Bike shops discouraging new cyclists ?

[rydabent]

Yes you do see quite a few cycling shops closing. They are blind to the fact that the baby boomer generation is looking for something to exercise on. Shop usually convince them that a mountain bike is what they need. They ride it a dozen times, there rump hurts, and it is hard to pedal up hill. It is hung in the garage for 5 years, and is sold in a garage sale for pennies on the dollar.

But if the shop had diversified and also offered bents, and especially trikes, they could have sold a machine that the older person would have continued to ride. A trike for instance does not fall over. It can be ridden as slow as you care to go. And then there is the huge given comfort and view.

 

[a.twiddler]

Modern retail is about hitting sales targets and getting commission on your sales and the higher cost the bike the more you make. It is understandable that a shop assistant will upsell as much as possible trying to drive a £1000 budget up to £2000 even suggesting credit which they also earn money on. I've been to some cycle shops and there is nothing less than about £800 that is their starting price and that bike is basically hidden from main view I guess as a last resort. It's also a terrible bike at £800 very poor value compared to a bike in Halfords which will have much better componentry for that price.

I have to say I love looking around independent bike shops just to see the bikes available but I would never buy there. Even when I look in their discount bins for clearance items its rare to find anything that isn't still overpriced to other retailers like online or Halfords etc.

I tend to buy secondhand anyway. In the past you used to get cycle shops that would take in bikes in part exchange and give them a service and put them back up for sale and these were the type of bikes I would buy from cycle shops. You don't see that as much nowadays sadly. The last bike I bought like that was a Saracen Pylon from the Tri-UK cycle centre in Yeovil for £30. It wasn't serviced it was sold as needing servicing and repair.

Interestingly, I was in a local Halfords recently and saw some used bikes for sale. It looks as if they would take a trade in of something that they'd sold, their own stock lines , obviously, if a customer bought another bike from them. I'd not seen that before, and maybe not something that all their branches do. It's certainly a way of attracting the more cash strapped potential customer, and more so if they include a guarantee.

 

[Alex321]

Yes you do see quite a few cycling shops closing. They are blind to the fact that the baby boomer generation is looking for something to exercise on. Shop usually convince them that a mountain bike is what they need. They ride it a dozen times, there rump hurts, and it is hard to pedal up hill. It is hung in the garage for 5 years, and is sold in a garage sale for pennies on the dollar.

But if the shop had diversified and also offered bents, and especially trikes, they could have sold a machine that the older person would have continued to ride. A trike for instance does not fall over. It can be ridden as slow as you care to go. And then there is the huge given comfort and view.

I think you'll find that most people would not be interested in a recumbent.

I know those that ride them do, but to the average non-cyclist, they aren't real bikes at all, and you would need staff with much better training in human factors than most bike shops will have, to persuade them otherwise.

 

[rydabent]

I think you'll find that most people would not be interested in a recumbent.

I know those that ride them do, but to the average non-cyclist, they aren't real bikes at all, and you would need staff with much better training in human factors than most bike shops will have, to persuade them otherwise.

But see that is the conventional thinking that is wrong. Anyone can ride a trike, and once especially an older person has tried one, they never want to go back to a regular bike. It is the huge thing about bents and trikes that sell them, comfort!!!

Then as I say, if a shop would diversify and add bents and trikes, they would have more floor traffic, and might survive.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

But see that is the conventional thinking that is wrong. Anyone can ride a trike, and once especially an older person has tried one, they never want to go back to a regular bike. It is the huge thing about bents and trikes that sell them, comfort!!!

Then as I say, if a shop would diversify and add bents and trikes, they would have more floor traffic, and might survive.

What are you considering as an older person?

I'm nigh on 68, pretty fit for my age, and would be mortally offended if a salesperson steered me in the direction of a bent/trike.

 

[Dogtrousers]

What are you considering as an older person?

I'm nigh on 68, pretty fit for my age, and would be mortally offended if a salesperson steered me in the direction of a bent/trike.

You've got a few years on me, but not many. I wouldn't be offended if a salesperson offered me a recumbent or a trike. I'd be very curious and would ask if I could have a go.

This is because I've always fancied a go on a recumbent. Then after I'd scratched that itch I'd admit to the salesperson that I'd only gone into the shop to buy some valve caps.

