Is this normal LBS behavior on pricing? - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

04-25-2004, 08:03 PM

Hi all:

I am new to biking (at least with bikes that cost more than $100), and
thinking of getting a hybrid bike for tooling around town, maybe to
ride to work, probably some light dirt trail riding. There is a shop
near me that sells two of the brands I've been looking at (Raleigh and
Trek), but when I asked the guy about prices I got a strange response:

"The price on the tag is probably higher than what you'll actually
pay."

The implication being they are open to haggling. That kind of makes
comparison shopping impossible, even between different models in that
store. Is this acceptable behavior, or should I look for another shop?
I realize I should support a small bike shop, but there are a couple
other small shops within driving distance (but this one is in riding
distance).