| Re: Metal flake in brake pad...
On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 02:50:23 GMT, "Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction
Bicycles" <MikeJ@ChainReaction.com> wrote:
>> Also come to find out why my LBS where I got my Trek offers 'free life of
>> the bike tuneups'. They didn't even -do- the tune up on mine last time (I
>> told them to be thorough, I was riding out of town, and I'd even pay for a
>> more thorought check up). The guy apparently just hung the bike up and
>> gave
>> it back to me the next day touching nothing on it. All the same little
>> adjustment problems were still there.
>
>I feel your pain, only more so. You have no idea what it's like, as a
>bicycle retailer, to have customers saying that such-and-such shop gives
>free "tune-ups" for life... and me knowing that the situation is similar to
>what you describe. You really don't want to bad-mouth other retailers, but
>how do you get the point across that, often, you get exactly what you pay
>for? Without sounding bad?
The guys in the shop across the street were very reluctant to say anything,
and it was only after I started recounting things and then,
uncharacteristicaly became nearly apoplectic, when I realized -while-
telling the story (talking softly at first) that their 'tune ups' were just
hanging the bike on the hook, that one of them says 'yeah, I hear a
customer say they're going to go get a Trek, and I can't say anything, then
they come back here all disappointed in the 'attitude', and come back here
and recount these stories, then I feel bad, he said.
I mean, 'cmon, the original LBS shop knows I'm passionate about my bike and
my riding and I tell them I ride sometimes 200 miles a week - I don't think
they believe me...They act agog when I mention I rode in the rain. After
that they often smirk and say 'oh yeah you're the guy that rides in the
rain'. I told them, all perky, oh, yeah, its great - I ride everyday it's
not lightning, or a foot deep in snow, or if there's a hurricane (aug
2003). They seem angry 'man you ride this bike a -lot-!'. I don't know why
that makes them angry...as though my coming in and buying brake pads every
three weeks, or coming in to have the bar ends moved, or angry when they
have to true a spoke, saying I must have run over something (not true).
I pay for it, why be angry at me? It's as if they don't welcome me unless
I'm buying a bike every month and seem to forget they failed to get one
bike down for me to just look at more closely recently - I'm treated lke
I'm a homeless person just coming in to get some free heat, lol. But I'm
stubborn...I kept wanting to buy a Trek - love that name...and trying to
get along (I even tip the wrenches $5 when they do a same day job).
Then I started losing my love affair with Trek when I realized they put
racing wheels on lower level bikes...that sure gets laughs from the other
riders.
So now, I'm going to Fuji, and (horrors) Performance Bike shop across the
street. I guess it matters less that they're kind of the ugly step child of
the cycling retail world, with their rep of selling 'gray market' parts (or
so I've head), but this shop has the best, most caring wrenches and the
nicest manager one could ask for. I have to buy my gear there because my
original LBS doesn't carry much gear (no tights, no shoe covers, extremely
small amount of jerseys, and only in the small and medium sizes...I've felt
bad about that, too. Oh well, too bad I took so long to learn. Maybe this
post will help others to wake up and change or the ones with good shops to
appreciate it all the more. I know Mike's shop is great, but to tell the
truth, this kind of behavior can cause folks to wonder if all Trek shops
are like this - elitist, and condescending.
jj
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