Uncle Al's Rants:

Shops vs. Mailorder

In RBR Newsletter No. 81, Alan Ardizone, aka Uncle Al, owner of Cascade Bicycles in Montrose, Colorado, wrote the rant  that follows. As you might guess, it resulted in a flood of e-mail from roadies/customers. Some of the opinions are presented below, edited for brevity and clarity. The Unc's replies have been edited for a PG-13 rating.
 

Save the Shops!

DEAR UNCLE AL: Hey, have you considered writing a short piece on "bike shop etiquette" for the RBR newsletter? My guess is that most people would appreciate it. -- Miguel K.

UNCLE AL FIRES BACK: Okay, Miggy, buckle up. You want a short piece on good shop manners? Here it is -- right to the point:

Don't hammer your local bike dealer with mailorder or internet price comparisons. It puts us shop guys in a very tough position.

We can't begin to get the pricing that the big mailorder houses do. We simply can't buy enough quantity. Nor do we have the capital to have cheap frames made, which would allow us to get original equipment manufacturer (OEM) pricing. OEM can be as much as 60% lower than wholesale!

I guarantee that you'd get very competitive prices from us if we were on a level playing field. We're trying to survive. We're not trying to gouge you.

What we do offer is hands-on advice, exceptional service (in my case, 37+ years of experience), friendship and a passion for the sport that defines our lives.

My worst scenario is someone shamelessly picking my brain, for hours sometimes, and then buying from a catalog or online because it's cheaper. I would never do that to anyone. It's demeaning, insulting and leaves a guy feeling pretty used.

I've never understood why some cyclists feel shop guys shouldn't make a living. If price is the only thing considered, then bike shops are doomed -- sooner rather than later.

The $1,000 Ultegra-equipped bike, with its $40 far-Eastern frame from Joe's Real Cheap Bike Stuff, will never equal a handcrafted frame built by caring people with immense pride and assembled by your local shop -- with the same pride and integrity.

If customers don't care about any of that, then they deserve what they get. But don't come crying to me about your choice.

Internet and mailorder are slowly but surely destroying the traditional cycling business. I wonder who's going to build and maintain the bikes they sell when most of the shops have closed their doors. We are the heart and soul of this industry.

There are only 5,000 independent bicycle dealers left in America, an average of just 100 per state. That's depressing and should be scary to cyclists everywhere.

If you want to protect your future in cycling, you must support your local shop. That's the etiquette that really counts. Believe me when I say we value our loyal customers beyond measure.

Miguel, I'm glad you asked.
 

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The Unc's Exhibit A

FROM RJ: I will buy from the local bike shop (LBS) as long as it's close to what I can get it for via mailorder. However, I've gone in a bike shop, showed them a price in a catalog (Bike Nashbar) and asked how close they could come to that. The response was "That's less than what I pay for it." They wouldn't even negotiate at all. I was willing to even pay extra for sales tax (yes, the shipping charges were less than the tax).

I don't feel a need to subsidize any particular company anymore than I expect some stranger to buy my product just to help me earn a living. I'm not here to keep anyone in business if it means costing me extra to do so. If you can get the same thing for less somewhere else, I say go for it. Competition helps keep prices down.

Some people will respond that unless we keep the LBS around we won't have anywhere to go for repairs. I've built my own bikes and I do most of my own repairs. It is really no inconvenience to me if there isn't a LBS in my area.

SAYS UNCLE AL: You obviously don't have the slightest idea about the pricing structure shops must deal with, nor did you read and understand anything I said in "Save the Shops."

The fact that you can do your own work makes you the exception, not the rule.

How could you ask a shop to negotiate that just told you they paid more for something than Nashbar was retailing it for? It's that kind of cluelessness that I'm talking about. How long do you think any business would last selling stuff below cost? You must think we are a bunch of morons. Amazing!



Shops Vitalize the Bike World

FROM RICHARD SCHWINN: As a custom builder, we've had to face the mailorder controversy from the day we opened for business. We depend on local shops because they're the key to our riders' satisfaction.

It starts with good advice -- particularly fit advice. Good fittings best happen face-to-face. Every good fit formula recommends that a competent professional adjust from the calculated values to the ones that work best for each individual. Beyond fit there's the classic need for good component assembly, repair and, if necessary, frame prep.

Good pro shops do more than just provide technical information. They vitalize the local bike world. They provide an energy and spirit that makes cycling much more fun and fulfilling. They can provide a focus for advocacy, clubs and teams. This means more and better places to ride. They help bring new riders into the field -- kind of like a mangrove swamp for cyclists. It's the continuing flow of new riders into our sport that makes a big difference in the enjoyment of the established riders -- bigger fields, bigger rides, better clubs, trails and bike routes, to name just a few of the benefits.

The shops are the best way to keep this flow going. They have a bigger stake than anybody else. No rider should underestimate the value of good shops in their area.



A Question of Balance

FROM JON B : As a concerned cyclist, I totally concur with your comments, Uncle Al.