 

[a.twiddler]

If some local bike shop had offered me a go on a recumbent years ago I'd have been delighted. However, it's been my experience that even traditional bike shops rarely let potential customers test ride anything. Perhaps it's just me, maybe my eyes are too close together or something. Actually, my eyes are too close to the ground. I often found that unless I was very lucky the bike I was interested in would have to be specially ordered in a small size.

As for recumbents, there would be little risk in letting potential customers test ride a trike around a car park, as they would be very unlikely to fall off. Two wheelers would be different, as it takes a bit of time to get the hang of them.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

You've got a few years on me, but not many. I wouldn't be offended if a salesperson offered me a recumbent or a trike. I'd be very curious and would ask if I could have a go.

This is because I've always fancied a go on a recumbent. Then after I'd scratched that itch I'd admit to the salesperson that I'd only gone into the shop to buy some valve caps.

I don't have a downer on the style of bike, that would be silly, I just would not be happy if a saleseman suggested the option simply because I was getting on a bit.

 

[Drago]

It's all in the approach. If the salesman said to me, "you look like an awesome sort of fellow, a recumbent might be right up your street", I'd be reaching for my change purse.

 

[rydabent]

What are you considering as an older person?

I'm nigh on 68, pretty fit for my age, and would be mortally offended if a salesperson steered me in the direction of a bent/trike.

You should take one for a demo ride, you might be surprised how much fun they are.

And at 86 I am very fit for my age. I ride any where from 20 to 35 miles every other day. Oh and at 68 you are not exactly a spring chicken any more, Im sorry I have to break that news to you.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

to the average non-cyclist, they aren't real bikes at all

Lot of ignorance about when it comes to bikes.

 

[rydabent]

I had always looked at recumbents as being rather logical since you set fully upright on a real seat. Then one spring my local bike shop had a left over RANS Tail wind. A member of my bike club worked there, and had one. He said I should take it for a spin. After about a mile ride, I was sold. Being a last years bike, and the fact my 3 sons and I had bought several bikes there, the owner gave me a great deal.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

If some local bike shop had offered me a go on a recumbent years ago I'd have been delighted. However, it's been my experience that even traditional bike shops rarely let potential customers test ride anything. Perhaps it's just me, maybe my eyes are too close together or something. Actually, my eyes are too close to the ground. I often found that unless I was very lucky the bike I was interested in would have to be specially ordered in a small size.

As for recumbents, there would be little risk in letting potential customers test ride a trike around a car park, as they would be very unlikely to fall off. Two wheelers would be different, as it takes a bit of time to get the hang of them.

My LBS seems quite happy to let people have a test ride
and not just along the flat road of 50 yards at the back
He let me go several miles down the road to Spike Island so I could try a short steep hill and the gradual rise back to town

OK - I did buy the bike - but at the time he didn't know I would

Great sales technique and generally the service at the shop is great whether you are after an expensive ebike or racing road thingy - or a cheap kids bike for Christmas!

Probably why they are still going

 

[Alex321]

Lot of ignorance about when it comes to bikes.

There is, particularly among those who don't cycle regularly.

But for bike shops selling to potential new cyclists, that ignorance will tend to make it hard to sell anything significantly "non-standard".

 

[Chislenko]

My LBS seems quite happy to let people have a test ride
and not just along the flat road of 50 yards at the back
He let me go several miles down the road to Spike Island so I could try a short steep hill and the gradual rise back to town

OK - I did buy the bike - but at the time he didn't know I would

Great sales technique and generally the service at the shop is great whether you are after an expensive ebike or racing road thingy - or a cheap kids bike for Christmas!

Probably why they are still going

The test ride availability tends to differ from shop to shop.

Obviously as a customer we cannot expect the shop to have exactly the bike you want in your size so may make a test ride quite difficult to offer.

However at my local shop I explained I was looking at one of their very expensive e-bikes but was unsure of how an e-bike "behaved" for want of a better word particularly in relation to the power cut off.

He said I "could try one around the car park" to which I answered "I won't get to 15.5 mph in your car park"

"That's the best we can offer" was the reply and this was on a seven grand bike.

It is the price of a second hand car and none of us would consider buying a car at that money without driving it, would we?

Conversely I emailed a chap at another shop who was the total opposite, offering an extended test ride etc, unfortunately he didn't sell a bike with the specs I wanted, but if he had he would have got my vote despite being 40 mile away.