Cheers, > > > David > > > Redlands, CA > > > > "Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something > > > wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym." ~Bill Nye, > > > scientist guy > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [email protected]. > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [email protected]<rbw-owners-bunch%[email protected]> > > > . > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > > -- > > Cheers, > > David > > Redlands, CA > > > "Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something > > wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym." ~Bill Nye, > > scientist guy- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
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