As consumers, we have an obligation to do our purchasing ethically. As retailers, you have an obligation to not only service but also to educate your customers. I find many shops and their staff deficient in that regard, but not the guys at WayPastFast in Edmonton, Alberta, where I do all my business.

Online retailing is here to stay. However, we do need our local retailers. There ultimately will be a balance struck in the marketplace.



The Payback for Loyalty

FROM PAUL S.: I love to flip through cycling catalogs, but unless it's a T-shirt or one-off item, I'll head to my local shop for the purchase. I'm paid back many times over when they fix something while I wait, offer free advice or order something for me and offer to pay the shipping so I can have it in time for my next big training ride.

Everyone: Buy from your local shop!



Profit Is the Problem

FROM ALEX G.: I appreciate your opinion, Uncle Al, and agree with most of it. But (like you didn't see this coming) you have a slant that is clearly biased to the local shops.

My problem with this, and what I feel should be noted to the general public, is there are some shops that are just retail outlets for profit. I am very fortunate to live in a small town where I have two good bike shops. The owners care about the sport as well as it being a viable form of transportation. But I have had less than good experiences with some shops in bigger towns. Many have the same corporate attitudes that the internet retailers have.

SAYS UNCLE AL: This may come as a surprise, Alex, but we're all in it for profit. I can't
send my daughter to college without making a profit. Unless you work for the government, then you work for someone who seeks a profit and, in turn, pays your wages. Where did the notion come from that shops should work for free?


A Small Price for Huge Value

FROM RICK B.: Uncle Al, I couldn't agree with you more! The guys at Continental Bike Shop in Hazel Park, MI, are a large part of the reason that my family has gotten so involved in cycling.

I would never have had the opportunity to ride so many bikes before I made the commitment to have a Waterford RS-22 handcrafted for me with the pride you described. Shoot, if all I did was shop the internet, I'd never have known about Waterford (and many other brands) that I tried during weekend demo rides. Same for my wife and son and the bikes they bought.

The local bike shop is probably one of the last places where you get a huge value for what you pay. I know that they'll give me a discount when they can. But more importantly, they take care of us.

"Retail" is a small price to pay for all of the advice, adjustments and friendship that comes from getting to know a shop and letting them know you.

Treat a shop with respect. You'll get more than you bargained for in return.

SAYS UNCLE AL: That's music to my ears, Rick. You understand, where so many don't. I think about my individual customers not only when they're in the shop, but at 2 a.m., when it occurs to me that I can do something for them to help them love the bike experience more. What price for that?



Guilty of Buying Online

FROM FORD K.: I'm as guilty as anyone for buying online. However, I never throw catalog prices in the shop guys' faces.

I do special orders through the shop. I'm happy to pay for service when I get stuck or don't have the tools for a particular job. Because I'm a steady customer, sometimes I'm not charged or they do the work while I wait. In return, I try to buy something every time I'm in the shop, even if it's just a tube or rim tape, to let them know I support their business.

It really bugs me when I hear people quoting catalog prices and accusing shops of price gouging. They're being totally ignorant of retail economics. Let them try getting their catalog bike or part repaired online!

SAYS UNCLE AL: I expect my customers to buy mailorder occasionally. I'll even send them there if I can't get an item for them or I simply am out to lunch on a price. Clothing is one of those things. I can't stock the huge variety of sizes and colors that the catalogs do, nor do I want to.

A shop can't be all things to all customers, but my customers are my friends and I will do all I can to help them. No one makes them come in my door. It's their choice, and I want it to be a good one.

Honesty is all most people want. I will take the time to explain pricing and even show them what we have to pay for an item. It's a learning experience and helps them understand that we are being honest. It also helps them understand why we value their business.



Bike Shop Bozos

FROM CHRIS L.: Your rant is right on, Uncle Al. I try to support the local shops, but I must admit I do some buying from the catalogs. It seems the local shops don't always employ the most bike-savvy kids. Where's the advantage of going into a shop if I know more about what I'm looking for that the bozo waiting on me? Where's the extra value there?

Here's a true example:

I was looking for Sidi road shoes. I went into the local shop that carries them to find the right size, fully prepared to buy them at the shop price. Size 43 was too big, size 42 a bit tight. I asked to try a pair in 42.5. The kid says, "They don't come in half sizes. Because of the European sizing there's no need." I say I think they do come in halves. He says nope. After that, I didn't feel the least bit guilty walking out of there and ordering the 42.5's I really wanted. Saved $60 in the bargain, too.

SAYS UNCLE AL: You're right on that one, Chris.

One of my guys was showing a full-boinger ATB to a customer and said, "You won't find a bike less quality than this." You could have heard a pin drop in the shop. I think he had a lapse of concentration, or a stroke. We keep a log called "the bike shop hall of shame," wherein we write down the most bizarre statements made by staff and customers. This one made it in there.

What I try to teach my guys is not to wing it if they don't know for sure. My customers are smart and don't take kindly to BS. So when we're stumped, we say, "Duh." We can go find the right answer, but we can't fix the fiction.

Don't be afraid to call shop guys on something if you know otherwise. It helps the youngsters learn. Hell, I was young once. No, really...no, seriously....



Shops Can Drive People Away

FROM CHRIS L.: I agree with you to some extent, Al. However, let me present the other side of the argument.

Some local bike shops have incompetent mechanics, misinformed employees with serious attitude, bad selection and prices that are more than suggested retail. It's important to recognize that it's not just the internet shops attracting business with price, it's the local bike shops driving people away with poor service.

The flipside is a shop with great mechanics, employees that are enthusiastic about cycling and knowledgeable about the products. I've found one of these shops and give it most of my business. I suspect your shop is like this. Unfortunately, my experience has been that your shop is more the exception than the rule.

SAYS UNCLE AL:  I agree that not all shops are created equal, Chris. Support the one that meets your needs.

Like everything, there's wheat and there's chaff in the bike industry. I cannot relate to anyone that does a half-assed job, or is dishonest, or just makes up wild tales to sell anything. My simple, honest approach has won me strong support from riders everywhere.

I've wrenched for regional, state, national, world, Pan Am and Olympic champions. Who they are or at what level they ride matters not to me. I'll do the same for you as I would for a seasoned pro with many palmares.

If I don't have the right thing for a customer, like the right frame size or style of frame, I sure won't put them on the wrong frame to make a sale. I lose a fair amount of customers that way, who are impatient and could care less about the skill and knowledge we possess. So they go elsewhere and, often as not, come back with the wrong size whatever. At least I can sleep at night knowing it wasn't me who lied to them.

This isn't rocket science; it's about integrity and cycling as a way of life.


Go to Dell, Dude

FROM SCOTT B.: I assume you wrote "Save the Shops" on a computer. Where did you buy that computer? From a local small dealer, from a big box superstore, or maybe direct from Dell or Gateway or HP?

I happen to work for a small local computer dealer. Do I get offended when my customers spend millions of dollars with Dell? No, not really. I understand that it's in the nature of customers to get the best deal they perceive. If I have value to add, I'd better make it clear to them how I do it and what it's worth.

Nothing against you, Al, or any other shop person I've ever met, but the reason I ride a bike is not because of anything a bike shop has ever done. I started riding with friends, and I keep riding because I love it.

I live in Richardson, TX, home of Richardson Bike Mart, so I'm familiar with what a first-class modern bike shop looks like. But most of my purchases are either eBay, Nashbar, Harris or Rivendell.

SAYS UNCLE AL: I bought my computer (the third one) from my friend Warren, who's a local computer tech wizard and a friend. I'd never go anywhere else. It costs more, but my life is intertwined with his, and that is priceless.

I support my local hardware store for the same reasons that I hope people will come to me. My friends at True Value, where I've shopped for the last 13 years, have talked me through so many projects I've lost count. I've bought so many power tools from them that I've lost count of that , too.

We have a Home Depot opening soon. I may wander the aisles for a look, but I'll do my shopping where they care about me and my family. I think it's called "community."

So, I guess I don't agree with you at all, Scott.



Doomsday for Pro Bike Shops?

FROM DIANE L.: While I hope your rant illuminates some people, my experience (close to 30 years) is that the current generation of consumers has been taught several things:
(a) never pay retail; (b) profit is a dirty word; and (c) no one offers good customer service anymore.

Professional bike shops that still operate to serve the cycling community are shrinking, making the sport more and more elitist. This in turn will eventually turn cycling into an archaic if not extinct sport as the experienced technical people (such as my partner Brian, who prides himself on solving problems instead of just replacing parts), decide to pursue other careers because they cannot make a decent living, let alone support a family.

For those who have said there isn't a good shop in their market, I would just ask that you look at how you support your sport and what matters to you. If it's the lowest price, no matter what, then you cannot expect the accoutrements that accompany excellent service.

As costs for rent, heat, insurance, medical care, food and education soar, you ask for higher wages and better benefits. And so the product or service that your company offers needs to reflect its higher operating costs. It is no different for a self-employed small business owner.

What bike shops are finding out is that there are not enough people who care about their service and products to pay what they are worth. So, they choose to do what any smart business person would -- find another way to survive (and maybe even find some time to ride their bikes).

Most of us love cycling, love the bicycle itself, and are willing to work for a lot less than others who have similar levels of education, training, expertise and knowledge. But there is a point of diminishing returns. I see few new people looking to cycling as a career. When the pool of technical minds is exhausted, the bicycle professional will be a thing of the past.
 

SAYS UNCLE AL: Diane, your letter is wonderful, in a sad sort of way.

Boy, it's hard to keep one's chin up with bozos like RJ wandering the planet. Just count his references to "I" or "me." I'm guessing he's not married. If he is, it's to Barbie, the plastic one.

Onward and upward. . . or sideways -- whatever it takes not to end up on America's Most Wanted list!
 

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